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!

First Day of School

Today was Jacqui's first day of school. We (I) were planning to wake up at 8am to get ready for school, but she woke up on her own at 6(!) and asked about every 10 minutes until 0830 "Is it time for me to go to my school yet?" She is going to Lincoln Heights Elementary and her teacher's name is Mrs. Coyote. She is in the AM kindergarten from 9-1130. She was very excited to start school today and did not even blink when I left the classroom, "Bye mom, don't forget to pick me up later".

I went to pick her up and she was the last child to come running to the open arms of parents, as she was much more interested in all the other kids on the playground and didn't think she was quite ready to be with mom yet (such an independent little thing!). So I picked her up and we walked to the car, all the while her telling me the story of her day at about a mile a minute.

Her synopsis of her day went something to the effect of "Oh my gosh mom, they have 3 frogs! They are tree frogs, you know, so they can climb... They are green... We got to feed them crickets today and their little tongues go out all the time... It is SO cool. We have one fish, only 1, not three like the frogs. And I answered all the teachers questions today and I was always right because I am SO smart. Huh Mom? (Yes, dear). We got to play on the slides and the toys, and the slide has 2 bumps on it and it was so fun! And I got to play with the creative big blocks..."

Needless to say, it was a very successful first day and she had a blast! I was able to go and work out for an hour and run an errand which was great. 2 1/2 hours isn't much, but I found it just enough to have a small amount of me time... I think we are both going to like this new transition.

Cousins Weekend

Well I am running a couple of weeks behind, but thought I would post some of our weekend pics with G & G. What a fun weekend, and it sure was great to see everybody!

I think my favorite part of our time is sitting and listening to G & G's stories. It was really great to hear and learn about our new family members too (well not super new, but I learned more about you guys and that is nice!)

'The Girls'

'The Guys'

'The FAM'


Happy 61st Anniversary G & G!

Priest Lake

Just a few more pics to add from our Priest Lake visit. We had such a great time and Jacqui doesn't stop talking about the boat and the huckleberries, and the karaoke! What a blast, can't wait to see you guys there next year!

Karaoke at Elkins 'Sweet Home Alabama'

A trip to Priest Lake is not complete until you have had a famous Huckleberry Daquiri

Helping Uncle Jim drive the boat... How exciting!

Picking huckleberries at the back of their property line. They were all over the place!

Smores in the woods, does life get any better?

Roasting marshmellows on the fire...

First ride on the boat with Christa and Uncle Jim. Jacqui was so excited and loved dangling her feet in the water in the middle of the lake!

Priest Lake Pictures

Kayla and Jacqui were able to come to Priest Lake for a few days to see dad's new cabin. We were all so glad that they were able to join us! Jacqui seemed to most enjoy singing karaoke with mom at Elkins, driving the boat, swimming whenever she got the chance, picking huckleberries, and then eating her huckleberry pancakes. Kayla and I had a fun roadtrip a few days later from Spokane to Seattle. Kayla Mike and I went to a concert on Sunday and had a blast. Mike and I were happy that Kayla could help us celebrate our first anniversary. Here are some pictures from our time together!

Alaskan Cruise July 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Jacqui-isms

Levi and I took Jacqui to see Ice Age 3 this week and she was pretty impressed with it and was talking about all the animals and is getting into dinosaurs. We also saw Transformers which she enjoyed and ate almost a whole tub of popcorn by herself. When we were leaving the theatre she was explaining to me that "Mom my tummy is so full, I ate all that popcorn like a dinosaur. I need to crack my fingers so my tummy is not so full". I am not sure where she linked cracking fingers to making her stomach feel better, but it stuck and she has been talking about cracking her fingers almost every time she eats so her tummy is not so full (strange connection I am sure!)

I took some of Jacqui's baby toys into the yard to clean them off so we could donate them to charity. We each had a sponge and were scrubbing them down when Jacqui said, "Wow mom, look at that spot I totally OBLITERATED it!" Not quite sure where she picked up that $5 word, but it sounds awfully funny coming from a 5 year old~!

Jacqui and I went to the Pet Shop today to look at the animals while we were waiting at another store. We were looking at the reptiles and Jacqui saw an iguana and said "Mom! You have to check this guy out, he is HU-NORMOUS!"

While wandering around later she found the birds and I was explaining that the birds were cockatiels, she looked at me and said "Mom, those are not cockatiels, they are mo-hawk birds, you know they call them that cuz they all have mo-hawks?"

Earlier this week she was at the sitters and managed to cut her own hair while they were playing cut-out with the scissors. I was furious with her and dragged her home telling her that I was not impressed and she knew better. She had a lot of attitude that day and decided she didn't want to come home with me and she let me know it, "cuz you are making a angry face at me and I don't like it!" She was also not impressed with getting her hair cut, but hopefully she won't do that again (last time she did that she was 2). Needless to say, I cut her hair to try and blend in the damage (luckily with her curly hair that is easy to do!) so now she has bangs and lots of layers, I will put some pics up soon.