Last Days of Summer and First Day of School

Well, the week leading up to the first day of school proved to be a great one. We finally took the opportunity to revisit Fossil Beach. We hadn't been to this side of the Island in two years so it was a long time coming.
The kids had a great time playing in the water. I don't know what it is about kids that can allow them to withstand that kind of cold but they had a blast.

Caleb was actually knocked down by one big wave. He got up laughing like crazy!

Naomi played kitchen with these logs. She insisted on wearing her bathing suit even though it was really windy outside.

Beach Bums!

The boys are showing you which grades they are in this year. Caleb is in First Grade with Mrs. Baker as his teacher. She is an awesome teacher, Eli had her for First Grade as well. There are a lot of kids in his class from kindy and several from our church so that was way cool. Plus, Mrs. Baker is a Christian and very sweet. I had to do submit hours for course work last semester and Mrs. Baker was my host teacher. I will be a classroom mom for Caleb this year and I am really looking forward to spending more time with her. She is a great role model for my teaching years ahead.

I wanted to snap a picture of Eli in his class on the first day of school but by the time I got to his room his teacher was in full swing. Third grade is going to bring allot more responsibility. Eli is totally up to the challenge and can't wait. He is in a two year program with the same teacher, with an emphasis on computers. Each child will be loaned a Mac book (I am so jelous) and learn word processing and technology skills. His teacher was careful to remind the students that they still had to learn how to look things up in a book and write cursive and all the standard school stuff right along with the technology.
There are allot of really cool kids in his class as well, from church and the community that he was happy to see again. He will also be spending time in the GT class so he is a busy boy.

Peach enjoyed a solid week of mom and dad to herself all day. We went for walks, did pre-school work and even went to Taco Bell without the boys. She will start pre-school at the church up the street from us on Tuesday and is really excited. Do you like her hair? I am trying to get better at doing hair and really want to learn how to french braid.

School starts for me on Wednesday. I have 9 credits this semester. A math class designed for teachers. I have already read the first chapter and I think I may enjoy it. It's about teaching the concept of math and not really about solving problems. I am taking a Child Development class by DVD it won't be a hard class and I have my little subjects for observation living in own laboratory! My last class is a Technology class for teachers. I will create a blog to turn in all my assignments on. Things like you tube videos and flicker slide shows. Yeah for me I can do most of that already!
Aaron spent a lot of time this past month at work and in Dallas for training but right now he is home on an 8 day break which has been great. He is gearing up for two more weeks of training in Tokyo, Japan. How cool is that!

I can blog again its raining today!

I promise I will update the blog today when we get home from church! We have had perfect weather for nearly two weeks..everyone knows you can't blog when it's sunny out! There are lots of pictures to show with the first day of school and last days of summer.
The weather actually made a really crazy turn. It feels like the Kodiak version of Guttov out there its nuts!

I Have Resorted to Bribery!

I know I'm not the first mom to do it! I knew it was going to start getting a little crazy when I began counting the days(hour....minutes)left until I can put my kids on the wagon train to parental freedom that is the big yellow school bus and send them to 6 hours of stimulation that does not require my supervision.
It may not have been in as much as a hurry if Aaron had been home fore more then 4 days in the last 3 weeks. (I am serious people only 96 hours) and he is only home for 24 hours all of this week.
So, the bribery I am referring too includes a bowl of glass beads and three canisters. I told the kids they could earn a bead, pebble thingies for helping me out around the house. You know mow the lawn, make a 5 course meal scrub the toilets..oh, wait I already do that. Well I don't mow the lawn. No, I mean things like keep their rooms picked up, vacuum the kitchen floor, put their laundry away. As they earn their pebbles they can use them to "pay" for privileges. Twenty minutes of game boy, wii,or webkinz will cost you a pebble. A candy bar at the store, a pebble. You get the idea. We started this morning and I had three wonderful little helpers running around at my bidding. It was great! The house was picked up and I had time to sit down and do something for myself.
Oh, and because I am the giver of the pebbles I have the threat I mean opportunity to take the pebbles away! (muhaha) Fighting with siblings(minus), not following directives the first time(minus), back talking or bad attitude, good guess(minus). The kind of power that gives a parent is exhilarating!

A Week in Review

We had a big week around here. Naomi is in ballet at the Little School of Dance for a two week dance camp.

The boys were in Bible School all week which meant we had to set the alarm "gasp" and actually be ready and out the door by 8:45. I suppose this week was a good dry one for when school starts again. Only two more weeks to go!
Here is a great picture of the kids at the Eagle River Nature Center where Aaron and I were married.


And here is our family 10 years later.

Happy Birthday Princess Peach!

I can't believe 4 years have come and gone. Today Peach told me that now she is 4 and I need to teach her how to read all of her books in her room. She is such a great little helper for me around the house. We love her so much and thank God for giving her to us.