Curriculum Night impressions

Wow! I don't know if it's Dacian's school or what but do they really do poetry in Kindergarten (as in writing it themselves by the end of the grade)? Good grief!
I was impressed by how well organized the teacher was and the school as a whole. The area in which we live is a pretty affluent one so much so that apparently in years past kids were taken to school on horses. There are lots of people with land and horses near where we live which is pretty weird for how big and crowded the city is. I like it though; at times we have to stop at crosswalk for a horsie to go by.
Anyway, the presentation was great. I felt like it was a little over the top to impress us parents more than anything else.
The school I work at is so different and yet they are in the same district. I have to say I like where I work better. It feels like more down to earth but of course I am biased since I work there. I love the people I work with.
It will take some adjustment to love another school but I will try my best to change my attitude and involve myself in what I can for the love of my child.

Outside the classroom there was an adorable picture Dacian drew. All kids actually did such a cute job. They were asked to draw something from the room that they saw and he chose the EGOL (that's what he spelled it like-eagle) I took a  pic of it with my phone but haven't downloaded it yet. It was CUTE!

The teacher was very sweet and well organized and seemed to be more comfortable. Yay! Dacian loves her. He comes home so happy every day. So what more can I ask for?
We will have parent-student-teacher conferences soon to set goals and we will meet again in January to talk about how he's doing.
It's interesting how even though I work for a school I am still a newbie parent with a first time child in school.
I really wish I could go into different teacher's rooms to see their teaching style, etc. That would be fun. I will plan to volunteer a bit through the year on some of my personal days. Can't wait!

Let's see, what else is new? Oh yeah, I am sick! Ugh! I started feeling it on Sunday late and then woke up really sick on Monday morning so I stayed home that day. Then I went to work Tuesday but only stayed the first half of day. Today I stayed home again. I went to the pharmacy after talking to the dr. who prescribed me some albuterol and codeine for my cough. After last year when I got sick a lot, I feel like something has changed with me. Can someone develop asthma this late in life? I feel like I have a very tight chest and that I get the same type of cough and symptoms I got last year.
Anyway, not fun. I really hope I can sleep tonight.
Lavinia got sick too but she's fighting it better than I. D got sick two days into Kindergarten.

On another note. My little girl is growing up. She calls herself big all the time now and asks if she can too go to school.
Even since that day when she decided she'd go potty she went every time after that. This is a miracle to me. She is even dry every morning. So to celebrate her biggness today we changed her crib to the toddler bed option. She was over the moon. I am big, I am big, she would sing.
I was able to squeeze next to her in the little bed and read her bedtime story as opposed to standing up and reading it to her. She was so excited. Then I told her because she is big like her brother she needed to sleep now. That was it. I walked out of there and withing minutes she was off in dreamland. I sneaked in to give both kids some kisses. I just LOVE being a mom, even sick and with no energy like I've been this week.
Also I was able to pick up Dacian from the bus and put him on in the morning. This will be so rare that it was such a sweet treat for me.

Well, off to bed I go. It's late but because I've been sleeping on and off today I am still not that sleepy. Maybe the codeine will kick in soon to help with that.

An amazing thing just happened

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I read some article about how to get your kids to smile great for pictures. As I am learning more about photography and as my goal is to become good at taking pics of my kids I try to go out and practice portrait style pics. When I look at good photographers I realize how I may never reach that potential BUT I am better than I used to be, and with practice I may become even better. A fault of mine I think is to put myself down, and to NEVER give myself any credit. I have to fight with myself to think otherwise. I am just wired that way and maybe that's also why I am not a happy go lucky type of girl.
Anyway, I feel silly just posting pics of my kids for no reason. But boy oh boy is there a reason to show off my girl  today. How do you like my long introduction?

Out of the blue she went potty today. Earlier for my dad and today while eating dinner with the missionaries, we heard the sound of water running. I didn't realize what that was until I looked in her direction and noticed her on the potty. I had her in regular panties and we have discussed about going potty and not wetting the princesses on her panties. She would give me the right answer and saying she would go in the toilet but kept on wetting her pants. I have been told the best method is to go all out and just put her in panties and let her have accidents until one day she'll just get it. But you see this kid is stubborn and didn't want her panties and as soon as they were wet for the few times she let me put them on she begged for her diaper.
She also didn't want to sit on her potty, with as much cajoling and promises of many wonderful gifts. NOTHING for months. Sure, I wasn't consistent with me being back at work and with us being gone all summer and with my parents driving here and there a lot every day and they weren't going to take her without a diaper all over creation and in their nice car.

So the fact that she's getting it, the fact that she did this on her own is a HUGE accomplishment. I couldn't be happier. I am so giddy. And I was so exhausted. So tired from work but this brought much needed happiness.

One of my promises to her was getting her a Rapunzel toy. She loves that movie. So off to Toys R Us I go for her beloved toy. She asked me twice after she went today for "Punzel".  She remembered and I am more than glad to go get it for her. A promise is a promise.
Ta! Ta!

P.S Let me know which pics are your favs if you could please. I didn't edit them in any way so I guess just comment on the composition, etc. I could lighten them a little but now I don't feel like it. Also I know I need to work on my focus. Thanks!

First day of Kindergarten

The much awaited day came. Dacian went to kindergarten today. They are doing a staggered start so he is going Wed/Fri. Wed is an early release day so in half day kindi that is almost 2 hours. Crazy!

Dad and I took him to the bus with Lavinia in tow. The bus came on time. He was so excited to see the bus coming. He didn't even look at me from the window. Pleased to sit next to a very cute girl. We were the first stop. Then dad and I went home, cleaned a little and then went to school to meet him there. He was already in line looking all adorable. When he saw Lavi he gave her the biggest hug and started to swing her around. She's his little doll and because she's so light it's easy for him to do tricks with her. Everyone was endeared seeing them. It made me happy. His teacher was there in front looking very excited.
We were all allowed to go in the classroom for a little bit. We dropped off the school supplies they are all sharing, paid the $10 fee and then saw the kids get down on the little rug in front of class. The teacher had them all put on their name tags and then did a little game on the smart board. Dacian having experience with them from preschool raised his hand first and went and dragged his favorite jungle animal to the right box. It was so fun. We have those boards in every classroom in our district and they are pretty cool. I just hope they really do make them that much smarter 'cause we sure paid a lot for them. Haha.

After we left the classroom Lavinia started crying. Poor girl, she wanted to stay in school and she was so sad leaving her brother behind. She said she didn't want to go home alone. What's a little sister to do? Thankfully she wasn't without him for a long time.

I was so glad I got to be there for his first day. My boss and my co worker in the office were so nice to let me go. It meant a lot to me.
Everyone asked me if I cried when i got back. Well, I didn't. Since he went to preschool for two years I kind of knew the drill and maybe because I work in a school it's all too familiar. But when I left and with L being so sad I got a little emotional too. The free carefree days are gone. I did my best to keep them carefree I think. But I know the harder part of life starts now. Sure, it will be easy for quite a few more years to come but it will get harder and harder. That is life though and I have to just let go little by little. I have a feeling I will have a hard time with that.

On another note I meant to blog about Dacian's little talk in Primary. This boy is really so outgoing, it's like he's not really mine. I was all nervous for him and I can't believe how happy and excited he was to be able to go in front of everyone and speak. He read his whole talk very well and showed the picture of the missionaries upside down. He was confused why kids were laughing.
When we came home he asked me to write him another speech.
Later that day we were invited to dinner by Shane's mom and step dad and Dacian wanted to perform and read his talk to them. He ate up all the attention. It was like playtime to him. I am going to film him read his talk and post it here. It's too cute.

Well, that's it for tonight. I've had some grueling days at work. I am exhausted but happy. So many of my ideas went by the wayside. I wanted to do this fancy dinner for start of school. Well, that didn't quite happen how I imagined it. Shane, saved the day and grilled and we had a nice meal outside. Dacian was excited and we told him it was special because he started Kindergarten the next day. I need to get my act together and be more organized. Ugh, that's so hard for me. I get overwhelmed quite easily and give up quite quickly as well.

 Going to the bus, showing off his Lego batman backpack.

 So big!

 New haircut as of yesterday. Finally!

 Bye!

Love grandpa. He's just the best. 

 Here comes the bus

 It looks like he's getting off the bus but he's actually getting on. I asked him to turn around for pics and he started coming back to me.

 Now that's more like it.

 Sniff!

 Lavi brought her toy box with her.

 Here's his teacher.

And here's the smartboard. 

Under the weather

Ugh! I am not feeling well today. It's a beautiful day outside. I wanted to go on a hike, I wanted to clean, I wanted to play with the kids, I wanted to get groceries and make yummy food. Instead I am sitting on the couch waiting for the medicine to kick in. It's not working and I took it twice already. I need to sleep yet I can't. I haven't slept well this week (stress related from work) and I am grumpy. I am barking orders for the kids to clean the mess they've made of my living room. It's going nowhere. They keep asking unrelated questions, and just come up with anything and everything under the sun to stall the cleaning I make them do.
Anyway here's to a better day tomorrow. Dacian is speaking in Primary tomorrow. His first time. I am already nervous about it. Kind of silly but I guess as a mom now I am adding being nervous for my kids as if it weren't enough that I am nervous for things that pertain to just myself.

Crazy

This is how life has been over the past week. It's all about I my job. I work as the office manager of an elementary school. This year we started construction of a new building (done in 2013 sometime) and we got a new principal, a new secretary, new teachers, adding new classes left and right.The building is looking pretty terrible right now. Boxes everywhere, bulldozers everywhere outside (there is a good fence where kids can't go to), anyway you get the idea, CRAZY.
Today we posted our class lists and of course more madness. We have been getting lots of help and even though it was crazy it also seemed to come together in the end.
We did get our internet, phone and toilets working finally. Meetings are out of the way, now we are all looking forward with anticipation to the first day of school.
And while all this is going on I have my own son, my first kid starting school. He couldn't be more excited. We got his supplies, backpack and new clothes a few weeks ago which made it seem like an eternity until school started. It just takes so long here to start school. We get out so late, end of June so we start late.
My new principal was so nice and insisted I go be there for my son's kindergarten orientation today while definitely I was needed at my own school. Our new secretary was a trooper and braved the craziness with so much patience. She did great and learned so many new things in such a short time.
So today I met D's teacher. I am a little disappointed I have to say. She's a new teacher so maybe she is just too green but we got to her classroom and she was just sitting there, no connecting with parents, or students. I had to go up to her and take Dacian to go say hi to her. It makes me sad for not taking Dacian to my school where I know how cool our teachers are. I saw them get down to the kids' level today and talking to the kids and parents A LOT.
I just hope this first impression is a passing one and that she'll be a good teacher after all. It will be interesting. Dacian is doing just half day this year.
I saw a familiar face there, a friend for an other ward I attended a little while back. She's cool and I like all her kids so my son hopefully befriends her son.
So that's it for tonight.
I am too excited to even go to sleep. It's like adrenalin hasn't worn off from today's events. I feel like I didn't accomplish anything, and hopefully I didn't look grumpy.

So school's starting soon and hopefully I also get to go to my son's first day of Kindergarten as well.

Dacian going to his kindi orientation

 Dacian and his friends plus sister