We’re Gonna Rule the School

Today it was back to school day for Lauren, Drew and Jack. As the oldest kids in preschool, now, that means they get to rule the school.

We did our usual routine of taking pictures for the first day (you have to capture those new backpacks and haircuts, right?). And even though I am just trying to capture 3 smiley faces at once, I always find one picture that seems to capture their personalities. (You can look at last year’s pictures here and see if you agree.)

For the individual shots, they got bored with waiting their turns and took off on their scooters and bikes down the driveway. So, we were far from early on the first day, but at least we got these pictures out of them:

First, we have Drewski….

then, Jack Attack….

and, finally, Laurenowski

They handled the drop off like real pros, and I had to stop them to give me a hug goodbye. No tears or clinging at all! They went right into their Monkeys class as if they had been there all year. (Yeah, ignore this post that says they won’t be Monkeys anymore. Oops.)

At pickup time, they came out to give me a big hug and seemed to have a great day. They couldn’t wait to show me their papers and tell me that they got to have animal crackers and brownies, played on the playground and made new friends.

I love these crafts that they made with the story they heard:

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a sucker for anything with my kids’ little handprints on it. It was so sweet, and you’ll have to read that poem that was on it:

That almost brought me to tears! Can’t believe that’s it for first days at preschool for us. It went fast, but I’m enjoying this phase with my “big kids”, too.

God bless,

Amanda

Monkeys and Giraffes No More

Can you believe it? Another school year has come to an end. That means some end of the year celebrations!

First, came the last day of the Bible study that the trio and I attend. They get to be in the Monkeys Class and I get to hang out with an amazing group of ladies in my own class.  The kids did another performance like they did last December. They didn’t dress up this time, but the boys got some more use out of their Easter duds and Lauren got to wear the same outfit Alyssa did for her last performance as a Monkey. It all worked out so that Dave could see their live performance, too.

They started off being very thrilled to recite the Pledge of Allegiance – to the “United States of the ‘Merica” as they call it.  See if you can spot the 2nd set of triplets up front as I pan to the left. [Click here if you can’t see the video.]

They also sang “Daniel in the Lions Den” (my favorite one to practice – love the “Roar roar!” [Click here if you can’t see the video.]

And, well, there were other videos. But I can’t put them on the internet. Let’s just say they include behaviors that would embarrass them for life!

And you remember Donuts with Daddy, right? Well, around Mother’s Day, I got to have Muffins with Mom at preschool. I was presented with 3 lovely necklaces that each of my kids had made for me. They each chose the pattern on the front and put their fingerprints on the back. (Watching them try to keep the surprise from me was probably my favorite part!) Jack liked his so much that he wore it himself for a while.

And finally at preschool, the trio celebrated the end of being in the Giraffe class. They had a celebration a slide show of the year and some cake (or fruit snacks if you are Jack and happen to be allergic to eggs). Grammy was able to join us as well.  They had a great time and we were so blessed to have fantastic teachers in both of their classes that they miss already!

Whew! I can’t believe that I made it to the end of their first year of preschool. It was a lot of work for me, too! But they really learned a lot this year, and we were so glad that we did!

Coming soon are details about Alyssa’s last days of kindergarten and some of our summer plans.

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

Donuts with Daddy

Last week, Dave was able to take some time off work and get to experience a little bit of our crazy weekday morning schedule. He finally got to take the crew to the bus stop and see Alyssa climb on the bus for the first time (although he had seen the video).

He also got to take Lauren, Drew, and Jack to preschool for the first time. They are going through the alphabet at school and were on the letter D. Along with the letter D, comes Donuts with Daddy. (Alyssa got to do this, too, last year.)

What's more fun than lots of sugar with your Dad to start off the day? Here's a look at them enjoying their donuts (or in Jack's case, some graham crackers with frosting).

When we get to the spring, it's time for Muffins with Mommy, yeah!

God bless,

Amanda

1st Day of Preschool

Today Lauren, Drew and Jack officially got to act like big kids and went to their first day of preschool ever! We have been talking about it for a while. Last week we went to their open house and met their teacher (they are all in the same class - the Giraffes). And today it finally happened! After watching big sister go off to preschool without them their whole lives, now they were finally big bad preschoolers.

Jack and Lauren both told me they were excited. Drew didn't say much. But I expected that as he is the shy one of the group. At breakfast we talked about what their day would be like and how they would have so much fun. Lauren told me she would miss me, and I told everyone whenever they missed Mommy or Daddy they could give each other a hug (that's an advantage to being a triplet). Then it was time to put on shoes, jackets and backpacks. When I tried to take their picture on the front porch, at first I didn't get much cooperation.

But, they eventually conceded to some group shots and some individual ones.

Then we took the long 3 minute drive to school. They really didn't want to take any more pictures by then, but that's how it goes when you are my kid! We made our way inside and found the hooks with their names by them and hung up jackets and backpacks.

Drew really surprised me, then. I thought he would cling to me the most, but it was Jack who hung back. Drew was the first one to march into his classroom and find his bus on the door. Then he hung it on the wall with the help of his teacher. Lauren jumped right in, too, and after a little convincing, Jack took his turn.

After that, they were off to the new toys. No screaming. No tears. Not even from me!

As for me, I have to say it was a very weird feeling once the kids were officially dropped off! I felt like I was forgetting something. But I was armed with some gift cards and coupons,so off to shop I gleefully went. It almost felt like I was getting away with something - to shop in the middle of the morning like that! I had a good time and got some awesome bargains on summer clothes, too! And on my way home, I saw this strange sight, which is rare in my neck of the woods. Do you think they were following me, wondering why I was shopping alone?

Alyssa got home about 2 1/2 hours later, and I think it was strange for both of us that it was just the two of us. Alyssa's class had gone to the library that day, and she had checked out a new book (yep a card with privileges at the ripe old age of 5). It turned out to be a neat opportunity for some special one-on-one time as we sat and read her new book together.

Then it was off to get the little guys. Alyssa asked to go say hi to her teachers from last year, so I poked my head into their classroom alone. The trio looked up and acknowledged me, but then went right back to finishing the pictures they were coloring. I looked at their teacher and said, "That must be a good sign." She said that they did great! No tears. No accidents. Everyone used the facilities. Everything went really well. Much better than I had expected.

And so has begun the education of the youngest members of our crew.

God bless,

Amanda