4th week of July 2016

It's interesting.  Most of the time I feel like our lives are pretty simple (boring) and we don't do much.  However, as I am going through and blogging, I am reminded of how much we do in even just a normal, summer week.  Take this week for example, there's nothing big and special but it was a full week!

Emmalyn in her sleep sack with her best buddy, Landen.

Kids all crowded around Peter

This is not posed.  This is how she sleeps.  How perfectly sweet is that?!!? Those sweet hands, those cheeks, and that tousled, curly mess of hair laying on her pillow. (Turtle placed right on her forehead and purple puppy on the other side.)

My handsome big kid enjoying some time at school this week.

Silliness

Max had a splash day at school and for awhile he just didn't want to participate.

Eventually he got into it though.  :)

Splashing Dylan

Going after Mrs. Cynthia

He's coming along really well with his swim strokes.  He loves his coach Katie.

Joe joined the fence staining crew.  The boys decided to see if the sprayer was a better option than the way we had been doing it.

I helped stain the fence and paid the price - look at that mess! (I also got eaten alive by mosquitoes because we were out at dusk. I'm not kidding, like 9 bites on one leg.)

Playing at the park after Kindermusik

Look!!!  I got a tomato off my plant! (It wasn't very flavorful though because I picked it when it was a little green and let it ripen on the counter)

My old boss at work, Marc Rapp, was diagnosed with lung cancer so a bunch of us are showing our support and Running for Rapp (R4R) since he can't run any more right now.  I'm not running but I'm walking and logging miles (and sometimes rocking my hat).

Morning time on the ipad

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese

Maxwell asks to do school work when he's at the Montessori school even though during the summer they typically don't do any work.  He loves learning - especially math!  This is a chain that helps him learn his times tables.

We have our membership at the Frisco Athletic Center again and are loving the great outdoor water park.  We've found a few friends who also have a membership and try to meet them there. 

Maxwell and Preston

Maxwell going to Kinder is about a month away (seems unfair to have to start thinking about school when it's still July!) so we went to find a backpack and lunch box.

We found the "one"

It looks so big!  The only thing smaller were little kid backpacks with characters on them and I just don't do characters if I can help it.

We signed Maxwell up to take tennis lessons at the FAC.  He really wants to learn.

I gave up on my bell pepper, jalapeno, and zucchini plants.  They haven't grown any veggies...I guess it's just too hot now.

Oh no!  When I pulled up my bell pepper plant, I saw this little baby bell pepper so I quickly replanted it.  Hopefully it will make it! :(

My helper

Putting in the miles again.  It's hot at night but I'm really focused on hitting my steps and losing some weight.

Maxwell is going to preschool

We did it.  We signed Maxwell up for preschool at a Montessori School.  I really like that he will be with kids aged 3-5 and that he will be able to learn at his own pace and be challenged regardless of what place the other kids are in.  It's been a stressful decision because he is just barely 3.  If he was older, I think I would have stressed a little less.  Plus I stressed over whether to put him in a traditional preschool class or pay the extra tuition for the Montessori.  I think we've made a good choice but as Peter reminds me, we can change our minds at any time.

So we went to the information night with the teacher.  Maxwell did pretty good sitting quietly the whole time but he didn't like when another boy got close to him.  Oh boy, that made me worried about how he'd do in the class.

So I asked all my questions and was okay until I asked about pull-ups during nap time and his teacher said they wouldn't put him in pull ups during nap time. The expectation was that he was potty trained.  I said he was but not at nap time.  I quickly got that there was no arguing this point.  So then I asked if the teachers would wipe him after he poops and again she said that the expectation was that they were potty trained.  And that it may mean that he might come home with little bits of poop on his underwear sometimes.  I was stunned.  So what I walked away with was that they were completely unwilling to help with anything having to do with the potty.  My son needed to do everything on his own. 

Well, crap.  (haha! get it?!)

Maxwell doesn't always stay dry during his naps and we've always wiped him after he poops.  How in the world was I going to teach my barely 3 year old #1 - how much toilet paper to use #2 - which way to wipe #3 - to keep wiping until he's clean etc?!  And in a few days?  (Today was Friday and he was starting on Monday.) Any one of these topics could take many days for him to get and now he's got to get it before Monday?  And he usually poops once a day so that meant I was going to get one shot on Saturday to teach him and one shot on Sunday to solidify it.  That was it.

Seriously, I was stunned.  This wasn't what I was told when I asked on the phone if he could wear pull ups during nap time.  

I almost changed my mind about starting preschool but decided we'd do the best we can and then hope the teacher would be compassionate and help out a little.  They can't expect a BOY who turned 3 a week ago to have this all down.  (Even his pediatrician said it's normal for 3-5 year olds to struggle to stay dry when sleeping).

Maxwell in his classroom

Okay, let's go home.  We've got work to do!

Other things we worked on that weekend...

Using his nap mat

Putting on his backpack

So cute right?  I searched FOREVER for a backpack I didn't hate, let alone liked.

My new life - labeling everything he takes to school.

Enjoying the "fruits" of our labors

We had to do something with all those pounds of peaches we picked!  (and other fun things we've been up to)

Sweet baby is a pro at tummy time and holding her head up

MMM...these hands are yummy

The first peach project.  Peach salsa.  I did the whole shebang including blanching the peaches and skinning them.

The peach salsa - yummy!

The kitchen was full with the different steps...

Final product - peach salsa!  (Ignore the color on the big jars - it was green glass)

Brittany made a yummy peach crustada

Making peach jam

I was really pleased with the end results of our peach products.  This was the first time I've ever canned anything by myself and thought it was really easy!  I would totally do it again if I had a ton of produce again.

Love those chubby cheeks

Video - little miss talkative

Happy almost all the time

Max during swimming lessons.  He's the kid on the far right.

I FINALLY got a tomato off my tomato plant!!!!!!!  I was soooo excited even though it was the size of a cherry tomato.  I was over the moon excited to eat my one little tomato.  I cut it in half and shared with Brittany.  :)  It was incredibly good.

I really wish I could figure out how to grow tomatoes!

Sweet baby lips

There's a little bit of resemblance there...

I am so blessed to get to enjoy this sweetness every day of my life.

Busy saying something

Max got a backpack in preparation for going to pre-school.  It's a little big for him but he was so excited and wanted to put it on, along with his new shoes, when he woke up in the morning.

Talking some more

Binky in one hand while her thumb's in her mouth.  Silly girl.  :)

We went to eat at a Teppanyaki restaurant.  I thought Max would enjoy the "show" you get when the chef is cooking.  Max was nervous about the flames (he had seen them at another table first).  He covered his ears, his was so nervous.

Watching the chef

Even more scared

Dad protecting him while he covered his ears.

He was happy when the show was over.

Emmalyn gripping the sides of her carseat while dad drove the shopping cart.