School Days

This year Luke went to a pre-school for about 2 weeks, the picture to the left is him on his first day of school, such a big day for all of us and he really did so good! He attended a very sweet private christian school in the little town near us, they use the A Beka program which is supposed to be very advanced. So, then we found a rent house in Fredericksburg and felt it was our chance! So we pulled him out.... but I have to say I was kind of glad because for some reason I had hesitancy about putting Luke in school period. I had considered home schooling many times in my mind, it just always made me tired thinking about it. Well, since we moved so quickly and unexpectedly, it was just easier not to put him in anything. The school where he was going let me take the curriculum since we paid for it, so we have this really advanced curriculum (i'm talking crazy advanced) that I can try out with him this year. So it will be a great help in my home schooling endeavors this year with him.  Little Eli is ever eager as well to go to "cool".  He is picking up everything too! We are starting out slow in the curriculum, Luke is doing some letter tracing, letter sounds, and recognition, but I know his favorite "subject" so far is crafts. He loves using scissors and glue, could care less about writing, and really has to try hard to color. Eli loves the craft time too, and is learning colors and shapes.  The pictures on the top right are of them at our kitchen table doing "school". The house we live in now is seconds from the park, so we do "school" for about 30 minutes to an hour, since I have to pull them away from crafts, then we head to the park. Today we also went to the library to check out our first books since living here. They like the library, and do actually pretty well for their age, I try to make it quick and painless. We are talking about the letter 'I' and the short sound it makes, so we got some books on Indians. They loved the books we got. We made some Indian headbands later on, which I will have to take some pictures and post later.

Banana Blues

So I will always look at bananas with a tender heart after my kids have grown up since that is their favorite thing to have first thing every morning. I don't know how we started the habit, but every morning the boys wake up and ask for their banana immediately. For the second one Eli it has become a sort of "coffee" of sorts for him, when he doesn't have his banana he is a little cranky ;), so it seems. So, when they watch me peel their bananas they start shouting out like an auction, "My banana!! That's my banana!!" So yesterday and today I told them that its not a good way to ask for a banana, they should be polite and wait quietly. Well, Luke picked that up quickly, because this morning he was completely quiet while I peeled the banana, while little brother was going off as usual. So of course I gave the first banana to Luke since he was being polite. Little Eli did not take this lesson very well.... So I gave Eli the next one and he got very scrunched up in his face and bursted out crying, "that was my banana" (pointing to Luke's) So after I handed Eli the second banana, he took it and went and threw it in the trash, I guess to show me how much he was mad at me for giving Luke "his" banana. HAHAHAHA! Wow, was that a two year old tantrum! So, needless to say, Eli had no banana this morning before breakfast... and he was not too happy about it. I didn't get a picture of the moment, but I thought this banana picture I found was appropriate. Long drawn out story, and you probably had to be there, but if you know Eli you can picture it pretty well and now I have this great story to keep and tell his kids one day! ;)

WHOA! lOng TiMe no WRITE!

So it has been a really really long time since I have blogged, about a year and a half to be specific. It's amazing how time flies and how it drags at the same time raising two little boys. I have felt like I need to probably record our experiences, but never feel like I have time to pick up a pen. So then I thought, hey I could just do it on my blog, I have heard you can make a book out of these things? I am really out of it when it comes to the blogging world. I have really not quite understood the benefits of it, until recently. One being it's ok for it to benefit only me! =) Before I felt like I had to try to be the best blog on the block, but now that I found out I can print this out (one day), it kind of gave me a new motivation. I really want to write down how the boys are growing and what they are saying and capture all the moments before they all slip away like I feel like they are already starting to do! So, if you are reading this, bare with me, this will be like reading my journal of life with the boys (big one included). The above picture makes me smile anytime I look at it, how could it not? We were out for a walk with the boys and the dog around the block, and this is little Eli riding on Daddy's shoulders, with "his bobo showing" as big brother Luke pointed out. Love that little bobo! Such a sweet time and memory as we just moved into Fredericksburg from the country life. It is a little sad to leave the ranch and the MANY memories we made there, but super exciting to start this toddler/boy raising in a great small town that allows for enjoyable walks like the one pictured =)