Dear Mrs. Joyce

Wyatt's teacher, Mrs. Joyce, asks parents to write her a letter describing their child.  This is meant to help her get to know her students.  This exercise was fun for me to really think about Wyatt, his personality, and what drives him.  He also got to be the "Person of the Week" this month in Mrs. Joyce's class.
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Dear Mrs. Joyce,

Wyatt is the oldest of three children and definitely takes on many traits of the “oldest” in our family.  Speaking as the oldest of five kids, I can relate.  He wants things organized, correct and confirmed.  As the oldest, he sometimes forgets that I am the mom, not him, and gets himself into trouble with this mistake.  He is very creative; especially with art & music.  He is a very talented drummer, which began when he was three.  Wyatt amazes everyone with his rhythmic abilities, especially on songs he has not heard before.  He also loves the piano, and has taken lessons since he was three. 

Currently, his favorite sport is basketball, though he thoroughly enjoys about any sport right now.  I have really seen him develop a competitive sense, in sports, recently.  He also developed a sense of “practice makes perfect.”  He spent many hours this summer practicing his basketball skills and other things he wanted to improve on.  Wyatt has a soft spot for animals and babies and is not afraid of a bug out there.  He absolutely loves building with Legos or recyclables; whatever he can find, always using lots of tape.

Wyatt and his brother, Drake, are 17 months apart, share a room and are very close.  Though, when around friends, Wyatt sometimes “forgets” about his brother, at home, they are joined at the hip.  As school gets underway, we are working on making sure he takes his brother under his wing, or at least gives him a smile, even if he is busy with his own friends.  Kenna, his sister, absolutely adores him and wants to hug him constantly.  As he’s gotten older, he isn’t very fond of his little sister hugging him all the time, especially when he’s in front of his friends. 

Wyatt survives on peanut butter & honey sandwiches, is obsessed with Wii & Legos, and is very loved by his family & friends.  I hope he shows much growth this year in your classroom, academically & socially and embraces the kind community you create. 

Thanks for all you do as a great Greenwood teacher!

Kenna Rae off to Preschool

Kenna started pre-k at Plymouth Nursery School with confidence and joy.  When our plans to attend Westminster preschool this fall were shattered, over the summer, with some significant personnel changes at Westminster, Kenna took it in stride.  She only knew one child in her new class, Harper.  However, she has made many friends and is having a great time.  We love her teachers, too!  Another plus is that Plymouth is just up the street, so we can walk.

Starting School 2011

The first day of school went very well.  Wyatt was quite a big boy heading off to first grade.  His teacher, Mrs. Joyce, is his friend, Margaret's, mom.  Of course, Wyatt was delighted to have gotten Mrs. Joyce as his teacher.  Wyatt has a small class, for Greenwood, of nineteen kids.  There are only a couple kids from his kindergarten class in this class, but Wyatt is fine, and happy to make new friends.
Drake was such a big boy as he went to kindergarten for the first day.  He marched right in and did his jobs, just like he watched Wyatt do all last year.  He was so matter-of-fact, so confident.  He was happy to have Wyatt's same teacher, Mrs. Iles, and we were happy as well, to not learn a new routine, etc.  It was a very smooth transition.
On Friday evening, after the second day of school, as I was putting Drake to bed, he cried because he wanted to go to school on Saturday. So sweet.


Kenna wore her backpack as we walked the boys to their first day...just in case a teacher invites her to stay for the day.  Kenna misses her brothers so much after a summer of being with them everyday.  She literally attacks them after school.  She runs to them bombarding them with hugs.

Drake ~ Off He Goes!

Drake is off to kindergarten tomorrow.  Wow.  Two kids in school...seems unbelievable to me.  Drake was so matter-of-fact as a few of his grandparents called tonight to wish him luck.  He laid out the schedule, rules, what he had chosen for lunch, all very politely and without emotion.  It makes sense he would act this way, because to him, its just the thing to do, no fear, just what he is supposed to do...follow what Wyatt did all last year.  It is completely different than the conversations we had in the days leading up to Wyatt starting kindergarten last year.  Those conversations were about fear, newness, missing each other....

To Drake, this is just what he is supposed to do, no questions asked.  Its going to be a long 7 hours tomorrow; at least for me.  Again this year, I find myself teary, sad, wishing we could go back 30 days and just have a bit more of summer together.  But, summer will come again; and until then, I have a kindergartner to help get adjusted to being in school everyday.  However, more of a challenge for Drake....getting up in the morning.  He's my guy that likes to take his time, sleeping in, stretching, getting dressed slowly, having a leisurely breakfast...I'm sure he'll get used to the routine soon, however, I will take a bit longer to get used to him being at school more hours than he is awake at home.  My little, big guy....marching along to follow his big brother.

Kenna, Kenna, Kenna

That stinker........we were reading a story before bed, and Kenna started to cough.  It was a strange cough, and I immediately stood up and went to her, "Are you okay, Kenna?"  She said, "Mom, I swallowed a penny!"
She was a little distraught, but was talking and breathing fine.  I immediately remembered seeing a dime on the floor five minutes earlier.  Asked her if it was silver, confirming it was a dime, indeed.  Called the pediatrician, and he said to watch her closely for any issues and strain her poop for the next few days to make sure it passes~fun times.

Now, each time she goes potty, she says things like~
Mom, if you hear a "plop" then it came out.
Mom! It didn't come out!
Mom, maybe when its winter and I go outside, and its really, really cold, and I feed the reindeer, it will melt (the dime).

Hopefully, this confusion & obsession with the dime will ensure no future episodes of putting money in her mouth.  All we can do is hope.

Bad Words

Wyatt:  Mom, how old do we have to be to say bad words?
Jess:  Eighteen.
Kenna: (to her brothers in a loud, hushed voice) No guys, we can just say them when we are outside by ourselves!

There you have it, my 3 year old (3 and 3/4, according to her). Such a stinker.
Somewhat comforting, however, is that by "bad words," they mean, butthead, stupid, shut-up, and the like, at least at this point.

Nana is here!

Nana was visiting during a big week at the Ledinsky house.  We hadn't seen her since we went to Florida in March, so the kids were counting down the days.
She went to Kenna's birthday celebration at Preschool, Drake's preschool field-trip to Principal Park; where the Iowa Cubs play, Wyatt's Field Days at Greenwood, and the Greenwood Family Carnival.  It was a big week!  The kids were all elated to have Nana here, and it is always tough to see her go.

Number 1, Number 2 and Number 3

Drake has taken to numbering his thoughts when he wants to share with us.  One of the latest to Jon, after calling out, at approximately 5am....

DAAAD!
Number 1; I had a nightmare.  Number 2; those birds are wakin' me up.  
Number 3; can you shut the windows?


Of course, Jon immediately shut the windows...anything to not have to get up at 5am.  And I do have to say, I agree with Drake, once spring starts, if we have our windows open, those birds are loud.  We all enjoy having yard with lovely, mature trees, but it can be a bit noisy!

CIML Recital ~ Go WYATT!

Last night was the Central Iowa Music Lab (CIML) Spring Recital.  Wyatt performed a song co-written by his instructor, Will Locker, and himself.  They titled it, "Wyatt's Groove," though Wyatt says the "real name" is Mario Bros.
Wyatt adores Will, as he knows about two things Wyatt loves to talk about; rock-n-roll & video games.  Will Locker is the drummer in the band Bright Giant.

Wyatt has performed dozens of times, however, mostly with a group (Sheltered Reality).  He does get a little shy when he is on his own, drumming.  We were so proud of him last night, as he got beyond his stage fright & rocked the show.

Easter

We began our Easter traditions with a visit to the Botanical Center.  The Egg Council puts on quite a show there every year, and Drake, more than any of us, looks forward to it all year...for two reasons;

1.  They usually have baby chicks & bunnies to hold.
2.  The egg council has cooking contests & visitors get to sample the food...and Drake loves a good egg!

We also had an egg hunt in our own yard, and had Nonnie, Sheriff, Grandma Ann & Pompa over for brunch.  The kids were excited that Grandma & Pompa made it, as they had been in Texas since October.

Mrs Iles ~ Whom he ADORES

Wyatt's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Iles, is getting ready to have a baby any moment.  Today, she stayed home on an inclination she may go into labor, so the kids had her sub, Miss Carter.  Realize that these tots really either have no idea Mrs Iles is going to be gone the rest of the school year (they think she will have the baby and be back the next day), or they are just grasping that Miss Carter is here for more than a couple days.  


Today, I happen to be volunteering at Greenwood, and then stayed for lunch with Wyatt.  My lunch table was talking about Mrs. Iles, and when she was going to have her baby, and it went something like this~

Ava:  She is going to have it on Monday.

Wyatt: No Wednesday or Thursday.  Mom, why does it take her so long to have a baby? (aka..why is Miss Carter here to stay?)

Jess: Wyatt, she is only going to be in the hospital for a couple days, but then she is going to go home and then stay home for a while to take care of the baby till it gets a little bigger.

Wyatt:  (lightbulb going off)  Well, what about Mr. Iles!  Can't he take care of it?!  Mrs Iles can on Saturday & Sunday. 

Jess:  Well, usually, the mom stays home with the baby for a bit.

Wyatt:  Oh, the milk thing.

End of conversation~I just about cried, then died laughing.  Darn Mr Iles! 

Those kids just love Mrs. Iles so much, they are scheming to get her back!  

Girlfriends

Drake has had a couple conversations lately that are totally cracking me up; about girlfriends.  In both of these instances, he did not think I could hear him.


Drake's conversation with Brady over lunch~
Drake-Do you have a girlfriend?
Brady-Yes.
Drake-Who is it?
Brady-I'll tell you if you tell me your girlfriend.
Drake-Promise you won't tell anyone, except your sister.
Brady-My girlfriend is Sarah.
Drake-I'll whisper mine to you.
Brady-My girlfriend has an old house.  She has a tree with vines you can swing on.
Drake-I've never been to my girlfriend's house.  Maren has brown hair.
Brady-Does she know that you love her?


Drake & Brady in the backseat of the car, again, thinking I cannot hear them. 
Drake - Lydia is in love with me, but I am not in love with Lydia.


Later the same day, he says to Jess, "I am Lydia's girlfriend, but she is not my girlfriend."  What is super cute, is this little doll has been in the same preschool class with Drake since they were 1 yr old.

Our Incredible Naples Vacation

We had an absolutely fabulous time in Naples, visiting Nana & Papa Ledinsky.  The kids count day, literally, all year long until we go for our annual trip. We had perfect weather this year.  We spent everyday at the beach & the kids made many "beach friends."  We also went boating, out for ice-cream, fishing, a trip to Marco Island to visit Kramers, dancing, and so much more.  We are always sad to leave...and the kids begin counting down the days until next year.  Here are some quotes from our vacation.

Drake (right as we stepped off the plane onto the jet bridge)
I smell Florida!  I smell HOT!

Kenna
I miss Molly when I am here.  I think Harper misses me.

Wyatt (during many beach games played as Wyatt & Drake against Jon)
If you wanted the Hawkeyes to win, you should have had us be the Hawkeyes.

Conner from Connecticut was one of the friends the kids made at the beach.  Luckily, Conner's vacation was just about as long as ours, so the kids got to play with him almost everyday.  One day, I started talking to Kenna about her "Girls ONLY!" behavior that day when Conner wanted to play.

Jess:  Girls can be friends with boys, too.  Mom has friends that are boys.

Kenna:  Like you and Tom, Mom?

(she was referring to Tom Lewandowski, and just totally cracked me up.)

Jess:  Yes, Kenna, like me & Tom.

Kenna's Actress Name

That girl surprises me everyday with something.  Today, as we walked through Phil & Jean Kramer's Naples condo, she turns to me and says, "Mom, I want to change my name to Grace."

I'm the Grandma

Wow.  Today, Kenna & I were playing dolls and she named me "the grandma."  She, of course, was "the mom".  There's a first time for everything, but this hit me a little sooner than I would have thought.
She also got her very first Barbie.  At naptime, Barbie got a very special spot in her bed.

Super Star Drake

Drake was superstar this week at Westminster Preschool.  He got to be "line leader," ring the bell when its circle time or clean-up time & be interviewed by his classmates.  Drake also displayed his pick of baby pictures on the bulletin board for the week, which you can see in this pic.

Kenna the Fashionista

Kenna is very adamant on what she wears each day.  She is very into tights, and refuses to wear pants, jeans, pretty much anything that is not tights.  I've decided to pick my battles and fashion is not one of them, currently.

Special Treats from Great Grandma Judy

Great Grandma Judy sent the kids each five dollars for Christmas. Usually, we immediately put the money they receive into their piggy banks.  However, once in a while, it goes in an envelope in mom's purse & they get to use it as they see fit.  They have gotten their money's worth out of their $5 this time.  A couple weeks ago, we all went to get the boys hair cut at the Roosevelt Barber Shop.  There is a smoothie shop right next door.  They ALWAYS ask to go there, and we rarely do, however, the special envelope came in handy, as they decided they wanted to spend some of their money on a smoothie.  They each had $3 left.  Today was a perfect day to use their last $3, as it was a balmy 30+ degrees outside, so Drake, Kenna & I walked to Greenwood to pick up Wyatt, and from there, walked to Bauders old fashioned soda fountain, and they used their remaining $3 each for a special treat.  Wyatt got a walking taco (you see Drake in the pic finishing it off), Drake a rootbeer float, and Kenna~chocolate ice cream.  They thoroughly enjoyed their treats as much as they enjoyed going to the counter & paying for their purchase themselves.  Thanks Grandma Judy!

Snowshoeing?

Surprised the heck out of me....so far this winter, I have taken a snowshoe class & a cross country skiing class.  Super fun, great exercise & Polk Country Conservation makes it super easy to take the class, providing all the equipment, etc.  Hoping to make this a regular activity to keep us active during the winter months.

Winter Park ~ First Ledinsky Family Ski Trip

Jon & I took the boys to Winter Park over MLK weekend.  We had an absolute blast.  The boys attended 2 half days of ski school and one full day.  They were both naturals on the slopes.  To no surprise, their teacher reported, after the first day, that, "Drake did great, but is quite a speed demon."  Oh really???  He has no fear, and thinks no matter how fast he goes, he will be able to stop.  That makes mom and dad a bit nervous.  Wyatt is a thrill-seeker too, but tends to ski a bit more cautiously and in-control.  Drake was obsessed with his helmet (thank goodness), his googles & all the gear.  He woke up each morning and put his gear on, right away.  Check out our youtube.com link, on the right, to see some live skiing.  Here's a favorite of a small crash between Wyatt & Drake.

The only downside was an awful blizzard the day we left, which added 7 hrs to the already long journey & held us up an extra day.  Kenna stayed in Des Moines, spending time with Nonnie/Sheriff & GG/Grandpa.  We talked to her a few times, and she did not seem to miss us a bit, as she was being thoroughly spoiled at both houses.  We are ready to plan our next trip, ASAP, and cannot wait to get little Kenna on skis as well.

Kenna's First Mani & Pedi

Nonnie took Kenna for her first manicure & pedicure today.  She was in heaven & felt so special.  She was pampered all the way.  The next day, when eating raspberries, she asked for a fork so she did not "mess up my nails."  Priceless.....

Drake's 5th Birthday

Our (big) little guy is 5!  Cannot believe kindergarten is around the corner!  He had a perfect venue for his birthday party with his friends.  We had it at the Raccoon River Nature Lodge.  It was an animal birthday party; which meant all the kids could hold, pet & feed many different animals.  Drake was elated.  They fed toads, turtles, bunnies, snakes, & cockroaches.  Fun was had by all. We also   had celebrations at Westminster Preschool, Nonnie's, GG's and at home.  He got a coveted "real" red, electric guitar from mom, dad, Wyatt & Kenna.  For his birthday dinner out, he choose (same as last year), a "place where they cook in front of you."  He got to go behind the chef's table & help cook, which was very exciting.