Rubbing Off

Watching the kids grow into their own little personalities is very fascinating. They are their own self, but at the same time we can see a little bit of me and Chris in them too.

I'm a photography junky, well, a "wanna-be" photography junky. I love, love, love, love taking pictures of my kids. I don't always know what I'm doing, but I have fun doing it anyway. So they are quite used to seeing me behind a camera, and more recently my phone camera. Today Devon wanted to take pictures of her "families" as she called them. They are her toy cars, from the movie Cars, that she has turned into families, some because they look alike and some spawned from her imagination.

I was very lucky to get a digital SLR for mother's day a few years ago, so of course I was hesitant about letting her use my very expensive "baby." But I let go of anxiety and let her give it a try. It was incredible seeing her instantly mimicking me. She was standing on her knees, her belly and just moving around to "get the right picture."


It's fun to see her loving what I love, not because I make her but because most kids have a desire to be like their parents in some form. It's just another reminder that more of me rubs off on the kids then I might be aware of.

Here is the best picture of her Cars family. Not bad for her first try. :)

Summer Reading

Summer is here and while we are having lots of fun in the sun, we are also keeping up our school skills. Devon likes to write in a journal everyday practicing writing, spelling and grammar. And of course we read everyday.

This summer we are taking advantage of two different reading incentive programs. The first is Half Priced Books Feed Your Brain program. All we do is keep a log of how much time Devon spends reading. If Devon reads for at least 15 minutes a day, five days a week, then she gets a $3 gift card from the store. She gets to do this every week until the middle of July.

The second program is from the Austin Library. This one is a bit different than what my library did when I was a kid. When I was a kid you read a book then you took a short quiz on the book and if you passed then you got credit for reading the book and you got different things for reading different amounts of books. The Austin program says, the kid gets to make a goal of how many books they think they can read during the summer. When they reach their goal, they bring the log back to the library and they get to pick out a new book to keep.

When I asked Devon how many books she wanted to read this summer, I suggested 30. Apparently that wasn't good enough. She said she wants to read 90! So I wrote down 90 books on her log. I know she can do it, I just think it is funny that she chose that amount. The librarian was really impressed. Now reading 90 beginning reader books is different than reading 90 novels, but we'll cross that road when we get there.

Matthew also gets to participate in the program because if I make a goal to read him a certain amount of books and meet the goal, then he gets to pick out a book too.

Looks Like We Need an Update

Sheesh. I haven't posted a blog since before school started. Bad Michelle. So I'll make it up to you and add a few pics of the kids and you will forgive me.

Well, Devon is loving kindergarten. Although she asked me a few weeks into school why they were doing the same work they did in Pre-K. I had to tell her that some kids may not have gone to Pre-K and need to catch up and the teacher wants to refresh everyone's memory.

About five weeks into the school year, the school has two days where there is early dismissal and they leave the afternoons open for parent/teacher conferences. I really like that the school does that. You get a one on one with the teacher and you see how your kid is doing. Well, when I went I got to sit in a tiny kindergarten chair in the hall and wait for my turn. I was out there for about 20 minutes (the parent before went a little over her time, but no biggie) but I felt like I was waiting for the principle or something. It was a very odd sensation.

When I did get to see the teacher. She told me that she was very pleased with Devon and told me her strong points are that she is a fast learner, an eager learner and gets along very well with all her classmates. Not bad huh? But then she got to the "concerns list." There was only one thing in that column and it was that Devon is "too shy and quiet" when talking to the teacher. Apparently her teacher has to ask her to speak up often. But she said that is also common for kids who are the first born girl.

It was real strange when Devon went back to school. Matthew only noticed she wasn't there when it was nap time. He was so used to hugging her before nap he would cry, stretching his arms out for his sister who wasn't there. Poor guy. But he has gotten used to it now. And oddly enough as soon as Devon started school Matthew started talking more. It seems not having big sister there to talk for him gave him a little push to speak up.

I've gone back to working at the church nursery during the ESL classes again. It's twice a week now, so it's twice the fun. This service is available to the students of the ESL classes who have kids. It's a bit challenging when we get a new kid because about 90% of the time they don't speak or understand English, AND they have never been away from their parents before. Talk about a scary experience for the kid! But we do our best to comfort them, and after many weeks they feel comfortable. Let's put a big emphasis on MANY WEEKS.

And finally, I am taking a class at our church that will last about 7 months called Disciple. I had many of my friends tell me about it and they all said it was a bit challenging because you go through most of the bible in that whole time. I was really excited to take on this challenge. But it's not quite what I was hoping for, but I am really enjoying it and learning a lot.

So as promised, here are some new pics of the kiddos. :)

I know I post a lot of pictures with the two of them sitting in this little car, but they play in it so often and this time Devon was wearing Chris's hat. I couldn't resist.

Hear Matthew wanted me to help him put on his backpack. He had filled it with books. So I asked him if he was going to school like Devon he actually said "Yes." It was really cute. He's such a silly boy.

Honest Abe, I mean Devon

Today was a day for one of our bi-monthly trips to Costco. I love it! But that's not the point of this short story. As we're heading toward the check-out counters, with a very grumpy Matthew, I see a display for kids vitamins, of course in jumbo bottles. Instead of just grabbing the one I know I'll end up buying, I compare all the different kinds (it's a sickness, I can't just pass by the other options there could be a better deal). And after a few minutes I hand Devon the bottle that I knew I was probably going to get.

Devon holds it and points to the bears for Matthew saying, "Bear. Matthew can you say bear?" She's cute and helpful, huh? So I load up all our goodies onto the conveyor tables and check out super quick as usual. When they push my basket to me Devon stops me with a very serious voice saying. "Stop. They didn't let me pay for my vitamins." She's been big on buying things herself lately. I turn to ask the cashier to ring it up real quick, but she had already scanned half a dozen things from the lady behind me in line. I told you, these people are quick.

I really didn't want to go back to the end of a line. So I go to a manager who is conveniently near me and tell him what happened and asked if he could ring it up for me. He was very happy to help so we go to an empty register and pay for it. While I'm swiping my debit card he turns to Devon and says, "Are those your vitamins?" She replied, "Yes. The lady didn't scan them and I forgot my money, so my Mom is really nice and is buying them for me."HAHA! Then he tells her, "That was a very honest thing to do. Just like honest Abe." And here's the best part, she told him, "You know, his real name is Abraham," in a very as a matter of fact voice. We both just laughed. He told her, "You sure are a smart kid," and we left.

I would have been so embarrassed if we had left the store and not payed for them. I just wasn't paying as close attention when putting my things up. Next time I'll know to check the kids laps when checking out. As for Miss Know It All, I can only hope she keeps up the confidence, but needs a little work on respect to adults. Luckily the manager wasn't offended.

Side story. As I was loading the car, I witnessed two cars back out into each other. One car was very calm and sincere, the other had a very grumpy lady who insisted on calling the police. When I had put everything up and the kids were loaded, I went to tell her they would be waiting in the parking lot a while for a police officer to show up, for maybe even two or three hours. But she cut me off at "Excuse me." She started yelling at me that I would need to "wait a damn minute for the police to get there," before she would move her car. I just laughed and turned around. Her car wasn't really blocking mine, but if she's going to be snippy, then too bad for her. We left for home.

Four Years and Twenty Pounds Apart

Yikes, it's been a while since I've been in the blogging world. What with Matthew turning one, Devon having the flu and then the chaos of having two birthday parties in one day, it's been pretty crazy around here. Oh, and let's not forget the reordering of the house after the chaos. I feel like I just now have returned back to normal.

We'll start with Matthew. He turned one and got a rad little hotrod for his birthday. He loves it! At first he would just climb in and out, in and out for long stretches of time, but now he has gotten over the novelty of it and can be pushed in it without trying to hop out like a stunt devil. Also, I made him an awesome dinosaur cake that was delicious! It was banana cake with chocolate frosting, all made with love from scratch.

Shortly after Matthew's birthday Devon starts to get cold/allergy symptoms, but then on the day of her well check appointment she runs a 102 F fever and has to miss school for the first time all year. There goes that perfect attendance record. At the doctors, they test her for strep and the flu and she comes back positive for both. This is on Tuesday, her birthday party is supposed to be on Saturday. Uh-Oh. Luckily, she went to the doctors at the height of the illness and started to recover quickly. Then on Thursday the doctors office calls me and says that the 48 hour culture of her strep test came back negative, so apparently she didn't have strep, just the flu. So one less dose of meds for her, hooray!

Now Matthew's well check was at the same time as Devon's. Seemed like a good idea at the time to just get them both out of the way at the same time, but it also meant it was a very loooooooong appointment. I think next year they will have separate appointments. Poor little Matthew weighed in at 19 lbs 4 oz, so he still has to use the baby car seat, backwards. He's not a big fan of that. Devon weighed in at 40 lbs, which means she's only gained one pound in a year. Now I know why she seems so lanky, it's because she is. But then again she was sick and her appetite goes away when she's sick. So maybe she's really 41 or 42 now.

So, Saturday comes and so does the families. We have cake and presents for Matthew at 2:00 and then somehow time fast forwards in warp speed and it's time to dash to the children's museum for Devon's party. The museum is downtown and we are in Manor. Shouldn't have to worry about traffic because it is a Saturday right? Wrong. Highway 290 was backed up and I was hyperventilating. Then there was construction all around the museum, which wasn't there during our last trip. So Devon was 15 minutes late to her own birthday party. And for those who know me, then you know I was loosing it. I absolutely HATE being late, especially to my daughters only 5th birthday party. Luckily, I have an awesome husband who reminded me the party doesn't exist without the birthday girl. Great man I tell ya, great man. Devon had a blast at the party. Unfortunately, none of her school friends she invited came, but that just left more free passes to the museum for us.

A Few Firsts

The last few weeks have been very eventful for both Devon and Matthews development.

The other day, Devon and I were on the couch and we were reading one of her new library books. It was one we hadn't read yet and I was letting her say the sight words we have been working on. Well, as we are reading about the Backyardigans surfing, I turn the page and Devon just reads the entire sentence! "I can jump." I about pooped my pants. She recognizes "I" and "can" but we haven't done "jump" yet. It was such a big moment. I dropped the book and hugged her! She looked at me like I was nuts. In less than a month, she will be FIVE! Yowsers! At some point I need to fully accept she is growing up.

Now for little Matthew, he has been saying "bu" (pronounced "bu" as in book) for a few weeks now, but I wasn't ready to claim it as a first word yet. But I'm going to stop being modest now because he is clearly trying to say book. When ever he sees a book whether it's a board book, one of Devon's books or even one of mine, he points to it and says, "bu". Mama and Dada mean nothing to him, he's all about the books. Actually, he rarely says "mama" anymore. We're going to have to work on that. ;)

Also, Mr. Big Boy took his first steps the other day. I believe it was super bowl sunday. He took three steps from me to Chris and it was so exciting! He has been standing on his own for a couple of weeks now, but just hasn't wanted to walk yet. I'm ok with that, he's fast enough when he crawls I'm not ready for running. Today he was once again standing on his own and I came up to him with my arms opened wide, trying to entice him to walk towards me and he took four steps! He was so proud of himself and of course my heart was just melting. I'm going to have to get the video camera out so we can document this.

Thinking During Playtime

So a while back, actually quite a while back, my good friends Gypsy and Suzanne came to visit and brought Devon some goodies. One of the things they got her was a solid art book. It looked fun, but somehow it got lost in her craft chest and I found it in the back a few days ago. Basically it is a kit to make a little Hello Kitty town by popping out the pieces and gluing them together and then you get to play with the little people in the town. It's way cute.

So yesterday during Matthew's nap we sat down at the kitchen table to put it together. Devon had a blast. It was perfect for a four year old. She could pop out the pieces on her and and fold them (for the most part, sometimes she needed a little help with the complex pieces) and glue them. It turned out much cuter than I originally thought. She loves playing with the little Hello Kitty people. It was such a cool thing to do together. It was like a model car kit, but cooler.

I was looking at the back and of course it was made in Japan. Why can't we make intelligent toys for our kids here! I love how she in essence had to earn her toy by working to put it together. Gypsy if you read this where did you find that?? We have one other one left that I'm saving for when this one becomes boring (which doesn't seem to be anytime soon). It's a little different than a town, but still looks fun.

Genetics

I am so fascinated by genetics these days. Not necessarily the heavy scientific jargon, but just the evidence I see watching my two munchkins grow up. Devon and Matthew are so different, yet the same at the same time it's incredible.

Devon was pretty chubby as a baby, but still always managed to stay in the 50th percentile every doctors visit. Matthew started out in the 15th percentile, but has climbed up to the 25th! He's just got little genes, from Chris's side of course.

So if you're reading this, you are very aware of just how often and how many pictures I take of the kiddos. Lately, whenever I take one of Matthew I can almost always think of one from when Devon was the same age and I go back and look at just how much they really do look alike. It's remarkable!!

Here is Devon when she was 12 months old. She was sitting in the azalea garden at SFA, playing with pine needles.

Now here is Matthew at 10 months, in a similar pose, outside playing with leaves. Isn't that awesome! Maybe it's not so much that they look alike, but that I tend to repeat photo shoots with Matthew that I did with Devon. Haha! I am seriously laughing at myself now.

And here is Devon on her first birthday practicing walking for the first time with a push toy. I can still remember that night. She walked back and forth between me and Chris for the longest time and every time she hit an obstacle and couldn't keep going she would just stand there and cry, waiting for us to "make it go again."

And here is Matthew on Christmas day pushing the same kind of push toy. The only difference is that he is two months younger. And that is just a difference in personality. To this day, Devon is still rarely in a hurry. And Matthew, well he just loves trying to keep up with the rest of us.

I am so grateful that I get to spend my days at home with them. I've been doing this for almost five years now and (this is so cliche) it has just flown right by! Next year Devon will be in school all day for kindergarten. Matthew is really going to miss her. I can tell all ready.

Having Fun Together

Whenever I do laundry, Devon almost always wants to play with the laundry basket. The other day she found a new way to play with it. Yep. She "trapped the wild thing." She's a big fan of the book Where the Wild Things Are, so this is why she called Matthew a wild thing.

Matthew thought the whole thing was quite entertaining, and kept giggling which is what caught my attention. I don't know why I always get suspicious when one or the other is laughing, but it always gets my attention quick.

So I showed Devon a different way she could play with Matthew and the laundry basket. There was an added bonus to this game. She got a bit of energy out too. :) Sneaky me.

I'm pretty sure Matthew liked this game better than hunting for wild things.

The Headlines Read "Siblings Rival Over Floor Space!"

So now that little Matthew is very mobile he likes to follow his favorite people everywhere. He likes to follow me in the kitchen, laundry room, bedroom and bathroom. Yep he's such a little explorer.

Well, this is all exciting for everyone, except now Devon is realizing playing with her Cars toys is a little challenging. She is not allowed to let Matthew play with the cars because they have small tire pieces that could come off. So she used to just claim a space far from him, but that doesn't cut it anymore because he loves, loves, loves to go where Big Sister goes.

The other day I finally found a way she can have her own space on the floor and Matthew be safe from the toys. It may sound a bit odd, but I basically barricade Devon in her corner using her doll house. She loves having her own bother or should I saw brother free zone.



Now this worked for a few days, but now little man is stepping up his game and pulling up onto his knees, on her doll house. It's kinda funny. He looks like King Kong reaching into the doll house for a car. And Chris is in denial that Matthew is even remotely interested in the PINK doll house. ;)

I Heart Mrs. Hygh

So as you may recall from a previous blog, I'm pretty anal about my kids education. Too many kids these days slip through elementary school without a good foundation in the basics which makes the rest of there time in school miserable. So last night when we went to curriculum night, I was waiting to hear what Mrs. Hygh, Devon's teacher, had to say about her classroom. And let me tell, I could not love this woman anymore! She is everything you could want in a teacher.

First off, she used to teach 4th, 5th and 6th grade and during those years she was upset about how most kids didn't have a good foundation in basic skills, meaning she was reteaching them concepts they should already know. It's one thing to need a little refresh after three months of not using your brain during summer vacation, but not being able to read, spell or do math at your designated level is unfortunate. So she moved down to pre-k with a strong passion to get things started the right way.

Many of the materials she uses in her classroom are designed for kindergarten and she even told us that she is teaching them many things that they will learn in kindergarten now, because if they catch on great, if not next year it will be sure to sink in because they've seen it. So that means she is working harder to not only teach them the pre-k curriculum but is stepping it up to give more of a challenge. That's passion and that's why you gotta love her.

She mentioned that last year she had a few kids reading by the end of the year and that's when the falling in love process was complete for me. Now I know I am big on reading and many people may think that I go to far sometimes, but I just thought that was incredible. Now I've got to try my best not to push Devon too hard, because I don't want to push her away from it (even though that's hardly possible since she has been called "book girl" in church since she was two!). I tell myself that she will read when she's ready, but I am totally ready for whenever that happens. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Surrogate Mommy Boosting Morale

So every morning when I drop Devon off at school, I walk her to her classroom where she has to sit on the ground in the hall with her class until the teacher lets them in. Lately, many of the kids are real interested in playing with Matthew, and Devon, of course, is just so proud to show him off and show them things like how to tickle his feet. Mostly it is the little girls who want to see him, but there have been a couple of days where a few boys have wanted to play with Matthew too. Doing this has allowed me to get to know these little kiddos and now I know at least half of their names. L (I don't want to use their names) always wants to show me her lunch, even though it is the same thing everyday, but it's cute.

Well, today there was a group of five little girls adoring and playing with Matthew and then the teacher opened the door. When Devon stood up I gave her a hug as usual and told her to have a good day. After that, one little girl wanted to give me a hug too, then all of them did. It was really sweet. I just love the fact that I can give them a little extra love, maybe even boosting their confidence to get their day of learning started. :)

But who knows what this is doing to Matthew. I mean he's sitting here getting loved on by a big group of girls five days a week. Who knows....

Magic Tree House

So this week at the library I was inspired by another devoted reading mom to try longer fiction books with Devon. I was being nosey and looking at the books she grabbed for her little girl, who turned out to also be 4 1/2. She had a copy of The Wizard of Oz, which had great illustrations, and four other novels with pictures. The little girl asked her to read one of the books and of course Devon had to plop down next to them and listen. She's not shy when it comes to mooching off stories. So while she was listening, I grabbed a book from a series called The Magic Tree House because Devon seems to like books with familiar characters, and this series has almost 40 books in the series. Luckily, the library actually had book number one, Dinosaurs Before Dark.

Sunday I started reading it and by the end of chapter three she wanted to stop. I was a little sad that she didn't want to keep going but I didn't let it discourage me. Monday while Matthew took a nap with Chris I was able to start at chapter three again and read the entire book! Devon loved it too. There were some scary parts when a dinosaur was chasing a kid and Devon was clinging on to me pretty tight, but I just kept asking her, "Do you want to keep reading to see if....?" Every time she would be like, "Yeah let's see if ...." It was totally cute. It was the best part of my whole day to be able to sit and become absorbed in a book with Devon.

And so we don't leave little Matthew out, he's becoming very fond of Goodnight Moon and sometimes it can distract him from his fussy moments. I can't wait for the day when they are both on each side of me and we can just sit and read for hours on a rainy day.

Mmmmmm, Paperbacks

Well, lately I have been devouring books like there is no tomorrow. Just in the past couple of weeks I have read The Educated Child, and The Five Love Languages. This may not sound impressive to some, but don't forget I have an infant connected to me most of the day and an energetic four year old. So there!

Currently, I am reading an awesome book called, The Read-Aloud Handbook. It may sound odd, but yes it is actually about reading out loud. It gives an insane amount of scientific support for reading out loud to your kids. I love it. Jim Trelease you are my hero! He also managed to compile a great treasury of books for different ages. I will easily be using this book for the next ten years or so.

Something Jim talks about in the book is how most children can comprehend listening to books three to fours years above their reading level. While this may sound trivial, it has challenged me to step up the books I read to Devon. I mean she loves her picture books, but we both know almost all of them by heart. So Saturday we ventured to the Austin Public Library and got Devon her very own library card. She was in love! The awe of owning her own library card was enchanting. I picked out a small chapter book, with five chapters to see if Jim was right. And of course, he was. Devon comprehended just as well as a Franklin book. And we have read it about three times a day so far, but that's ok, she's worth it. Next time I'm going to try for one a bit longer. It's like my own little education experiment, mwah ah ah ah.

Now everyone knows Devon has been a book girl from infancy, but the challenge now is to instill the same love of books to Matthew. So far we are off to a good start!

Here is Devon at four months, she was such a little chunker. :D

Here is Matthew, who is now four months old. So far, so good!

Four Months

Well, if you can believe it, because I barely can, Matthew is four months old now. This little boy has really changed my world. Throughout most of my pregnancy I worried and fretted about how I could possibly love another child as much as I love Devon. Devon and I have such a strong bond that just keeps growing. So naturally at the time I didn't know how I could share my love with another.

When I first laid eyes on Matthew, it was love at first sight! It's so bizzar how in an instant my bodies ability to love multiplied. All my worries were thrown out the window and I never looked back. Although I will admit it has been a little tricky learning how to evenly distribute myself, but with kids like these it's totally worth it.Matthew couldn't be any sweeter, and is just waiting for any opportunity to smile. And it's incredible how much Devon loves him too. She is so nurturing in spirit, we just have to help guide her toward more delicate means. I love watching them together because I can really see the love in their eyes, and I know I've got to be doing something right.

Why I Love Being a Mommy

Setting: Chili's Restaurant
Time: Dinner

Me: Is your pizza good Devon?
Devon: Yeah.
*Pause in conversation*
Devon: Mama?
Me: Yes.
Devon: Can I have my pineapples now? I don't want anymore pizza.
Me: Of course!
(Big smile)

You gotta love a kid who craves pineapple instead of pizza. I know I do. :)

Yeah, They're Related

It is pretty obvious that Devon looks alot like me and Matthew like Chris. So tonight after snapping a few pics after Matthews bath I decided to get a three month picture of Devon after a bath too. Well, let's just say they can never deny each other!

This one is Devon at three months.

And this one is Matthew right now at three months.

And one more thing they have in common is LOVE!

Teacher's Pet or Teacher's Pain?

Devon will be starting pre-k this August, and she couldn't be more excited. Too bad she doesn't really know how long three months can last, but since summer always seems to go by fast she will be there before we know it. So now that this reality of my baby starting school has set in, I can't help but wonder if all of my kids teachers are going to appreciate my intense concern for my children's education or if they will see me as a pest and worn all the other teachers.

A few weeks ago, I met with a high school friend who I haven't seen since graduation, and she holds a higher disregard for public school than I do. So much that she is homeschooling her little girl who is also four. Now I have to admit there are some pretty tempting advantages to homeschooling. Her little girl is already up to the first grade, because let's face it, when you work one on one you let the child set the pace. You don't have to worry about whether or not a teacher is a child molester. Your kids won't pick up nasty habits from other kids. But then again, you deny your kid the opportunity to make their own moral judgements.

Now don't worry, I'm not going to home school Devon, with her personality she will definitely thrive more in a classroom environment than at home. So this begs the question of whether or not Devon's teacher will be able to handle my constant concern over public school curriculum. Since let's face it, they teach to pass the TAKS. Luckily, I don't have to worry about that battle until Devon is in third grade. I would like to think a teacher would invite any parent who wants to ensure the best for their child. So we will just have to wait and see. But then again, I am the type of person who will go out to the teacher stores and buy my own material to help my kids master a subject/topic that I believe the school isn't doing a good job at. But once again, I say we will just have to wait and see.

I am such a freak about this. It's probably quite sad to most people and I am sure I have passed the point of obsession. I even found a website, www.greatschools.com which is where you can rank your kids school and even leave reviews, this was my favorite part. Devon's elementary school is only in it's second year of operation, but so far it has pretty good reviews. There were only two poor reviews, and one of them said they were pulling their kid and sending them to private school. This worried me a bit, but it is possible that they have standards no public school can meet. Who knows.