Month: September 2015

What a weekend!

Theresa, Tim and Baby Vivian are now Michiganders!  The family relocated from North Carolina and are now in the Ypsilanti area.  On Friday after work we headed down to their new house where the rest of the family was hanging and unpacking.  Because we got there so late the kids didn’t go to bed until almost 10 pm, which made for some very tired and cranky ninos on Saturday.

Dave and I weren’t around on Saturday because team Mitten Mayhem had a Tough Mudder to run in Brooklyn.   Dara, Lisa, Lisa’s boyfriend Doug, and Dave and I did wonderful and finished the 11 mile course in about 5- 5.5 hours.   Everyone did excellent and I am so so proud of us all!   Next year we’ll be even more awesome when we train appropriately.   Oh, and I will also avoid the shocking electrical run at the end.

After the TM we washed up at my parent’s house and then headed back to Ypsi.  On Sunday, we helped unpack and then headed home with some still tired ninos.

What a weekend!

Yesterday we attended my cousin Beth’s wedding in Frankenmuth, MI, at the Bavarian Inn.  Ajax threw quite the fit about having to dress up and couldn’t understand why he needed to wear a tie when shorts should be more than adequate.  We had no trouble getting Noomi dressed up.  She declared that her dress made her a princess and we didn’t argue.  The ceremony was short and sweet and Ajax sat next to Grandma Mary telling her that it was his first time at a wedding.  We realized it was their first wedding as all the celebrations we’ve attended over the past few years have either been adult only affairs, or we’ve been unable to attend.

During the reception somehow the kids sat with my parents at a different table so Dave and I felt like we were on a date night.   It was wonderful.   The kids were very well behaved and Noomi could not wait to dance.  All the way to Frankenmuth she was talking about dancing.  We thought she would be too shy to dance on her own, but boy were we wrong!  As soon as the tables were cleared and the music started Noomi busted onto the dance floor like no one’s business.  As a matter of fact, when I tried to dance with her she said, no no- wanna watch something cool?  She then ushered me to a chair on the edge of the dance floor and made me sit there watching her run laps around the dance floor.   Periodically she would bend over and swish her arms back/forth like a locomotive and she would shuffle her feet, then blast her hands up over her head.   It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.

After a while Ajax went with Grandma Mary to the dance floor and said, grandma – I know how to dance- I mean, I really know how to dance.  I know how to break-dance.  Grandma Mary said, really?  Ajax – yes, really, wanna see?  He then bent forward, placing both hands on the ground and kicked his two feet straight out behind him, arching his back.  When he stood up he said, whoa, I gotta watch out, I could really hurt myself!  That didn’t seem to stop him as he continued break-dancing and running the entire night.

Around 10 pm we finally bundled the kids up and headed home. At that point Noomi was so exhausted that she couldn’t dance any more, but did not want to leave the dance floor and was insisting that someone simply hold her on the dance floor.   The kids stayed awake just long enough as we left Frankenmuth to see the holiday lights and then they passed out.

Tonight after bath, I was brushing Noomi’s hair and I said, yesterday we got home so late we didn’t get a bath… where did we go last night?  Noomi said, oh we went to a dance party with a dance princess!  Noomi loved Beth’s dress and kept calling her a lovely princess.  What good times!

Today was the first day of school for the kiddos!  Unfortunately Dave had to go into the office, so it was just the three of us this morning.  I got the kids up and both were pretty excited, jumping right out of bed.  Noomi was so excited that she couldn’t finish her breakfast and immediately put her backpack on declaring that she was ready to go.  Both kids stood well for pictures and then we were out into the rain and headed to school.

When we got to school we waited outside with the throng of other parents/kids until the doors opened at 8:10 am and then Noomi and I walked Ajax to his class.  We helped him get settled in, found his seat, and then we were off.  He did great and Mrs. Masinda seems like an excellent and patient teacher!

Next I walked Noomi to her class.  We hung up her backpack (which I had to periodically carry for her as it’s as big as she is) and then headed into her class.  We signed in, talked to the teachers about her hands (again), and then I helped her find a place on the reading carpet with a book.  Then she said goodbye and I left.  No tears from either of us.

After dropping off Noomi I helped man the PTSA table with some other moms till about 10:30 am and then headed into work.

Dave picked up both kids who said they had a great day at school!  At dinner we tried to get Ajax to talk about his day, but the most I could get from him was that he had a good day, really liked math (they worked on addition) and he had fun playing with his friends at recess.  We couldn’t really understand about Noomi’s day – she said she played and really really enjoyed bringing her own lunch to school, but other than that I’m at a lose as to what she did.  I do know that they do not nap and I’m extremely worried about that and feeling quite anxious that maybe she’s too young for this program.  Dave say’s I’m overreacting.  We got both kids into bed early tonight and they passed right out after such a busy first day!

We spent today bumming around the house and getting ready for school tomorrow!  I spent my day in the kitchen prepping sausage muffins, monkey bread, and lunch preps!  Actually the kids did help me make monkey bread, they were pretty excited.  Dave cut the grass and did some work outside.  The kids joined him for a bit, but it was incredibly hot and muggy, so it finally drove them back into the house where chores awaited!

When I was getting their “first day” signs ready we were asking the kiddos what they wanted to be when they grew up.  Ajax had a very long answer about building and designing things.  Dave explained the difference between an engineer and architect, and Ajax latched onto the idea of an engineer right away.   When we asked Noomi she stated she wanted to be a monkey.  You see Noomi has been obsessed with Halloween.  We have been reading her the same Berenstain Bear Halloween book for weeks and she wants to be a monkey (again).  We couldn’t move her beyond being a monkey so we let her have it.

Here are the kiddos trying on their gear for tomorrow!!

Today we headed to Brooklyn for a cook out with the family and to celebrate some end of the summer birthdays. My cousin, Wendy, and her family came out as well and our kids ran wild for hours.  They played with the dogs and cats, they played hide and seek, and of course ran up and down the hill a dozen times.

Both kids are in bed, exhausted, and enjoying their last days of summer!

I can hardly believe that summer is at its end!

Last week we took the kids up to the school to meet teachers and visit classrooms.   Noomi was feeling a bit grouchy and was not interested in exploring her class or meeting her teacher, lol.   Her teacher was incredibly nice and I think Noomi will really enjoy a formal preschool.  After reviewing the materials sent home from the teacher, I see the difference between a structured preschool program and a daycare program.  It’ll be rough for Noomi but we know its for the best, plus it’ll make drop off and pick up so much easier on Dave and I.

Ajax was apprehensive and a bit nervous about seeing his class and meeting his teacher, Mrs. Masinda, but she too seemed warm and pleasant.   We think he’ll have a great year in the First Grade!  Wow, I cannot believe we have a first grader.  Both Ajax and Noomi will go before-school and after-school care.  I’ve talked to a few other parents who also use the before/after school program who say their kids really like it.

Oh, Noomi’s arms look perfect!  They are pale and very soft, but perfect.   We keep her arms covered with long sleeves and apply lots of sunscreen.  Ajax is doing ok, but he’s feeling a bit stressed – between the accident and starting school.  We’re trying to help him enjoy the last few days of summer and prepare him for class.  Although I remember being stressed as a kid starting class, as a parent this is way more stressful!  Watching your kiddos make their way in the world – exhausting!