We're going to the circus!!

Well the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus will be in town all this week, first at The Peace Center and then at the Bilo Center in Greenville. We have been wanting to take the kids to the circus for the last two years. We decided that this would be a great Valentine's Day present for them because they surely don't need anymore stuffed animals or candy. So, we will be headed to the circus this Thursday night to see the clowns, elephants, lions, horses, etc. I hope that Drew and Mikayla enjoy it as much as I do. I love the circus. Drew and Mikayla have never been, but Craig got tickets for me and him in February 2001. I was 4 months pregnant with Drew at the time, and I felt him kick for the first time while we were there! I have told Drew and Mikayla about the circus and they have seen the commercials on TV, but it will be so wonderful to see their little faces when we are there! That's what I look forward to the most!

Look for pictures soon!!

It's been awhile...

It has been awhile since I've updated. It's not that I have had nothing to blog about. It's actually that we've been so busy, I haven't found the time (in other words, I've been too tired) to blog. Craig has been working many, many hours since he got his new account. Last week, in fact, he worked 70 hours. We are not complaining, the money will be great. It has just left a lot on my shoulders. As soon as Drew, Mikayla, and I get home from school, I start supper. Unfortunately, this means T.V. time for them (thank goodness they love Clifford)! Once I get it started though, I am able to read and play with them in between stirs. After supper, we have been spending the rest of the evenings playing. It is really cute because they both seem to be in the pretending stage. Mikayla loves pretending that she is the mommy. She rocks her babies, kisses them, feeds them, pushes them in their strollers, and lays them down in the "baby" crib and covers them with their blankies. It is really neat watching her with these babies. Sometimes she even pretends that Drew is her "baby". She tries to be a little mommy to him, even though he is bigger than she is! Drew has a ball pretending that he is the red Power Ranger. He loves imitating the Power Ranger moves. We were a little hesitant about this at first, but we explained that he is never to use those moves on people and it hasn't been a problem!! They both also enjoy pretending to "take orders". They will use any paper and writing utensil to ask "what would you like to eat?" (Drew) or "what you want?" (Mikayla) We get a kick out of watching them take the orders, then pretend to bring our "orders" to us. This has become one of their most favorites. Drew and Mikayla both have always loved to read. In fact, both of them have been known to pass by all their other toys for books. They both also love to write. I am very glad about this and encourage it as much as possible. After their baths, we spend about 20-30 minutes reading. This time has become a favorite of mine, as Drew is learning to read words, and Mikayla loves looking at and "reading" the pictures.

One of those "sweet" sibling moments!

Sunday

This morning, Craig woke up with a horrible pain in his ankle. He has the gaut, but usually just in his toes and the ball of his foot. Since he could barely walk, he decided it would be best if he stayed home from church. Drew was acting silly and was not cooperating to get his clothes on, so just Mikayla and I headed off to church! It was a moving message on the Bible and abortion. We also had the director of the Carolina Pregnancy Center speak with us today as we kicked off our Baby Bottle Boomerang Campaigne. We will be filling baby bottles with change, bills, or checks to be donated to the Carolina Pregnancy Center so that they can provide free services to women in crisis.

Since Mimi was in a Continuing Ed class today, we were on our own for lunch. So we enjoyed pizza and then had a nap! After our nap, Poppi came over with chocolate milkshakes for Drew and Mikayla! They surely enjoyed this afternoon snack. We watched the Carolina Panthers play football, and Drew showed Poppi how he plays his VSmile Video Game System that Santa brought him!

After Poppi left we had supper (we offered to feed him but he said he was fine), then headed to Bilo to get some cherry juice for daddy. Mrs. Dana at church told me that cherry juice would help with the gaut and Craig was willing to try anything (well not anything, but you know what I mean). After we returned from Bilo, Drew and Mikayla played a little more.

Drew decided that he wanted to try out his roller blades that Poppi got him for the first time! First, daddy got him all padded up, then he put on the skates. It was so funny trying to watch Drew stand up with these things on! Finally, he was able to stand up and actually did pretty well,even if he was only on carpet.

Mikayla's new laugh. She squints her eyes closed and covers her mouth! It is really cute, even if I do say so myself!

Before bed, we picked out three stories to read. Drew picked out one of his Thomas books, Mikayla picked out Good Night Moon, and mommy got the Dick and Jane storybook, and we began reading them in that order. When I got to the Dick and Jane storybook, Drew was very enthusiastic about reading it himself! While reading the first story (Dick), I would read a page and then Drew would reread the page. Then, while reading the second story (Jane), Drew was beginning to read some words by himself without me saying them first. By the time we had gotten to the third story (Baby), Drew was reading it almost completely by himself. He learned the words "Dick", "Jane", "Baby", "look", "see", "oh", "and", and "funny" tonight! I can't wait to start on the next story (Spot) tomorrow to see how he does with those words! While Drew and I were reading these stories, Mikayla was reading Good Night Moon from memory. This was a great way to end our night and the weekend.

Friday and Saturday

Our weekend so far has been really nice! Friday night, we went to Mimi and Poppi's house! Drew and Mikayla had been saying they wanted to go to Mimi and Poppi's house since Friday morning on the way to daycare. (We pass Mimi and Poppi's street on our way!) Aunt Laura and Uncle Ted were there when we got there, so it was nice to visit with everyone. Drew and Mikayla had fun playing with their Thomas trains, played with bouncing balls (which mommy didn't think was a good idea in the house), and they played a game of Candy Land. Then Mikayla drew and colored a little bit, while Drew played with his hot wheels cars. They also had fun showing everyone all the new things they have learned. Mikayla had just learned our phone number that night, and loved showing everyone!! We are so proud of her! At 16 months old, she knew her name and could spell it, she could count to 10, and knew some colors. Since she has turned two in August, she has learned her birthday and now her phone number! She can also count to 20 and knows most of her colors (although only when she's interested, of course). Drew, who had just started wrestling on Thursday, had to show and tell about all he had learned there. He also had to tell Aunt Laura and Uncle Ted about his trip to the dentist (Mimi and Poppi had already heard this once, but they didn't mind hearing it again!) Jonathan, Jessica, and Jennie and her friend Jennifer had all come in before we left. So, of course we had to stay a little while longer to visit with them. Even when we were finally saying good night, Drew and Mikayla still were not ready to leave.

Our plan was to go to Greenwood to see Nannie and Nana Saturday. However, Craig received an email from work Friday night and had to go in for awhile yesterday afternoon. So, we hope to get to Greenwood soon to see Nannie and hopefully Nana soon! Since we weren't going to Greenwood, we spent the morning playing around the house. Then we met Poppi and Aunt Jennie for lunch at Macdonald's. This is Drew and Mikayla's favorite place to eat (imagine that)! They especially like the Macdonald's here because it has a PlayLand, and we like it because the PlayLand is indoors. As soon as we got there, Craig took Drew and Mikayla to play while Poppi, Jennie, and I ordered, fixed drinks, and got everything together. When our food was ready they came to eat, and then went straight back to play! Drew was such a nice big brother while we were there. Mikayla can go down the BIG slide by herself, but we still ask Drew to keep an eye on her (there are enclosed stairs and tunnels leading up to the slide)! They both helped 2 other children about Mikayla's age find their way to the BIG slide and come down. One time, Mikayla started crying while she was in the tunnels at the top. Thank goodness Jennie was with us! She (along with another adult there with her granddaughter) immediately climbed up to where Mikayla was. We couldn't see them in the tunnels, however, we could hear Drew! He was saying "I'm checking on her, I'm checking on her!" What a great feeling!!

After we left Macdonald's, we went to daddy's work! Drew and Mikayla love visiting daddy at work, so they thought it was wonderful to be able to go with him. Since he didn't have much to do, we stayed with Craig while he worked. Mikayla was tired and had gotten a little whinny not long after we arrived, so she and I sat in the van. Drew, however, stayed with daddy and was daddy's little "helper".

When we got home from "work", we all took a nap. I guess we worked a little too hard. Then for supper, we enjoyed dinner at Outback (thanks Jonathan and Jessica for the gift card)!

Drew's First Trip to the Dentist

Also today (it sure was a busy day) we signed Drew up for wrestling. The wrestling team and coaches from the high school are going to come to our school once a week to work with children who signed up. They will mostly work on tumbling to build flexibility, but will also be introduced to karate and self-defense techniques. Drew is very excited about this, as he has been wanting to take gymnastics at daycare for awhile now. Daddy said no to gymnastics but yes to wrestling, imagine that! I was a little concerned, as you can imagine, because Drew would be one of the youngest participating. We were assured at the meeting today that this would be appropriate for all ages, both boys and girls. So, Drew will begin wrestling this Thursday. I can't wait to hear about it!

After the meeting about wrestling, we had to get Drew to the dentist. It was his first dental appointment, so we needed to get there early to fill out all the necessary paperwork. We arrived about 30 minutes early. While I filled out the paperwork, Drew read a book that he had brought and looked at some of the magazines. Once I got the paperwork filled out, we were called back (early I might add!) You may remember from a previous post, one of the reasons we chose this practice was because they allow parents to accompany children back into the exam rooms. So, Drew followed the hygienist back and I followed him. I had talked with Drew about what to expect, which was very helpful. As soon as we got into the room, he immediately sat in the chair. The hygienist was very good with Drew, explaining everything that she was doing and showing the tools as she used them. She commented about how well Drew was doing. She told him "mommy should be very proud of you". I was!!! She also told us that he did not have any cavities!!! Great news! After she was finished, she got Dr. Nasim to come in and have a look. He looked in Drew's mouth and said "it looks very good, keep doing what you are doing!" He also went on to say that this was good because Drew won't have a reason to be afraid of the dentist! I couldn't agree more!! We are so proud of our little (I should say big) man!

Waiting to go back and see the dentist. Doesn't he look relaxed?!

He got in this chair like he had been doing this forever! This mommy sure was proud!!

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, what are they doing to me?" I think Drew was just being silly here. He had not been acting nervous at all!

He did so well with the cleaning, they gave him fluoride! He did really well with this, considering the fact that he had to keep the mouthpiece (with suction) in for one minute!

All finished!! Look at those pearly whites!

Riding in a Limo

Today Drew enjoyed his first limo ride! He earned this by selling $200 worth of restaurant cards for our school fundraiser. He, and seven other students, left from school at 11:00, went to Pizza Hut where they enjoyed lunch, and then returned to school around 12:00. He was a little nervous about going to begin with. He kept asking who would be going with him. I checked on him in Mrs. Brown's room when he returned and the first thing he said was "it was so much fun!" I guess he got over the nervousness pretty quickly! Drew waits to go.

Getting loaded up!

What a day!!

Today was our Thunderbash at school. For this activity our PTA brings in inflatable slides, bounce houses, and obstacle courses and they play music and throw a "bash" for the children who sale a certain amount of fundraising items.

Since Drew met the goal of at least $70, he was invited to the Thunderbash! The problem...the Thunderbash was scheduled from 9:00-10:00 and Drew doesn't get to my school until 11:15. So, during my planning period, I was able to leave and bring him to the school just in time for the Thunderbash. Once we got to the gym, he wanted me to stay with him. I figured this was probably because there were no other 4 year olds in there. I explained to him that I had to go get my children from activity and that he would be okay. I introduced him to one of our PTA ladies and told him that when he finished "playing" she would take him to Mrs. Brown's room. He understood and didn't seem to be as nervous about being left there. So, I left the gym and went back to my classroom. I heard from one of the PTA ladies that he kept saying "I want my mommy", but that he had fun once he got used to it.

After the Thunderbash, he was able to stay at school and have lunch with me. Normally he eats lunch at daycare before they bring him to school, so this was new for him! When our class got to the cafeteria, Drew was already going through the line with Mrs. Hayes. Lucky for him one of the choices today was hot dogs, his favorite! Kindergarten teachers had duty-free lunch today so once I got my class seated, I fixed my water and joined Drew at his table. It was really neat to sit with him and talk while he ate his first "big school" lunch. What happened to my baby? Time sure does fly!

Oh Boy!

This will be an interesting night! Mikayla has been using the potty for a little over a year now. She first started using the potty at 18 months old, but we didn't stress it all that much then. We have only been working seriously to train her the last few months, since she seems so interested. She has done so well with it and loves to use the potty like a "big girl". She is good about telling us most of the time that she has to "go potty", and they have even been working at daycare. So tonight is the big night...her first night sleeping without a diaper on. She went to potty before she went to bed, and she is wearing her "big girl's" as she sleeps. I can't wait to see how she does tonight! This will tell whether or not she will need diapers anymore. Our baby girl is growing up!

Spending the morning with Mimi and Jennie...

I made myself a dental appointment for today. I went to a dentist that I had never been to before that my Aunt Laura recommended. The reason - I needed to make Drew his first dental appointment and I wanted a dentist who would let me go back in the room with him. My aunt said that Dr. Nasim lets her go back with her granddaughter Lauren and he lets all the other parents go back with their children. This is very important to me because I was not going to send my 4 year old back to a room with people he did not know to have his teeth cleaned. Before I took Drew to see him, I wanted to see him myself to get a feel of his personality. So, today I went to Dr. Nasim's office for a cleaning. Everyone in his office was exceptionally friendly, from the office staff, to the dental assistants, to the dentist himself! I was so impressed that I made Drew's appointment before I left the office. Drew goes for his first ever dental appointment next Tuesday! We are very excited about this! He knew that I was going to the dentist today, so when I told him that he would be going next Tuesday he was pretty happy. We have already begun talking about what they will do so that he will have an idea about what to expect.

While I was at the dentist this morning, Drew and Mikayla got to spend some time at Mimi and Poppi's with Mimi and Aunt Jennie (Poppi was playing golf with the "Tuesday crowd"). They could have gone to daycare, but I didn't want to take them back early. Since my mom is off on Tuesdays, she graciously agreed to keep them for me! They seemed to have a ball with Mimi and Jennie for when I returned to get them, neither wanted to leave. Drew had toys spread all over his Mimi's living room and wanted to play "a little bit longer". Mikayla was busy playing with her Aunt Jennie and showed no signs of being ready to leave either. So, since they were not ready to leave, I decided that I would go get us all lunch plates from Delightful Dishes. My mom had never eaten from there before and Jennie and I wanted her to try it. So, I called in our lunch order and then headed over to Inman to pick it up. When I returned, Drew was still playing with his tank and school bus in Mimi's floor and Mikayla met me at the door. Mimi had fixed them grilled cheese sandwiches (which they had both eaten a good amount of), but when they saw that I had brought food, they both got to the table. I had ordered them a "Turkey in a Straw" (turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo in a wheat pita) to share. Mom, Jennie, and I had all ordered salad plates. We sat down to a great lunch together! After, I could tell that it was time for Drew and Mikayla to have a nap. They were whinny and were aggravating each other a great deal. Drew and Mikayla picked up the toys and we loaded up to head for our house. I am glad that they were able to spend some time with their Mimi and Jennie during their break, and I know Drew and Mikayla feel the same way!