Jacqui-isms

While driving down the highway the other day, we passed a semi full of cows. Jacqui's comment "Mom, what is that stench?!" I started giggling, thinking that was a fun new word compared to her normal question about 'smells'. She figured it out on her own however and noted, "Oh it's just the farm cows...".

Jacqui has taken to yelling out "HOCA-MONTES!" every time we pass a tree that has droopy vines. For the longest time I had no idea what she was talking about, even though I ask her every time what she is talking about. This week she finally helped me understand... Droopy trees look like weeping willow trees. On the Pocahontas (hoca-montes for those of you following the story) movie, 'Grandmother Willow' is a tree of great wisdom that Pocahontas frequently talks with. Jacqui has connected the two and now 'droopy' trees are to 'Hoca-montes', as cows and chickens are to a farm.

Jacqui has decided she loves to wear her flip flops now that they stay on her feet. I won't let her wear them to school, and this is always a battle in the mornings. I finally told her that flip flops are not appropriate for school because she could get slivers from playing outside, get her feet stepped on, lose a shoe... I was wearing my flip flops the other day out of the house and her comment "Mom you need to go and change your shoes... You are not appropriate like that!"

STORIES FROM SCHOOL

Jacqui has learned and remembered the name of one child in her kindergarten class. Apparently, he missed the first couple of days of school but now he is back. She calls him 'Rice', but his actual name is 'Bryce'. I have tried to explain this to her numerous times, but she will not have it. So everyday on the way home from school now we talk about 'Rice' and how he 'finally showed up to class'.

Her new favorite book is 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom' which our friend Cori reads with her every school night before bed, and she tells me all about it every day. She was thrilled to learn that her class has the same book. She got put in time-out when the teacher told her it was time to put books away and Jacqui told her "I'm just going to finish my last three pages first". She then was told to go to time-out, which she did AFTER she finished her 3 pages. (Don't know where she gets that stubborn independence from!)

She has learned a new song in kindergarten about '5 Little Gingerbread Men all in a Row". She sings this now constantly; in the shower, in the car, before bed, during breakfast, walking to the mail box... The basics of the song: "5 little gingerbread men in a row. Not gonna eat one. No, No, No! But they look so sweet from head to toe... Munch, Crunch... UH OH! Four little... repeat, all the way down to zero. She has found this to be great fun and picked it up in its entirety in 2 days of listening to the teacher sing it a couple of times during her class.

She is enjoying school and is now hoping that she can start going longer "so I can learn more, cuz just going for a little bit is boring". Her teacher came and talked to me after the kids were released for the day. As teachers do, she put a positive spin on Jacqui's independence, bossy nature, and social interactions. She noted that Jacqui is "very enthusiastic, probably by far in both my classes, but she is great about helping me out and reminding me ALL the time of how things are supposed to be done, she is also making friends with everyone and makes sure they are doing what they are supposed to". Anyway, Jacqui is loving school and embracing learning, time-out doesn't phase her at all and she just takes it all in stride.

Hope you all are enjoying the start of school also, with all the teachers in the fam I know this is a BUSY time of year. Congrats to Christa on her new teaching position and hope all is going well for the rest of you. I also started school last Tuesday at Gonzaga for my Masters program. It is A LOT of work, but will definitely be worth it. Love and miss you all!