Red Song

Second day of pre-k. Grant definitely learns through song. That was fast!

Pre-K, Here We Come!

Preschool starts next Monday. Ready or not, the twins and I will start pre-k. That's right: the secret is out. After teaching the toddler class (two days a week) for two years, my fellow mom-of-many and I will move up to five-day-a-week pre-k. The same age group as Grant and Graham (and her youngest) are in. Our children are in one class, and we're teaching the other. :-)

The boys spent a lot of time with Nana this week so I could work on my new (as in, was completely empty two weeks ago) classroom complete with superhero theme. The boys did come to greet their teachers at Open House this morning, though.

It's going to be a big change at the Dillard house. I haven't worked in an "office" five days a week, since Carter was four months old! Even when he was a baby, I worked four days, and worked from home on Fridays. I think we're ready for it. I hope we are. But I do love my coworkers. Following some parent drama this week, they really ralleyed in support of some teachers whose ability was questioned. I haven't loved all of them all the time, but they are pretty great when it comes down to it.

Lake Day #2

Summer break is officially over for all but G&G. Carter and Ellyson have been back to school for two weeks. Carter was officially placed in the gifted program, and spends half of his class time with his gifted teacher - gifted math, language arts and critical thinking. Ellyson is totally in her element, loving every moment of kindergarten.

I report for preplanning on Monday, and the preschool students begin the following week.

But Saturday we made one more lake trip with my family. Unfortunately, a storm rolled in at lunch time, and cut our day short.

Little One

Your four-year-old might be little if ...

On the last Saturday of summer break, we took the kids to pick peaches. We capped it off with fresh ice cream from the market on the farm.

We also had our Mothers of Multiples pool party ... Which was moved inside briefly due to a storm, but moved back outside once the storm passed. Carter is in this awesome preteen phase where he doesn't want to smile for pictures.

Confidence

This girl. She has my heart. The night before kindergarten, she attempted to do a week's worth of chores for me ... dishes, laundry, even cleaning her bathroom sink. On her first day of kindergarten, she clipped up to blue for helping a classmate reach his back pack. On her second day of kindergarten, she clipped up to pink for - among other things - picking up all the paper scraps on the floor around her table. (Let me explain clips. The children start each day on green. Green is good. It means they did what they were expected to do. They can clip down to yellow, then orange, then red, for misbehaving. They also can clip up to blue, then purple, then pink, for going above and beyond expectation.)

On the first day of school, I told the bus driver that I want C&E sitting together. The second day of school, Ellyson got on and tried to sit with someone else (a girl from her class). The bus driver reminded her that she sits with Carter. I can just see Carter sitting there, hanging his head, as his little sister blows him off.

I love that she shows such kindness, and such confidence.

Yesterday was back-to-school day for Carter and Ellyson.

Carter has hit the pre-teen phase. He doesn't want pictures, and eye-rolling is now a daily exercise. But he did very sweetly offer to walk Ellyson to class, and agreed to sit with her on the bus (per request of Jack and me). His current career aspiration? A marine biologist.

Ellyson had an awesome day. She was so crazy-excited. My friend who works at the school, said she saw Ellyson in the hall a couple times, and she was all smiles. Our little perfectionist even clipped up on her first day (she said some kids were clipping down already!). She also wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up (thanks, A Dolphin Tale and Finding Dory).

Last Blast of Summer

We are wrapping up our last days of summer break.

Monday, we biked/scootered/jogged at a park, then hit the playground.

Tuesday, we saw a movie. (Secret Life of Pets)

Wednesday, we had checkups, and then visited a new park.

Thursday, we met Carter's and Ellyson's teachers. Ellyson's teachers are very laid back and sweet. In Carter's words, they don't yell. :-) Carter's teacher is innovative. She is working on her doctorate, and has set up her classroom with no desks. The children have access to sofas, bean bag chairs, bar stools at counters, tables with milk crates, etc. It's a new school of thought, that the children will do better in a less rigid (desk-and-chair) environment. Granted, Carter will spend half his time each day in gifted classes, which is a different classroom (also utilizing a more open space concept with bean bags and folding chairs).

After meeting teachers, we jetted off to an Olympic celebration, picking up my sister and then visiting Centennial Olympic Park. Carter is REALLY into the Olympics. Michael Phelps is his favorite.

Friday, we visited Everland. The kids have been asking all summer, to visit Everland. I made them wait 10 long weeks.

Four-Year Checkups

Grant and Graham had their four-year checkup this week. Graham is now officially over the 50th percentile in height. Our little peanuts continue to gain on the chart (he was about the 15th percentile at birth). Grant is gaining, too. He's come up from the fifth percentile, to the 17th. It did spark the pediatrician to ask about the size of my family. He's tracking toward an adult height of 5'7", which will still send home towering above most of my family members.