Music, Magic, and Movies

Our family has had a wonderful few days together starting with:

MUSIC:
On Thursday nights, all 4 of us meet for dinner at a kid-friendly restaurant on South Grand. This week it was Natty's Pizza. Then, we all go to Music class where we sing, dance, and play instruments. The boys absolutely love it! At first, Jared and I were like, "What have we gotten ourselves into having to sing and dance and be silly in front of other people?" But, we've come to really enjoy our Thursday nights together and it makes us feel like kids again. We must be having fun because we find ourselves singing the songs outside of class too. :)

MAGIC:
Friday night, we all went the the Balloon Glow in Forest Park. It's one of my favorite events in St. Louis with about fifty hot air balloons tethered to the field and lit up in the night sky. It's really quite magical! This time we even stayed for the fireworks which, I dare say, rivaled downtown's 4th of July fireworks. We all had a fantastic night riding ponies and trains, eating funnel cakes and popcorn, and watching the balloons glow!

MOVIES:
Tonight, I took the boys to their first full-length movie! And, it was quite successful and super fun. Carondolet Park had an outdoor showing of Disney's "Tangled." So, the boys and I snuggled on a blanket, shared some popcorn, and enjoyed the show. It was perfect because the boys didn't have to be completely quiet or even sit still like they would have to in an actual theater. Instead, they were singing and dancing along to the songs and just having a great time. The weather was perfect too because it was just cool enough for snuggling.

What a great weekend - and it's not even over yet!

Fredbird!

Sage's head in Fredbird's mouth! First time meeting Fredbird!

Thrilling Threes - Here We Come!

Happy 3rd Birthday Sage! Daddy, Momma, and Kai love you so much!

Sage's Favorites:
Movies: Toy Story, Cars
TV show: Thomas the Train
Activities: watching Thomas videos on YouTube, playing trains, riding his tricycle, sensory activities (playing in water, dirt, mud, sand, etc.)
Toys: trains, tricycle, puzzles
Sayings: "bust my buffers," "what happened?," "why?,"
Foods: hot dog with ketchup, fruit, yogurt, bacon
Color: blue
Animal: frogs

Words that describe Sage at 3:
Intuitive, sensitive, intelligent, playful, loving, mischievous

No More Tears!

Sage did really well this week during preschool drop off. He actually had two days where he didn't cry at all. He seems to really like it there and he talks about his teacher, Ms. Tricia, all the time. Yay! I feel so much better knowing that he is happy and doing well.

Kai is thriving in preschool. He LOVES it and already has lots of friends. I'm finally feeling like we made the right decision!

All About Kai at 2

Kai's Favorites:
Foods: turkey dogs, French fries, chicken, broccoli, fruit, chips, popcorn
toys: babies, books, balls
activities: singing, dancing, playing sports
colors: blue and red
tv shows/movies: Shrek, Calliou
books: one with pictures of real babies
words: no, mine, Momma, Dadda
animal: dogs - especially Rosco

Words that describe Kai:
lovable, loving, affectionate, giggly, funny, sensitive, verbal, caring, helpful, coordinated, athletic, creative

Feel free to comment if you'd like to add more words to describe Kai.

Happy Birthday Kai!

My baby boy is 2! I can't believe it...he's not a baby anymore. Happy Birthday to you, Kai - our ray of sunshine. You are full of giggles and grins. We love you with all our hearts and wish you a wonderful year.

Surprise!!!

Cora and I successfully surprised Jared and Justin with a 30th birthday party last weekend. Yay! We had it planned for about four months and well over a hundred people knew about it, but no one spilled the beans. Thanks to all our friends and family for helping us celebrate the big 3 - 0.

Preschool update

So, the first DAY of preschool was great! The following two WEEKS of preschool - not so much. Sigh! Sage and Kai both cried every morning - even when Jared dropped them off. Kai got better as the week went on, but Sage was worse. By the end of the first week, he was crying as soon as we started getting him dressed. He wanted to stay home with momma. (Insert tears here.) Once they got to school, they did pretty good though and they were always happily playing when we got to the school in the afternoons. The second week was better - we would actually make it to the door before tears fell. And, amazingly, we were tear free on Friday!

The boys have been having a hard time being separated though - like I worried about. The teachers say they ask for each other and when they do see each other they give big hugs, but also start crying again. :( Fortunately, they spend about 2 1/2 hours a day together (outdoor play and lunch). So, at this point, they are doing okay, but still having a rough time with separating from us and each other.

Honestly, this has been the hardest two weeks of my life as far as feeling guilty and worrying about them. I cried every day (not when the boys could see me).  I also just really miss them because I went from spending 24/7 with them to only about four hours a day. I'm sure this is normal, but I really hope it gets easier and soon...

First Day of Preschool

Today was the first day of preschool for Sage and Kai. I was stressing about it all summer because until now, they've always been together and in a home with no more than four kids. I was mostly worried about Sage because he has been extra clingy since I've been home with him all summer (he even cried about going to PaPa's last week).

As it turned out though, Kai, who is usually really laid back, was the one who sobbed when I left. Then, I cried too! I felt sad because Kai cried, but more so because I already missed my boys. Lots.

When I called to check on them, the boys were happy. They missed each other more than anything. Kai cried again when he had to separate from Sage after outdoor play. After nap, Sage asked for Kai-Kai.

At the end of the day, however, both boys were smiling and didn't want to leave! I am so proud of them for being big boys and being brave! I'm proud of myself too for being brave. Yay! We did it!

Sleepover Sillies!

Last night, the boys and I stayed at the lake house and had to sleep in one bed. Both boys were up WAY past their bedtime. Kai gets quite silly when he's tired - actually quite crazy! Needless to say, two silly boys and one tired Mama all in the same double bed does not make for a quick transition to actual sleeping. I was trying every trick in the book to get the boys quiet and still. So, I thought I'd read to them from the book I was reading on my phone hoping just the sound of my voice reading quietly would lull them to sleep.

It was at a very serious part of the book where two characters in Nazi Germany are speaking to each other in hushed voices (one character is hiding the other Jewish character). The Jewish character briefly touches the fire in the fireplace. I read the other character's part in a solemn voice, "Did you burn your elbow?" Kai looks up at me with his mischievous brown eyes and says, "Mmhmm." All three of us dissolved into a fit of giggles! Little stinker! He has some true comedic timing!

Although sleep was still more than thirty minutes away, I couldn't help but be delighted by the cause of the delay. I love these boys!!!