A few things happened this week.
Cole has a cold. And he got another tooth. Not a good combination.
He also has a few new words- "sthat" is What's That, he can say Jax...and fish...
Love his sweet little hugs and how he waves at the bus all the way down the road until it is out of sight when Jax gets on in the morning.
Jackson is enjoying school, and we are still trying to work on a few things at home-sight words, some reading easy words and books. This is what his teacher had to say when I emailed her this week.
Hi. Thanks for your note. I just finished my beginning of the year testing so I do have info. to share with you! When I checked him on letters of the alphabet - he knew all caps but N and Y. We just covered Nn last week so I bet he gets that one now! Lower case - he can review efglqrtu and typewriter g. He know most of the sounds associated with consonant letters - q, w, and y were two tough ones for him but we cover our sounds and have a wonderful program for this so I wouldn't worry too much about that. He also had a hard time with the vowel sounds but again, we will cover that during the year...so no worries. This just gives me a good idea about how he came into the classroom and what I need to focus on with him. The main thing right now is when you read with him - focus on the concepts about print - where do I start to read? Put your finger on that word. Then where do I go? See if he follows left-right and top to bottom progression. He can point to the words as you read. I would recommend that he read back to you the booklets we make at school - save them and reread them as well. Talk about the characters, the setting, the problem of the story. See how much he is comprehending as you read aloud to him. Right now that is the best homework everyday - to read together. I have noticed he loves to be read to. He is also a good problem solver in math. He loves a challenge. More on our math will be coming home this week - I try not to send it all home at one time because I don't want to overwhelm people!!! With writing, we write everyday and sometimes he waits until the last minute to do something (not sure if he doesn't want to write or just waits!!!!). I would recommend letting him do some writing at home because it's good practice. Let him help write out a grocery list and sound out words - he may write mk for milk or cnde for candy and that is ok! I will give you lots more information at our first parent-teacher conference in October but until then, he is on the right track and is doing well. I focus a lot right now on paying attention, using good manners, etc. and he is adjusting to that for me. The main thing I am impressed with is his attitude towards school - he loves it and I love having him! Thanks for caring! Julie
When asked if there is anything we need to work on, her response-
no not at all - I do have to remind him to get busy sometimes but he loves to please so I can quickly get him to pay attention. He is bright and loves to be challenged. I am still working with him on not shouting out because he does know the answers!!!! He is doing much better with that though - he is the bright spot in my day. I really love having kids like him!!!! Thanks for sharing him with me. He makes my day!
Yesterday was Jackson's second soccer game, but the first one I was able to attend. It was fun, although I was reminded why I never liked soccer when Ryan was a kid.
Last night, I took Brielle and her friend Jordan to the Taylor Swift concert. It was a lot of fun. We stopped at Zona Rosa on the way down, hit lots of traffic, and the concert was awesome. She sang almost every song from her "Speak Now" album, and some from her "Fearless" album. What a great show!
"Stay Beautiful" Taylor Swift (excerpt)
You're beautiful, every little piece, love
Don't you know, you're really gonna be someone
Ask anyone
And when you find everything you looked for
I hope your life leads you back to my door
Oh, but if it don't, stay beautiful
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
They are my kids!
Well, it has been a while. Our last week has been pretty full.
Cole has added quite a few words in the last week.
Sorry
Milk
Thank you
Ball
saying some of the words he had already said a couple of times much better.
On Monday, the Robertson's left on vacation to Disney World, which would not really affect us except that Jackson seems a little lost at home in the evenings without his best friend, Ireland. He found lots of other friends in the neighborhood to play with, and had a lot of fun. Monday was also Jackson's first soccer practice. Since TJ had an appointment, and I had to work until 5:30, and practice was at 4:30, so Nana got to take him to his first practice. Same situation this week, so Grandma is taking him to practice tomorrow.
Wednesday, TJ and I got out our 10-gallon fish tank and went to the pet store and got Jackson some fish. Their names are Optimus Prime (a Bala Shark), Megatron (Iridescent Shark), Tiger and Cougar (Tiger Barbs), and Bumblebee, Jackson and Ireland (Headlight and Taillight Tetras). He is super excited about them and loves checking on them and feeding them. Cole thinks they are great, too!
Thursday, I went to Kirksville to spend the day with Amanda, Benson, and Brynley. It was wonderful. We hung out at the house in the morning (Matt was there some), went to Jimmy John's for lunch, then took a nice walk at a trail in town. Back to Amanda's house. On the way back, we asked Benson where his Daddy worked. He pondered this for a moment, and then responded, with childlike candor, "On the Couch.", Amanda and I could not help laughing. She put Benson down for a nap, I made dinner for them, and then we sat down and watched an episode of 90210 while she nursed Brynley. Then, it was about time for me to head home. Too short of a trip. I got to stop in Brookfield and eat dinner with Aunt Pam and Uncle Jeff on the way home. I had not seen them since Easter, so that was really nice.
Friday, Nana and Papa went to Grandparents Day Lunch at school with Jackson. Apparently, the food was horrendous(not surprising). They said it was really fun, otherwise. Jackson really liked that they got to come.
Saturday, I had to work, but Jackson had his first soccer game. Dad handled both boys all by himself. SUPERDAD!
After I got off work, we all went down to the Hi-HO for dinner, and TJ stayed to watch the rest of the Missouri game. The boys and me came home, played, and then they went to bed.
This morning when Jackson came downstairs he asked me, "Mom, can I have the day off today?" -Of course, since today is Sunday, I told him that would be fine. Too funny, you would think he had been worked every day for months.
They know me in a way no one ever has,
They open me to things I never knew existed,
The drive me to insanity and push me to my depths,
They are the best of my heart, the pulse of my veins,
and the energy in my soul.
They are my kids!
They are the best of my heart, the pulse
Cole has added quite a few words in the last week.
Sorry
Milk
Thank you
Ball
saying some of the words he had already said a couple of times much better.
On Monday, the Robertson's left on vacation to Disney World, which would not really affect us except that Jackson seems a little lost at home in the evenings without his best friend, Ireland. He found lots of other friends in the neighborhood to play with, and had a lot of fun. Monday was also Jackson's first soccer practice. Since TJ had an appointment, and I had to work until 5:30, and practice was at 4:30, so Nana got to take him to his first practice. Same situation this week, so Grandma is taking him to practice tomorrow.
Wednesday, TJ and I got out our 10-gallon fish tank and went to the pet store and got Jackson some fish. Their names are Optimus Prime (a Bala Shark), Megatron (Iridescent Shark), Tiger and Cougar (Tiger Barbs), and Bumblebee, Jackson and Ireland (Headlight and Taillight Tetras). He is super excited about them and loves checking on them and feeding them. Cole thinks they are great, too!
Thursday, I went to Kirksville to spend the day with Amanda, Benson, and Brynley. It was wonderful. We hung out at the house in the morning (Matt was there some), went to Jimmy John's for lunch, then took a nice walk at a trail in town. Back to Amanda's house. On the way back, we asked Benson where his Daddy worked. He pondered this for a moment, and then responded, with childlike candor, "On the Couch.", Amanda and I could not help laughing. She put Benson down for a nap, I made dinner for them, and then we sat down and watched an episode of 90210 while she nursed Brynley. Then, it was about time for me to head home. Too short of a trip. I got to stop in Brookfield and eat dinner with Aunt Pam and Uncle Jeff on the way home. I had not seen them since Easter, so that was really nice.
Friday, Nana and Papa went to Grandparents Day Lunch at school with Jackson. Apparently, the food was horrendous(not surprising). They said it was really fun, otherwise. Jackson really liked that they got to come.
Saturday, I had to work, but Jackson had his first soccer game. Dad handled both boys all by himself. SUPERDAD!
After I got off work, we all went down to the Hi-HO for dinner, and TJ stayed to watch the rest of the Missouri game. The boys and me came home, played, and then they went to bed.
This morning when Jackson came downstairs he asked me, "Mom, can I have the day off today?" -Of course, since today is Sunday, I told him that would be fine. Too funny, you would think he had been worked every day for months.
They know me in a way no one ever has,
They open me to things I never knew existed,
The drive me to insanity and push me to my depths,
They are the best of my heart, the pulse of my veins,
and the energy in my soul.
They are my kids!
They are the best of my heart, the pulse
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Don't Blink
Well, Labor Day has come and gone. And what a drastic change in weather it brought. After weeks upon weeks this summer of 90-100 degree weather, The mornings are crisp, the windows are open, and the entire neighborhood is outside. It has been absolutely beautiful. Although I never complain of the heat, I have to say, this is kinda nice. I just hope it lasts until mid-November. Ha, I am fooling myself!
My new goal is to start adding pictures to the blog. You know, mix things up a bit. The only problem is, we only download pictures every couple of months or so. Nonetheless, I am going to give it a shot.
This pic is of Jax 2nd day of kindergarten. Cole felt that he should help his brother wait for the bus. I thought this was too cute to miss.
I have a new favorite thing! Holding Cole's hand. I LOVE it! When he wants to hold my hand, he looks up at me, says "Mama", and holds his little hand up. Adorable. Then, the way it feels in my hand, so soft, little-kid squishy, and MINE. I vow not to take this for granted. I know, all too soon, he will not be wanting to hold my hand. I will just be dorky old Mom, and he will be embarrassed to hold my hand. But for now, I get to experience this numerous times per day.
This time that I have the two of you little (OK, Jax is not so little anymore) is so precious to me. I know in the blink of an eye it will be gone. Thank you for the daily hugs and kisses, and remember you are never too old to kiss your Mama and tell her that you love her.
Mom, I know you read this sometimes. I love you!
Don't Blink
Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and ya'
Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don't Blink
just might miss your babies growin' like mine did
Turning into moms and dads; next thing you know your better half
of fifty years is there in bed
And you're praying God takes you instead
Trust me friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think
So Don't Blink
--Kenny Chesney--
My new goal is to start adding pictures to the blog. You know, mix things up a bit. The only problem is, we only download pictures every couple of months or so. Nonetheless, I am going to give it a shot.
This pic is of Jax 2nd day of kindergarten. Cole felt that he should help his brother wait for the bus. I thought this was too cute to miss.
This time that I have the two of you little (OK, Jax is not so little anymore) is so precious to me. I know in the blink of an eye it will be gone. Thank you for the daily hugs and kisses, and remember you are never too old to kiss your Mama and tell her that you love her.
Mom, I know you read this sometimes. I love you!
Don't Blink
Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and ya'
Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don't Blink
just might miss your babies growin' like mine did
Turning into moms and dads; next thing you know your better half
of fifty years is there in bed
And you're praying God takes you instead
Trust me friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think
So Don't Blink
--Kenny Chesney--
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Ready, Set, GO!!
This is Cole's new saying. We say the Ready-and he says "Set, GO"-not quite that clearly, of course. But it is sooo cute. Jill Robertson and I took Cole for a walk this afternoon while Jackson played at Ireland's. Perfect. TJ was golfing in KC.
Jackson starts soccer practice next week. TJ and I have very mixed emotions about this. Neither of us are really soccer fans-to be quite honest, it nearly bores us to death. But, we will be attending practices and games very soon, so we might as well get over it. I am excited for Jax, though, because I think he will not only really enjoy playing soccer, but also be really good at it. He seems very athletic. Just this past spring, TJ wanted to teach him how to dribble a basketball, and before he could show him anything, Jax was like, "Like this, Dad?", and he was dribbling the ball around. So then TJ is like, "OK, now move and do it". No problem. "OK, now do it without looking at the ball". Again, no problem. He seems to be a natural.
Life changes so quickly. I am just glad that I am able to document so many things that are happening in our life.
The more milestones we hit, the more I realize that is one less milestone left. I want to cherish every moment. One of the best decisions TJ and I have made for our family is moving to this neighborhood. I am so glad for our children that they will grow up surrounded by other children they call Friends
Jackson starts soccer practice next week. TJ and I have very mixed emotions about this. Neither of us are really soccer fans-to be quite honest, it nearly bores us to death. But, we will be attending practices and games very soon, so we might as well get over it. I am excited for Jax, though, because I think he will not only really enjoy playing soccer, but also be really good at it. He seems very athletic. Just this past spring, TJ wanted to teach him how to dribble a basketball, and before he could show him anything, Jax was like, "Like this, Dad?", and he was dribbling the ball around. So then TJ is like, "OK, now move and do it". No problem. "OK, now do it without looking at the ball". Again, no problem. He seems to be a natural.
Life changes so quickly. I am just glad that I am able to document so many things that are happening in our life.
The more milestones we hit, the more I realize that is one less milestone left. I want to cherish every moment. One of the best decisions TJ and I have made for our family is moving to this neighborhood. I am so glad for our children that they will grow up surrounded by other children they call Friends
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Like riding a Bike!
Cole may be a talker yet. This week, Cole had what we will tentatively call a vocabulary explosion. Adding such words to his repertoire as "bye", "hot", "out", "poo-poo", and "hi". I suppose we will not be asking for a speech pathology consultation at the 18-month well-check on Wednesday after all. Yeah!!!
Jackson is doing awesome with his sight words. Only three days in, and he already has about 15 he knows pretty well. I told him if he learns 5 new ones tomorrow, we will go get ice cream. Incentive for him and myself.
TJ and I went to the Mizzou Football game today. We drove to Columbia last night, ate at Shakespeare's Pizza, and then went out. We started at the Penguin, but it was dead, so we moved on to Shiloh's, which was a happening place. My cousin, Collin Artinger, who is a student at Mizzou, met us there, so we got to hang out with him-It was great, I had not seen him in over a year! The boys (TJ and Don Chancey) went down to buy tickets this morning, and I took a leisurely stroll through campus, stopping in the quad in front of Jesse Hall to see the Columns, and going to the bookstore. The game was blistering hot, but the Tigers won, so it was worth sitting there.
Jackson and Cole stayed here with Grandma Harper, and then went out to her house today after nap so that they could spend some time with Grandpa, too.
I am so excited the boys are learning new things. Learning to read (and enjoying it) is something that is very important in life, and I am happy to see my children making great strides toward becoming functioning members of society.
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
— Albert Einstein
Jackson is doing awesome with his sight words. Only three days in, and he already has about 15 he knows pretty well. I told him if he learns 5 new ones tomorrow, we will go get ice cream. Incentive for him and myself.
TJ and I went to the Mizzou Football game today. We drove to Columbia last night, ate at Shakespeare's Pizza, and then went out. We started at the Penguin, but it was dead, so we moved on to Shiloh's, which was a happening place. My cousin, Collin Artinger, who is a student at Mizzou, met us there, so we got to hang out with him-It was great, I had not seen him in over a year! The boys (TJ and Don Chancey) went down to buy tickets this morning, and I took a leisurely stroll through campus, stopping in the quad in front of Jesse Hall to see the Columns, and going to the bookstore. The game was blistering hot, but the Tigers won, so it was worth sitting there.
Jackson and Cole stayed here with Grandma Harper, and then went out to her house today after nap so that they could spend some time with Grandpa, too.
I am so excited the boys are learning new things. Learning to read (and enjoying it) is something that is very important in life, and I am happy to see my children making great strides toward becoming functioning members of society.
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
— Albert Einstein
Friday, September 2, 2011
The first few weeks
Well, our Internet has been down, so I have not been able to post in a while. But, we are back.
Blessings to report! Brynley Ryan Heeren made her miraculous appearance in the world last Sunday, August 29, at 1:22pm, weighing 7lbs 10oz, and was 20inches long. TJ and I drove out to KV to see her and her parents at the hospital on Monday. I think she looks like Amanda as a baby, except without Snickers in her cheeks-Haha. Mom and baby are well.
Lots of early-outs from school these first few weeks. Kind of nice. Helps make the transition a little smoother, I think. Jackson seems to like kindergarten, but has somehow forgotten all of the rules here at home. Like listening to Mom and Dad, and not throwing huge fits when he does not get what he wants. Apparently, these are extremely difficult concepts. We have had to resort to making him stay inside and not play with any neighborhood friends. this is an especially cruel form of torture for a five-year-old boy.
I am going to start working on reading with him in the next few weeks. I bought sight word flash cards this morning. A few words each day and I figure he will be reading in no time. At least, that is my hope.
Blessings to report! Brynley Ryan Heeren made her miraculous appearance in the world last Sunday, August 29, at 1:22pm, weighing 7lbs 10oz, and was 20inches long. TJ and I drove out to KV to see her and her parents at the hospital on Monday. I think she looks like Amanda as a baby, except without Snickers in her cheeks-Haha. Mom and baby are well.
Lots of early-outs from school these first few weeks. Kind of nice. Helps make the transition a little smoother, I think. Jackson seems to like kindergarten, but has somehow forgotten all of the rules here at home. Like listening to Mom and Dad, and not throwing huge fits when he does not get what he wants. Apparently, these are extremely difficult concepts. We have had to resort to making him stay inside and not play with any neighborhood friends. this is an especially cruel form of torture for a five-year-old boy.
I am going to start working on reading with him in the next few weeks. I bought sight word flash cards this morning. A few words each day and I figure he will be reading in no time. At least, that is my hope.
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