A Little September

Mostly I just didn't have anywhere else to put these pictures and none of the stories were long enough for stand-alone posts, so this is kind of a hodge podge =)

Sunday is family day--it's the day that Michael has off, so we get to do things that we don't normally do during the week. Our favorite part is the Sunday drive. I know that sounds completely lame, but it is really relaxing and the kids and I like to get out of the house. Usually we first go to Scoggin Dickey and look at all the cars; Mike tells us about what he is selling and shows us new cars. After that, we just sort of wander, just driving in any direction that appeals to us and trying to see things we haven't seen before.

The kids also really like it when we go somewhere fun, like the park or the mall or wherever. We may start taking them to the Texas Tech museum or the Ranch Heritage center or the Corn Maize, when they are a little less rambunctious and rowdy, a little more controllable.

The kids have been going to "school" (parent's day out) twice a week and they both just love it. That picture down there of Gabriel grinning--I don't get to see him get excited about much, but he really enjoys going to class. I would send them more, but I just want them to have a bit of socialization and peer interaction, but also time to spend at home meeting with ECI and having fun with the family.

Back to school: Gabriel's teachers always tell me what a wonderful, sweet, well-behaved child he is. Sometimes he has trouble going to sleep for naptime, but that is not surprising to me considering he is having the same issues at home for bedtime. (At nap at home, we usually nap as a group, so he crashes hard and fast for that, lol).

Emerald is actually my problem child this year. Her teachers have mentioned that she is disrespectful and runs away from them, won't settle down to rest at nap. She even has a partner in crime--her self-described "best and only friend", Cooper. Her and Cooper have been in the same class since they were 9 months old, so it doesn't surprise me that they are close. Anyways, back to the misbehavior: I know every parent wants to think that their child has behavioral issues at school because they are too smart and are just not being stimulated enough; but in Emerald's case, I am wondering if that is actually the case. I have seen what they are working on, and while it is great and I am not saying that it won't benefit her, the fact of the matter is that she all ready knows a great deal of it. She just picks things up pretty quickly, so repetition annoys and frustrates her, and sometimes she has issues settling down because of it.

Finally, Benjamin's first bath =)

Of course, you knew that after all this time, he probably has had at the very least one bath or he would be quite the yucky little baby, but I like newborn pictures!

Ben has a little bit of wild, unruly hair that gets gross very quickly, so he has to be bathed rather frequently. I tried bathing him in the sink, but he honestly hated that. In the baby bath, he propels his arms and legs like he is falling and he sobs. Sponge baths were okay, but only go so far--he can't get fully, really clean that way. Finally I had the idea to fill up the bath bucket with bubbly water...he loved that!! It is perfectly his size, easy to clean and sanitize, and comfortable enough that he is happy in it. I still want to go buy an inflatable infant bath (even though I pop those more often than not, and I bet the older kids would want to play with it), but for right now, Benji is one happy, clean little baby boy!

Okay, so that is all I have for right now. Well, all I have right now about those topics. Particularly stimulating? Nah. But it is the every day things that make up our lives, and I am just certain that one day I am going to want to look back and remember our Sunday drives, or that Emerald is a real toot at daycare, or that Benjamin hated bath time =)

--Andie!--