Back to School

It is back to school time and I have to admit I am a bit happy that it is that time of year and back to routines, and kids who are usually tired and going to bed at a regular time at night. Kendle is in 5th grade this year, and it seriously seems like just yesterday that I was taking her to kindergarten. She is growing up in the blink of an eye.



She is excited to be a peer helper this year, and have the opportunity to participate in some other great activities offered to the 5th graders. She really didn't want me walking her to class on the first day or taking pictures of her, but I told her to deal with it since it was her last year at that school I was definitely taking picutres.

I tend to joke with Kendle that she is like the "Pide Piper" for younger kids. Everywhere she goes she has a small fan club of kids that latch on to her and follow her around. On the first day of school as we got out of our car to walk to the playground, another little girl ran up to Kendle, threw her arms around her and gave her a huge hug. It was a little girl that rode her bus last year and was so excited to see her! I had to laugh. Also, she is very good to help our little neighbor friend across the street and walks her to the bus stop in the mornings. I tease her that if she was this nice all the time to her own younger siblings, it would help me out a lot! She is a good egg though and I'm glad she is at least nice to other people's kids. Ha!

This is a busy time of year for us with fall softball, soccer, and everything else so it always seems as if September and October fly by so fast and it is November before we know it, but I do love this time of year with the chillier mornings and sunny afternoons and look forward to the weeks to come.

September

September so far:

I'm glad to report we made it through our first week of school without a glitch. Kendle is LOVING her new teacher and that is a huge relief to me. Her teacher seems absolutely fabulous. So far every day has been wonderful for Kendle and I think it's going to be a stellar year. She loves meeting up with her friends that aren't in her class at recess and likes that they get to eat lunch in their classrooms this year. She is in full swing of soccer and fall softball and I don't think there is an afternoon to spare in our near future.

Morgan starts preschool tomorrow and is totally stoked for another school year with his wonderful teacher. We purchased his little school supplies this morning and he has them all packed up in his back pack and ready to go for tomorrow. He is growing up so fast, and I don't like it one bit. He is still the sweetest when he wants to be though.

I was looking forward to some fall weather, but this week mother nature has decided we're not getting off the hook after all. Temperatures are going to be in the high 90's all week and get up to 101 by Friday. I guess it's one last shorts and flip-flops hurrah for everyone. And just when I thought I could start packing some of that stuff away.

I saw some mum's being put out on display after exiting the store this morning and it reminded me of how much I love fall. I've been wanting to get out all of my fall decor, but this weather doesn't have me in the mood quite yet. I always get in project mode in the fall for some reason and feel really motivated to get things done. Next on my to-do list is going to be repainting my front door a super fun color, and also installing some new outdoor lighting. And planting some mums........as soon as it's cool enough to not sizzle them away into droopy stems of nothingness. This weekend we power washed the exterior of the house and I gave all the windows a good washing. It feels good to give the outside a little spritzing up.

This week we are going to be on the go a lot and hopefully we can stay cool with the A/C cranked up and a good supply of popsicles still in the freezer. I'm glad September is here hot or not!

Back to School: 4th Grade

up and at em super early

scrubbed up like a new penny

cute outfit

new back pack

painted nails

lip gloss

 a little taller

a few butterflies

an apple for her teacher

excitement to meet back up with friends

All set and ready to go for a fantastic  school year!

Big Things Happening

It has been a busy couple of weeks around the Dodson house. We are back in full swing with soccer, school, piano, and coaching. It can definitely be challenging to keep up with everyone's different schedules and make sure we don't forget anything.

Sometimes Morgan gets pushed aside a bit and can be the child that's always along for the ride. He's a good sport most of the time. So I was excited this week for him to start his first year of preschool and have something that is just for him and to make new friends. He goes two mornings a week from 9-11:30. He has been really excited the last week or so to finally get to go. His teacher is fantastic and really tries hard to reach out to each of the kids and make them feel welcome.

Here he is getting ready to go yesterday morning for his first day:

{Can you tell he was excited?!}

{His super scary dinosaur backpack, don't think we'll be getting it confused with anyone else's. Ha.}

Morgan is a little more nervous sometimes about things like this than Kendle was. Kendle wanted me to always just drop her off and leave quickly. Morgan kept asking me if I was going to stay with him. I felt a twinge of momma worry for him until we got there, walked in the front door, and his teacher was there to greet him and he got whisked away to do something fun. After picking him up to go home he had lots to tell me about his day. They read the Rainbow Fish story and painted their own fish. They also had a yummy snack, got to do show and tell, and played outside. He can't wait to go back next week. I can't believe what a big boy he is getting to be!

Another new and exciting development around our house is this:

I know a lot of people can get their babies to hold their bottles a lot earlier, but I was trying to enjoy every last minute of cuddle time I could. To be honest though, it can be really difficult to handle the crying of one baby while you are trying to feed the other. So the day had to come. I let them both get really, really hungry, laid them on a blanket, and without any difficulty this is what happened. To most moms this is not that big of a deal, but let me tell you how much better and easier this makes my life. I can lay them down for a nap together now, they can eat at the same time, they are sleeping better than ever, and on so much of a better and more consistent schedule.

Life is getting better! Yesterday I took Morgan to preschool, came home and fed the twins breakfast and let them play for a bit, put them down for a nap, I got a really good run in on the treadmill without any interruptions, got showered and dressed for the day in a quiet house with no one crying at my feet, got the babies up and dressed to go pick Morgan up and everyone was happy! It was a great thing.

3rd Grader

I used to think it was so cheesy when I heard other moms complaining about their kids getting older and how they wished they would stay little, how every year they just couldn't believe their child was going on to an older grade in school and how much they've grown yada, yada, yada.

Well, I have reached that motherly milestone where my mind was going over those exact thoughts as I escorted Kendle to school this morning. Third grade just sounds so much older than second grade. The first day is always filled with a bit of anxiety no matter how old you are. I get nervous and I'm not even the one going to school. I loved watching Kendle as she interacted with her new classmates that were also waiting outside for the bell to ring. That girl knows who she is. It's probably just my motherly bias but sometimes she just seems to glow to me and I love how her little smile lights up her face. I hope 3rd grade is a wonderful school year for her.

Of course we had to take some traditional first day of school photos outside:

School is officially back in session.

"Let the wild rumpus start!"

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Birthday Boy/ Last Day of School Fun

Sunday was Morgan's third birthday. He is a character and always cracking me up. He had been asking for weeks when he got to go to his party - literally at least five times a day. Well, we didn't really have a "party" party, just cake and ice cream with grandma and grandpa. Good thing because he was in kind of a rotten mood. He had fun opening some gifts and eating his cake though. Grandma and Grandpa gave him a cool castle tent to play in and a funny monkey that rolls around laughing. We gave him some new tractors, a movie and a cool wagon to ride around in and pull around all his "stuff". He is really easy to please and has loved playing with his gifts.

Here are some little facts for Morgan at age 3:

-Loves Spongebob and Max and Ruby

-Loves marshmallows, gum and gold fish crackers.

-Wants to spend every day at the farm with grandpa

-Wishes he had his own tractor

-Loves riding his bike and can go really far

-Is very mischievous

-Likes to get wet in any sort of water any chance he gets

-Favorite Movies are "Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel" and "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."

Here are some pictures from his birthday:

{Going for a test ride}


We had also been promising Morgan for his birthday that he could ride the train and the airplane rides. So on the last day of school we picked Kendle up, went to Sonic for some yummy lunch, and then headed out to Country Mercantile which is one of our most favorite places in Pasco to visit. A few of the children's cousins met us out there and they all had the best time. Morgan would live there if he could. We rode rides, had their delicious ice cream, picked out treats to take home and played on the tractor. It was time well spent. The man running the rides for us let them stay on as long as they wanted and was super nice. Morgan was literally the happiest little boy alive I think. I'm glad it doesn't take much to please him at this age.

Here are some pictures:

{We could not get him off of this to go home}

{Don't the twins look thrilled to be there?}

It was such a fun day. We came home and the kids were exhausted. Kendle had a dentist appointment that afternoon and was cavity free again. Yeah! Great way to start off the summer.

Catching Up

We have had so many things going on as is usual for this time of year. We've been wrapping up sports seasons, getting ready for school to be out, celebrating birthdays and more.

Saturday Kendle had her last softball games of the season. She had a lot of fun playing and making new friends this year. She said her favorite position to play was 3rd base. She also picked the number 5 to wear on her jersey as a tribute to her old mother. Here are a few pictures Kristen took for me:

{Riley got roped into umping again}

I'm glad Kendle had a good attitude and tried her best during the games. We've got things to work on for next season and look forward to maybe playing some more softball in the fall.

Yesterday was also Kendle's last day of second grade. I was more sad than I was last year for first grade. I think it just has to do with the fact that she is growing up so fast and third grade sounds so old! We really enjoyed Kendle's teacher Mrs. Coronado this year and all the extra efforts she made on Kendle's behalf and all of the positivity she gave Kendle. We will miss her. They had an assembly and Kendle got a Star Ship McGee Award for "Responsibility". Once again, something I wish could translate into her home life. Ha! Good job Kendle.

Some fun facts about Kendle's second grade year according to her:

Favorite Activity: Chinese New Year Unit. They had a dragon parade, ate fortune cookies and Chinese food and learned about the culture.

Favorite Classmate: Jasmine (who also lives down the street)

Favorite *Special* Class: Art

Favorite Activity at Recess: The monkey bars

Favorite Day of the Week: Mondays (When I asked her why she said it was the day they got to go back to school. I think most kids would say Friday.)

Here are some pictures from her last day at school:

Way to go Kendle. Glad you had a great year. On to third grade!

*More to come tomorrow on Morgan's Birthday and how we celebrated the last day of school.

Did My Experiment Work?

Last week I did this.

I have to say that it ended up being a super positive experience overall. I felt like we had a much happier after school time and a more productive after school time.

I made a big effort to let Kendle know I was excited for her to be home and tell me about her day. The funny thing I didn't expect to happen from that, was that Morgan started getting excited for her to get home too and would rush up to meet her at the door and say "Kendle's home!" A few times he even gave her a hug. This steam rolled into them actually getting along better than normal the whole week and even playing together better. Baby steps, baby steps.

I made an effort to provide a yummy snack and inviting atmosphere instead of being preoccupied with something else and having her go raid the fridge and the pantry to find something. I realize there will be days when this won't be possible, but the more often the better.

I also started asking better questions, not just "what happened at school today?" Here were some good ones that got her talking:

-Did you learn anything new today that you didn't know before?
-Who did you see today that you don't see very often?
-What was your favorite assignment in class?
-What was the weather like at recess?
-Did anything make you laugh today?

It is crazy how fast Kendle is growing up. In a few short years she will be doing sports and things right after school and won't get home until almost dinner time and I know I'll wish we could have some of these quiet afternoons back. Well, as quiet as it gets with three little brothers around.........................

After School Experiment

This week I am trying something new. An experiment of sorts.

Problem:

Kendle is really grumpy and doesn't want to talk when she gets home from school. I have had it with the after school drama and bad moods.

Experiment:

Can I create a more positive after school experience?

Possible Solutions:

-Special snacks

-One on one time

-More structure

Hypothesis:

By creating a more inviting atmosphere, Kendle will look forward to coming home and talking about her day.

{I actually got this idea from my mom. We were discussing how sometimes I dread the after school hours because the minute Kendle walks through the door she is kind of negative and not being her usual happy self. She's moody, starts fighting with her brother, and so on. My mom suggested that maybe she needed a little something extra to look forward to when she walked through the front doors and that she might be hungry and have low blood sugar which affects your moods. I thought it was worth trying. I will say, that I usually welcome her home and offer a snack but I can definitely improve in being more attentive and spending some time together even if it's just for a few minutes right after she gets home.}

Yesterday was my first day to try this out. I made some really yummy cookies that I knew she would like. They were hot out of the oven and the house smelled really good when she came home after piano. We munched on some cookies and milk and talked about school, homework, who said what that day in class, how piano lessons went, and some other little details about her day. Then while I finished baking cookies I had her explain out loud to me her math homework and walk me through the steps as she completed the problems. I told her if she got every single problem right when I went back through and double checked them she could stay up a half hour later that night. She loves a challenge and was excited to go back through and made sure they were all right and they were. I would say it was a success for the first day of the experiment. Today will be on a different scale since it is early release and not my favorite day, but we'll see if we can keep the positivity going.

Written down, these sound like such simple things to do don't they?

Conclusion on Day 1 -

Never underestimate the power of home made cookies.

Trying not to pull my hair out

I have been feeling like such a flake of a mom lately. My brain is just not 100% there right now. I expect Kendle to let me know which things need to go back to school and when, which she is usually very good about. I ask if she has homework, books to read, etc....

Well, I really dropped the ball this week. On Monday I was cleaning off the counters and extra papers lying around - they start to drive me crazy - and I sorted through bills and such. I accidentally threw something away that she needed to take back to school. It was a little assignment that looked like a comic strip, and supposedly she was supposed to finish it and take it back. (In my defense it did not look like something important enough to turn in for credit, and she brings home fifty drawings and coloring sheets a week.) So then Kendle informs me that since I threw it away, she got zero points for the assignment. I felt SO bad. Kendle hates to disappoint her teacher and I knew it wasn't her fault.

Then as we are getting ready to get her off to the bus (in our usual rush) this morning, I look in her back pack and find her Wednesday envelope with things I need to read and sign and send back to school, and her little bag of reading books we were supposed to read the night before and send back. Part of me was irritated that she didn't give these things to me when she got home, but then I remembered I had made her go clean her room as soon as she had walked in the door yesterday and she probably just forgot. Like me. I usually check her backpack and I totally spaced it.

Really teachers should not blame kids at this age for having flaky parents, and I'm afraid from here on out it's only going to get worse. Hopefully her missed assignment doesn't hamper her future academic career. Ha.

Exhausted

Yesterday was one of those days where I was just dead on my feet by the end of the night. The kids and I were all in bed by 9:00. Is anyone else suffering from first day of school hangover? I'm hoping today is less crazy. Kendle was off to catch the bus this morning by 8:00 and Morgan is just waking up. He is starting to not take naps as well in the afternoons, which means that by 5:00 when I'm getting dinner ready he is a little beast and very cranky, which in turn makes me pretty cranky. Last night was a perfect example of that as he laid on the kitchen floor throwing a huge tantrum. Riley was gone to coach soccer by 5:15, so I told Kendle I'd make her whatever she wanted for dinner in honor of her being back in school and she wanted french toast. That sounded good to me too. It's amazing how some yummy food can calm everyone down and pretty soon the kids were munching away and happy as can be. I felt like a magician with my magic spatula in hand.

Today will be a lot slower paced and relaxed, (not counting piano and soccer, but I don't have to deal with that until later in the afternoon). I'm thinking positive that it is going to be a good day!

First Day Of School - 2nd Grade

I just got back from taking Kendle to school a little bit ago. The school zone was a complete zoo, you have to have major defensive driving skills to navigate around all of the crosswalks, bike riders, mom's pushing strollers, dad's holding camera's, and those pushy drivers who think they can just zip in and out and steal spots from people. I took Morgan's stroller along in the off chance Kendle would want us to walk with her and hang out for a bit. No such luck. She was very insistent that I could just drop her off and in her typical independent fashion took off down the sidewalk without a glimpse back and a bounce in her step. Maybe she thought she was doing me a favor by not having to lug the stroller and Morgan around the crazy throng of people. In any case, we sat and watched her walk for a while and make it safely across the war zone to the playground.


She kept telling me last night that she did not feel prepared for school and I couldn't figure out why. We had her lunch mostly packed, backpack ready, school outfit picked out, she showered before bed, alarm clock set - what was left to do? Riley gave her a father's blessing before bed and I think that helped. She just gets very anxious and worried about stuff like this (gets that from me) and she has a hard time being calm about it. We set her alarm for 6:45 which I thought was still a tad early, and wouldn't you know it she was up by 6:30 anyways. She was all ready and waiting to go by 7:45. That is Kendle for you.


I'm so excited for her to have another great year at school. I think 2nd grade will be fun for her. There are a lot of children in her class that she doesn't know, so she will be making lots of new friends. She does really good with the school routine and staying busy. She's doing piano lessons and soccer as well, so all of that combined should keep her occupied. My mother always thought piano was a good outlet for me to vent some of my frustrations as I played and practiced (sometimes much louder than others), and sports are good for that too. I think they give children a place to run off extra energy, get tired, have fun, and get some of those frustrations from life out as well.


I managed to take a few quick pictures before we headed off to school. It's tradition to do it. Morgan wanted to be in a few of them as he ate his banana. Kendle was appalled, but I told her it was ok I'd take some of just her by herself too.










































Here's to a happy school year!

Getting Ready for School

Today was the little "ice cream social" aka visit your new classroom and put your school supplies away day at Kendle's school. This year Kendle's class is out in a pod near the playground and her new teacher seems very peppy, friendly, and nice. I think Kendle will really enjoy her. We found her desk and her cubby and looked around the room a bit. Morgan was very taken with a big fake bear rug the teacher had draped over the chair in the reading corner. He was ready to sit down and stay a while.

I just put the Morgster down for a nap and Riley took Kendle out for the afternoon on a little daddy daughter date. While they are gone I am going to take advantage of the time to clean out and organize her room a bit. I feel like it needs to be done before school starts on Monday. If I'm extra industrious I hope to have time to clean out all of her hair accessories in the bathroom cupboard. She has tons of little barrettes and things that don't fit in her hair anymore, so it's time to chuck them. I bought some new clear plastic storage containers to put all the rubber bands, headbands, clips, ribbons, etc. in and hopefully that will help somewhat tame the chaos of searching for something to put in her hair.

I feel like I'm kind of behind this year on getting all of the school stuff done. Kendle has quite a few pairs of pants that I wanted to hem because they are too long, but maybe I can get that done next week. Come to think of it, I should put some reinforcement material behind the knees of all of her pants now too. I don't know what she does at school, but her jeans never last very long. I know I'm not alone with that problem.

This weekend we'll be working to get ready for the new school/fall season. I've got some baking to do, lunch supplies to get ready, and school clothes to iron. Riley will be working on our fence that needed some mending and getting the car washed and cleaned out. Also, hopefully putting up our new wall lights from Ikea that will go by our bed. I'm excited about our bedroom makeover I've been working on the last few weeks. I'll have to post some pictures when I'm all done.

I can feel the change in the air and I'm looking forward to fall, the cooler weather, and perhaps having a bit more time to start getting ready for these baby boys to get here. I feel like the nesting and cleaning frenzy is already kicking in and I'm driving my family crazy with how cranky I've been lately about the house not being spotless. I know that it is just those fabulous hormones rearing their ugly head. Riley knows by now though that if things aren't just so, I go crazy and don't feel prepared. As the saying in our house goes, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." I usually feel bad after I get mad about something, but there is just something about a stray sock or shoe laying in the middle of the floor and everyone just walks around it like it's not there that drives me absolutely insane! I know I should be used to it by know and let it slide, but I just can't. Some things just will always bug me.

Well, off to go work. Then I'm taking the rest of the night off! Ha.

Organizing School Outfits

I have had so much on my mind lately - babies, back to school shopping, getting our house ready to sell, etc... my mind is constantly going in a thousand different directions. Back before school let out for the summer, I found a great idea for keeping the "what am I going to wear today?" drama to a minimum and bookmarked it to use for this coming school year. I will give anything a try that will perhaps make my life a little less hectic and a bit more organized. Check out these cool "days of the week tags":

You can go here to print them out for free. You have the option of choosing the bright colors or some pretty pastel colors for girls. I would use a heavy card stock to make them more durable. You can have your kids help you put outfits together at the beginning of the week and be done. (I need some more of those clip hangers for the pants.)

I'm thinking as long as I can keep up on the laundry, (I am the queen of throwing in late night laundry loads when I suddenly remember Kendle has worn every pair of pants she owns) this just might make the morning school routine a lot more pleasant around our house.

Why I Love Fridays

It's the last day of the week to:

Pack lunches

Find library books

Gather homework

Fill out book orders

Debate over school clothes

Find lost shoes

Fix breakfast while I'm half asleep

Send child running off to the bus

Feel like I've survived a tornado by 8:00 a.m.

Hurray!

*photo via

Kendle's Version

Yesterday Kendle brought this picture home from school. I thought it was really cute. Her teacher asked the children to draw a picture depicting their family.

She drew us all in our beds, Morgan is in his crib. And the fifth member of our family? That would be our dog Bogie. I guess there really are all types of families!

It's Tradition

Since pre-school, I have taken a picture on the first day of school of Kendle with her little backpack on ready to head out the door. I'm sure as she gets older this will become more annoying to her, but right now she enjoys the photo ops. It's a tradition in the making.

Yesterday we attended her open house to get better acquainted with her new teacher (who seems fabulous) and look around the classroom a bit. Riley went to school with her and her husband and she seems so friendly and her class was decorated really cute. Kendle loved the reading nook and the big map of the United States on the wall. We found her desk with her name tag on it and put her school supplies away inside of it. She was thrilled.

This morning we woke up really early and had lots of extra time before school started. I am not a morning person at all, but I know if I got up that half-hour earlier everyday during the school year it would make a huge difference. We didn't know what do with ourselves, we read some Scriptures, Kendle wrote in her journal, I checked my email and then FINALLY (according to Kendle) it was time to go.

The school parking lot, actually the 1 mile radius around the school, was a complete zoo. People are cut throat and ruthless when it comes to dropping their kids off in the morning. There wasn't a parking spot to be found, so I pulled up to the front drop off zone and let her out and away she went in all of her first day of school glory. Not even a look back or a wave I tell you. I watched her for a minute or two, she put her backpack by her classroom door, found some friends, and couldn't have cared less that her worry wart of a mom was sitting in the car waiting to make sure she was alright before heading back into the throng of aggressive drivers. I'm glad she's so independent, but sheesh not even a wave.

One of our other first day of school traditions is to have a special dinner. So tonight it is Kendle's choice. What did she pick? French toast. So we will be having french toast, eggs, and hash browns for dinner. She was so excited to see on our weekly menu on the fridge that I had written "Kendle's Choice" for Wednesday night's meal. I love that little things like that make her happy.

So do you have any first day of school traditions. If so, what are they?

Unbelievable

Can this little girl really be starting 1st grade tomorrow?!!

*photo via Tamra Tovey

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"

~Quote from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

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