September Randoms (Part 1)

9/1 - We got outside to enjoy the beautiful weather by exploring another section of the Mission Reach trail.

9/3 - Claire's first day of gymnastics!

9/4 - Will's first day of Pre-K 3 at school!

9/4 - Will hosted a dinosaur party.  Dinos everywhere!

9/5 - Robert and I stopped for a sno cone.  This was a small.

9/6 - Birthday fun at Paige & Kate's house

9/15 - MOPS playdate at our neighborhood fire station.  The firefighters are always so friendly, and Will loves getting to explore the station and the trucks.

9/18 - Claire and Will asked if they could turn on the hose to water the plants.  It didn't take long for them to start watering each other.

Claire's First Day of First Grade

We have a first grader!








The night before, Claire had an unusually difficult time falling asleep, and I got to sing, rock, and lay down with her to try to help her relax for the first time in years.  While I was sorry that she was a little anxious, I enjoyed those sweet moments with her.  Despite the lack of sleep, she popped right out of bed and was ready to go.  Will spent the night with my parents, so we were able to totally focus on Claire and get some photos.

The first day this year was so easy - we knew where we were going and we saw lots of familiar faces.  We weren't able to go to Meet the Teacher night the week before since we were out of town, but we were familiar with her teacher (we got the one we wanted!), and Claire already knew where the first grade classes were located.

While Will and I miss having her with us during the day, she has had a wonderful week and is excited to go to school each day.  We're looking forward to a great year!

Field Day 2014!

Claire's school had a special field day during the last week of school.  There were tons of games and activities set up in the gym and on the playground fields.  I volunteered during the Kindergarten/First Grade time slot, handing out cups of water and helping with some of the water games.  Claire bounced from game to game.  Her favorite was the race to fill up buckets with water using a big sponge.






The aftermath - it turned into a Nap Day!

Claire's First Field Trip

During the last week of May, Claire's Kindergarten class got to go on a field trip to the San Antonio Zoo, and I got to go along as a chaperone.  The kids rode the bus to the zoo while the parents drove their own vehicles.  It was Claire's first time on the bus (we live too close to the school to be on a bus route), and I think the ride was the most exciting part of the trip for her!


Being silly with some friends while we wait


A lot of parents were able to volunteer, and another mom and I were put into a group with our daughters and one other girl.  We had about three hours to explore and eat our sack lunches.  The girls were wonderful and we had a great time together.


So Claire has never been a fan of petting zoos - she doesn't like having animals approach her.  The other girls wanted to go in, so she went along.  We found a group of goats sitting in the shade, and Claire decided they would be safe to brush and pet.  It was fun to watch her build up her nerve - standing at arms length and giving the goat a quick brush, getting closer, petting the goat with her hand, and finally sitting down beside the goat to pet her.  She decided that the goat really liked her, and they got along well.  Another step towards conquering a fear!

Camping at The Farm

Some background...my dad grew up on a farm in Santa Anna.  We still have a portion of land there, and my dad goes up pretty regularly to work on projects and just enjoy the time outdoors.  We've been talking about going for months, so since Claire had a Monday off for MLK Day, we thought we should take advantage of the long weekend and spend some time at the farm with Dad.

We knew that the kids would enjoy sleeping in a tent, so Robert went to Academy and REI and got a tent and sleeping bags for all of us.  It was going to be cold at night, so we got extra warm sleeping bags and took a space heater that we used to warm up the tent before we got in and went to sleep.

Since the kids had never camped before, Robert set up the tent in our living room the night before so that they could check it out and get an idea of what the space would be like.  They had so much fun with their "camping practice"!


Santa Anna is about 3 hours from San Antonio.  We left after school on Friday, so it was already dark when we arrived.  Dad had started a fire, so while Robert set up the tent, the kids and I got started on dinner.  They loved cooking hot dogs over the fire, but they were most excited about the s'mores.  (I was, too!)


We sat around the fire for awhile and then went to bed.  The kids did so good - they slept really well in their bags.  I got a little cold, and Robert turned on the heater for me a couple of times to warm up, so I was glad we had it.  The next morning we all went into town for breakfast at the coffee shop.  The hot coffee and food got us ready for some exploring!

We visited the cows that a neighbor keeps on the property, and found a nice surprise when we got over to them - a new baby calf that was only a few hours old.






So much space to run




Dad set up some targets, and the kids got their first experience shooting BB guns.




We took a long walk and hunted for fossils (there is a ton of fossilized coral out there!), and Will and Claire threw rocks in the tank.  They could have kept at it for hours.






Doing some tinkering


We had to be back in San Antonio the next morning, so we left Santa Anna around lunch time.  We all had so much fun, and we are looking forward to more trips out there in the future.

Not My Favorite "First"...First Concussion

This summer the kids' preschool had the option to attend on Fun Fridays - they provided special programs and activities with a different theme each week.  They went to a few and loved them.  On the Friday before we left for San Diego, the special activity was a splash day, and the kids were really excited (and it was a good chance for me to finish packing and getting ready for our trip).

I got to school around 2 to pick them up.  They were all still outside playing, and Claire started crying when she saw me.  Her teacher told me that Claire had slipped and hit the back of her head on the sidewalk about 10 minutes earlier, and while she had been upset for a few minutes, she had stopped crying and seemed to be okay (eyes were fine, she was responsive, etc.).  They hadn't called since they knew I would be there in a few minutes, which was fine.  I got them to the van and started changing them our of their swimsuits, and Claire just sat on the floorboard and laid her head against the seat.  It was hot, and they were tired, but I knew in my heart that something wasn't right.

I finished buckling them both in, and Claire kept closing her eyes and not responding to my questions.  I called Robert, and he said to head towards the pediatrician's office.  I started driving in that direction and called the office to speak with a nurse.  She reviewed the head injury signs and told me to watch her and just head straight to the hospital if necessary - that they would send us there anyway, so there was no point in driving all the way over there.  I called Robert back to tell him what they said, and turned to head home.  As soon as I hung up, Claire started vomiting.  I was scared.  Will was worried, too - he said "Mommy!  Claire's mouth is leaking!"  It was the one moment that gave us a little humor in the whole experience!

I started driving straight to the ER, called Robert, and he said he was leaving the office and would meet us there.  It was so hard not to freak out, but I knew I had to just focus on my driving and get us to the hospital.  Robert got there at the same time, and I started crying as soon as I saw him - I was able to let go for a moment.  He grabbed Claire and took her to admissions while I got Will.

Inside there was someone at the desk, arguing about a bill or something.  Robert was standing there holding Claire, who was obviously out of it, and we were just looking at each other wondering when someone would help us.  Finally a triage nurse started asking about why we were there, and it still like it took forever for them to go ahead and take us back to triage.  Claire roused enough to answer some basic questions, and they put us in a room.  The doctor came and still seemed a little too unconcerned at the moment, but then she vomited again, and they seemed to step up the intensity of care.  They gave her some Zofran and told us to let her sleep - they were monitoring her vitals, and came in periodically to wake her up and check on her.



Robert and Will left for home - Will still hadn't had a nap that day and was restless in the hospital room, and my mom came up to sit with us.  In between Robert leaving and my mom arriving, the doctor sent Claire for a CAT scan.  Fortunately she slept through the whole thing, and they got a good image.  We were so thankful that the scan was clear!

They let her sleep for a few hours under monitoring, and then wanted her to drink a few ounces of Gatorade slowly over about 30 minutes.  If she kept it down, we could leave, but if she didn't, they were going to admit her.  She wasn't excited about having to drink something at first, but after the first ounce, it was like she'd received some sort of infusion - she was alert, the color returned to her face, and she was asking when she could have some more "medicine."  She finished the cup without any issues, and we were sent home with instructions to keep her as quiet as possible the next day, and that we should be able to go on our trip without any concerns.

She asked to stop and get more Gatorade on the way home, and that was an easy request to fill.  I probably would've given her anything she asked for at that moment, so I'm glad it was something small (and easy to find)!  The next day, it was like it never happened.  We had to remind her several times to walk instead of run and not to try to jump off of anything.  :)

When Will and I went to his Meet the Teacher session a few weeks later, I spoke with the director about what happened after we left that day (there were 4 weeks between the end of Summer session and the beginning of the next year).  She was horrified, but I assured her that we weren't upset with the way it was handled and just wanted her to know what had happened.  She said she would talk with the teachers who were there that day and make sure that if they did the splash day again, they would make sure that the sidewalks stayed dry to avoid something like that happened again.  It all worked out as well as possible - I was glad that we were already in the car when she first got sick and were able to quickly get to the hospital, and that she recovered as quickly as she did.  God truly protected her throughout the whole incident, and we are so thankful that she was okay!

Will's First Day of School

Today was Will's first day of school!  (Actually Mother's Day Out, but he wants to go to "school", too.)


In the words of Will's teacher, "He had a GREAT day!"  He attended their summer program for 4 weeks in July/August, so he was familiar with the school and the teachers, but since he'd been out for 4 weeks, I wondered if he would have a little separation anxiety.  After "Meet the Teacher" last week, I had no concerns.  He ran in and started playing, and I practically had to drag him out.  Today was the same - ran in, found his favorite toys, and barely bothered to give me a kiss goodbye.  I was glad he was so happy to be there!


His school has a preschool program for 3 & 4 year olds, but it is based on their age as of September 1, so he is one of the oldest in his 2 year old class.  I knew that this would be the first MDO/preschool program for some of the kids in his room, so we talked beforehand about how some of the kids might be sad, and that since he is one of the oldest, he could be a good example and a helper for his teachers.  Ms. Kim said that he didn't have a single tear or sad moment and had a lot of fun.  We are looking forward to a great year!

Claire's First Day of School

August 26, 2013 - We all woke up bright and early eagerly anticipating the big event.  We wanted to be at school early to get Claire settled in her room and take some photos - and to make sure we could find a parking place!  At Meet the Teacher, Claire's teacher suggested getting there around 7 (her school starts at 7:40), so off we went while it was still dark outside.

In front of the school


With the Pinterest-inspired "First day of school" sign


This was pretty much her expression all morning - she was SO happy and excited!


Will was showing off his school spirit (and sleepy eyes) that day!


Walking in - she spotted her classroom and took off


Showing us her cubby


A hug from her teacher


She wanted to take a photo in front of one of the SMART boards (or "Big TVs") - she remembered them from the demo at Kindergarten Round-Up in the spring and was anxious for her chance to try it out.  :)


Goodbye hug



Leaving was easier than I thought it would be.  I thought I would be a mess, but she was so excited, and that helped my happiness outweigh the sadness.  Robert left and went to work while Will and I went to a breakfast sponsored by the PTA for new Kindergarten parents where we got a little additional information and a chance to answer questions.  I was still totally fine until we walked out the front doors of the school, and Will stopped.  He turned back, held out his hand, and started to cry.  He said "My sister!  I want to see her!"  It broke my heart, and I started to tear up as I got him moving again to the car.  I opened the door, he saw his toy dinosaur and promptly forgot all about being sad.  I did, too - and took advantage of having only one kid with me to:  fill up the van with gas, go to a quick doctor appointment (for me), laminate car pick-ups signs at the office supply store, drop off/pick up books and movies at the library, and do the grocery shopping for the week.  All before lunch.  I think I may like this new schedule... ;)

Claire's First Day of School - The Preparations

The first day of Kindergarten has been a big topic of conversation around our house all summer!

Preparations began in mid-July with school supply shopping.  I planned to wait until later, but some experienced mom friends suggested that it was easier to go ahead and do it before the stores got crowded.  We got everything on the list and put it in a box in the closet, away from curious hands.


Claire and I shopped online for backpacks, and she quickly picked a pink backpack with a butterfly applique from Lands' End.  No, she did not want her name or monogram on it.  "Just the butterfly, Mommy."  I did sneak in a monogram on the matching lunch bag.  Also put away until the week before school.


Two weeks before school, we spent several days in San Diego (photos to come!), so we were in full get on a good schedule/get ready for school mode the week before the big day.  Last minute shopping, appointments, and a hair cut by Aunt Carol.


Meet the Teacher night was on Thursday (and I can't believe I didn't take any pictures!).  We got to see the classroom, drop off school supplies, meet Mrs. Bacon, sign up for the PTA, etc.  She was ready!

First Annual Back to School Dinner

I love tradition (one of the reasons I chose to be an Aggie!).  This summer as I was thinking about Claire started school, I wanted to start a tradition of a special "Back to School Dinner" the night before the first day.  We let Claire pick where she wanted to go, and she chose California Pizza Kitchen.  She also picked our outfits.  When she selected a dress for me, she said "Daddy will be so surprised!"  Guess my "mom-iform" of t-shirts and shorts has not escaped her attention.  :)  We invited my parents and my cousin Jonathan (who recently graduated from law school and moved to San Antonio to start working at the same company as Robert).

Excited girl with her daddy!

We let her pick any dessert she wanted, and she chose chocolate souffle with ice cream - that's my girl!

Will was unhappy about having to wait until after I took a picture to have his first bite.

Love them!

With Nana, Granddaddy, and Jonathan

A rare photo with all 4 of us smiling and looking at the camera.  :)