I just love Kindergarten writing!

I just think one of the most precious things is watching a child that is learning to read and write. Joshua has been so motivated these days to read anything that he gets his hands on. He even said he was reading the recipe on the BISQUICK box when he was making waffles the other morning. Well, I'm sure he wasn't reading it with 100% accuratley...but I really think he gets a lot of meaning from what little he can actually read.
He brought this paper home from school yesterday. The teacher gave him a card with a picture on it as a writing prompt. He was supposed to write about the peacock on his card. This is what he wrote, "The peacock has big feathers. The peacock makes his feather pop up." I love how he hears the sounds and writes them down as he should. What a good little writer we have here....FEBRS and all.

Joshua Make Waffles!!

Joshua never ceases to amaze us! He has a natural born motivation and has had the I don't give up and persistent mentality from the day he was born. You see even on his birth date, it had to be his idea to come out. I think the kid purposely stuck himself in a spot where he caused me to labor an additional 7 hours. Then finally once I forced him out in three pushes, he gave me a look that I will NEVER forget. He had a scowl on his face that told me he was NOT happy. This Saturday AM, I was up by 5:30 because I could no longer sleep. I got up and made Marissa her lo protein blueberry muffins, cleaned up the mess, and then crawled back into bed at 6:45. At about 7:15, I could smell the essence of something cooking, but I just thought I had forgotten to turn the oven off. So, off I went downstairs to check on things. When I got downstairs....there was Joshua with a waffle on his plate. The was not an EGGO waffle he had made in the toaster, but a homemade one. When I asked him who made that for him, he told me he did. I was in disbelief....how could a kid that just turned 6 make a waffle from scratch?? He kept telling me he just got the BISQUICK out of the cupboard...got a measuring cup, added 1 cup milk, 1 cup Bisquick, and plugged in the waffle iron (oops he forgot the oil). Then he told me he sprayed the iron with PAM so the waffle didn't stick. I ran upstairs to see if Kevin and Joshua were playing a joke on me...but then Kevin said he didn't help him a bit. Marissa was also not in on the waffle making. The kid truly made his own waffles. He knew how much to fill the waffle iron so he didn't overflow it, knew they were ready when the light went off...took the hot waffle out with a fork and then proceed to cover it with butter and syrup. WOW!!
We told him he did a great job and he said he'd watched dad in the past...but we warned him that next time an adult had to be present when he did it just in case there was danger. He was so happy to make himself and Sophia the perfect Saturday breakfast. Now I know what to ask for on Mother's Day AM. Way to go, Joshua!!! Silly Video of Joshua explaining how he made waffles:

Potty Talk

I have to say that now that I am thinking of starting the potty training with Sophia sometime in the nearer future...reading this just cracked me up. Just had to post to the BLOG for all to read. I'm sure we all have funny pee-pee poo- poo stories to tell. I thought it was hilarious that this is a mom's story and it's just floating out there for the world to see. so, here I go sharing it with all once again.

A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall.
By Shannon Popkin

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we are in the library, the grocery store or at a drive-thru window. People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just-turned-3-year-old. And you never have to ask him to turn up the volume. It's always fully cranked. There have been several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-so-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week at Costco.

Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the last stall:

''Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?''

At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full ... 4? 5? Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.

Cade continued: ''Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh...Mommy! I'm trying to see In dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!''

I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming new born when you need her? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting. Trying to divert him, I said, ''Why don't you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some!''

''No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies...Oh! Mommy!''

He started to gag at this point.

''Uh - oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!''

As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall.. I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the
subject. I began to reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone.

''Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!''

He grunted as he tried to pull me off. Now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the feet outside my door. ''Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at? Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?''

More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation.

''Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now, Mommy.'' He started pounding on the door. ''Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!''

I saw that my wait 'em out' plan was unraveling. I sheepishly opened the door, and found standing outside my stall, twenty to thirty ladies crowded around the stall, all smiling and starting to applaud.

My first thought was complete embarrassment, then I thought, where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my dignity and privacy? But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three She lives with her family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she no longer uses public restrooms)

Infomercial for Your Baby Can Read

The kids had so much fun shooting some pictures and film footage for Your Baby Can Read. We thought they were going to be in the infomercial, but they will actually be in the DVDs that are sold on the infomercial. Regardless, they got paid the same and had a lot of fun. They also told us that when the product is ready that we will get copies of it.
They got to meet Dr. Bob Titzer. He is the creator of the Your Baby Can products! What an incredible man! It was a pleasure to meet him and talk to him. He has spent years studying how children learn to read and his products and testimonials are amazing. He has a true and genuine passion for what he does. As a teacher, I am in awe as to what a parent can do to stimulate their child even more. As a parent, I want to purchase this DVD series so that Sophia can have this early foundation.
At the shoot, the children got to do what they asked them to do. Marissa was thrilled to get to fly a kite on a beautiful breezy day! Joshua got to run the field, blow a horn, and push Sophia in her stroller. Sophia got to play in the sand, point up, and do many movements on command. i must say that the kids did very well and had a lot of fun. Having all the attention on them was they highlight of their day! They truly felt like stars!!

Joshua's 1st T-Ball Game

Joshua had a wonderful 1st T-ball game. He was so excited to get to play ball today. His daddy surprised him with his very own bat bag for his 1st game. He loved carrying all of his things in one bag. I am glad because it keeps it all together and we have less of a chance to lose any of it. Any how, here's how the game went:
1)Joshua was 1st up to bat...he hit the T, it fell over and on his second hit....the ball flew. He eventually made it home and scored....FYI: they don't officially keep score, but you know how that goes...LOL!
2) Joshua got to play short stop/2nd base...whatever you call it when they have 14 kids on the field all backing one another up.
3) Then Joshua got geared up in the 3rd inning to play CATCHER! I must say, he made a super cute little catcher and he tried very hard.
4)Then the icing on the cake was when Joshua got called after the game to get the TEAM BALL!
WOW, that was a lot of t-ball excitment for Joshua! I had to warn him that it won't always be so eventful but he was very fortunate to have a very great and memorable 1st game! I'm sure it will be an action packed season!! GO A's!

Happy 105th Birthday, Dr. Suess!

Monday was Dr. Suesses' Birthday or Read Across America Day! The kids school really makes a BIG deal about it. Parents are invited to come into the classroom to celebrate by reading with their children in the classroom. This is only after they have a book read to them at the flag salute. Hal Clement a local San Diego News Man and father of one of our 3rd grade teachers has come for several years now to read a Dr. Suess Book to the kids. This year Miss Clement's 3rd grade class acted out The Snitches as it was read by Hal. It was adorable! The children wore their CRAZY hats in Dr. Suesses honor then they paraded around the black top with their class banner that represented a book that their class had recently read. What a fun way to start the week!!