the white house at the right time

We decided to redshirt Cayleb for a year. "Redshirting" is some new academic red flag for labeling kids whose parents decided to start them a year later. And guess what? It has been a long year for this boy so today was extra BIG. FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN! Cayleb was absolutely ready last year; academically, socially, and according to the readiness guidlines all the way since he can "remove and replace container lids", "navigates stairs while holding an object", and "distinguishes fantasty and reality" (which with video games these days really is moving up on the list!). Wow! I must be basic. I thought he needed to write his name, count to 100, and know how to slap down his velcro straps. Fortunately he knows more and is sooo, sooo, sooo ready! I've never cried when my kids start school. Neither have they. Get real! Mommy is coming back! BUT....mixed pleasure, relief, anxiety and worry defi...

The cuteness factor of school choir events is magnified when you are only 6 or 7.  Cayleb and his freined Gabe, who was at our house ealrier, eagerly gave me a pre-concert concert replete with actions and funny faces that I video recorded.  They were both pretty excited to sing!

Cayleb's valentine invitations.  Loved these! Copied the cute idea from a suggestion on http://www.eighteen25.blogspot.com/ .  Cayleb was so excited to pass them out.  He carefully cut out the copies faces of his classmates, glued them on the back and then taped on a Valentine's, stretchy monkey. Thoughtfully, he selected pink for the girls and blue for the boys with a few getting green.  At this point in February, we were so cupcaked out!  So instead of putting cupcakes in my cupcake holder, I put yogurt dipped pretzels, chocolate covered almonds, and chewy, red hearts. Red, white, and chocolate!   I was picking up photos at the Costco photo center, when the lady handed me a stack of our Christmas cards.....three months later! Back in December when I went in to pick up our Christmas card order, the clerk couldn't find it anywhere so reprinted them while I shopped for a 50 bag count of chips, 10 lbs. of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and toile...

My younger 3 kids often go to school with black and blue eyes. "No" not from hitting. From crayola markers to the face. Madalyn has this creative streak. Dressing up.  And easily coaxing the younger two to play along. Full costume.  Full make-up.  Full of fun. Animals with whiskers.  Moms and princesses with make-up (most easily applied by marker). Sick patients.  Chicken pox the number one disease. Crash victims.  Blood everywhere a red marker can go. It takes a few days and washings to get it all off before one character fades and another one is created. So bring out the clowns and the black and blue eyes.

The shirt says number 4 but he was the number 1 defender and goal scorer for his team this year! All parental biases aside, Cayleb absolutely slayed at soccer.  He wasn't in the mob chasing the ball, he would move out, get his foot on it, move it down the field, and power kick it to the goal box.  Passion.  Full energy.  Beat red face.  Literally outrunning all the players. Absolute thrill to watch him play. At each game, Randy and I always had other parents come up and ask if he was on the right league because he was so good.   Or they would remark that he was such an amazing player.  O.k. let's face it we tried to be humble, but "yeah" our 6 year old kicks it hard.  This game is HIS!

The happy boy in this picture just turned 6. And family wasn't the only one to notice. Cayleb had his birthday lunch at Red Robin. He was so happy. Little guy just exuded birthday excitement. A lady dining in the restaurant came over and started talking to him about what a big boy he was and how lucky he was to have a birthday. Then she pulled out a $5 bill and told him to go spend it on something for his birthday. He couldn't believe it. All smiles. Made his day.

Two boys. 3 days practice. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. 2 games Saturdays. Often overlapping. Lots of stinky socks. This was Cayden's first year playing soccer since "soccer groupie" age; the group chases the soccer ball. He wanted to play football. However, the football teams around here play on Sunday, have major time commitment (4 days a week for several hours) which doesn't gel with our family balance, and I think he could get injured more easily. So....he agreed to soccer. He played on the U-11 recreational league. Opposite of his brother, he is one of the younger players. The team has been together for about 3-4 years. During one of their games, the referee stated that he thought this was a select team because they played so well. His coaches were awesome. Very committed and great with the boys. Great conditioning program. They played them all well and played to their strengths. One incredible moment of the season was during an early October game. Mi...

Randy's tradition used to be.... go to priesthood session with his brothers and nephews, then hurry out to find a restaurant before all the other guys in suits line up for a table one version of guys night out. now the tradition is... take the boys out. they've been doing this for awhile, and the boys absolutely look forward to their dad dinner...contemplating where they want to go... and what they want to eat... and man to man talk about who is stronger...an army of jedi's, or army guys, or "fifty-hundred" (as Cayleb likes to say) clones. this is pretty much the stuff that memories are made of...

If you don't have kids, then you may not know that today was Read Across America, a day to celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday - Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and all of that. What is more fun than the classic pairing of pajama day with a read-in. Madalyn just purchased a new Webkinz (again for those not operating in the world of small kiddos and tweens , this is basically a stuffed animal that has a code that allows you to have virtual play on-line,). As such, she wanted to wear her duckie slippers which are the closest thing she has to her birdie Webkinz . This is an unofficial, unsubstantiated opinion, but I think middle children are excellent readers. Madalyn is an excellent reader. She has the natural desire to read and loves it. One of her New Year's resolutions was to read a chapter book a month; she has well surpassed that goal. Of course, I am a middle child, and though my reading skills are a little numb as of late, I still do o.k. The last book I read was Admi...

My creative little duo. Madalyn and Cayleb love to pretend.