More Pictures from the first week of school

Mark and Cady (neighbour)


Mark

Mark in the "coat room" with new techer Mrs. Shiskin.

First Day of School

This week has been the beginnings of our family entering the public school system. What an exciting change and yet overwhelming all at the same time. Here is the typical 1st day of school photo shot. Stand at the door and say cheese! Got to love how easy it is to take a picture of two very excited kids!!












Our kid is old enough for Kindergarten and the other is old enough to go to preschool. Is that not scary in itself? I think we're both ready for him to go to school and learn. I know he is. Mark started asking a month ago when he would start learning to read. He loved the idea that he was already starting by learning his letters and the sounds. It's a four step process I told him; 1. learn your letters. 2. learn the sounds the letters make. 3. put the sounds together. 4 memorize the words that you know. Kyla loves that she is going to school too. Especially that it's Mark's old school. She wanted to go last year already and was thrilled to enter the classroom. Mark loves that he has 3 other friends before he even started school. Two of them are girls and last year he didn't play with Cady at school anyways so it didn't seem such a big deal. Kaden his cousin on the other hand was huge to be in his class. Mark's sad that the teacher won't let him play with his cousin but he's excited to met new friends. Kyla is also excited to have our neighbour and her little boyfriend to go to school with also. I still have a daycare kid that goes to the same preschool as Kyla on a different day. Mommy's favorite day is Friday. I have no daycare kids and both our kids are in school. I have 2 hours. To do whatever I need. I asked Mark how his first day of school was and he said. Great. The best part was that your friend was my gym teacher. The gym teacher is a lady from our church. He's not a kid that comes home all excited to tell me what he did at school. Rather I hear bits and pieces as he remembers them. Like right now. He just interupted me to tell me the teacher had two baby dolls in Square time (I was corrected when I asked about circle time). The baby dolls burped and drank water and slept in the kids arms. They all got a turn holding the dolls. Out of no where...and We're supose to understand what they learn about??? I'm guessing that was apart of the Family topic??? I guess we're in for an interesting year with Both kids!!

This LIttle Piggy...

Ever tried teaching a kid about money? It's not that easy. Sure you start with the names of the coins and work on the values. Most children learn from the pictures of the coins (at least here in Canada). The problem is that the quarter keeps changing the picture. Great but, harder to teach..."look for the moose" or "sails" or "beaver".

Have you ever gone to the store and had a kid say "I want that!". I think we've found the solution to the problem. I read a book this summer; actually I read a few, the one I'm referring to, talked about Piggy Banks. It teaches you how to budget. Really anyone could use the concept whether you actually go out and buy little piggies is your decision. The kids each got a few different little piggies. This little piggy is for "Super Savor Piggy" this one you fill then put in the bank. This little piggy is for "The Big Prize Piggy" you fill this one for one big toy that the kids get to decide. This little piggy is for "Fun Pig" - spend on anything they want, whenever they want, no questions asked. The final little piggy is for - Kids Helping Kids. It can be for any charity or church. For each bank, as parents we decide the percentage that the kids get to put into. Our kids don't get an allowance so the only change they find is their to put into the piggy of their choice. The kids do have a "Job" as they call it. They recycle the pop and juice boxes we have and take them in for money. I love that our province has this option. It's great and it's a job they understand. The problem is we don't drink a lot of pop or juice boxes so they actually don't get a lot of money. Needless to say they have loved it so far. The best part is now we can go to the store and all I have to say is, "did you bring your money? or do you have enough?"

The swing

I love our swing. It has been hours of rest and relaxation. The kids love it too. I love the chance to sit and watch the kids play and yet in actual fact I think I am playing more then I am sitting. Try going outside without being asked to play badmonton, bocce, croquet and catch. I love that the kids love to play with us but at some point when I have had my turn with each of the activities (of course with each of the kids too) I will get a chance to sit. The best was when they were playing in the kiddy pool. Since I didn't fit I had a fair excuse to not have to play. Although we discovered that a bucket of water for my feet to cool off was also fun for them. They had somewhere to get buckets of water and fill up my bucket. Each time I rocked on the swing the water would slosh therefor needing to be refilled. I love making everything a game!