Hylton had his first day of preschool yesterday. I forgot to take pictures before preschool, or during, but I finally remembered sometime during the afternoon after things had settled down. He is such a poser. Doug and I always crack up when we upload pictures to the computer and see all of his silly faces. What is this last one...?! He thinks he's modeling for GQ or something!
Preschool was at our house yesterday (as it will be for the next 5 weeks to get it all done before baby comes) and he has been asking me every half an hour for a week straight, "when is it time for his preschool to start?" He loved having his friends come to his house!
I also took a terrible picture for Evie's first day, so I finally took a nicer picture of her yesterday waiting for the bus. She gets a bus-ride to school even though we live so close, but she gets to walk home with Sterling after school. There is a rather large group that walks this year, which is really reassuring. Last year there were three of them and I think I counted at least 7 this year.
Evie ADORES Kindergarten! She didn't cry when I left her at her desk the first day, which I was very much expecting since she's suddenly been
Hylton and I have been having little adventures (meaning doctor's appts. and grocery shopping) together during that three-hour break and it has been heavenly. Hylton considers himself the Big Boy when he's alone and is capable of such astonishingly good behavior that it is a hard adjustment for both of us, I think, when the other two get home from school and he becomes the little brother again.
Evie has been experimenting with accessories and came up with this hair-bow concoction yesterday. She was so proud of her stylin' efforts! I think there must be 10 hair clips in there... Her being so girly is something I was not expecting from a daughter of mine, and it can be a really hard internal struggle for me when she wants to pick out pink, ruffly, fru-fru things, but I am truly grateful for her individuality and that she likes to make herself look pretty.
Oh my goodness, I want to eat them up, I love them so!
Sterling turned 7 yesterday. After preschool was over, Hylton and I switched gears and cleaned up everything and brought out the decorations, baked cupcakes, and made some Sackperson cupcake toppers. We waited until we saw the kids walking home and then we hid in the living room and surprised Sterling. These are things he loves the best! He LOVED the cupcakes. He had a great time looking at all of them before deciding exactly which one he wanted to eat.
As a side-note about Sterling's birthday, I have to document this story: I got an email from a friend yesterday explaining that her daughter was insisting that tomorrow was Sterling's birthday and that she had been invited to his party, but wasn't sure were his (handwritten, mind you) invitation had gone to get the details and she hadn't been able to read the writing anyway. So my friend was wondering when this party was... It turns out Sterling (along with verbally inviting anyone he ever knew to his "Birthday Party" all year long) had also written invitations and given them to every kid in his primary class. So along with his one friend who alerted us, another friend had already bought and wrapped a gift for him and was planning to come (and who knows who else)! I was so embarrassed! A little amused at his sneakiness and resourcefulness, but embarrassed, nonetheless. We had a little talk about when it's appropriate to send out invitations or invite people over (um, like when Mom knows about it, for one thing).
This year, Doug and I have decided not to do friend parties or even large family parties every year. There will just be too many kid birthdays in our family for that (July, August, September and then October or November for the baby), I would go crazy! So sadly, he was totally expecting a party and didn't get one, except with us last night. But, as a friend posted on Facebook today, which I heartily agree with:
This is a fantastic life-lesson for Sterling and I'm glad for these opportunities. Our kids have much more than I ever did growing up and I think it is so healthy for them to experience and learn to manage a little disappointment.
It was his idea to pose like this. I have to chuckle, inwardly of course, each time they express their character through preferences. It's gratifying to watch them get bigger and have their own opinions and creative desires.
Sackperson helped him blow out his birthday candles, of course.
Silly Mister... Doug and I have decided that this is his Grandpa Dewey face.
Licking all the frosting off first!
Ease-up on the sugar, Little Man.
Daddy is gettin' DOWN on that cupcake! Since I had one of the smaller ones, I had to count the carbs for my charting. Over 20g in just one tiny one! We weren't terribly surprised, then, when they were freaking out for the rest of the night- they probably had 40-60g per cupcake! And that was with homemade frosting without all the high fructose corn syrup and only half of the sugar called-for.
A kicking fight ensued and it was all fun-and-games until someone cried.
Sterling really wanted more Sackpeople for his birthday. He might be a little obsessed. So he got Arr the Pirate and Caesar the Roman.
Doug and I found a great deal on a battle dragon for Bakugans, too, and he just loves it! He had other small Bakugans fighters that he somehow collected from friends at school last year (I probably don't want to know what toys he traded for these and/or conned out of less experienced negotiators). He was so grateful when he was going to bed last night and told Doug and I very sincerely that it was a great birthday and that he just loves all of his toys. Doug and I try very hard to teach the children gratitude, and it sometimes seems like it's never going to pay off, until suddenly it does and it feels like we've been doing at least something right for our poor, first, guinea-pig child!
And, I had to upload pictures from my phone today, which I so rarely use that I found these cute little ones that I had to post!
Evany at Krispy Kreme for her Halloween preschool field trip, Oct. 29th, 2009, dressed up as a kitty.
Hylton using the car on the patio full of kitchen-remodel debris, Nov 2009.
Outlet mall, Feb 2011
1 comment:
I didn't realize it was Sterling's bday yesterday. I agree that it's good for kids to have some experience in disappointment and having less sometimes. Jazlyn did a similar type thing to making her own invitations to her "non-bday party" too. Funny kids.
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