Happy Groundhog's Day!

It was shortly after Groundhog's Day. Nicholas and Maggie had learned and talked about Groundhog's Day at school. As I was getting ready for the day in my room, I overheard Nicholas say to Mark, "Hey dad, did you hear about the beaver and his shadow?" He said it like it was just the coolest thing in the world. I love how much that kid makes me laugh!!

Where does she come up with this stuff??

Recently Maggie has been on quite a roll with funny little quotes. The other day she was getting ready to brush her teeth with a new toothbrush and toothpaste that she got at school. She looked at me and said, "If I have tears in my eyes, it's not because I'm crying, it's because I'm falling in love." Seriously.

Another funny was the other day when she and Mark were playing "lion." She had Mark under the kitchen table with the chairs all around because he was in his "cage." Mark got out to take a break and I asked him where Maggie was. He said, "I don't know, she said she is washing her lion or something." (She has a stuffed Simba that her sweet cousin Kasey gave her.) It dawned on me that she knew what cleaning a lion looked like. I said out loud, "Please tell me she isn't licking Simba!" From out of nowhere and almost immediately I hear a "Well, actually, I am." Mark and I laughed so hard neither of us could speak. I couldn't see her because she was sitting under the counter at our bar area. Mark said she was trying to pick the fuzz from Simba off her tongue.

She (and Nicholas) make me laugh EVERY day. Sometimes I wonder if all parents are as amused by their own children as I am. I look forward to everything they will say next because you just NEVER know what will come out of their mouths.

Blogging Again

Okay, so I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging. It is so hard to find time to continue adding stories! But I know it is so important so I am going to try harder to make time.



The other day we measured Maggie at roughly 37 inches. She weighed 31 pounds. It dawned on me that she was finally big enough to sit in a booster seat instead of a car seat! Of course Maggie is so excited about sitting in a booster seat! Secretly, I am too because it will be so much easier than dealing with coats getting caught in the buckle. Yay!



So as I'm driving down the road yesterday, it really hit me. Maggie is getting too big for a toddler car seat. :( It made me teary to think that she is really growing up!!! As I continue to think about it, I also realize that after just ONE more year in preschool she will be in KINDERGARTEN. I can't believe how quickly both of my kids have grown! I truly know now how true it is when people say "they grow up fast."

Nicholas' First Day of Kindergarten

*Sniff, sniff* Nicholas started kindergarten about 2 weeks ago. I was so nervous about his first day, his beginning of the school year, how it would be for the two of us to be at the same school...you name it, I was worried about it! What I wanted the most for Nicholas this school year was to make friends and have fun. I wanted him to feel comfortable enough to interact in the classroom and play with the other kids. I was somewhat worried (big surprise) that he would get "lost in the crowd" being so quiet and only having 8 other kids in his preschool class last year. So, the first day of school arrived. He was SO excited! Everything was ready...his clothes, his hair, his backpack. We took a few pictures, which he was also excited for (he HATES getting his picture taken!). Then it was off to wait for the bus. This part made me the most nervous because I was so afraid he wouldn't get on or would be super scared once everyone was looking at him. Nope. No reason to be worried at all. He took off running to the bus and never looked back. I was so happy for him and proud to see him so comfortable and excited. Once he was on the bus, of course, I cried my eyes out! Not too bad though, because Maggie was still with me. I held it together long enough to get her to the sitter right after I put him on the bus. (I had to go to school right away to be there all day instead of the half day I usually do.) Once I dropped Maggie off I cried harder. Really let it go. School is right around the corner from our house so I didn't have much time to get myself together before I faced my new first graders. I pulled myself together and went in the school. This was yet another moment of worry. I wanted to make sure that I was not in sight when Nicholas walked by. I was SURE he would see me and want me to walk him to his classroom or stay with me. I waited awhile before I waited in the hall for my own class. As I was turned around talking to someone I felt a smack on my backside. I turned around and there is Nicholas just walking down the hall like he had done it a million times, headed to his classroom. He looked at me, smiled and waved, then kept on going. At that moment, I realized just how much Nicholas had grown up. I felt so incredibly proud of him for being so confident and sure of himself. Of course, this made me cry some more! In fact, as I type this I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. The start to his kindergarten year couldn't have started any better. He absolutely LOVES school and rushes out to the bus stop every morning and even asks if he is going to school on Saturdays! He is so totally himself in school! When I see him he is smiling and happy. Mrs. Haffner even used the word "leader" the other day when describing him. I know I've used this word a million times already but I felt so proud! My little boy is growing up!!!!!

What Stinks?

Tonight Mark was playing 'picnic' with Maggie. She has been obsessed lately with building tents in the living room! Every single day this week we have built a tent and she'll go in there and pretend like she's cooking, feeding babies, and all kinds of pretend stuff. So Mark and Maggie are sitting on the floor while I am finishing up dinner. Mark says, "I'm gonna let a stinker." (Yes, we are not shy about talking about toots in our family.) Maggie says, "Go ahead and let your stinker. I have to let one too!" What 3 year old says stuff like this?? I guess at least she warned him. :)

World Cup Soccer

This summer was the World Cup. It took place in South Africa. Nicholas has never been a fan of soccer. This is funny to Mark and I because he loves all sports but not soccer. We even asked him several times if he would like us to sign him up for soccer. "Nope," he would say, "that is TOO HARD!" So we had pretty much given up. Then the World Cup happened. He was TOTALLY into it! When he woke up in the morning he wanted to turn on the World Cup. He was always completely on top of who was playing who and what game was on when. It was amazing to me how much a six year old could be into one sport. His favorite team was South Africa...or as Nicholas would say it, "South Efrica." I loved hearing him say that! (I also love hearing him call a boy from his old class 'Roverto' instead of 'Roberto.') Anyway, after watching soccer daily for...well, however long the World Cup lasts...Nicholas was finally convinced to try soccer. We will see how it goes. His first practice is in a week!

Peanut Butter, Anyone?

The other day Maggie and I went strawberry picking in Goshen. Maggie wanted it to just be the "girls" so the boys stayed home. We had a great time together. We searched and searched for just the right strawberries and picked a bunch of them. As we were headed back to the car Maggie asked me why I had so many strawberries. I said, "I am going to make strawberry jam with them." I could tell she was in deep thought so I said, "Oh you know Maggie....it's the stuff we put on with peanut butter for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." She thought some more and said, "When do we get to go peanut picking to make peanut butter?" :)