Weekend Roundup (Vol. 1 Issue 10)

Emily is turning into a big girl.  My baby can no longer officially be called a "baby."  She is now a pre-schooler.  Aggh!  I am currently in the process of getting her enrolled in a pre-school here.  Boy are we lucky to be poor! She qualifies for Head start! 

(On an unrelated note, Emily does not need help academically.  The only reason we are sending her to pre-school, and a big reason why I think Head start is a great program, is to give her time to socialize and learn in an classroom environment.  I think it's important that she socialize with kiddos who are from different situations than her as it will expose her to a world that exists beyond our own in a safe setting.)

With a pre-schooler, things are different and, I will admit, more fun.  The stuff she says is hilarious!  Just a few examples from this week.

• "I'm too shy," when asked to say thank you or hi to someone in a store.
• "No fank (thank) you," to anything that she doesn't want--food, drink, etc.
• The many stories she tells me at night about her friends--things from the past, the future, and things she wants to have happen.
• She often tells Ben, "I wanna go to medical school, I wanna be a doctor."  

She has begun to role play.  In the car yesterday, she informed Ben that he was Andrew and me that I was Emily.  She was mommy and Andrew was daddy.  Ben and I really enjoyed playing Andrew and Emily,

"Mommyyy, where's my binky?" (said in a very demanding voice)
Emily (pretending to be me): Binkies [are] for naptime and bedtime.
"Mommy, I want sumfing."
Emily: "What do you want?" (Said in the exact inflection I use.)
"Bitamin."
Emily: No, you had one today.
Ben's role was easier.
"I wan dat!"
"Mommy! Hold you."

Needless to say, it was perfectly fun.

She is making some good friends around the neighborhood and has started playing with them.  There are times where she'll go to her friend J's house for an hour or so and have the best time. 

At the park, she runs up and down everything.  She also likes to swing by herself.

I bought a kid's table for them sometime last week and they love it.  Emily feels so big sitting down and eating in her chair.

There is the cat shirt again!  She has adopted it as another comfort object which now includes, her blankets, her binky, and her cat shirt.  To be sufficiently comforted, all four objects must be readily available.  At least she lets me wash her shirt, occasionally. 

Andrew has added a few words to his vocabulary.

• "Pease" [please]
• "ank oo" [thank you]
• "I want this" [very specific at what he points to]
• "orn joos" [orange juice]
• "eye tee" [iced tea]
• "okay" [said after everything]
• "oh man"

The most impressive thing is how clear his words are now.  Like saying "all done" instead of "ah dun."  

Which reminds me, he rarely throws his food on the floor anymore--unless he can't get my attention.  He generally tells me, "Mom! All done."  So sweet!

Ben gave him a hair cut.  Sob.  No more curls and he looks so big!

I'll admit that I do like it.  It brings out his eyes.

 He likes to climb on top of the dishwasher and "help" me load the dishes.  He also likes to dump the laundry detergent and other liquids into the washer.

I think my favorite thing is to observe as he sits on the floor while his sister goes potty.  He loves his sister.

He likes to "dress up" with his sister.  

He is getting less messy when he eats and really likes to sit at the kid's table with his sister.  

Andrew also loves to "wee!" or swing.

He uses the word "up" to indicate that he wants me to put him in a swing or something else and when he wants something opened.  Silly boy.

He likes to push the garage button to open the garage.  He also likes to turn the light switches--or any switch--on and off.  

Even though Ben is busy with studying, he is finding time to participate in extracurricular activities like clubs and sports. For the next few weeks he is playing in a raquetball tournament four days out of the week.  What a great way to keep in shape!

His classmates are awesome.  I wish I could express what an amazing experience ATSU has been so far.  All the competition they experienced in undergrad is virtually eliminated.  Most of the students watch out for each other while also studying together.  Just last night we had over two of his study buds.  It was really cool getting to know them better.  On top of that, the professors want their students to succeed.  They also emphasize the importance of priorities and getting out of study mode.  I know that our family has been happier and more efficient since coming here.  Ben's workload is enormous but doable.  The students don't have to work to support themselves (though they take out a ridiculous amount of loans).  

He is figuring out a regular study schedule.  He is also able to take breaks here and there.  Like last night.  It was amazing.

Although he has a large amount of material to study every day, the stuff he is learning is fascinating.  I can honestly say, doctors are well trained in medical school.  Plus, the more I learn about what they are learning in classes and labs, the more I appreciate and respect the DO approach.  

He loves to come home and chill with the kids.  He also makes dinner every night--it's part of our deal with household stuff.  He likes to cook and I like to eat his cooking, perfect approach I think.

I keep myself busy with keeping the house clean and the kids happy.  I am working on a few projects to keep my work organized and efficient.  I have fallen in love with google documents and enjoy keeping my life organized.

I have met some wonderful people here, many who I know are already life-long friends--married and single.  I can't talk up ATSU enough.  The experience thus far has been amazing.  It is said to be a family-friendly school, they aren't lying.

Missouri, the Midwest in general, is such a wonderful place to live.  The people are extremely nice--at the grocery store they watch my kids so I can pull the car up AND help me load the groceries without making me feel lazy.  The weather is gorgeous and the grass is green, still!  Even though it is September! I'm thinking it may never turn brown like it does in the West.

The humidity is so much better than the dry air of the west.  We get sick much less than we did in Utah and also don't need lotion.  Amazing.

I do find myself singing "Sunrise, Sunset" far too often as the kids move from infants to toddlers.  Oh my babies! Don't grow up too fast!

For some reason, they don't listen to me.