Ralph: 1st Kindergarten Music Program

(these posts are getting a little back-logged)

The Kindergarten classes at Kahoa had a music program back on Friday, December 13 in the multi-purpose room (aka the lunchroom).  I was warned to get there early.  Sure enough, the parents and grandparents of Kindergarteners are anxious to see their little ones on stage and by the time I arrived the room was 90% full.  Luckily grandma and grandpa arrived early to get a spot.

Ralph's class was the first to parade down the aisle and go on stage.  The students waved as they walked and were instructed to give one last wave once they were on stage to get all the waves out of their system.  Unfortunately at the angle we were sitting Ralph was blocked most of the time by one of his peers who was dressed like a penguin.  Four students in each class had a speaking part.  The students in Ralph's class who spoke were dressed like penguins; and appropriately they were introducing the song "penguin polka".  All the classes sang all the songs.

Of course, it was fun to watch Ralph on stage.   I do miss not knowing more of the students and their personalities (like watching a program at Fingerprints where we know more of the kids).

There will be another program in May.

Henry: 4-year Well-Child Check-up!

Henry had his 4-yr check up on the afternoon of Friday, December 28 - a week later than originally scheduled due to getting hit with the flu the day of his first appointment.

Henry is remaining consistent and continues to remain on the low end of the curve.  He weighed in at 30.8 lbs (8%).  At this time I was reminiscing about when he was younger and we'd try to get him full of milk before taking him to give him a few more ounces . . . on this day he had not used the restroom since he laid down for a nap and he didn't want to go when I picked him up from daycare so chances are that gave him a few more ounces.  He measured 38.5" (13%).  His BMI was 14.64 . . .in the 10-25%.

Dr. Reynolds asked a few questions and I let Henry answer them . .basic questions about what he likes to play with, Christmas gifts, if he likes to color on color pages or make his own pictures, basic questions to gage his development.  It's always fun to listen to his answers to see if they are the same answers I would give.  She did ask him if he still wears pull-ups at night . .maybe a normal question for a 4-year old appointment, I am not sure but we never did pull-ups and the diaper stage seems so long ago already.  He checked out fine on the other areas.  In hindsight there may have been other questions I could have asked but nothing that is urgent - just things to get her opinion/thoughts on.  We did discuss his stubbornness a bit but we didn't leave with any new ideas; just reinforcement on what we have been doing and that we may not always be as consistent as we should be.

Turning 4 means getting 4 shots are our place.  Christa was quick.  Somewhere around shot 3, Henry started to cry but composed himself soon after she was done.  Four shots also means you get to pick out something from the prize bucket.  

All in all, a good appointment.

Candyhouse Creations!

Last Sunday we had our annual Candyhouse decorating party.  We got together with Leighton and Turner, along with Tyler and Talon - friends we met through Leighton and Turner.  This year everyone brought their own house and frosting.

The #1 lesson to remember for next year . . .the houses would be sufficient if they were only 5".  It was just too much to frost and decorate.  Henry only decorated a side and a half of his house.

This is an early shot of Ralph's house.  He was the last one done; taking time to get everything just right!

 The budding artists with their creations!

A little post-candyhouse decorating game of Chutes & Ladders.

The candyhouses survived the trip home!

Henry: 4th Birthday Party Celebration!

Last Sunday, we woke up on the morning of Henry's birthday party with snow on the ground, a bit similar to the day Henry was released for the hospital four years ago . . luckily not as bad.  The snow did affect our attendance a bit but the four of us, grandma & grandpa, and Uncle Larry forged ahead and had a small but fun party.

Henry chose the theme of Spiderman.  I'm not entirely sure why other than last year's theme was Henry the Train from Thomas and Friends so that wasn't an option and Spiderman was his costume for Halloween the year before the most recent Halloween.  The boys do "shoot webs" but they do not "play" Spiderman much.

Spiderman table cover, plates, napkins, wrapping paper . . . .we had it all!

 Henry was pretty subdued in the morning but started winding up minutes before the party started.  Henry did a few obligatory photos with the cake and unopened presents then proceeded to open the presents.  He could be heard saying "look what we got" over and over.  I do not think there is one present he does not like, we are still getting around to opening all the boxes and discovering what everything does or what we do with a gift.  He got plenty of Thomas the Train "stuff",  . . .

After opening gifts and playing with a few, we ate lunch then lit the birthday candles and had some cake!

Henry: Celebrating 4 years!

For some reason every time I think about Henry turning 4 years old, I convert it to 48 months.   48 months.  There are times it seems like the longest 48 months and other times it seems like just yesterday we met for the first time.  He will always be known as the kid who hardly slept for the first 18 months of his life.

What an amazing little person he has turned out to be.  From the kid who would not sleep to the kid who tries every trick in the book to stall going to sleep BUT at least he sleeps.  Not too long ago I challenged him to stay in bed at bedtime for 7 nights in a row to earn a new Mobigo game.  He did it without a lot of challenges but has started to revert.

Henry was VERY excited to turn 4 yesterday so much so he had a hard time going to sleep last night.  I tried to let him know at lights out that 4-year-olds stay in bed at bedtime.  He was going to take every advantage of NOT being 4 yet.  Like most nights, I thought he was being quiet in bed and after while I get called to come upstairs to help him put socks on (they were almost inside out).  Got socks on and sent him back to bed and close to 9:20 he is frustrated because he can't find a match to another pair of socks so I convince him I really do not know where it is.  We typically check on the boys when we go to bed - I checked on them around 10 and Henry is still awake!  Yikes!

Henry's smile is like none other . . .so his is stubborn/strong willed attitude.  He also has more energy than anyone should have no matter the time - he will run between the back of his bedroom and our bedframe like he is in a sprint race just before bedtime.  He likes talking nonsense in both making up sounds/words and clearly talking but saying things that do not make sense, sometimes while making odd facial expressions and moving his arms about.

Henry plays well by himself and is really into the Thomas and Friends train sets.  He sets up track that leads to no where all across the living room and gives life to the trains as he pushes them along or watches the battery powered ones move and adds narration between the trains. Some of the re-enactment could could be from watching just a bit too much of Thomas on youtube during breathing treatments.

Some of his most recent antics is "Cowabunga" - a phrase borrowed from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Henry will crotch down and say Cowabonga then he'll run under someone's legs like a tunnel.  He also takes broken bars of soap to form a train on the ledge of the bathtub.  He does have a Thomas engine for a bathtime toy but turning the soap into carriages is a recent addition.

"Not quite" is probably one of his newest phrases - especially in response to "time to turn off the computer" or "time to get out of the bathtub".    "In a minute" is another one used to delay time.

He is still doing gymnastics but has had a few issues with his desire (or lack of) to go.  I think some of it is that are just so rushed to get there; there's not any down time.  The teacher says he is a riot . . .which is okay as long as he is not distracting the other kids too much!

Henry does enjoy keeping tabs on people and tattling when things are not quite right or someone is not doing what they are supposed to be doing.


Daycare claims he can write his name.  I know he can write an H, an E, and an N. . .though not always willingly.

Henry just started wearing 4T pants and shirts.  He is wearing 8.5T shoes.   There's something about switching him from 3T pants to 4T that make him seem just a bit taller.  It's a bit of an optical illusion.  He does not like his clothing to be wet or get stained with food.  He dislikes it so much he will take his shirt or pants off and go without.

He is still somewhat picky on what he eats and can take forever to eat.  He also likes to use the "I gotta go potty" or "I'm full" excuses to be done with eating.

He is still doing breathing treatments twice a day in attempt to prevent colds from settling into his lungs.  He is also taking Singular at suppertime and refers to it as "sugar (because it is in granule form) and sauce (because it is mixed in with applesauce).  He has another follow up appointment in March.  Keep your fingers crossed for a healthy winter! 

A few months back he coughed for a few days and extra breathing treatments didn't seem to help.  Finally thought to look in his mouth and a back tooth was coming through.

Henry was allowed to open one present tonight, the rest will wait until his birthday party on Sunday.

The official 4-year-old stats will have to wait for a few weeks as his well child check up isn't until December 19.

Ralph: Book Parade!

A few weeks ago Ralph came home from school announcing he wanted to be a Dalmatian for the book parade.  I look at the enclosed sheet in his backpack describing the book parade . . .dress as your favorite character and bring the book to parade around the school. 

  . . . okay, game on.   Being THAT mom that wanted to make her son happy I accepted the challenge.  The simplest way I could think of to make a Dalmatian costume was to get a white sweatsuit and put black dots on it.  Easier said than done.  It is nearly impossible to find a white sweatsuit.  Plan B or maybe C or D . . . I did an online search for no sew puppy costume and came across directions to make a no sew fleece puppy costume using the tying knot technique for fleece blankets to make the seams.  It required me to take measurements to know how big to cut some pieces and a lot of fringing/tying.  All in all, not too painful and a little fun to try something new.

The parade was the past Tuesday.  By the time I arrived the chairs lining the hallways were filled with parents and grandparents.  I found a great place to view the parade that allowed me to see him one direction and turn and watch him in another direction.  The parade made two laps around the school. . .at the end the students celebrated with juice boxes and cookies; the parents went back to work.

Fingerprints Fall Program

Fingerprints hosted their annual Fall Program on November 14.  Rather than a Christmas program they do a Fall Program so there's one less activity going on in December.

As the kids were waiting behind the curtain Henry and a few friends ended up near an opening and kept peeking out to see the crowd.

Ralph's school-age group started the program with a welcome rap and then the rest of the center joined them on stage.  We got lucky with the boys being positioned near each other; lucky because Ralph was supposed to be on the other side of the stage but someone in his group got in trouble so they moved some kids around.  Ralph was moved and ended up close to Henry . . .close enough to get them in the same frame. 

After a few group songs the kids sang songs the classes were broken down into a pairs and each "sang" a song.  Henry's group sang "Thank You Lord."  Henry had been singing and practicing at home leading up to the program I was curious how he would do on stage.  He did great!  He had his hips swaying, hands clapping, and toe tapping throughout the song.  He is such a ham at home it was fun to watch him not be too timid on stage.

Ralph's group did "Supernatural", a song with some high energy jumps and twists. You could tell it took some energy for him to keep up . .by Thursdays he is usually spent, still adjusting to no naps and maybe sleeping until 7:30 pm.  He looked like he was having a good time.

It was a fun program, even watching the kids in the other classes we do not know.  There's always some unpredictability that keeps things interesting and entertaining.

Halloween Happenings!

Ralph and Henry had plenty of opportunities to wear their Halloween costumes this year.   The boys were Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  The decision to be Turtles was a bit tough - I didn't want to show them any costumes or books but wanted to hear it from them.   There were having trouble being creative and thinking outside the box so I broke down and showed them a costume booklet/ad.  Ralph opted for Ralphael, of course; Henry was Michaelangelo.

Last weekend I felt blessed to be done with October and to begin November!

Lincoln Children's Museum
While Ralph was busy a few nights Henry and I went to a few events on our own - the first was at the Lincoln Children's Museum.  It was the first event of the year and Henry was not quite sure about all the costumes (both children and adult). He also turned super shy without his fellow ninja turtle with him.  We had a good time in spite of his going solo.

Morrill Hall - "Fright at the Museum"
We attended this event two years; they did not have it last year.  The first two levels are geared to all ages.  The only "game" they had was a candy catapult in the great hall - the kids would pick up candy after it was catapulted to their area, other wise the trick or treaters just walked along trails stopping to trick or treat.  They also had volunteers with various small insects/spiders to provide education and a disco/dancing room with balloons to toss around.  We did visit the disco rom for a bit.

Women's Basketball Game/Haunted Hoops
We happened to go to the women's exhibition basketball game on Sunday, October 27.  They had a costume contest during halftime. Ralph surprisingly participated . . and ended up standing next to Lil Red.  He (along with all the other contestants) lost to an infant dressed like a Chick-Fil-A cow.  He understood it's hard to win anything when you are competing against a Chick-Fil-A cow.  There was supposed to be trick or treating along the concourse; we couldn't find it.

St Mark's Trunk or Treat
The same night we trick or treated at St. Mark's Trunk or Treat.  The weather was beautiful; the boys had a good time. 

St. John's Trunk or Treat
On October 30, we trick or treated at St. John's Trunk or Treat.  It was a little cooler than our previous trunk or treating at St. Marks but it could have been worse.  We also got a bit later start and it got a bit dark before we were done.

Halloween night
On Halloween, we picked up Tyson and his mom and journeyed to Waverly for their trick or treating at businesses.  The boys had fun with Tyson, and they ran into a few friends here and there.

The carving of the pumpkins!

In between all the Halloween related events we attended we found time to carve the pumpkins.  This photo does not really illustrate how much the enjoyed pulling the pumpkin guts out of the pumpkin and saying "ewww".

Ralph did draft how he wanted his jack o'latern to look on paper prior to the cutting but still had to provide some last minute instruction on the pumpkin.

 

In addition to carving these two pumpkins the boys also colored on two smaller pumpkins, unfortunately they were cropped out of the photo.

Ralph: Pumpkin Run 2013!

Ralph participated in his first mile run on October 19 at Pioneers Park Pumpkin Run . . .Runners were divided into 2 divisions with 6 heats in each division.  In all there were over 3700 runners.  I think a mile was longer than Ralph estimated but he made it through - probably didn't help I overdressed him just slightly.  We will begin training for the Mayor's Run early next spring . . just kidding.

Fall Festivies!

This entry could probably be broke into 3-4 posts as we kept busy this fall.  With the exception of the weather turning cooler and eventually meaning snow and winter, fall may be one of my favorite times of the year.  (in an effort to minimize the photos posted I selected ones the boys were in together.)

Apple Jack Festival
The boys and I traveled to Nebraska City in September for the Apple Jack Festival.  We did not venture to many of the weekend activities, mostly just the Tree Adventure at Arbor Day Farm.  We got an early start, before it was too crowded, and had a good morning on the nature trails - stopping to read signs and learn along the way, climbing 50 feet to reach the top of the Canopy Tower, playing/learning in the "nature explore classrooms", and climbing on a larger than life spider web.  We went through a corn maze; luckily we followed another family in as we both took our turns getting lost and finally found our way out.  After eating our picnic lunch, we spent quite a bit of time watching/attempting to pop larger than life bubbles.  On the way back to Lincoln we did stop at Kimmel Orchard which wasn't the best idea as it was the peak of the day and they were busier than busy.

Vala's Pumpkin Patch
Grandma and Grandpa took the boys and I to Vala's at the end of September - so nice that Ralph is in a booster so we can finally fit in one car!  Again, we arrived early to beat the crowd but still met a line at the entrance.  Luckily the lines were minimal most of the time.  The newest attraction was a "Big Slide" - reminiscent of the carnivals of my youth - the kind you walk up the stairs on the side and slide down on a burlap bag.  Ralph was quick to head up the stairs; I followed with his bag and one for Henry & I.  The boys could have slid down the slide many more times but after 4-5 times we opted to go on to another activity.  We also ventured through their corn maze which we did not do last year, along with the Barnyard Adventure Ride (similar to the barrel train but able to accommodate adults)..  The boys took their yearly horse ride; the few times I asked them at the zoo this summer they passed but happily agreed to ride the horses at Vala's without much hesitation.    The boys enjoyed many repeats from last year including the storybook barn, peddle trikes, ducky derby, jumping pillows, various play areas, corn play area, and the family country crusin.  Ralph did spy the apple sling shot and wanted to try it.  It's on the list for next year.

Bloom Where you are Planted
The boys and I, along with Grandma visited Bloom Where you are Planted in early October. It really is a great place for little kids.  Ralph remembered the mini wheelbarrows took one through the haymaze a few times.  They enjoyed helping us dress a scarecrow and the rubber ducky races.  They had a great time on the haybales and a new "slide".  We had the corn box to ourselves for awhile which worked out well since they only had two trucks in it. . .and luckily were under cover during a quick rain.

Henry the Gymnast

After months of contemplating and debating Henry started gymnastics last Wednesday at Pioneer Gymnastics.   Classes at Pioneer are year round and new students can start anytime.  I checked their schedule a few weeks ago and the open classes didn't fit our schedule; I checked again last Sunday and there were a few new openings.  Henry was not overly excited about this decision.   He can be our wild child but when it comes to new activities he is clams up and puts up a negative front.

Henry and I arrived Wednesday, a bit earlier than recommended but with traffic at 5 pm you can never quite be sure how long it will take.  Henry held my hand as we entered the building and his gripe tightened as we stepped in.  We waited in observation area until his instructor came out to greet the class.  Once the door opened the other students hustled over to go in; I walked Henry over and introduced him - he went through the door and I returned to my seat.

There were about 4 circuit stations.  The class would do each one for about 10 minutes before moving on to the next one.  As the group started on the first circuit and leaned forward to find Henry; he saw me through the window and started crying "I want my mommy".  I hid a bit giving the instructor a chance to take control.  She had him seat on a nearby stool and watch.  After the group moved to the next circuit Henry became more involved - and when he'd see me in the window he'd wave.  He got a little excited moving from the 3rd circuit to the 4th and raced over to be at the front of the line . . even though he didn't know what was involved since he was new.    All in all, a good end to a rough start.  I'm hoping next week goes smoothly!

The various circuit stations involved doing somersaults, hanging from rings, walking on a low balance beam (some with obstacles to step over), going down a slide into a foam pit, and doing a handstand by walking up a wall among other challenges.

I did notice Henry had more nervous habits than the other kids - I am hoping they fade once he becomes accustomed to the routine.

At the end of the session the instructor came out with the kids, she talked to a few parents and then came over and thanked me for not coming in when Henry was crying.

Ralph: Celebrating 5 1/2 years!

Ralph turned 5 1/2 years yesterday without too much fanfare.  As much as we acknowledge he needs to get to bed earlier than he did in the summer because he is not getting naps during the week AND he is absorbing so much new information, we are not able to accomplish this goal on Wednesdays and Thursdays so by Friday afternoon he is beyond tired, just a tad sensitive, and a bit glossy eyed.  We took advantage of no evening activities last night and spent some extra time reading and cuddling.

Ralph does not stall at bedtime and can easily go to sleep these days but still can wake up too early (and unfortunately has some help being woke up once in awhile).  On a good day he is in bed by 8 pm; on our busier days bedtime ends up being closer to 8:30 pm. He seems to wake up around 6:20-6:30 am most days on his own; yesterday Henry woke him up around 5:30 am which doesn't help the sleep deprivation.

His breakfast of choice has shifted from frozen waffles or mini pancakes to cereal (Lucky Charms, Captain Crunch, Cocoa Puffs).  He was on a Lunchables kick for a few weeks but that seems to have waned.   We are catering a little less to him at suppertime - not always making a different meal for him but serving one meal for the four of us.  Unfortunately we have leftovers a lot and I don't feel like forcing him to eat the same meal for two days in a row so will make him a different meal the 2nd night.

He is wearing size 10.5 shoes, size 5 pants (soon to be 6 - his current 5's are almost a bit short but not sure if they shrank too much or he has gone through a growth spurt), and size 5 shirts (S or M depending on brand).

Ralph shows signs of aggression that needs to be curbed - not sure if it's from classmates or watching too much ninja turtles during Henry's breathing treatment.  Last Sunday and Monday he blatantly pushed, from behind, younger kids. He was lectured plenty both times but I'm not entirely convinced he will not push anymore.

We are (still) working on getting him to listen and follow directions better; to react quicker to a request, etc.  If there is too much protesting or whining when I pick him up from Fingerprints, he may get sent to his room until suppertime - I know he is just tired and there's a small part of me that hopes he may get a quick catnap in.

My little boy still lets me give him a hug & a kiss when I drop him off at Fingerprints; luckily he doesn't think he is too big for this tradition.  Lately this includes a kiss for our pockets which involves a kiss on the nose and then taking the kiss off our nose with our hand and placing it in a pretend pocket.

(took this photo as Ralph was practicing his ninja moves.  the angle also makes him look a little smaller than he is)

Ralph: One month of Kindergarten under the belt!

Ralph came home one day last week declaring "I love Kahoa, It's the best!"  I sure hope his attitude does not ever change.

We are getting used to the backpack being the means of communication between home and school.  The school folder (manilla envelope) comes home on Wednesday in the backpack.  We empty the contents and return in the backpack the next day.  The math home is in a purple folder.  We send "stuff" in the backpack and it's not there when he comes home.  He brings home crumbled up papers, work he has completed . . and we usually forget to clean it out until the next morning or on the way to Fingerprints.

Since Kahoa is now School, we now have to call his old "school" by its name Fingerprints.

During the 2nd week of school Ralph tell me the cherries were not very good and I should come to lunch and try them.  He even suggested I could tell Jim (my boss) I had somewhere special to go for lunch.  Unfortunately I was busy for a few weeks but did have a lunch date with him on September 3.  They were serving cheese quesadillas.  Unfortunately Ralph was the last one in his class to get his lunch and by the time we got to the tables we were seated by ourselves.  The tables in the lunch room seat 6; not the long ones I remember.   Unfortunately (or fortunately?) they did not serve cherries that day so I can not tell you if the cherries were any good.  It was kind of fun to let him show me how the lunch room works - how to get your milk and food - and how to put it all away.  I did get to meet a few of his new friends while standing in line with him briefly before they went outside to recess.

It took almost two weeks but Ralph finally had homework, math homework. It comes home in a purple folder.  It has been pretty basic - a single front/page piece of paper that incorporates a few different concepts. There's squares that asks him to draw so many of something (ie. 5 logs, 3 mugs, 2 legs, 4 animals, etc) and then has him practice writing a number.  It wouldn't be so bad but some of the words are not ones we use a lot - instead of 'mug' we say 'coffee cup'.  Sometimes he has it done by the time I pick him up from Fingerprints; sometimes not.  Sometimes the older kids in the before/after school program lead him down the wrong path as they read and interpret the directions wrong.
 
Less than a month into school "we" already had an overdue book!  I received an auto-generated email on August 31 letting me know we had an overdue book which means the very first book he checked out never made it back to the library.  Books can be checked out for 2 weeks.  Ralph bought this book home the first Friday of school.  Mike read it to him the first night; I read it the second night, we put it back in the backpack the following Monday . . .so how did it not get returned in time?  I quizzed Ralph.  The day his class went to the library, they went to the gym first.  The class passes the library on the way to the gym.  Ralph was not sure what to do to with the library book in gym so he problem solved and decided to put the book on a shelf as they walked by the library.  He didn't want to get in trouble for getting out of line and he returned it to the library, right?  Ugh.  I contact the librarian and she was able to find it.  Hopefully he has learned library books need to be returned appropriately.


Ralph did bring home Amelia Bedalia Plays Ball last weekend.  It's great to see him bring home books I remember reading when I was young.  His selections are pretty diverse though, this week he brought a book about Squids home.

It seems the "specials" (computer, gym, library, art, and music) are on a rotating basis; each day is A, B, C, D, or E - and the letters do not correspond to a certain day of the week so it's nearly impossible for me to know/remember which special is on which day.  Ralph likes to say "today was B" (or whatever letter it was) instead of just telling me what the special was . .as if I can remember which special is B.  Maybe at conferences (in October) I can get a list of which specials are which letters.

One day I was working on the laptop and he tells me I need to tell Mr. Price (the computer teacher) to buy one of those computers they have for me . .they have lots of games on them.  He reminded me again yesterday morning I needed to talk to Mr. Price.

We have learned in the last couple of weeks Ralph does need to go to bed earlier than his previous bedtime of 8-8:15 but unfortunately the schedule does not allow us to be consistent with an earlier bedtime.  Between no naps and all the learning going on he is very sensitive by Friday.  Last Saturday he took a 2.5 hour nap; I can not remember the last time that has happened - I do not have long nappers.

Tonight as he was going to bed he had to whisper the first verse of Yankee Doodle Dandy in Mike's ear then do the same for me.  It has been fun watching him learn, absorb information, and share with us.

Ralph: 1st Day of Kindergarten!

We, I mean, he did it!  He survived the first day of kindergarten . . .and did it looking like a pro!

He started off the day sleeping until 7:20, which is almost unheard of for Ralph.  The last time he slept that late may have been the day of his 5th birthday party back in March.  He ate some cereal and we took some photos outside.  

 We then leave to drop off Henry at Fingerprints so he can get about his day.  While at Fingerprints we happen to see the school-age kids eating breakfast and he tells me he wants to stay here (at Fingerprints); "go get my backpack," he tells me.  He is the only kindergartener at the breakfast table.  I told him I'd meet him at school and he asks why.  I asked if I should pick him up after school and we could go out for a treat and he said "I want to come back here."  I  think the thrill of riding in the van and possibly playing Wii (which he just discovered yesterday) was too much for the boy. 

I got to Kahoa moments before the Fingerprints van.  I see Ms. Crystal walking Ralph and go to meet them.  He gives me a hug - I take that as a good decision to meet him at school.  After a bit we spied some other friends from Fingerprints and take photos then head over to door #2, where the kindergarters enter.  I noticed there were students each holding a sign for a different teacher.  I saw his teacher's sign and got him in line for her class.  I handed him a bag of supplies we forgot to bring to the open house and before I know it his class heads inside leaving the parents outside.    I'm guessing there were some teary eyes - either parents or kids - but I did not notice any.  I came close to loosing it while taking photos of the kids waiting to go inside, with their oversized backpacks on but snapped out of it. 

I did not pick him up from school since he voted to get picked up by the Fingerprints van.  I tried to ask lots of questions tonight but am not sure if I remember all the details.  His teacher showed them a picture of "Stanley" and pointed out how nicely Stanley sat, he played with a classmate named Jarrett, he had some time on the computer . . .I'm sure I'm missing a million details.  He said the teacher didn't ask any questions that she was looking for answers he asked her some questions.  Oh, to be a fly on the wall.

He did opt for hot lunch today (cheesy pizza) and thought he would take a cold lunch tomorrow but after reviewing the menu I think he will get the hot lunch.  I'm hopeful he'll go through a cycle of hot lunches and not be so quick to take a cold lunch but I think he also just wants to take a cold lunch to take a cold lunch.

Reflections of a Ralph

I have been reflecting all weekend about Ralph's last day as a PreK student and his upcoming adventure to Kindergarten.    I have been reflecting on his last five years at Fingerprints and various memories that stick out in my mind.   It is hard to reflect on Ralph without reflecting on where he spent the majority of his time the last five years.

(after the first day of daycare @ 10 weeks)

Not too long after Ralph started there was another baby that started, a girl.  I remember "joking" with him that first day asking him if that was his new girlfriend as they both were sitting in bouncy seats, side by side.  This girl stayed on until last fall, every once in awhile I'd hear they fight like an old married couple.

Bouncy seats and swings . . . I don't think Ralph every met one he didn't like.


One morning, while still in the infant 1 room, I'm going to guess around 11 months, maybe right at 12 months, I was telling his teacher something about the book Brown Bear and almost as clear as it could be Ralph said Brown Bear with nearly the same intonation I did.  He loved reading that book and I could almost recite the animals in order at one point.

Buggy rides, no matter how sad he was, would always brighten his day. Although he had favorite teachers, and they were pretty well known,  I was told more than once that it didn't matter who was giving buggy rides he was always game to ride along. 

He would go through periods of various levels of separation anxiety. I was going through some old daily reports a few months ago and ran across the same common theme quite a bit "Ralph was a bit sad this morning; had a better afternoon.". When he moved to a new room around 2.5 we started a new tradition of waving at each each other - he from inside the classroom; me from the car across the playground - it helped get me on my way and continued on until he moved into the next room and even a bit into the PreK room. 

Somewhere along the way, my little baby grew - sometimes willingly; sometimes he was forced a bit.  As much as he stalled, he finally gave in and started walking at 15 months.  They sometimes set him in the chairs (seats in the table cutouts) in the Infant 2 room so he could get above everyone else toddling around him; where it wasn't so intimating.

I remember after the first few days in the toddler 1 class (roughly 18 months), he seemed to play much more independently at home, it was almost like an overnight change.

He liked to make up wacky ways to say goodbye in the mornings, the wackiest only lasted a few days but we would put our fingers like "a-ok" and flip them around our eyes like we had glasses on and touch our fingers or "glasses" to each other.  I think he called it applejacks.

The floor tiles in the hallway were mostly white with some colored blocks.  There was a period we'd have to walk only on the colored tiles - or else we'd be in lava.  I know it was a class thing as I heard other kids say the same thing.

Ralph had friends come and go during his time at Fingerprints; the one that made him the most sad was no doubt Isaac.  That was a hard one as they had been turning into good friends and Isaac's family didn't live too far from us and the boys would run into each other on the playground a few times.

This past year in the PreK room proved to be his most relaxed year, I guess you could say.  He was more relaxed, more daring, more outspoken (when maybe he shouldn't have been), etc.  He and some friends took it upon themselves to cut hair one day.  The act surprised me a bit as he used to be a bit more timid and quiet but he reached a level with his friends that is similar to a sibling relationship since they are around each other so much.  We have also noticed he is aware of his audience and conforms to fit in which isn't always the best choice.

 I remember selecting our daycare - do we pick somewhere close to home so we don't have far to go, or somewhere close to work so I could visit during the day if I wanted?  As with many things baby-related decisions, we really did not know what we were in for.  Fingerprints proved to be great choice.  On those nights when Ralph was an infant and he'd cry all the way home, I was so glad we opted for a place close to home. 

I'll be curious to watch him grow and develop; curious to see if his past patterns repeat themselves. 

Sometimes he seems like he is wise beyond his years.  Last night getting out of the car he tells me "I will never let you down" and repeated it a few times.  I'm not sure where it came from or what he was getting at so I could only reply with "I hope not, I sure hope not." 

Tonight we visited Kahoa and met his new teacher, Mrs. Woodward.  I really did enjoy watching him as he was attentive and answer her questions with a head nod or his voice barely above a whisper.  I  was glad to see my timid boy return in this new and uncertain environment and am a bit hopeful it will remain for awhile.

Tomorrow begins a new adventure, a new school, a new teacher, new classmates, and new rules.  I hope he embraces it all!

(at the end of the last day of PreK - jammy day)

Lessons from Grandpa

The boys are well aware Grandpa is a hunter, mostly due to the "trophies" hanging in the garage and downstairs.  Today, Ralph told me he had a surprise for Grandpa . . he was going to ask him how bow and arrows work.  He did watch the Disney movie Hercules lately, which has a bow and arrow in it - and he saw some on display at Morrill Hall last week so I'm guessing his interest had peaked.  It was good timing as I had bought some play bows and arrows I had bought months ago in the car to take to Grandma & Grandpa's..   After he told me his surprise I told I had a surprise too but he had to wait until we got to Grandma & Grandpa's.  I had him ask Grandpa the question then I revealed my surprise . . .It really was like Christmas morning.  Ralph was definitely surprised and so ecstatic I got at least three thank yous and I love yous.  After Grandpa put a notch in the bows the boys were ready to learn a few tips.  Henry got the first successful long launch, after Grandpa tied his string tighter, taking out some slack.  Ralph kept at it the longest.  I love that Grandpa can pass on his hobby though I'm not sure what they'll think if they ever go hunting with him.  . 

 Henry found other things to do while waiting for his lesson.

 Trying to show a lefty how to position his hands correctly.

Ralph practicing . . .

Going to see Uncle Nick!

After taking trips to Des Moines and Kansas City the past years we decided to expand our windshield time and take a roadtrip that was a bit longer.  A trip to Uncle Nick's seemed like a natural choice.  

We had been planning a trip since spring and various things kept getting in the way. There was finally a break in the action the week after the 4th and we made the trek to Minneapolis.  Unfortunately it wasn't the best time for Uncle Nick but we did spend an evening at his new house, ate some pizza, and hung out in his backyard.

We left for Minneapolis around 11 am on Wednesday, July 10 with the short goal of getting to Des Moines for a night at the "pirate ship" hotel.  We visited the hotel last year and couldn't pass up a visit since it was on our way though it did make the trip a bit longer.  This visit was better than last year as it was less busy, probably because it was a weekday but still strange since it was summer.  Both boys were more brave in going down the slides except Ralph wouldn't go down the big slide this year.

Thursday morning we left for Minneapolis, stopping at Medford for a little outlet shopping which turned into a little longer than necessary based on our lack of bags.  We did get some deals but not as much as we'd like.  Made it to the Embassy Suites in Bloomington around 3, checked in, and headed to the Lego store at the Mall of America.  Henry enjoyed playing with the lego table and Ralph finally found a computer station that worked.  Left after a bit and made our way to Uncle Nick's.  The boys had fun playing at his house - especially his backyard, I'm sure they were just thankful to be out of the car!

Friday we headed to Como Town in St. Paul.  Mike told me it reminded him of rides at the county fair which is a good comparison.  Henry barely passed the height requirement for the basic rides - train ride, cars that go in a circle - and could ride with an adult on the bumper cars and tilt-a-whirl.  Ralph was tall enough to ride a few more rides and he rode a few I didn't think he would.  There was a zoo attached to Como Town but after being in the park for 5 hours we were ready to go.  We made a stop at the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Luckily it was open past 5 but by 5:30 we were ready to find supper.

Saturday morning we headed back to the Mall of America not knowing if there was a ride or two the boys would want to do but nothing really jumped out at them and after spending a day riding rides the day before I didn't push anything.  I had hoped to get some photos with costumed characters which unfortunately didn't start making appearances until noon so walked around and came across a Wii interactive exhibit.  The workers were nice about letting Ralph try various games and knowing him, he could have stayed for longer but it was finally time to visit the character spot.  Two of the Ninja Turtles were first up.  Henry would not go with Ralph but Ralph had a good time posing as a ninja.  After we went back to the Lego store and found some lego tables outside the store until the next character sighting.  Just before 12:30 we went back to the character spot to get in line for Spongebob and Patrick.  Ralph had fun posing with them - and I even got a hug too.  We left the mall in the quest for a shorter lunch line but I took us to the interstate too soon and we started to head out of town.

We spent Saturday night in Des Moines and went Blank Park Zoo Sunday morning.  We had visited in September 2011 and we had another great time.  The zoo is a bit bigger than the Lincoln Zoo but not close to the Omaha Zoo.  After lunch we headed back to Lincoln.

We had a great time - so much so we are working on ideas for our next roadtrip!