School Update

This is our house, every MWF morning. They are both always so eager to put their bookbags on and get to school, and I can hardly stand the cuteness:

ABBY

• Almost every day when I'm walking her into school, she says "I so happy!" She just loves being a big girl. In fact, she fusses/runs from me/tries to hit me when I pick her up, because she wants to stay at school longer....awesome.

• Has learned sooo many new songs (thankfully, "Jesus Loves Me" is not on constant repeat in our household anymore). The other day, she even busted out with her own blessing before dinner. Love her school! She is also doing great with numbers and letters and sounds. (Sidenote: I really don't remember Nate learning so much so fast at age 2.)

• Has multiple "best" friends she talks about daily: Aubrey, Kennedy Rose, Reese, Anna, Grayson, and Cooper. Every morning when I drop her off, the kids are having playtime on an indoor playground. At least 1-2 of her buddies always run up to her and hug her! So sweet. And here she is on a "lunch date" with Grayson:
• The teachers insist she didn't start talking - at all - until 2 weeks ago. Which totally baffles me. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's well-behaved, but QUIET is just not a word I would use to describe her!
 
• Every morning after we drop Nate off at school and head to hers, she requests two songs: "Firecracker" by Josh Turner and then Beyonce's "Single Ladies." I finally had to make a new mix cd off iTunes because we were wearing those two songs out!
• Her class had a visit from the local animal shelter lately, and Abby loved loved loved "Happy" the dog. I think she would have sat in this lady's lap if possible. See how she's leaning in!?

• For her class "Community" unit, two visitors came to school - a policeman & a fireman. Both decided to turn their sirens on, and Abby cried & covered her ears for 15 minutes each time as a result. Poor baby hates loud noises. Her teachers even told me that when a particular boy in her class gets in timeout, he screams super loud and Abby covers her ears for that as well. She must have super sensitive ears!! She doesn't like thunder either. (But yet, in the car, she insists that I turn the radio "up and up" so she can sing her little heart out!!)

I am just beyond thrilled that her first year of "school" has gone so well. She adores her teachers and the feeling seems to be mutual. They always say she is a sweetheart and really well-behaved.

NATE

• His teacher has noticed a marked improvement in his fine motor skills, which was his most challenging area last year (think: writing your name straight; staying in the lines when coloring, etc). I'm really proud of him for focusing & working so hard!

• Sometimes he sees some of his friends from last year's class on the playground. (His class plays over on the elementary school playground since they are next to each other.) The first time he saw them, they all asked why he was in pre-school still, and he shouted across the playground "My Mommy put me in the wrong class last year!!!" :)

• He went into this year already knowing 4 boys in his class. But I'm so proud of him for making new friends in addition to those four. He loves playing Parachutes, Ninja Turtles, Spies, and Power Rangers on the playground with them.
 
• About 2 weeks ago, his teacher started giving him extra work - somtimes to do in class b/c he finishes first and is just sitting there, and other times just to bring home because she knows he likes "extra projects."
 
• I pick him up from school everyday at 12, and then we head over to Abby's school around 12:15 if it's MWF. Since she's so grumpy when we pick her up, the only thing that placates her is to show me the "work" she did that day. Anytime she does ANY sort of craft, Nate wants to replicate it - immediately. I can barely get in the door and unload the car before he's already in the craft room, working on it. Perfect example below: the police hat

• Nate is in the very beginning stages of reading and it's so exciting! (Of course I'm already jumping years down the road and can't wait to read all the Harry Potter books with him.) He really is getting good at stringing some letter sounds together and sounding out a few words. I'm so proud of him!

• Last week, he got to be the first "Camper Of The Week," which each student will get a turn to be as well. He got to wear a fancy schmancy vest all week, have a bulletin board with lots of his work displayed, have his daddy come in to eat lunch, and bring in his favorite toys, books, and stuffed animals.

• On his Camper of the Week board, he had to say what he wants to be when he grows up. And he said a "builder." Apparently, thanks to new obsession with Legos, he wants to build "houses and sidewalks and spaceships" when he's older. I have no doubt he will!

Once again, I'm thankful for another great year at his school , and for his amazing teachers. He's learning so much, but what's most important is that he's having fun doing it.

 

These Days....

It has been a busy few weeks in the Givens household! Lots of visitors, lots of great weather, lots of projects, lots of fun!! Here's what we've been up to these days....

 

Greg's parents (Mum Mum & Granddaddy) were here this past weekend and I managed to capture a rare photo opp before going out to dinner one night. (Which may or may not have involved bribing Abby. Yes, folks, this is her happy face.) The kids had a great time with M&G....going to Toys R Us, playing at the park, taking walks, riding bikes, singing, and reading lots of books.

 

The kids are both still loving school, and I couldn't be happier. Actually, I have lots of school stories to tell, which will come in a later post. And truth be told, I'm really enjoying my "free time" 3 mornings a week while they are BOTH in school, especially because I've embarked on a new part-time career as a professional organizer. But more on that later :)

Krispy Kreme re-opened a few weeks ago (it was destroyed in the April 2011 tornado), and it was and continues to be a big deal in town! Greg brought us some donuts one morning for breakfast and I don't know who was happier, me or the kids!!! Oh how I love me some Hot & Now....

WHAT'S NEW WITH NATE??
Nate's days are filled with school, soccer, legos, and lots and lots of crafts. I love his little brain and all the things it comes up with. Every day when we come home from school, he runs to his craft table to draw something for me. Here are a few of my favorite creations:

Green Power Ranger and red sword



McDonald's french fries and Daddy's bike

Nate has also discovered his love for scotch tape. He uses it on almost all his creations now. And he has recently started rolling it into balls and setting "traps" around the house for us to step in!

Greg bought a "fancy" road bike back in July, and has been obsessed with cycling ever since. Of course the kids have picked up on this, and so now Nate asks all the time if he & Daddy can go ride bikes together. Greg finally adjusted the seat on N's bike this past weekend (so it fits him again!), and they have had a ball riding around our neighborhood and "chasing" each other at the dead-end road in front of our house.



WHAT'S NEW WITH ABBY?
Abby is such an odd bird sometimes. Which is something I love about her, because she is always giving me something to laugh at. For instance, these days, she insists on sleeping with socks on her feet AND her hands. Not sure if she's telling me her room is cold or maybe she's trying to do a puppet show at night!?
 

Like I've mentioned before, Miss Priss is always singing. All day, every day. Some day she WILL be on a stage, I just know it. She loves everything from nursery rhymes to VBS songs to Beyonce to Eric Church to Merle Haggard. (Yes, the 75 year old country legend Merle Haggard. No doubt she has been influenced by her Daddy & Granddaddy. She walks around the house singing "Mama Tried, Mama Tried".....)

To aid with middle-of-the-night potty breaks, Abby has started wearing a nightgown to bed. This one is a little big, but she l.o.v.e.s it and so do I! What a cutie!!

 

I'm not sure if Abby is fashion-forward, or a really boring dresser. Because everytime I tell her to pick out her own clothes, she picks out a monochromatic outfit.  As in, blue shirt, blue leggings. Or pink shirt with pink leggings. And she gets realllllly mad when I make her change clothes (that is, if we're going out in public.)

Abby has been seeing alot of her boyfriend, David, these days: in the nursery at MOMs group, on the sidelines at soccer practice, at playdates, and at Nate's school pick-up everyday. And one morning I had to work, so David's sweet mommy watched Abby for me. Which Abby enjoyed way too much, since she cried when I picked her up!!

 

 Check back soon for another post about all things pre-school! We've got a lot going on, but I wouldn't have it any other way.....

 

First (Real) Soccer Game!

Nate's second season of soccer began two weeks ago, and I don't know who was more excited, him or me! I didn't blog about it up until now, because the practices have been pretty uneventful, and a few have even been cancelled due to rain. But this past Thursday, he had his first REAL game! And I say that because the league he was in last year (click here to recap) was just a Junior League, with the focus on being comfortable with the ball, learning basic rules, and having fun. They didn't play real games, just scrimmaged amongst themselves and did fun drills.

So....

This year, Nate has practices on Tuesday nights and games on Thursday nights. They are held at an awesome soccer complex, but unfortunately, it's quite a haul from our house. No matter though, it's worth it because Nate LOVES his team! Two of his best buds from school, Mason & Anthony, are on his team, along with 3 other kids. (Two of them are girls and for some reason Nate thought that was hilarious. I quickly told him that girls can play soccer too! Hello, I played from age 5-20!!) 

Their team name is the Eagles and the coach is a sweet college girl named Elle. Nate had a huge cheering section for the game on Thursday, because Greg left work early to come surprise him. And Greg's parents (Mum Mum & Granddaddy) were also on their way in for a weekend visit and surprised Nate by meeting us at the field! Of course Miss Hollywood was in tow as well, and enjoyed playing with Mason & Anthony's siblings on the sidelines.

I love how you can barely see any skin on the boys' legs. The shirts are super long, as are the shorts and socks. Cute little midgets!!

Strategizing with his buddy, Mason

Peptalk from the coach

They rotate between playing 3-on-3 and 4-on-4. Which was nice because then each kid got to have a few minutes to have a breather on the sidelines. Check out my boy cheering on his team from the sidelines. Love!

Here's the dream team, all 4 boys in at the same time. Nate told me they scored a total of "9 points" but I'm not sure that's accurate. Nate did manage to score 2 goals though!! To view a quick clip of one of Nate's goals, click here.

Daddy talking to Nate & Mason on the sidelines. Who knows what they are laughing about!?

Team photo! Go Eagles!!

I Scream, You Scream....

....we all scream for ice cream! My sweet neighbor, Paige, threw an amazing ice cream party for her daughter Loa's first birthday on Sunday. The party was held at a local splash pad, right on the river. Paige outdid herself and decorated & baked everything!!

 Perhaps the coolest thing at the party was the personal ice cream truck!!!!

The kids (and adults) went for some treats immediately, and of course Nate picked the one ice cream cone that would give him a blue face, to match his bathing suit I guess.

Abby quickly found her buddy from school, Aubrey, and they devoured their Dora ice creams in silence, side-by-side, for 10 minutes. Hilarious.

Please notice the ice cream dripping from her elbow to her tutu. Greg was having a fit! (Until I oh-so-nicely pointed out that we were at a SPLASH PAD with WATER so she could be cleaned off easily. Chill!)

Paige broke out the cake & singing pretty early, b/c we weren't sure if the rain would hold off. Sweet little Loa Harper was pretty enthralled with her cake!!

 Oops, she got a little too close to the cake!

 The last 15 minutes of the party, Abby finally decided to play in the water. And of all things, she chose to play with her shoes!

 Loa & Aubrey got in on the action

Great party, great food, great friends!!

Forever Friends

Our favorite friends from TN came for a quick visit this weekend!

 

Nate didn't have school on Friday, but Abby had class pictures (it took me 30 minutes to blowdry & straighten her hair - more on that later!), so we picked her up after pictures and headed to McDonald's to meet Hallie & Grant for lunch. The kids were super excited to see each other (as were Hallie & I!)

 

 

 After running themselves silly on the playground, we headed home b/c Miss Priss was g.r.u.m.p.y and needed a nap! We let the boys skip their nap, and instead, exchange (belated) birthday presents. Nate got the Bumblebee transformer and these two were pondering over the directions; too cute.

 

Abby had fun modeling all of her new shoes (I had just gone to a big consignment sale on Thursday) for Miss Hallie, and decided to leave these shiny ones on most of the afternoon.

 

 After dinner, we continued our tradition of "naked dance parties." In fact, Grant requested one, which made me smile! :)

 Abby was attached to Miss Hallie's hip most of the weekend; thank goodness she didn't mind!

 The boys donned weapons & Hulk gloves and attacked Greg. Poor Daddy!!

 

 Everyone snuggled together in the trundle bed for storytime, and it was a struggle to get Abby to sleep in her room. She wanted to be in the big boys' room!!

 Once the kiddies were down, it was finally time for the mommas to hit the town! Hallie and I went to a fun bar downtown called Catch 22, where we had a great time - as usual - and talked non-stop. Oh how I miss our girl talks! And we actually ended up seeing one of my neighbors with 2 of her friends there. (Which was a good thing b/c my neighbor was a bit....inebriated and needed a ride home!!)

 We didn't stay out too too late though, b/c we knew our kids would not be ones to sleep in! After a waffled cinnamon roll breakfast, we headed to a local park to play. Miss Priss insisted Hallie sat in the back with her.

 We met a nice family at the park, who offered up a few of their extra Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The boys liked them....

 but Abby was not impressed!

 We had a picnic lunch and played a bit more before heading home. Then, sadly, Hallie & Grant had to hit the road (and I had to run to a friend's baby shower). It was a short visit, but a great one! Abby will miss her kissing buddy:

and Nate sobbed as he watched H&G drive away :( Broke my heart. It's always so nice to see our TN friends, but just that much harded everytime we have to watch them leave.

 

We love you, Hallie & Grant!!