It's time for Kindergarten

I still can't believe Eli started Kindergarten today.  He was so excited for today he could barely contain himself.  He loves his teacher, she's pretty awesome, AND she has Hot Wheels at one of the stations during center time.  What more could my little man ask for?

After seeing everything posted on Pinterest, I had the brilliant idea to use a small chalkboard and do something for his first day of kindergarten.  Before I knew it, it was the eve of his first day and I still hadn't found anything. Luckily, I remembered his easel! Out it came, and I spent a good hour making it perfect.  If you didn't know, I'm a little O.C. with this kind of thing.  I has to be just right.  Perfect.  I finally got it so it was at least decent and I left it for morning.  This morning Eli came downstairs, looked at it, and asked where the chalk was. Without thinking he was going to write all over it, I told him.  Next thing I knew there was a self portrait (which I have to admit is pretty cute), then a BIG GIANT X through the whole thing.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?  His response was simply, and very matter of fact,  "I wanted an x through it."  Alrighty then sir.  That's what you get!  He is still pretty cute.

 After taking a picture with his sign, since he was dressed up rather handsomely, I wanted some individual shots too.  Someone smiles just like his Daddy.  Makes my heart melt!!!  He's so stinkin' big!

After a few serious pictures, I told him to make a silly face.  Is it sad that this is one of my favorites?!  

I love it.  Such a nut!  

Our Trip to Montana Part Two

On Monday, August 13 we ventured forth and drove from Spokane to Butte, with a quick stop in Missoula to visit an old family friend.  Elsie is amazing.  I have so many memories at her house from when we lived in Missoula and Whitefish, it all came flooding back when we drove up to her house.  Even though she's 95 years young, she still takes care of her garden, cooks, attends to the needs of her house, and welcomes so many people into her home with open arms.  It had been 10 years since I had last seen her, it was great to catch up, even though it was a quick trip.

We had reservations in Bozeman for the night, but once we hit Anaconda (which is where we lived when I was born!) we decided it would be crazy to drive another hundred miles and we would all be going crazy by the time we got there.  The littlest of our guys was already stir crazy in his carseat and there was nothing that was going to calm him for another hour and half driving.  So we decided to stay in Butte instead.

Butte.  Oh Butte.  What a great place to be able to say you're from.  I was born in Butte.  It was very clear as we stayed two nights there, one night travelling in each direction, that I am a city girl and truly do not fit in in Butte.  Why you ask?  There are so many reasons, but that is just not my place to live.  We'll leave it with that.  We did have a great time visiting though!

Although it was already four o'clock when we pulled in, we decided to venture to the Berkeley Pit - the old mining pit in Butte that has since closed its doors - they are mining not too far away in another spot in Butte instead.  

 A trolley from yesteryear, outside the Berkeley Pit.

Trying to see if you could see in from outside.

Heading in the tunnel!

The 533 foot tunnel into the pit

Our Trip to Montana Part One

I don't know how long it's going to take me to post our trip to Montana!  At this rate, we will have come back from visiting my parents in Arizona before I finish this one.  Yikes...

Anyway, the first leg of our trip began on Friday, August 10th.  We ventured across the state and spent a couple days with Jess's family in good 'ol Spokane.  Partway across the state I had to ride in the back of the car because Cooper wasn't thrilled about being strapped in the car for such a long period of time and it was his dinner time.  We weren't anywhere to take a pit stop and feed him, so I sat between the boys and finished the drive squished between Cooper and Eli.  Over the course of the entire trip, I think I was probably in the backseat for half of it, so only about 850 miles.

We finally got to meet our darling (at the time) 12 week old niece.  She sure is a cute little princess!  I loved the shirt Sarah put her in too.  Auntie Christel was very happy to snuggle with the little one!  I had forgotten how little they are and how little they do when they're this age.  HAHA  It wasn't that long ago that Cooper was in the same boat!

Our own little Mozart had his first piano experience.  He LOVED plucking on the keys. 

 The kids all piled on Uncle Ryan. 

The Super Heroes at Grandpa Glenn and Grandma Cheryle's house.

Brooklynn and Eli played.  A lot.

Cam was the only one to get Cooper to take a nap.

Great Grandma Murthe got to meet Cooper!!!!

Cooper and Uncle Ryan got to hang out. 

On Sunday, Sarah and I took the kids to one of the spray parks out in the Valley.  It was so nice!  The weather was super hot so we didn't stay too long, but the kids had a great time.  I wish there was something like this near/in Maple Valley...you know, for our two months of summer.  So neat!!!  

Cooper even had his first watermelon!  He LOVED it!

Two Month Whirlwind Catch-Up

Wow.  I can't believe it's been two months since my last post.  Okay, actually, I can.  It seems like forever since my last post.  Things seem to have been going on fast forward since school got out in June.

Things haven't slowed down yet.  After attending the week long GLAD re-certification the beginning of June, the boys and I spent a week or two together before Eli started sports camp with his buddies.  He LOVED it.  He was with a number of his friends for a week learning about baseball, basketball and soccer.  He really enjoyed basketball but says it's too hard so doesn't want to play it.  Which is fine.  He's already in soccer, t-ball, and swimming lessons.  Once he starts school, I know he'll learn more about it then and if he decides he wants to play, then we'll explore that road if it comes up then.

The previous week was when my parents' house closed and they moved to Arizona.  It's official, they are now residents of the Grand Canyon State or the Copper State depending on who you ask.  The boys and I spent three days helping them get ready before their long drive to their new home.  I am very excited for them, this is their dream...and we have a great vacation place!

The beginning of August brought the demonstration part of the GLAD training we started just after school got out for the summer.  I had such a good time working with Andrea as we shared GLAD strategies with a "real" class.  Because we don't have summer school, a selection of kids came to school for a week to learn about forests of Washington while we presented to the teachers.  It was the first time we've done a training with one solo teacher and a coach for the teacher participants.  It went really well and we got great feedback from the teacher participants.  The kids were great and we had a fun week together.

As soon as the training was over, I hurried home, took Oliver to a friend's house and we hit the road.  We spent a day and a half in Spokane with Jess's family then we're off to Montana to visit my family.  My uncle is fighting cancer, both non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Leukemia, and was very sick.  We spent five days in Billings with family.  It was great to see family, but a very difficult time emotionally.  They have been fighting this for so long, they sure can use all the prayers you have.  During our trip we made stops at ZooMontana and the Old Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge.  I will post pictures soon.

Now that we're home, I've been trying to catch up on a week and a half of laundry, unpacking, getting my classroom set up, and playing with our new little crawler! After spending one day with his little buddy Jack, Cooper finally decided to take his backwards scoot to the full-fledged forward crawl!  It is a little clunky and laborious, but he's got it and is crawling.  I think this weekend brings the installation of the cabinet locks for the kitchen and bathroom sinks....

 I did it again.  I have been so wrapped up with what seems like everything under the sun, the blog has taken a turn for the worst.  We are all doing well, but I have to admit setting time aside for any sort of reflection has really taken a back burner.  In a quick nutshell, here's what has been going on since our last real post...

The cousins came over!  Eli, Brooklynn, Kendra, Cooper

 Someone hit the fabulous five! Five months that is!

 ...and six!

We had some beautiful weather....

great for playing in the grass,

 riding bikes,

hanging out with mom,

and graduating from preschool!

I went back to work the end of March. March 26 to be exact.  It has really been a bittersweet experience.  I absolutely love my boys, but I realized that I missed my school family too.  My students, the other teachers, having adult conversations during the day, ok or at least conversations with other adults during the day.  We have MSP'ed (state testing), did lots of math, learned about Asia, and just had fun together.  I did the absolute coolest art project with my class and it turned out so much better than I could have ever imagined.  I really think it's going to be a new staple for me.  It was THAT amazing.  I am actually going to take one of my student's pieces and have it blown up and hang it in the boys' bedroom once we get it painted this summer.  I'm going to keep the anticipation for that until I get it done.  Tomorrow brings  last day of school!!!  I am still in amazement that our time together has come to a close, but I am SO ready to be home with my little loves during the day again.

Eli has been in t-ball again and it is amazing how much he has grown in this area.  I remember his very first tball game as a small three year old.  Boy was that fun...he cried for over half that game.  Now he runs, plays, jokes with his friends, and smacks the ball like no other.  He is doing really well and loving it.  

The boys are growing like crazy.  Eli is officially five and a half years old (he just had his half birthday yesterday) and to say he is excited for kindergarten would be the understatement of the century.  For a while now it hasn't been my school anymore.  It is our school.  I am eager to have him at school with me, I have to admit.  My baby is getting so big!!!  Kindergarten.  Wow.  Mr. Cooper is growing and changing every day, too.  Yesterday marked his seven month birthday and boy, what a few mere weeks make for him.  I haven't been able to get his seven month picture ready to post yet, that will be another post, but I'll put some of that in here too.  He is built like his daddy, long and lean.  At his appointment on Friday, he weighed in at 17.5 pounds, which puts him in the 30th percentile, and was 27.5 inches long, ranking him in the 70th percentile.  Yep, that's his daddy!  The funny part is Cooper and Eli started out looking so much like each other, however over the past few weeks/months, he's really started to change.  Cooper is built like daddy but is really starting to resemble my side of the family, my dad in particular, which works out great since his middle name is Papa's name.  At times I really see my cousin Raleigh, other times I see Uncle Clyde, but it is usually dad is most prevalent.  Oh, and we can't forget about Uncle Daryl!  Boy does this kid have his uncles hair.  It sticks out in every direction and does whatever it wants.  haha  Cooper is sitting unsupported for nearly a minute at a time, much longer if he has, or thinks he has, someone sitting next to him or around him.  Just this weekend he started saying "Mama."  He has a serious case of separation anxiety.  Serious.  If we go to the other side of the room, he freaks out.  I love when he leans out to me though.  

  

The boys are growing like crazy.  Eli is officially five and a half years old (he just had his half birthday yesterday) and to say he is excited for kindergarten would be the understatement of the century.  For a while now it hasn't been my school anymore.  It is our school.  I am eager to have him at school with me, I have to admit.  My baby is getting so big!!!  Kindergarten.  Wow.  Mr. Cooper is growing and changing every day, too.  Yesterday marked his seven month birthday and boy, what a few mere weeks make for him.  I haven't been able to get his seven month picture ready to post yet, that will be another post, but I'll put some of that in here too.  He is built like his daddy, long and lean.  At his appointment on Friday, he weighed in at 17.5 pounds, which puts him in the 30th percentile, and was 27.5 inches long, ranking him in the 70th percentile.  Yep, that's his daddy!  The funny part is Cooper and Eli started out looking so much like each other, however over the past few weeks/months, he's really started to change.  Cooper is built like daddy but is really starting to resemble my side of the family, my dad in particular, which works out great since his middle name is Papa's name.  At times I really see my cousin Raleigh, other times I see Uncle Clyde, but it is usually dad is most prevalent.  Oh, and we can't forget about Uncle Daryl!  Boy does this kid have his uncles hair.  It sticks out in every direction and does whatever it wants.  haha  Cooper is sitting unsupported for nearly a minute at a time, much longer if he has, or thinks he has, someone sitting next to him or around him.  Just this weekend he started saying "Mama."  He has a serious case of separation anxiety.  Serious.  If we go to the other side of the room, he freaks out.  I love when he leans out to me though.  

Have I mentioned how much I love my guys?!?!  Yes, this includes their fabulous Daddy too.  I am so thankful for the three of them.  Some days are challenging, but boy I don't know what I'd do without them.  They are my life!

As I'm going through the files of pictures, I can't forget one of Cooper's milestones too!  We made our first trip to Spokane!  The milestone part you ask?  Cooper didn't scream the whole way!  LOL

The old gang got together!

Just the boys and their kids.

Cooper met his cousin Kaelyn,

playtime with KG,

and loving the summer-like weather!

All the cousins (at the time!).  Cooper, Kendra, Brooklynn, Cameron, Kaelyn, Eli, and now we need an updated picture with baby Maddison!

I suppose I better wrap things up, we do still have school tomorrow, and boy do I have a lot to get accomplished in those few hours.