The Weekend Updates

Look at that handstand!

I think I mentioned before that Jules has homework now that she is in Pre-K.  It is every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.  She is doing really well - a lot better than she was at the start of the summer.  This summer she took Tuesday and Thursday off from school and we had a teacher come in and keep her and do some one-on-one practice plus fun stuff like the library and the pool and visiting the teacher's grandmother who loved Jules.  And, they would go to the science center and the botanical gardens here.  Jules's teacher said that since the beginning of the summer she has seen a significant difference in her ability and her want-to on school stuff.  I think the one on one time really helped her and we try to spend time on it at home but  it is really hard for either of them to focus because they just want to play with each other -  it has been our struggle since the beginning pretty much.  I try to make it into games or races but Shook isn't really into site words and reading yet so its hard to make it on the same level for both of them right now.  Pretty soon though they will probably both be to where they can do their work together.  I wish I had a better way to keep Jules engaged for now but one-on-one time plus Pre-K is pretty expensive!

Still working on spelling, recognizing and writing our last name.

Shook wanted me and Jules to take him to soccer this week so Michael was okay with that!!  Jules demanded that she would not be playing this time so we had to take her chair and all her stuff with us.  Turns out, I couldn't keep her away.  Only this time, they do teams and games.  So, Shook's purple team played the green team after they did the drills.  Annnnddd, Jules did the drills and the games with them!  I always feel so bad because we didn't pay for her and I think parents get mad or coaches are like, what in the world, but at the end of the day, they are 3 so I don't work myself up about it!  Coaches and parents will get over it! Plus, it really helps Shook because he actually participates!

 

Then, the actual game started.  It was super hot but mostly he got frustrated because they were not 'sharing' the ball!  That is a hard concept to learn at 3 - that you should go take the ball from your friends (with your feet) instead of sharing and taking turns.  Very much in conflict with what we preach to him all the time.  He was upset about it! 

Jules was upset about it too but she understand that she was supposed to 'get' the ball only she couldn't get it so she was upset that she "is not a good sporter"!  We took them out to practice this week already so that maybe they will understand the concept better but after playing and sitting there trying to make them play, sitting in the stands and trying to make the play is much harder!  I was so worn out and frustrated after Saturday.  I decided that when my kids are older and playing sports, I'll probably be the parent who talks instead of watches!

Because they did try so hard, we went for treats! 

 
Our church had a 3-year old Bible presentation this Sunday.  So, Shook got to go up to the stage and get his Bible but, of course, he could not do it without his sister going with him!

Eating lunch and waiting for our name to be called.

 

Where one goes, the whole family goes!

He was so excited about his Bible!  He has even been saying he wants to go do that again!  He also loves his Sunday school!

They had a place to take your picture but neither of them would fully cooperate!  Jules might be a little upset that there was a not a 4-year old Bible presentation!

Easter 2014

 

Whew, better late than never!  (I have had this written for awhile, I just didn't ever publish it!)

 

Jules & Shook had a Easter hunt at school but I had to miss it this year...sad face.

 

This picture was from Jules' new BFF's mom so at least I have that!

 

 

I did go pick them up that afternoon in hopes of getting their picture with the Easter bunny but Jules was walking out of the school telling everyone that the bunny was just Ms. Natalie dressed up!  So, by the time we were out the door, both Shook and Jules were yelling, "Bye Ms. Natalie".  Failure on the picture with the bunny!  And, failure on keeping the mystery from all the other kids!  I hope they don't figure out anything else about characters anytime soon!

 



We went to my mom's again for our annual Easter celebration that we typically do at my cousin's house.  It has really become our 'family Christmas' since so many of us are in different places around Christmas time.

You can imagine that they both LOVED riding this...

And, they looked like this afterward.  Chey said their heads were super heavy but isn't she the best cousin for letting them rest on her?  I thought so.

We had a great time and got lots of presents.  Shook still wasn't really great or into finding eggs but Jules was.  We didn't have the best egg hinders ever either but that's a different story.

Easter bunny cake and Chey's birthday cake!!

Easter egg dying!

 

I got some games together for us all to play too...I can't leave these out!

Popcorn Races!

Cute pictures from hunting and Easter baskets!

First Days and Kid Catch-up

First Day of the last year at Pre-School for Jules.  That is kind of sad to think about.  This time next year I'll be crying my eyes out in my coffee. 

She was so pumped about her sign that I printed - she took it to her class and they all took pictures with it!  She was also really pumped about those sparkly shoes!

1.  Jules starts choir at church in September.  It's every Wednesday night.  I think she is going to love it when we start.  At least I hope she likes it as much as I think she will.  Michael and I joined a small group that we will go to while she is there and Shook will be in the nursery.  Our weeknights are going to be crazy!  I guess I better start getting ready for it all.


2.  Jules started dance at a real dance company this week and this time she is really EXCITED!  I don't know if you remember my blogs about the last time she took dance but it did not go quite as expected!  This time though, she did awesome.  She was so ready to go in by herself and she did a great job.  She has some work to do on rolls, back bends, etc. but I was never good at tumbling or gymnastics.  I think they do some of that stuff in dance to try and get them looser but a normal week of dance should be 45 minutes of ballet and 15 minutes of tap on Saturday mornings.  She is already trying to tap all around the house!  I think taking dance at school last year helped her get excited and being older helped her wanting to go in by herself without knowing anyone.  Again, there are all these parents at the dance place and I'm pretty sure none of these kids will go to the same school with Jules.  It's such a bummer for trying to really meet people.

She's in the Little Mermaid class!  She loves the side-swept hair craze!  She asks for it every morning.

3.  Jules and Shook both started gymnastics this week too.  Gymnastics is on Tuesday nights.  Jules LOVED it from the very start.  Shook, not so much.  He walked around like this - head hung down - for the first part of it.

Then, he found a teacher that would let him set beside her! You can also see that Jules is ready for school with the whole hand raising thing.  We have to raise our hands to talk sometimes at home too!

There was no way Shook was letting Jules go in a small group without him.  She said it didn't bother her though!

Practicing through the RINGS OF FIRE!

Ball on the head and back to the cone!  It was a mini-obstacle course!

Shook pretty much wouldn't go anywhere without the teacher holding his hand.  I did feel a little sorry for her.  But for Shook, she would have had a group of pretty strong girls.

Jumping in the ball pit!

Focused on the cartwheel...we have some work to do!

I'm not sure what you would call Shook's attempts at cartwheels...

Getting some extra coaching!

Shook liked this part but he ended up taking a foam ball to the eye and that pretty much sealed the deal!

Fast friends!

Now, Shook is pretty decent at the hand stand - I'll give him that! I think he likes it too!

Jules was much better at the bear crawl than Shook though!

Best part of gymnastics - they were worn out at bed time!

We also took them to the first night of Parent's Night Out - which is genius!  Basically, you have to be 3 and potty trained to go and they stay from 6:30-10:00 and they do gymnastics and bouncy houses.  When we picked them up around 9:30, Jules cried because she didn't want to leave (and she was tired) but they were watching a movie and having a blast!  This made gymnastics a lot easier for Shook the next time.  He actually participated the entire time.  He is getting better at following directions (they give a lot of directions at a time - usually 4 stations all with 2-3 steps so it is hard for him to keep up) and he is getting better at some of the moves.  So is Jules.  She can do a perfect forward roll now and she is getting a lot stronger.

4.  Shook is doing soccer again and this time he said he was READY!  UNTIL, he got put on the purple shirt team.  He did not think that was cool at all.  He spent the whole game walking around with his head down or holding on to the coach.

Michael takes him since it is Saturday morning before dance class and I thought he might do better without me and Jules there.  They had to have a heart to heart afterward so Shook said he will try his best next Saturday....we shall see!

5. Jules is SO tall, has 2 loose teeth (the bottom).  Just this week, she got her first permanent molar in the back.  They call them the 6-year molars so, according to the dentist, hers came really, really early.  Not so great for having to really take care of them even longer!

6.  Jules has Ms. Kim for Pre-K this year.  We LOVE Ms. Kim.  She is good with the kids and makes them mind, through her jedi-mind tricks like her behavior chart where they get clipped up and down based on their behavior, but she is also very loving and caring with them so they adore her.  She is really young but she did almost all of her training in school with Kindergarten so I feel sure that she will be letting us know what Jules needs for next year.  I'm really excited about the year.  They have a binder that she calls the KITE binder - Keeping It Together Everyday - and the kids have to take it home and bring it back everyday.  It has all the daily information in it as well as a calendar for what their homework is and folders with behavioral calendars that the parents must sign off on everyday.  I'm a stickler for organizational stuff (even though my life is far from organized) so I really like.  We got Jules a new school backpack with her name (and a water bottle holder which apparently is the most important aspect of a backpack to Jules) so she is pumped about it!

7.  Shook was not so happy about the first day of school.  Honestly, we had had a busy week the week before because we were out of town for a death in the family.  So, they were off their games anyway.  But, I failed to consider his discord for his uniform because he had warn it so proudly last year (because it is a red shirt - his favorite) and he had worn it quite a bit this year when Michael dressed him because contrary to my initial opinions on uniforms, it is SO much easier - especially when your children are picky about their clothes like mine are.  All to say, he wasn't happy about the uniform or the idea of going to school.  And, he really did not want to take a picture!  However, this picture and attitude sums up Shook.  He is a really happy and a funny guy but he has moments of pure insanity!

Look at that pouty lip!

8.  Shook is potty trained - completely. whoop!  He has been for over a month now - day and night, poop and pee pee.   It really didn't take him long at all once he got the sensation and feeling of going in the potty.  I would say it was only 4-5 days of really doing and he was done.  Pretty awesome for us! Only now he really likes to stop while we are driving and says it when we are in the middle of nowhere so that he can say he will "water the grass"!  And, when he doesn't want to water the grass, he is either mooning us or showing us his "pee pee gun" (I'll spare you those pics).  We try to tell him its inappropriate but he thinks its hilarious!  And, when he starts laughing hysterically, it is really hard to keep a straight face because he pretty much has the best laugh you have ever heard (and the cutest voice - I think I have said that before!!)  :) 

This is pretty much what I see now all the time - coupled with hysterical laughter!