End of School

I have no photographic proof that Ben was actually in first grade. I was looking back through some pictures and realized I have the first day of school pictures and the last day of school pictures and nothing in between. Ben's year consisted of making lots of great friends, continuing his love of reading, and being great at math. He still really dislikes writing and coloring of any kind but babysteps right?
The bus stop gang

With the school year ending it also ended my first year of being a room mom. All of the those cute parties and all of that hard work and not one picture of anything. Of course, I feel I could have done more but I think I did a respectable job. I know Ben has really loved having me their so often.

Olivia finished her last year of preschool. This is her on Wacky Wednesday, her second to last day of school. She has an August birthday so she is going to be the baby in her class next year. We (her preschool teacher, her soon-to-be kindergarten teacher and Rick and I) all think she is totally ready for kindergarten and she is so excited. My baby is gowing up too fast!

Ballet

I have not really felt like blogging lately. Not because I haven't had a lot going on, it's quite the opposite. After the kids were in bed I felt more like plopping myself down in front of the t.v. and zoning out, rather than doing something more productive. But anyway, I'm trying to get myself more motivated to write everything down.

Olivia finished another session of ballet with Ms. Katie. She loved her recital costume!

Although a little reluctantly, Ben missed his first baseball game of the season to be a supportive big brother and watch Olivia dance. She did a great job and we are so proud of her.

More like Olivia

Last Thursday night, I was at the church working on some reports in the clerks office when both Ben and Olivia came running in like it was Christmas morning. While walking around the church, Rick had given them their own Book of Mormons (the kind the missionaries give out.) They were so excited!! As a family we always read out of the same set of scriptures and have told the kids when they turn eight years old they would get their own nice set. They each put their name in front cover and proceeded to look through them and talk about the stories. It was really sweet. That night instead of reading out of the family scriptures everybody had to read from their own.

The next morning Olivia had the 'share bag' for her preschool class. Whoever gets the share bag gets to bring whatever they want to show their class. Do you see where this is going?

We were gathering up everything to leave for school when I asked her what she wanted to bring and she without any hesitation said "I want to bring the Book of Mormon!"

My first reaction was sadly "are you sure you don't want to bring one of your Christmas presents?" It wasn't out of embarrassment that I didn't want her to bring it to school. I didn't want it to be awkward for her or me and definitely didn't want the teachers to have to explain things to the other kids. Did I mention that the preschool Olivia attends is a church?

I then asked her what she was going to say when she stood up to talk about the Book of Mormon. She said "I'm going to say that is a very special book and I read it everyday and the pages are very fragile." Olivia had made up her mind and when that happens their is no going back, so off she went to preschool with her share bag, leaving me at home praying that everything would go ok. I must have said ten prayers in 2 hours.

I nervously went to pick her up. I stood in line for my turn and when I reached the door to the class her teacher said "Mrs. Meyer could you come in the class I need to talk to you privately." I almost died right there in the preschool line. My heart was racing and I was thinking of all the things she could say. Was Olivia going to get kicked out of preschool, or would they tell me that it was totally inappropriate for her to bring her scriptures? All of the parents had picked up the last of the children and all that was left was just the two teachers, me and Will, and Olivia sitting at her desk with her Book of Mormon. The teacher then said "While we were at the gym today Olivia fell and hurt her knee and chest and we have an accident report for you to sign." I have never been so excited that she was hurt!!! The teacher must have thought I was crazy because I said "Oh, I'm sure she is fine, thanks for telling me." The teacher then said "thank you Olivia for bringing your scriptures in today."

We walked out and talked about her day at preschool like everyday she goes to school and I just felt so lucky to have her as my daughter. What an example to me of what a member of the church should be.

Some things that happened in December...

Ben ended his basketball season with the game winning shot. A great way to end the season. This is him with his trophy.

This year instead of cookies, I decided to make homemade fudge for the neighbors. I gave them with a pint of vanilla ice cream. I wanted to find peppermint ice cream in pint size but never found it. Hot fudge is good on anything right?

Rick gave me any early Christmas present this year...recessed lighting!! Since it gets dark around 4, it gets very very dark in the kitchen. We only have the pendants and under cabinet lighting which didn't give off very much light. Thankfully our friend (who has the same floor plan of house and had put in recessed lighting at his house) came and helped Rick install it. Thanks Jeff!! As you can see he still has some holes to patch but I'm a happy camper. Will figured out that he can roll underneath the Christmas tree and grab presents and ornaments. How does a child just instinctively know that a Christmas tree and presents are awesome? Tis the season for bundling up the kids for school, unfortunately. I took this picture one day before school while Ben was waiting for the school bus. He decided to play his DS all bundled up in his snow clothes. This picture just cracks me up!

Olivia had her annual Christmas P.J. breakfast. We had a great time (how could you not, when you can legitimately go out in public in your jammies) and she had even made Rick and I a present, this cute Christmas tree.

I was in charge of Ben's holiday party at school which thankfully went great. The kids had fun and I think the parents and teacher did too. I made these little cuties for the party. Although delicious and cute, they were super time consuming, and I will only be making them by specific request from my kids. The things we do for our little ones.

The Nutcracker

Olivia has been hard at work since, September, practicing her part in the Nutcracker this year. As you can see she is a flower, and a pretty cute flower at that. These costumes are just too cute!

Practicing After the show, she got her flowers, which she was very excited about. She did such a fabulous job! Ben (who was less than excited about going to a 2 hour ballet) even thought she did great!

After 2 days of trying to post the video of her dancing, I'm giving up. But believe me, it's really cute!

Snow & Santa

Last Friday night we went to see Santa and Olivia sat on his lap for the first time without crying. It was a momentous event in our family. Ben & Olivia both told Santa what they wanted from him and Will promptly took Olivia's place as the crier. You can see in the following picture that he is terrified. Right after I took the picture he completely broke down.

Olivia with Santa. She is so proud of herself.
That night we got a ton of snow so the next morning we went sledding for the first time this season.

My little snow bunny

Daddy & Will

Ben & the hill

This was the first time Will had seen snow. He was so bundled up he couldn't bend to sit (Christmas Story style). Rick had to hold him up, he didn't seem to mind though.

Under a shady tree, you and me

I have driven past this duck pond 500 times in the last year and a half and never once thought about taking the kids to feed the ducks. The pond is in front of the hospital (the one Will was born at). About a month or two ago I was stopped at a red light and noticed the ducks I thought 'I should bring Olivia to feed the ducks she would love it.'
The next day happened to be beautiful weather and we had nothing on the calendar so I packed a picnic and bread and off we went.
Once there, we ate and Olivia started feeding the ducks. All at once, I had the strongest sense of deja vu. Then I realized why.
When I was young, most summers I spent at least a week with my Nana in Florida. We would get to be the only child and get spoiled. I have lots of great memories and one of them is the duck pond at the hospital in Gainesville, Florida.
We would go get lunch take it across the street to eat it at the duck pond in front of the hospital and we would feed the ducks. The willow trees hung low and there were lots of ducks eager to take our lunch. In fact, one time a duck did take my lunch, before I even got a bite.
I hope that I can give Olivia such great memories. Thanks Nana!

Preschool & Princesses

The first day of preschool was an exciting one at our house. Olivia had been anxiously awaiting her turn to go to school too, since Ben had gone back a week and a half before.

Marching off to school

The day after preschool started, I took her to see 'Princesses on Ice'. She dressed up in her sleeping beauty dress and wanted me to do her hair straight.

She had been looking forward to going all week. We found our seats and the show got started. About 15 minutes into the show, Olivia turns to me and gives me a huge hug and says "Mommy thank you so much for bringing me."

Priceless!!

Things I don't want to forget....

How long Ben's eyelashes are...

He also says 'constructions' instead of instructions. He told me the other day he would still hold my hand when he was a teenager.

How funny Olivia is...

Olivia makes me laugh everyday. These are two of her toys that she has named Naughty J.T. (the dog) and Kitty Dansch.

This is what Olivia would pick out to wear everyday if she could. A twirly dress made by grandma and red Sunday shoes.

How good Will smells...

I wish I could bottle baby smell.

Will has had dimples on his knees since he was born. Too cute!

School Days

All summer I have been thinking how great it's going to be when school starts. I know this probably makes me a horrible person, but it's true. Usually, I love everything about the summer. I love the sun, pool, flip flops, bar-b-ques, having the kids around, sleeping in, picnics, watermelon, and of coarse the beach. I think I even like the mosquitoes because that means it is summer (ok maybe not the mosquitoes). Usually I'm sad when the kids go back to school but this year, it's time. Ben and Olivia have been fighting like crazy. They are both so competitive with each other that every thing is a competition.
I was reading one of my favorite magazines the other day (thanks Real Simple) and the editor's note for the month said something that struck me as so true. She said that 'living with kids is a long exercise in simultaneously wanting them to reach the next phase of development and wishing time would stop completely.' That is exactly how I had been feeling.
The night before school started Rick gave the kids blessings and I read 'The Kissing Hand' to Ben. I cried.
The first day of school started out with breakfast in bed. Ben can never actually wait in bed for breakfast to be ready so he gets back in bed to eat.




Surprisingly Olivia was very upset that "her best friend was leaving and she wasn't going to have anyone to play with".

Ben wasn't nervous at all for school to start. He was most looking forward to having lunch and recess at school for the first time.

Ben with his buddy Max

Ben and Mr. Cronin

I went to visit him at lunch and he was having so much fun. He was talking so fast (which is what he does when he is excited) and telling me what he had done that morning. Olivia, Will and I left and went home to have a picnic lunch and make cookies for when Ben got home. It was a great afternoon but it was quiet. No fighting. Is it time for him to be at school all day...yes but I miss him.

A year older

Last summer we were downtown and walked past the American Girl Store on Michigan Avenue. Olivia was glued to the window and Rick and I nonchalantly said "maybe we can go next year for your birthday". A year later she still remembered, so we made a day of it to celebrate her fourth birthday.

The girls in front of the store.

Once in the store, it was completely overwhelming!! Before any decisions were made we had to see all of the dolls. For a moment, I thought Olivia was going to have a breakdown but the crisis was averted. One of the employees told us that breakdowns were a very common occurrence at the store.
She finally decided on a bitty baby (with no hair- her words) which she promptly named Erica. Olivia also picked out a beautiful white dress for her too.

Olivia & Erica
I had made a reservation for all of us at the American Girl store to eat lunch with her new doll and have cake but Olivia wanted to eat at The Cheesecake Factory (or as she calls it, the Cheese Factory) next door. I was secretly very happy about that decision because I had heard that it was overpriced and the food wasn't very good.

Olivia with her Oreo Cheesecake

Blowing out the candle
After lunch we walked down Michigan Avenue to 'The Bean'

Do you see Rick, Will and I in the reflection?

Will was such a trooper. He slept, ate, and was happy the whole day.

Then we walked over to the fountain at Millennium Park, changed the kids into swimsuits and they played in the water.

The towers are faces and every few minutes they would spit water out. Ben would wait in the exact place until it would spray him.

Our our walk back to the car (can you tell we walked a lot??) , we came across this scene...

It is a scene from the Transformers 3 movie set. They have been filming in Chicago the last month or so. The only way you could tell it wasn't real was that the side of the brick wall is Styrofoam. I didn't see the first two movies but now I want to see this one, just to look for this scene.

It was a big day and we wore her out!!

We went into her room that night and this is what we saw. She loves her Erica!

Happy Birthday ZaZa!!