No training wheels

Our kids seem to be growing and changing everyday. In fact, today I told Josiah I can't believe you're learning how to ride a bike, and put your shoes on by yourself - you're getting so old! His reply was, "Are you going to sell me?" "Sell you? Why would we sell you?" I questioned. "Because when things get old, we sell them!" Can you tell we've moved two times this summer? Poor guy.

Reagan too is learning and growing by leaps and bounds. She's going to school, she has a bigger appetite... and yesterday, we turned another corner. She is officially riding with no training wheels!!! A friend of mine came over, and mentioned that her 2 (almost 3) year old boy took off his training wheels. I told this to Reagan and she said, "I can take off my training wheels too!" I wasn't so sure she was ready to make the transition since this is the first summer she really started riding her bike. And even then it hasn't been that much. But I grabbed a wrench and took her to an empty development down the street and told her to practice riding with training wheels for a while. Then whenever she was ready, I would take her training wheels off.

She rode for a long time. Never once did she mention wanting to take her training wheels off. Finally Madelyn and Josiah started going stir-crazy in the stroller, so I told Reagan, "Okay, let's give it one quick try... Maddy and Josiah need naps." She started sounding a little hesitant and like she needed a nap herself... This should be fun I thought, as I envisioned me pushing a bike and a stroller home... After the training wheels were off I told Reagan I would hold on to her until she told me to let go, but the more I thought about it the more I realized she's the type of person that will have me panting up and down the streets because it's easier to have mom doing all the pushing. So I started out by holding lightly on her back and after two steps I let go... Strong, solid, no wavering... literally cruising down the street! I let her ride for a long time before I yelled, "Reagan, great job! You're riding by yourself!!!!" Of course when she realized she was riding all alone, she wobbled a little bit, but straightened right back out and continued to cruise. She wasn't quite sure how to stop once she got down the road so she took a flying leap off and let the bike continue on it's merry way. Unfortunately her bike also has a loose chain, so every time the bike fell, the chain also fell off. So after the tenth time of putting the chain back on, I, and my oil-stained fingers decided to call it quits.

Later that evening we had a couple from our church watch the kids so we could go out to dinner, and when we came back to pick them up Reagan had already learned how to start and stop on her own, and Josiah (who has never ridden a two-wheeled bike before) had also learned to ride with training wheels! The couple also were kind enough to let us borrow the bike Josiah rode for the rest of the summer. He's ecstatic! First thing this morning he said, "I want to ride the bike my Grandma and Grandpa gave me!" Now these aren't his real grandparents, but in his book, they're pretty darn close! I took some cute videos of them today so you can see for yourself. Hope you enjoy! =0)

Family PIcs

Last week we were updating pastoral pictures for the church. Brad and I both thought perfect, we'll use our family pictures for Christmas cards. Yeah... not happening. There's something about trying to get five people looking at the camera and smiling that just doesn't happen with our family. These pictures are as close as we could get. And since you won't be seeing them on any Christmas cards this year, you can at least get a general idea of how fast the kids are growing.

Reagan goes to Kindergarten

Reagan started school this Tuesday. I don't know who was more nervous, her or me. I started feeling jittery about an hour before it was time to go, and assumed I was in for a rough morning of "letting go"... Brad took the morning off so we could bring Reagan to school together. He started the process by bringing our two younger kids to some friends who live nearby. I was trying desperately to capture every moment of her big day, so I had the video camera in one hand, the digital camera in the other, and was snapping pictures left and right (much to Brad's annoyance). Due to my need for nostalgia we were only ten minutes early instead of twenty minutes early like he wanted. Now in my book ten minutes early is unheard of, I usually show up fifteen minutes late everywhere, but apparently it was not good enough. There were so many early birds we had to park on a residential street across from the school and walk over. There is a definite plus to always being late. I've never had to deal with such nonsense. Usually everybody's always been there and gone by the time I arrive, so I can just zip right in to a front row parking spot... remind me to never be early anywhere, it's way over-rated! But I still managed to snap a few pictures of Reagan outside of her school before we headed in to find her classroom. Always thinking about scrapbooking pictures....=0)

Reagan was greeted by her teacher (Mrs. English) at the door. She's 28, a christian, and blonde and beautiful. She teaches Kindergarten in the mornings, and is Vice Principal in the afternoons. She's warm and friendly and gives Reagan a Hawaiian necklace and instructions to find her cubby and unload all of her school supplies. When we finished unloading everything Mrs. English gave the parents a brief orientation of where to pick up and drop off the kids, and what the kids would be doing throughout the day. Then she said, "I'm going to transition the kids to a circle reading time, and while I do that parents feel free to make your exit at the back." It was such a smooth transition between kids and parents, before we knew it Brad and I were walking out of the classroom with a dazed look on our faces. Somehow we all (the entire class included) escaped without a tear shed... not at all what either of us expected. I can only contribute it to the fact that the teacher had so well orchestrated everyone, no one had the opportunity to have a big teary farewell.

I still had some butterflies throughout the day wondering how her day was going, and it seemed odd to only have two kids at home, but other than that the morning was pretty uneventful. I picked Reagan up at 11:45, and was met with a big happy smile. I told her I didn't want to hear one word about her day until I could get it all on video tape, so she smiled smugly and settled in for the two minute drive home. As soon as I got home I pulled out the video camera and started in on my barrage of questions. I should preface this to say we have probably twenty video tapes of absolutely no good footage. Every time something funny happens it's never captured on video, and every time we pull out the video camera all funny or potentially funny things cease happening. This time was no exception. I pulled out the video camera and started drilling her with questions. "Did you have fun?", "Do you like your teacher?", "Did you meet any friends?", "Did you learn anything new?", "Yes, yes, no, no" were my video tape answers. I turn off the video camera and try to think of a different way to get her to talk.

"Tell me about your day", I say.

She thinks for a little while and then says, "Well, there are lots of consa-cues in Kindergarten."

I have no earthly idea what she's talking about and wonder if it's some inside Kindergarten word so I say, "Cool".

She talks for a few more minutes each time mentioning "consa-cues". Finally my curiosity has the best of me and I say, "Consa-cues? What are consa-cues?"

"You know consa-cues mommy, like getting your name on the board, going to the principals office, talking to your parents... consa-cues!"

"Oh, you mean consequences?"

"Yeah, that's what I said consa-cues. There was one little boy that was so naughty today, he hit nearly everyone in the whole class - he had lots of consa-cues."

"Did he hit you?" I ask.

"Yup, he hit me and shoved me... but it didn't hurt."

She looks so cute telling the story, the whole time I'm thinking rats none of this is on video tape! She then rides away on her bike and a little while later pulls up again chatting away about something. But I'm not really listening, because I'm distracted by the fact that she's wearing a short skirt and as she rides closer I can see her bare bottom. I gasp and say, "Did you just go to the bathroom? Did you leave your underwear inside?"

"No", she says.

Shocked by her indifference I say, "Reagan, you're not wearing any underwear!"

She shrugs her shoulders and says, "I know. I couldn't find any."

"Couldn't find any?" I say horrified. "I put underwear right on top of the clothes you were supposed to wear today. How could you not find any! You did not go to school today without underwear.... did you?"

"Yup", she says, as if I just asked her if she likes the color pink.

My mind is racing with a myriad of thoughts... Reagan is not the most ladylike child... I've never seen her sit with her legs crossed... how was she sitting during circle time...recess... I wonder what her teacher is thinking? .....Aaaagh.... Reagan is not at all embarrassed or for that matter seems to care, so she rides away on her bike. I'm left to sit with my mind whirling. After about ten minutes I began to find the humor in the situation. I look down, and there, beside me sits the video camera... turned in the "off" position. Of course.

As Reagan's first week of school is coming to a close, things continue to go well. She loves it, well most of it. Yesterday she said, "The teacher talks for twenty-hundred minutes, and we can't say anything... (truly pure torture for Reagan)...but other than that it's fun."

As for me, I'm slowly adjusting to two at home, and enjoying the moments I can spend reading books to Madelyn, and playing monster trucks with Josiah. It's actually been really nice to have undivided time with them both, but it's also nice to have Reagan home again after a few hours.

Gearing up for Kindergarten

This year I did a "Back To School Spa Party" for the girls in our youth group with facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, make-overs, hair, etc. Since Reagan was also getting ready to go to school I decided it would be fun to treat her to a day of pampering too. So the day before she went to Kindergarten she invited her neighbor friend Serena over and together they had pedicures, manicures, facials, and make-up, then they put on costumes and had a little photo shoot. Our friends Sheena and Jason were over visiting that day so I coerced Sheena into helping me! It was a fun day and a great way for the girls to feel like true princesses!

Madelyn turns ONE!

Wow! I can't believe how fast an entire year went by! Our little baby turned one on Friday! Where does the time go... Grandma and Grandpa came up for the weekend and we celebrated by having a BBQ and opening presents. Madelyn loved being the center of attention, and had smiles for everybody. She literally shoveled her cake in her mouth with two hands (definitely takes after her mama with sugar!) and loved opening all her presents with the help of her siblings. She especially loved her Lily Leap Frog from Grandma and Grandpa. Lily sings and counts in English and Spanish, but you would think she flipped somersaults or did cartwheels the way Madelyn squealed, hugged, and kissed her! The whole rest of the evening, every time she caught a glimpse of Lily, she tried to leap out of our arms to get her. We took some great pictures! Very cute! Then strangely enough at the end of the party Reagan and Josiah disappeared, then reappeared with Halloween costumes on...... go figure. So there's a random (but cute) picture of Madelyn and the Halloween crew at the end...