OtterPops: Kid Update

Jocelyn already had her own highlight post, but the other kids have also had some exciting accomplishments in the last month. Both girls had their artwork on exhibit at the community center so we had fun supporting them during the opening night.

Lillian with art teacher next to artwork

whole crew at art exhibit open house

Jocelyn next to artwork

Lillian and Jocelyn continue to do well riding the bus home from school. This is them at the bus stop! Lillian also won "student of the month" for the first round of first grade picks. This actually was really exciting for me to hear because sometimes she just sobs telling me how she doesn't have any friends at school and she doesn't like going. The student of the month is also a lot about citizenship so it was a relief to know that she is succeeding on some level, at least.

Lillian has been working on this for a while, but she finally started riding her bike confidently and successfully without training wheels. She fought Jared so hard and would just cry and yell every time they would practice in the cul de sac. When she finally took the plunge and started riding she said "this is actually kind of fun." The little stinker. We even rode as a family several miles on a trail and she went without incident.

Lillian has been really into whining lately. One morning before school Jared asked her to please stop, as we were all tired of hearing it. She responded (insert whiny voice) "But Dad, I don't want to whine, I just HAVE to whine!" We got a good chuckle out of that. On the way to pinnacles last month she started whining in the car before we even arrived. On the website it said we may see some bats in the caves so the kids were expressing some anxiety surrounding that possibility. We were all tired of hearing the whining so I teased her that bats really liked whining and they would come right by you if you whined. Lillian responded by telling me (in a whiny voice) "then I don't want to hike by Jonas and Emma because THEY are ALWAYS whining!" Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! At least we all got a good laugh about it.

Jonas received this hand me down shirt from my friend's son and has been totally enthralled with it. He basically has a meltdown whenever it is in the laundry and wears it whenever it is not in the dirty laundry. You've got to love them being able to dress themselves :)

We also attended a Home Depot kids craft this month (we try most months) that also had a bonus visit from the fire department and an ambulance. The kids got firehats, free lunch, stickers, their heart rate tested in the ambulance and all sorts of goodies.

All the kids had such a fun time having BOTH sets of grandparents visit this past weekend. They got snuggle and reading time, taken out for Happy Meals, and even one-on-one art lessons with a real fish (Thanks grandpa Gary).

Starting this week I will be teaching Jonas's preschool for the next month. Here are some of the pictures from the first few days I have taught so far. They are a lively bunch of boys and are more familiar with each other and the teachers this year (or maybe they are just older and more demanding?) which makes them loud but they are good boys and I enjoy teaching.

Lunch and Play time

The color wheel

writing our letters

learning about colors by making a fruit salad

Little Emma has some definite opinions of her own since she's only a couple weeks away from turning 2. She LOVES this Peter Pan book that she found on our bookshelf and has someone "read" it to her several times a day. She also looks through it and does all the sounds effects for tinkerbell, the Indians, the pan pipes, etc. She is not even that interested in the movie, just the book! She also loves eating food under one condition: it can't be on her own plate. Jared's brother jokes that we put a decoy plate of food in front of her chair, but the real eating happens off of family member's plates as she joins them on their chairs throughout the course of dinner. She also still loves shoes, especially the pink pair shown below and wears them any chance she gets, even if she is just wearing her diaper.

She is also dancing spontaneously lately whenever she hears music and it's a totally rockin' awkward hip sway move every time. I love it and turn on music just to see her "dance."