Smart Shopper

Tonight I told the boys how lucky I was to be the mommy of two boys, as they were both literally piled on top of me on the couch watching America's Funniest Videos (our guilty pleasure). Jack responded with, "Yeah, it was like a two-for-one sale!"

He must be picking up on my instincts for sale shopping...

Identical or No?

The boys are growing up fast, but right now, Nathan has about five pounds and 1 inch on Jack. It's a noticeable difference, even to the boys. Yesterday, in the van on our way to get our flu shots (fun!), Jack said, "Nathan is a brick and I'm a pillow with a few rocks in it."

Whirlwind

Things have been moving so fast since summer started! Here it is nearly time for the boys' birthday, and school will be starting before we know it. Lots of changes are coming for our family - namely that Byron has a new job in Lincoln, Nebraska. We are currently figuring out what to do next: finding me a new job, our family a new house, selling our house here in KC, all while doing all the summer fun activities we enjoy. Lots still to figure out but we are trying to take it one step at a time. We'll be here in KC for awhile still, I'm sure!
July has been busy for us:

1. The 8th(?) Annual Wiebers' Olympics in Versailles, Missouri, over the 4th of July weekend. This is our family's yearly competition of indoor and outdoor events, all taken VERY seriously. This year's winner was AGAIN my brother Ryan. (Whatever.)
2. The following weekend was my Grandma's 80th Birthday Party in Camanche, Iowa - a great trip back to see my Dad's family.
3. My Mom and stepdad were here this past weekend, bringing my nephew Erik along - we had a great weekend, including a whole day at Oceans of Fun.
4. This coming weekend brings J&N's 7th birthday party at our house. Can't wait!! Byron's mom Jeannine is arriving today to celebrate with us.
5. Finally, on the weekend after this one I will be going on our 2nd annual Girls' Trip with Nichole, Jo Ellen and Lora. Last year it was to Miami Beach, Florida - this year to Tan-Tar-A in the Lake of the Ozarks. Just a little change of scenery... :)

Hope everyone's summer is filled with fun too! This one is going by way too fast.

Gender Equality

This morning, Jack asks me, "Mom, how do they tell girl dogs and boy dogs apart?"

Awkward silence from me. It's only 7am, after all. Do I really need to have this conversation now?

I decide to take the cop out route: "Well, the same way you tell human girls and boys apart."

Silence.

Then Jack's face lights up, "Oh! They give the girl dogs girl names and the boy dogs boy names, right?"

Sigh. "Yes, dear. That's right."

Pets

Today I pulled a crumbled piece of paper out of Jack's backpack. Normally, they bring home worksheets, drawings, etc - not twisted pieces of paper. LOL. I asked Jack what it was, and he matter-of-factly told me, "It's my pet tornado."

Oh yes, of course. A pet tornado. What else could it be?

Reading Update

The boys got their latest report cards last week and both have moved up from a Level 50 in reading (5th grade level!) to a Level 80, which apparently is the highest level they can test for at the elementary school. I'm more than a little impressed, although we tried not to make too big of a deal out of it. Problem is, the boys are both too smart NOT to know what that means.

Case in point: last night as we were driving back from the Graden Book Fair (and Pancake Dinner!), Erin, our 1st grade next door neighbor, was having trouble sounding out a word in her new book. Without any hesitation, Nathan said, "I'm a Level 80 in reading. Let me see it."

Well at least there are no problems with confidence issues at all in this house...

Kindergarten Musical

The boys performed their Kindergarten Musical last night. It was great! I was so incredibly proud of them. They each had a joke to perform at the microphone. As they had been memorizing their lines over the last month, I had no idea that they were "stars". I thought every kid had a line to perform, but it turns out that only three or four kids from each of the four Kindergarten classes had speaking parts. The jokes were true groaners:

Jack: What does a dog call his dad? Paw.
Nathan: Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other slide.

We had to make costumes for the show as well. Jack was a dog and Nathan was a baby chick. Ugh. So stinkin' cute! Byron went to the afternoon performance (they had three performances!) and video'd the whole thing, all 25 minutes of it...

First Day of April

This morning as I was getting ready for work, the boys came bursting in, shouting "Mom! Mom! MOM!!"

After I recovered from my heart attack ("WHAT?! WHAT?! OMG!!"), Jack yelled, "They cancelled school today!"

I stood there, astounded, wondering why in the world school would be cancelled today - crazy scenarios racing through my mind (i.e. gas leak, flash flood) - and never once wondering HOW in the world my two six-year olds might have found this out before me.

Then Jack yelled, "APRIL FOOL'S!!!!"

They got me for sure...

Dream Big, Kid

Nathan's kindergarten teacher just emailed me: "Today we wrote to the prompt 'What would you do if you were a grown-up?' and Nathan wrote 'I would live in a loft apartment by Dairy Queen, have two dogs, and have three kids. I would walk my kids to the Dairy Queen and give them treats when they made good choices.'"

Now that's a dream I hope he can achieve...

Kindergarten is a Little More Advanced Than I Remember

So after dinner last night, we were talking to the boys about school, doing homework, etc. They have their FIRST EVER Science Fair coming up, and Byron asked them what they might want to do. As he suggested various experiments (i.e. what kind of food does Daisy - our dog - like best?), Nathan replied, "Dad, we'll have to apply the scientific method. We need to ask a question, create a hypothesis, then test the hypothesis and then analyze the results."

Well - yes. Wow. Okay...

A little bit later, we were practicing spelling words for Nathan's upcoming FIRST EVER spelling test. The boys were taking turns spelling the words out loud, and then Byron pointed out that it would be a little different to write the words down versus spelling them out loud, because we use different parts of our brain to do different things. That's when Jack told us, "Yeah, we know Dad - it's called meta-cognition."

Okay. Again, wow...

I think I need to write a thank you note to their teachers. Geesh.

They'll Always Be My Boyfriends

Jack: "Dad, this is the kind of dance boys do to impress girls." (Jack does a little twirl dance.)

 Byron: "Oh yeah? What kind of girls are you trying to impress?"

 Jack: "I don't know - maybe Mom?"

Growing Up

I guess I can finally admit that my boys are growing up when I'm able to call out to them, "Hey! Can someone bring me some toilet paper?" And they do...

Overheard

This morning as the boys were playing video games, Nathan said to Jack, "We can't do Level 1. That's too easy! Come on, man, we're six years old!"

Week 3 Begins...

...of Kindergarten that is. I may have mentioned a few times that the boys are now in all-day school. Have I mentioned that yet? HAVE I?? I admit it - I am EXHAUSTED. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for this new routine. It's relentless. And the boys are already starting each morning with "Why do we have to school today??!!!??" (I have to control myself SEVERELY to not just say, "Okay, let's all stay home!" because there is nothing more I would love to do at this point).

Their school is wonderful - I love their teachers - I love everything about it. It's just the never-ending-ness of it all. The papers that come home each afternoon. The papers that have to go back each morning. HOMEWORK every night (okay, so it's really just making "letter sounds" and takes about two minutes tops). Lunches that have to be made. FORCING them to eat breakfast. Packing up a week's worth of snacks every Sunday in each backpack. Making sure they have presentable clothes to wear (I feel like a crazy person admitting this, but I actually hang up COMPLETE OUTFITS for each day of the week on Sunday night for both of them). Glasses cases. Water bottles. Tennis shoes on PE days. Library books to return on library days. Practicing their cafeteria PINS (no more lunch tickets in the modern age!). Book order forms. The relentless PTA requests. Spirit Day Fridays! "Show and tell" days! This is just two weeks of school, people!

(Sigh.) I know it will all be fine. But I have a new found appreciation for ALL parents of school-age children, those who are doing it now and those who have lived to tell the tale. It's a full-time management job. We'll get used to it, I know. But for now, I'm making it through one day at a time. (And to Jessica and Ashley - I miss you both! A LOT!)

Kindergarten Begins

Today was Day 2 of Kindergarten. Yesterday was pretty good as far as the boys went. They both really like their teachers, so they were fine when we left them at their classes to start the day. For some crazy reason, I started bawling as soon as I went to leave - without them seeing, of course - which makes no sense at all, considering I've left them at home nearly every day all these years. The difference being, I guess, they were left at home with Miss Jessica or Miss Ashley versus being left at school all by themselves. (Sob!) When I picked them up from school, they were happy and excited and VERY VERY tired. No naps and lots of activity has made an interesting two evenings. The good news is that they pass out nearly as soon as their heads hit the pillow. The bad news is that they are INCREDIBLY GRUMPY and easy to set off into tantrums. Oh well - I'm sure we'll all adjust very soon.

Both of their teachers send email updates to let us know what they're working on in class, which I completely love! I cannot stop being totally proud of our school - we really have a great one!

Lunch is a bit of a struggle - mainly for me, who obsesses over how LITTLE THEY EAT. Yesterday, they both tried the hot lunch. Jack ate a little of the cheese pizza, green beans and pineapple slices; Nathan ate vanilla yogurt and pineapple (that's supposed to get him through until snack time?!). Today, both boys took their lunches in their new Sponge Bob (for Jack) and Mario Super Sluggers (for Nathan) lunchboxes (thanks Grandpa!). I "made" them each a PB sandwich and they then added baby carrots, applesauce, pretzels, and a cookie snack for dessert. Nathan had a bit of a mishap today when he tried to throw away his trash after lunch and leave with his cookies but they made him throw those away too (this is all coming from him, so we don't know too much about what really happened). I think he wanted to eat them later? Anyway, no food leaves the cafeteria - so we told him next time to just put everything back in his lunchbox. But I have an ulterior motive for that one - Brooks tipped me off that this way I'll know what they ate. Which is good thing, because today they each ate only pretzels, apparently. AWESOME. Very nutritious. Jack said he may or may not have eaten some of his applesauce - he just couldn't remember.

So all in all, school rocks. At least for now...

Back to School

Last night was back to school night at the boys' new school - although for us, it was go-to-school-for-the-first-time night. We found their rooms, met their teachers (separate classrooms!) and put away all of our school supplies. The boys are very excited and looking forward to starting on Monday, mostly because of recess, of course. They are very well prepared, if I do say so myself, but the socialization thing is going to be huge. Both boys have great teachers, and I'm excited to see how the boys do in this new environment.

The kindergarten classrooms each have a restroom in the room, and Nathan used theirs last night. He was in there FOREVER and finally Byron knocked on the door to make sure he was okay. He found Nathan standing at the sink, sort of freaking out, because the directions for washing his hands were confusing. The directions told him to turn on the water first, then put soap on and wash. Nathan was upset because he normally puts soap on first, then turns on the water. Apparently he was worried about doing it wrong. So we told him the directions were for all the kids who don't know how to wash their hands, and his way of doing it was fine. LOL. Ugh! They are just little perfectionists.

Today is the last day we have with Miss Jessica - and it is a sad day indeed. She's been nannying for the boys since they were six months old, so this is quite a change for us. I once again realized how much I relied on her when she called me yesterday to ask if the boys should put on nice shirts to go the school event, something I, of course, hadn't even thought of. What will I do without her?! Ugh...

Tooth Fairy

My boys may be the first children in the history of the planet to be AFRAID OF THE TOOTH FAIRY. Nathan lost his first tooth yesterday - August 10, 2009! - and was excited about the prospect of getting a dime from the Tooth Fairy (kind of cheap, huh?). But when it came time to place said tooth under his pillow, he suddenly freaked out (helped along as usual by Jack) and decided he didn't want the creepy Tooth Fairy sneaking around his room at night. So I volunteered to keep the tooth out on the kitchen counter instead. Both boys were happy with the solution - and excited about the four quarters the Tooth Fairy left behind. Turns out the Tooth Fairy had deeper pockets than the boys anticipated. Now, Jack is working on his first loose tooth - the EXACT SAME TOOTH that Nathan lost yesterday, of course.

I Ain't Missing You At All

My boys have always been very independent from me. It may just be their natures. It may have come from me working outside the home from the time they were babies. We've been blessed to have incredible childcare for the two of them in the form of Miss Ashley and Miss Jessica, who have nannied for the boys forever. J&N have felt secure at home and yet have also ventured out into the world with people other than their parents. They can be shy when meeting new people but, for the most part, they tend to be comfortable in new situations and love new challenges. (Remind me sometime to write up the high-dive story...ugh.)

When they have gone to stay with grandparents for the weekend, J&N have never had problems with missing me or Byron while staying overnight. That independence even extends to where they don't even want to talk to us on the phone. Even when I beg. Fine.

Until this time. My mom and stepdad just took the boys back to Memphis for the week to spend a vacation at Grandma's house. They've got their cousin Baby Erik to play with (who is now 4 and surely not a baby any more, even though we'll probably call him that until he's 24) and lots of fun activities planned for the week. They will have every whim and wish fulfilled immediately, I have no doubt.

So why now, of all times, did they both break down and cry on the way to Grandma's house because they missed me? Ugh. I never knew how good I had it before. They both act like crazy ungrateful fit-throwing boys all day for me - and then drive to Grandma's house and are so upset. It just breaks my heart. Nathan even told me on the phone that he just loves me so much and he wishes he could be with me. Do you think I cried too? Oh yes I did.

Both Byron and my good friend Brooks, whose family was on the trip with us and witnessed the fit-throwing meltdowns all day yesterday (along with plenty of smiles too), said the boys were just tired and I was tired and we'd all be fine tomorrow. We had spent the entire day at The City Museum (the MOST WONDERFUL PLACE ON EARTH, seriously, go there now). When I said that the boys never missed us before, Brooks asked if I always sent my children to their grandparents' house completely exhausted, high on sugar and ready to endure a 4-hour car ride. Hmmmm...I guess that's true.

Today is a new day, and hopefully with a full night of sleep and some banana pancakes from Grandpa, they'll be feeling brave and independent again. At least I will cross my fingers...Memphis is an eight hour drive each way.

The Trouble with Phonetics

The boys are reading really, really, REALLY well. As in - they read entire books all by themselves. They read everything by themselves. And I do mean everything. It's a new found power they have discovered, just another step toward the day when they head out the door to live their own lives. (Sigh.)

Byron took them to Sonic for ice cream a few nights ago. As they were sitting in the drive-through, Jack asked, "Dad, what's a 'happy whore'?"

Byron choked. "Uh, what's a what?"

Jack replied, "What's a 'happy whore'? There - on that sign."

Byron read the sign. "That says 'happy hour'."

But it's good they can read....

It's Summer

Well, maybe not officially, but with temperatures hitting 98 this week, it sure feels like it.

This is the last summer the boys have at home before officially starting their school journey. I'm a little sad at nearing the end of our time with our nanny but I know the boys are ready for school and to grow up. It's like knowing you have to wave goodbye to Mary Poppins - we love our Miss Jessica that much!

So they are going to spend the summer with her having fun. They've been doing the pool already and playing in the backyard. Erin is spending the day with them today, so that adds a little more excitement to a day at home.

In other news, Byron is in Key West this week for his guys-only scuba diving trip. I'm only a tiny bit jealous. The boys have been cooperative for the most part but are missing their dad.