Big sigh!

My goodness, my poor neglected little blog; four months since my last post! We have been busy and life is looking very different these days and I just have not kept on top of it. It makes me a little sad and it needs to be remedied. This was a way of documenting our little family and our life and to share with friends and family...near and far. So I will try to do a few catch up posts, which may be long, but I am determined to get back on top of this.

Day 2

The second day of school was just as successful and much easier and less traumatic than the first. Arran was happy for me to walk him to his classroom and leave, then the girls and I headed over to Bryttain's for Read and Greet time. I love that this is how the day is started, for the first two years, with parents and children reading together for 20 minutes.

Read and Greet time. Yes, thank you for noticing the toll that the new early morning routine is taking on me. I know I look far from my best...and the girls would much rather be reading than looking in a camera. Has to be done though :)

Once we had left school, I raced down to San Anselmo to pick up my camera, which I had taken in for cleaning. We arrived a little before 9::30am, only to discover that the store would not be open until 10am. Oh well, it was the perfect excuse for Asia and I to have a little date as we waited. She chose hot chocolate and a little mini-cupcake, while I opted for tea with my cupcake. We sat and chatted together and she drew some flowers on napkins and her paper plate. It was a sweet time.

I am looking forward to all the time the two of us are going to spend together and am a little sad that I was not able to have that same time with Bryttain. We will see how quickly she tires of me though.

School!

Today was Bryttain's first day of school and Arran's first day as a second-grader. It was a big day! Bryttain was very excited and totally ready to start this new world. Of course, having watched Arran for the past two years and feeling like she already knew his teacher and half of her new classmates (it is a K/1 class) all made her feel completely comfortable. She picked out her outfit the night before and told me how she would like her hair done. As far as she was concerned, this was a good day.

Asia and I took Bryttain to her classroom where the children were settling in with a few projects. I sat with her as she did some puzzles and some drawings.

Things were a little harder for Arran. He had been with the same teacher for two years, in the same classroom and had really blossomed. In many ways it seemed harder for him than his very first day of school. He cried walking from the car to school and I was very grateful (again) for the flexibility that James has, with being self-employed, it was definitely a two parent day.

It was a strange day for me, I felt hollow, is the best way I can describe it. To think that in another couple of years all three of my children will be in school, is bizarre. They have been my life for the last seven (plus) years, but they really are growing up!

I ran a few errands with Asia and before we knew it, it was time to pick up Bryttain. Wednesday is always a short day, with Bryttain finishing at 12pm (instead of 11:45am) and Arran at 12:45pm (instead of 2:30pm).

She had a great day. She told me it was "So much fun", she didn't want to go home and was asking to go back tomorrow. I couldn't have been more proud of her, or have asked for more. It would have been pointless to race home for lunch, only to race back again to get Arran, so I brought a packed lunch for us and we sat in the park down by the school for half an hour, me and my girls.

 She called daddy to tell him all about her day.

Then we got Arran. I was so happy and relieved that not only had he survived his day but he was looking happy again. Both girls gave him huge hugs. Love those amazing kiddos!

Of course we could be having to do something very similar in another month or so...

Not 100%

We had a very long slow start to our week. If you know our Bryttain, you know this is just not how she is. She is full of life and energy, but she spent almost three days laying around, on the couch, in her bed, in my bed. I loved all the extra cuddles but I felt sad to see her so quiet and lethargic, it just was not right. She had low grade fevers and complained of a sore throat and slept a ton!

There were no smiles or giggles or squeals, just quietness, and I missed my little Bryttain. She adds so much to our life and our home.


Now she is fine again, back to her usual self and we can all breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to bedtime, when it is once again becomes quiet, but without anyone being sick.

Fun at the creek

They had impatiently eagerly been awaiting the announcement and then it came last Sunday. This Sunday would be the first creekside picnic for the year. Arran had grinned and looked at me as he had started to bounce in his chair

"Can we go? Can we go?" he had whispered.

They love it there, the combination of water and fun and friends cannot be beat. It must be the start of a fun summer ahead.

What my kids really want!

Friday nights the band that James is in, have their rehearsals. Sometimes if his day has gone long, it is not worth his while to sit in commuting traffic to come all the way north to see us for barely twenty minutes and have a quick dinner, only to have to run straight back out again. Tonight would have been one of those nights. Instead he suggested we meet half way and grab a quick, cheap, dinner.

The kids were excited to go out, although they then took forever to be ready. Finally they were waiting in the van. I grabbed my bag, pulled the door behind me....and realized my car and house keys were sitting right inside the door on the tumble dryer. Ugh! They had been in my hand moments before and then I had needed to go and help Asia with putting her shoes on and the rest is history.

I called James in a sheepish, frustrated state, to let him know. He said he would drive home after all, we did not really have any other options. Ten minutes later he called to tell me where to find a key he had hidden and forgotten about, all was not lost after all. Turns out Arran knew all about that key too, and had not thought to tell me about it!

So we were able to meet daddy for dinner, and I did not have to cook (bonus!). So the point of this post is, that on the drive home the children were having a conversation about babies, I do not even remember why. Suddenly Arran stopped mid-conversation and sighed, ever so sadly he said

"I wish I could have a brother" (we have had this conversation MANY, many times), Bryttain, almost as sadly chimed in

"I really wish I could have another sister". Asia without skipping a beat, obviously more happy with her lot in life, matter-of-factly stated

"I really want a pet!"

Animal Report

Today was the day Arran gave his animal report at school. He had chosen a blue jay to be his animal and a lot of work had gone into it. It was actually not what I had expected. This is a kind of rite of passage at Cherry Valley and quite a big deal. The children all go out to the playing fields and the rest of the school come and ask the individual children about their animal. They all remember when they had to do their report and the animal they were.

The idea is that no one is put on the spot, although I think it was a little exhausting. One thing is for sure though, after telling all the facts he had learned, to so many people, they will probably forever be embedded in his little brain  He was very cute.

On a completely different note, James has been reading the Narnia books to the kids for their bedtime story and they are very into them. Last week they finished The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and they are now on to Prince Caspian. A lot of their play time is revolving around battles and being turned to stone and this was this afternoon's adventure...

They set up their very own sleigh!

Daddy's are the best. They come home tired after a long day at work, but all it takes is a child to ask them to read a book and they drop everything. I love how much my children love their daddy and I love the father that he is to them. We are all so blessed. Arran and Bryttain had been mid-battle, but they put down their lightsabers for cuddles and reading.

Open House

Tonight we all went to Open House at Arran's school. He was excited to show us how hard he has been working and the girls are always excited to visit school. I think that has turned up a notch for Bryttain now that she knows that in a couple of months it will be her turn. We started in The Lodge with some music time, then headed over to his classroom.

Recently they have been studying the rainforest and the classroom looked great with so much of their work on display. It amazes me how much they get through, there are projects coming home on a daily basis and yet there we were at the school with a boatload of stuff we had not yet seen. It really was quite impressive.

We started at his seat where he pulled out pieces of paper with various activities on them, to guide us through our time. First port of call was a family activity, drawing a picture of our favorite animal and placing it on a chart for it's corresponding habitat. Asia was so cute and focused, she drew a phenomenal (for a three year old) cat and wrote CAT. Daddy and Bryttain chose a horse and Arran a cheetah...I took photos!

 He showed us his completed animal report and recited many of the facts that he had learned in the process.

He donned his owl costume and gave the official tour of the room. He took his responsibility very seriously. I love that in the background you can see the principal (headmistress) hugging another child. The kids really do know and love this woman and she is the main reason I first became interested in this wonderful school.

The girls joined in the fun. Arran showed us terrariums they had made and we recorded some of our observations. He explained the different levels of the rainforest to Bryttain.

There was so much to see.

Arran with Ms. Lewis, his kindergarten and 1st grade teacher.

What a great first two years of school and I find it hard to believe it is coming to an end. The reticent little boy, so nervous on that first day has blossomed into this confident boy, so full of life. Ms. Lewis told him, in front of us, that he is smart and nice and that she just loves to spend time with him. I could not have been more proud and I think he felt pretty good hearing that too. 

The things kids say!

James and the kids went to our annual Missions Rally last night and last minute, I decided not to go. I stayed home and got a lot done around the house, without kids underfoot.

This morning as I was chatting with a friend on the phone, she asked in passing why I had not gone last night and then told me the reason Bryttain, my five year old, had told her seven year old. I do not know whether she had offered the following information freely, or if she had been prompted to come up with an explanation for my absence, but apparently I was not there because I had a hole in my tights, which I did not want anyone to see.

Love it!

Rainy day fun.

Sometimes I feel like someone is playing tricks on us, when it comes to the weather. I thought it was almost summer, we have had glorious days, days at the beach, days in shorts and flip-flops, then all of a sudden it is cold and grey again...and raining. I did not want to be out in it today, I needed to get groceries, but getting all bundled up and having to bundle up kids and carry groceries in the rain is not my idea of fun. So instead, when Bryttain asked me, as she does every morning, what we would be doing that was fun today, I told her we would make cupcakes! The kids love to bake and help in the kitchen, but it really is hard with three of them, so my plan was to do the baking this morning while Arran was at school, then we could decorate them this afternoon when he got home, and make hot chocolate and watch a movie. So that is what we did.

We made mini-cupcakes, which are so much more manageable, for adults and children, I think. We topped some with jelly beans, and as Arran simply cannot let anything pass his lips which might even remotely look, or taste like any kind of fruit, some with sprinkles.

Enjoying the results!

 The children had hot chocolate with whipped cream, and I added coconut syrup to mine with a smidgeon of grated chocolate - Yum!

My kitchen, which started out this morning not looking too bad, is now a complete disaster. The kids are sitting on the couch, watching the end of  The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, swords in hand! The good news is, I cooked extra curry last week and froze a family-size portion which I just grabbed out of the freezer, so all I have to do now is throw some rice in the rice-cooker. No cooking tonight, although I did find chapattis at Costco yesterday (which I am far too excited about) which I will have to quickly heat through.

Perfect for a rainy day, even if I do say so myself.

Life goes on...

I know I have not finished blogging the Englad trip, but in my effort to catch up on that, I am getting way behind on the current life updates. So I will get back to 'now' and do some postdated posts if you want to go back at a later time.

Fun with friends

Our time with the Saxbys was short, but I think the kids would say we had saved the best until last. They got to spend the morning playing and although I had anticipated leaving earlier, they were having so much fun that we ended up staying for lunch too.

All five kids playing together.

 What is it about boys and cars? Do they ever outgrow it?

 I FORCED them to stop playing, for maybe 10 seconds to get a group shot. This was as good as it got, they had much more important things to be spending their time on, thank you very much! Still cute!

 There was more chess to be played and everyone wanted to get in on the action.

 That camera is in my face again!

 Finally the little ones could get down to business, very serious business, just look at that concentration!

Unfortunately, we did have to end up dragging ourselves away. Of course I had to get a quick couple of family shots on our way out...who knows when we will see these guys again?

 Goodbye dear friends, we miss you already.

We were headed back to Grandad and Nanny Pam's where a wonderful roast dinner awaited us, before our final hectic day in England.