Our 1st Grader

So, you got to read here what the end of last school year was like for the triplets. I didn’t get around to the exciting conclusion for Alyssa’s school year. They had the cutest ever graduation for the kindergarteners. I actually teared up a little as the graduates came out to “Pomp and Circumstance”. It hit me hard how fast time goes!

They prepared a really cute program from things they had learned throughout the year in Music. Here’s an excerpt from one of the songs that they sang. As you can see from the video, Alyssa had a good time with it.

(Click here if you can’t see the video.)

They also featured each student up front for one song. Alyssa was up front for “Wee Willy Winkee” and played the xylophone (one of the many things I couldn’t believe she learned as kindergartener).

(If you can’t see the video, click here.)

They read the poem “All I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten” and sang “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to 1st grade we go.” Next, they came back in individually with their hats and got a diploma from the principal, after her teacher read her name. Then, her teacher presented her “graduating class of 2010”. It was so adorable!

On the last day of school, they had the Kindy 500, where the kids raced in little carts in the gym. Everyone got a medal, and it was a fun way to end the year.

Then, before we knew what hit us, it was time to start school. Alyssa got a new backpack for her birthday party this summer, my mom took her out to get a new outfit, and we squeezed in a haircut just before bedtime. Then was time to send off my baby to school for 8 hours!  I tried to prepare the trio for her being gone all day. (Lauren’s response was, “Who’s going to play Bahbies [Barbies] with me?”) However, I didn’t prepare myself enough, as my heart ached all day while she was gone. I couldn’t wait for her to get home and tell me all about it. I barely drudged anything out of her before she threw some papers at me, changed her clothes, and asked to go play with her friends. From what I can tell, it seemed to go pretty well, but was not as fun as kindergarten. There were lots of new things for her to learn, like going through the lunch line and which bus stop to get off at. But I think so far she likes being a big 1st grader. As for me, I’m not so sure! Time is going way to fast!

God bless,

Amanda

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Greetings Family and Friends,       

How are you? How has your year been? Thanks to those of you who have blessed us with your own Christmas updates. We love hearing from you, and we hope to hear from the rest of you soon!

As for us, if we had to describe our year, it felt like a return to normal for us. OK-- normal for having a 6-year old and 3-year-old triplets! For example, instead of having swings, exersaucers or a changing table, our dining room now has a table and chairs in it. How normal is that? Some nights after putting the kids to bed, we just talk and watch TV. We went a long stretch without doing that! We have no booster seats at the kitchen table anymore, and our Christmas tree has no gate around it. Best of all, we were blessed to be able to finish our basement this summer, so most of the toys now reside there. So, the transition from a daycare center to home is going very well! On top of that, no one had surgery or went to the ER this year, either! That hasn't happened since 2004 for us! (Urgent care center visits for sprained knees or extracting broken Qtips from ears or don't count, do they?)

So, since we spent a lot less time at doctor offices, we were able to do some fun things this year. We attended 2 family reunions. We boldly drove the clan to Colorado (only 2500 miles in the van) to see Dave's family. We also took a trip to Canton, OH to see family on Amanda's side. After the kids proved to be so adventurous, we tried some other "firsts" with them, like a bonfire, the zoo without a stroller, a family hike, and movies. We are really enjoying this age with kids and the whole new world that has just opened up to us as a family.

As for the kids, Alyssa is now in kindergarten and absolutely loves it. We are amazed at all the things she is learning, like reading some words already and writing sentences. Alyssa and Lauren took a ballet class this summer, and enjoyed every minute of it. They were also very excited to become roommates this summer, in a pink princess garden room. Lauren, in addition to ballet, has turned out to really enjoy sleeping in on weekends (one day until noon!), puzzles, coloring and music. She walks around often singing little songs she has made up. Lauren, Drew, and Jack are now in their first year of preschool. They are learning a lot about their letters and numbers and seem to enjoy school as well. They also have done a great job with potty training (not without incidents, though), just in time for those funds to go towards the grocery bill. Drew, especially, has grown to be a voracious eater. He works up an appetite running around the house doing sports drills he invented or asking lots of questions about the world around him. Jack and Drew also took a beginners sports class this summer. While Drew couldn't get enough of learning more things to with balls, Jack seemed more interested in calculating the circumference of the balls. His curiosity continues to grow as he tell us all the things around him that are "coo-ul," and he shows a deep love for animals by pretending to be one or cuddling up with 3 stuffed ones as he goes to sleep. He also claims to have seen a crocodile when we were in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Dave continues to run some races throughout the year (including a marathon relay), although he's been sidelined with some minor injuries. He also got to return to his homeland - a Notre Dame football game this year! He and Alyssa enjoyed a trip out the FL for his cousin’s wedding, too. Amanda's health is better than ever, and she's been doing some exercise of her own and is almost back to normal (just had to use that one more time). She has also been organizing some playdates using our church’s warehouse. But the best playdate of all, was getting to see her sister and hubby (who happen to live in Hawaii) ALONE thanks to the World's Greatest Husband manning the fort. It was a great time to visit, while enjoying some much needed relaxation, peace and quiet!

Well, that should do it for our family update. We'll leave you with some favorite 2009 quotes, as we wish you a very Merry Christmas and all the blessings from God in 2010!

God bless,     

Dave, Amanda, Alyssa, Lauren, Drew & Jackson

Alyssa: "Does God have a wife?”
Drew: (while watching a robin in a tree) "He is looking for his wallet."
Jack: "This needs new batteries" (referring to a pencil that needed sharpening) 
Lauren: (suddenly in the middle of lunch) "My armpit is cold."

PS We had rounds and rounds of fun this Christmas. How about you?

Just Another Day at the Orchard

What is better in the fall than visiting an apple orchard? Since I am blessed to get to stay home with our kiddos (a blessing I try not to take for granted), I was able to attend both of the kids' field trips out to a local apple orchard.

First, I went with Alyssa's class, and it was fun to meet her little friends that I had heard about. It was also the first time in a long time that I had been on a school bus!

It was a gorgeous fall day, and the kids got to sit on wooden crates in the middle of the orchard and sample different types of apples and drink some cider.

Then it was off on a wagon ride through the orchard and off to the pumpkin patch.

Their teachers got out and selected a pumpkin for the class.

Then they headed back inside to learn about how cider is made, and they got to see the orchard beehive up close.

Next, it was back outside to a picture perfect setting by the mums to learn about how corn is ground up and made in many different foods.

Finally, it was back to the bus, where Alyssa and her buddies held hands while they waited their turn (I am soaking up every second of this; I know it won't last much longer!)

Then, just a few days later, I was off with Lauren, Drew and Jack's preschool class to the same place for their first field trip ever. I won't say it was as bad as last year (especially since no one left bleeding), but I am beginning to think that there is some kind of curse on me going to this farm with preschool!

For starters, as we pulled into the parking lot, the raindrops started to fall and uncertainty reigned from there on out. After sitting out in the rain for about 15 minutes under our umbrellas, they finally ushered us inside to learn how cidar is made and how bees do their thing to make honey. As you can see, trying to get a bunch of 3 year olds to sit through this doesn't work so well.

Next, we were ushered into a corner of the garage where the kids got to learn about corn. They thought the scale was pretty cool, which I think kept them from wandering off.

Then, we headed out to the barn, where we sat on wooden benches covered with cardboard, so our pants wouldn't get wet. (Guess who got wet pants anyway, since the cardboard ran out?) We tried samples of different varieties of apples and cidar, as we listened to the rain pelt the tin roof.

As for the wagon rides, well, they had to cancel that. I'm sure the tractors would have gotten stuck in the mud. So, instead of going to the pumpkin patch, the teachers just picked a pumpkin off the wagon for the class.

Well, you win some, you lose some. Some field trips seem just perfect: the weather, good times with friends, even the pictures turn out better. Other days, you just show up, eat your food, and go home. Just like life, huh?

Here's to better luck next year!

God bless,

Amanda

Off to Kindergarten

So far, nothing has made us feel like time flies than to have our oldest child start kindergarten. It doesn't seem possible, but Alyssa is a big bad kindergartner!

Last week we went to the ice cream social and met Alyssa's new teacher. That's when we dropped off our school supplies. That is a story in itself, but let's just say that the list was very specific and it took 7 stores to get 4 of the correct glue sticks!

On Tuesday, I went with Alyssa to a breakfast and orientation meeting. One of our friends that was just at our house last week for a playdate is in Alyssa's class! That made it fun for the kids and the moms. It was also a big help to me as a rookie school mom to have someone who's been there show me the ropes!

While were there, we made a name tag and did scavenger hunts around the classroom and around the school.  Her new teacher also read a story called  "The Night Before Kindergarten". It made me tear up thinking that I was going to send her off into this new world alone the next day.

Wednesday was the big official first day. For years, Alyssa has watched the neighborhood kids get on and off the bus. She excitedly talked about someday when she would ride the bus. Then on Tuesday night, Dave  had a little talk with her about the safety issues and rules of riding the bus. She seemed really excited to learn all about it and asked lots of questions.

Then the big day finally came! Of course, the pressure was on not to be late the first day. I was tired from staying up late the night before getting MY homework done and making sure everything was ready. (Man, is having a kid in school a lot of work!) The trio was also tired from a big storm the previous night, so they slept in. That caused me to yank them out of bed, throw some clothes on them, and usher them out the door. I didn't even give Jack a chance to practice his new potty training skills or brush anyone's hair. Drew wouldn't leave until I answered his inquiry as to if we were going to take the minivan to the bus stop or not. (It's a 30 second walk from our house.)

Alyssa handled everything like a champ. I was a little bit of a nervous wreck, making sure that the little guys didn't run into the street or get onto the bus themselves, while taking pictures. But the little kids pleasantly surprised me with how well they did, too. I thought I would be bawling when the bus pulled away, but I think all the action at the bus stop distracted me. It's like we finally got to hang out with the big kids. What a neighborhood social event! (Granted, a little early for me, though.)

Lauren, however, let out a little whimper as the bus pulled away to show that she was sad when her sister left. Her best friend, dancing partner, and roommate had just taken off without her. I think Drew missed her, too.

I made a little video of Alyssa getting on the bus for the first time that I just had to share. I LOVE the look that she gives me right after the bus pulls up!

A short 2 1/2 ours later, it was time to pick Alyssa up. With this obvious change in routine, the triplets had all kinds of questions. "Are we going to eat ice cream at Alyssa's school [again]?" Jack asked. Drew inquired, "Is Alyssa going to come back on the bus?" Lauren quizzed me, "Can I sit in the car seat in the back?" (We also moved around the car seats to accommodate 5 kids for carpooling. She wanted the seat next to Alyssa.) On the way there, Drew said, "Is this the way to Alyssa's school?" Then when we got to school, Drew kept asking where all the buses were. Constantly. Again and again. Then when I put the sign up in the window with Alyssa's name on it, Jack wanted to know all about the sign. In the midst of the third degree treatment, I was just trying to figure out what I was doing, so I wouldn't have to hear "You're doing it wrong!" like they say in Mr. Mom.  (I have already learned that it is very competitive to get there first. Today I was there 20 minutes before class let out, and I was car number 5!)

So we picked Alyssa up, and she was happy as can be. She told me all about how she made 4 new friends, and got to eat popsicles on the playground, and she got to sit by her friend at circle time, and she couldn't wait until we got home so that she could show me the craft that she had made. (This is a huge change from preschool, where it was pulling teeth to hear anything about her day!)

So I just had to show you what she made yesterday (below).  She cut and glued all the pieces herself. She drew herself (left), her new friend Sarah (middle) and the bus driver (right). But she did clarify that Sarah and the bus driver actually didn't wear yellow, she just wanted to draw them that way. (I'm guessing to match her or the bus?) She was also very proud that her teacher had taught her how to spell "bus" and she had written that herself, too. This craft is definitely a precious keeper!

Our family has just entered a whole new world, my friends. But so far it's pretty good!

God bless,

Amanda

PS Did you happen to catch Lauren looking out the window in the pictures at the top? Too funny.

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