Preschool Year #1

Because Taesya made such a good impression on her former preschool teacher, Canon got the opportunity to attend this year.  He's technically not four years old until the end of October, but they made an exception.  So he'll be in this class for two years before he starts Kindergarten.

I love this preschool class.  It's at our local elementary school and the teachers are wonderful.  Yes, my son has to wear uniforms, but he's excited about his new "school clothes."  It's so nice for me to have both kids at the same school.  They even see each other in the halls sometimes.  I need to figure out what time Taesya has lunch, so we can all eat in the cafeteria together one day.

He's learning new songs, making new friends, and feeling like such a big boy.  What a sweetie.

Can you find:

1.  One child actually trying to say, "Cheese," for the photo.

2.  The food item that we buy every week.  Sometimes two boxes.

3.  The Halloween costume that one child plans to wear every day.  Hint: it comes with a pointy black hat.

4.  A scratched nose.

5.  Healing stitches covered with "Steri strips."

6.  Three stuffy noses.

7.  One child with combed hair.  (This is a trick, there aren't any.)

8.  One child wearing shoes.  (Another trick.)

9.  Three kids who just can't resist sitting right next to each other at all times.

The Wisdom of the Chinese

It was pay day yesterday, so we splurged and ate dinner at Pei Wei, which we love.  Ben and I always share the Honey-seared Chicken and the Lettuce Wraps.  We order Chicken Lo Mein for the munchkins.  The kids each got a fortune cookie and Keller's made me laugh out loud.  

Tae:   Investigate new possibilities with friends.  Now is the time!

Canon:   That special someone loves to see the light in your eyes.

Kel:   You have a charming way with words and should write a book.  (I can't agree more.  With words of wisdom like "No want it!" and "Okidokee," his book would be a hit.)

Mine was great, as well:   You'll have more to give if you take some time for yourself.  Profound insight from a cookie; don't you think?

Tae makes me smile

Taesya came in from playing and her loose tooth was finally out.  But we have no idea where it went.  So she's leaving a note for the tooth fairy under her pillow.  This is her very first lost tooth, by the way.  We'll see what happens tonight!

I only helped her when she asked.  I think she did a great job; made me smile anyway.  Oh, and for my little sister, Courtney, Taesya drew a picture of you in a crown.  She said it was for the "Draw Courtney in a crown" contest.  I hope she wins.  :)

Another one bites the dust

Bit of a goose egg, as well.

Well, she set the record.  Taesya, at age five, will go down in history as our child who lived the longest without stitches.  Canon blew his chances when he bonked his nose on the footboard of Taesya's wooden bed; he was only 15 months old.  Keller just recently sustained a trampoline injury at just shy of 18 months.  And now Tae, who was hit by a large rock while swinging, has joined the Peck Child Head Wound Hall of Fame.  

(The rock, by the way, was thrown by Taesya's dear brother, Canon, who has done his fair share of apologizing.)

Taesya was a tough girl and didn't shed a tear while the doctor patched her up.  The Urgent Care nurse was really great and made Taesya feel like the biggest girl.  I told her how cool she was to get 5 stitches and that she should tell her teacher all about it.  She sported a lovely Barbie band-aid to school this morning.   Seems like she'll be just fine.

I just sort of shake my head at this point.  It was quite the afternoon.  Being a mom and dealing with bloody injuries -- yeah, sometimes this job is not my cup of tea.  Everyone is in one piece today, though, and we're hoping to keep it that way.  If my younger brothers are any prediction of the life my kids will lead, I have plenty more injuries to look forward to in my career as a mother.  

My brother-in-law, who is currently in medical school, ought to specialize in Family Practice and move into my future neighborhood.  Don't you think so, Ash?

Canon was so little and his ouchie was front and center on his face.  He was jumping off his mattress on the ground and his head ran into his sister's bed.

He's healed up, but Canon's scar is pretty much a part of who he is now.

We don't have an initial picture of when Keller got hurt.  He was jumping on Grandma Debbie's trampoline and fell onto where the spring meets the bar.  But here he is with his bandages.

The teens in our Sunday School class say he has a Harry Potter scar.  We've yet to discover any special powers, though.

Note:  Both boys were injured from jumping and falling.  Taesya's was a little different.  Poor Jovie.  Also, this is the first accident to occur while I was in charge of the kids.  Ben jokes that people always get hurt when Daddy's watching.

Kindergarten

Tae's officially going to school all day.  Which means that my most helpful, independent child is gone... to be helpful and independent for someone else.  Bummer.  Canon had a pretty emotional day yesterday; having to make his own decisions was tough on him, as he is used to just doing whatever Taesya does.  But me and my little boys will adjust.  Keller will learn to copy Canon and I will teach them both to become helpful and independent in time.

She had a great first day.  She was most excited to tell me about quiet time when they all slept.  And they colored; she mentioned that as well.  Back to School Night was basically just a review of all the paperwork they'd already sent home to read, but it was nice to see her in her little Kindergarten environment.  Tae's the kind of kid that absolutely loves school; learning new things and having other kids to talk to--it's her perfect set up.

We have to get in the routine of drop-offs and pick-ups.  Then Canon will start preschool next week and add two more car trips.  I hope this just becomes natural after a while.  My big belly isn't really helping, though, with the ins and outs--it's tiring.

My oldest child is in Kindergarten; I am proud of the sweet little girl she has become.  I hope she brings joy to everyone around her, like she does to me.  I love you, Tae.

A Moment

We bought this wonderful book from the distribution center that is full of gospel images.  And each has a scripture referenced in the front.  So we are going to use this as a springboard for our family scripture study.  Tonight Taesya picked the picture of Isaiah writing of Christ's birth.  We talked about what we saw in the picture, then read the three verses to go along with it.  It was nice.  The kids all get really excited about pictures of Jesus or the temple, even Keller.  Ben took this video of Keller while we were "reading" the book afterwards.  

(Kel just snuck out of the bath, by the way, and came to ask me "What doin'?"  He's getting so smart.)

Happily Ever After

This is the part of the story when a fairy godmother sweeps in to make my toddler happy again. His crying is over, his whining is done, he has no desire to follow me around and ask for endless things. Poof, suddenly he is smiling and content. Wonderful!



Waiting.



Waiting.



K, who didn't tell the fairy godmother? Dang it.

Feeling wimpy a bit

(Wish I looked this cute)

I'm five months pregnant and beginning to feel very out of shape.  Granted, I have been eating lots and lots of junk.  I crave sugar all of the time, and especially when things are tough at home, I eat way too much of a good thing.  So when I hopped onto the elliptical today, I was tired after about a minute.  I seriously considered sitting on a bench for the hour to at least get my money's worth out of the daycare.  But I plugged along.  It was so hard today.  

I did what I could do.  And I got a break from the house and the kids.  My brain was empty for a small chunk of time and that felt wonderful.  I hope this rough workout doesn't become a trend, because I still have a ways to go in this pregnancy.  As for today, though, I'm proud that I worked my heart and my muscles.  Go me.

My backyard looks like a wet disaster

It's not even 9:00 yet and I am already shaking my fist at this day.  Not a good sign. So I have to reset my brain and begin again.

I started to re-read a parenting book last night; maybe this time it'll stick.  It's called Common Sense Parenting of Toddlers and Preschoolers.  I've never finished it, so I can't recommend it; but chapter one was super enlightening this time around.  It was all about expectations.  I took a minute to determine what I really expect from my children.

I expect Taesya to:
Dress herself and put her dirty clothes in the hamper
Brush her hair
Brush her teeth
Clear her dishes into the sink
Buckle her seatbelt
Pour a drink for herself
Use fork, spoon, napkin
Make her bed
Play independently sometimes
Speak kindly

I expect Canon to:
Dress himself and put his dirty clothes in the hamper
Brush his teeth with help
Make his bed with help
Clear his dishes
Play independently sometimes
Use fork, spoon, napkin
Get into his carseat and buckle the top buckle
Speak kindly

I expect Keller to:
Begin to keep his food on the table
Drink out of a cup
Stay out of the dog's food/water
Stay in one place for diaper and clothing changes

I'm supposed to make sure that I have communicated my expectations to my children.  They should understand them, be able to describe them to me in their own words.  And also I am supposed to lead by example.  If I'm not getting myself ready in the morning, why would the kids think they should?  Mom is showing them that we should get dressed and cleaned up at the last minute.  So I have to adjust my habits and they will notice.

This week, we are going to work on expectations.  What do I expect of my children and what do they expect of me.  I realize my children expect me to be a lot more prepared than I actually am.  And if I lived up to their expectations, I believe things would be smoother.

I have a friend coming over in twenty minutes, so I better get myself dressed.  I have reset my brain, for now at least.

P.S. Snow is Crummy

Things are a'changing around here.  The kids are growing up so much and I'm having to adjust my idea of daily life.  Figure out new ideas and new goals.  Ben and I are having talks about what we want out of life and where we want to be in 5 years.  Maybe it's the Spring Cleaning idea; we have this drive to begin anew, to jumpstart our old ways.  

We're going to improve our home one project/piece of furniture at a time.  Slowly turning it into a more pleasant place to live.  Ben's office is going to move into another room as soon as we figure out Wifi, and then he will have a door to close.  (He is quite excited about that idea.)

I am resolved to sit down and play with my children each day.  Yesterday I colored with Tae and Canon; we had a great time.  Taesya drew a snowman, Canon drew a "shooter" - Canon even wrote an S, two N's, and an O.  It felt nice to just play for once.  

It's good for Ben and I to re-establish the path that we want to be on.  Life gets going and we sort of end up wandering.  But now the team is recommitted, our uniforms are cleaned and pressed, we've planned the line-up, and it's going to be a great season.  Batter up!

Creation

We did projects tonight as a family.  Meaning that we cut up magazines, glued things, put stickers on paper... it was fun!  I love creating art with my kids and I need to do it a lot more.  My favorite is when our house is covered top to bottom with projects we've completed together.  We tape them onto doors, mirrors, and once we even attached them to the ceiling.  Art is important to me; it makes me happy.

I'd love to post the outcome of our art time, but I have to wait until my little sister opens up her email tomorrow on her birthday!  Happy Birthday, Ashley; we love you so.

*Update: Here are Canon and Taesya's cards!

Like a Box of Chocolates

I'm 25 years old and I carry a lot of adult responsibility.  I have a mortgage, a self-employed husband, and three children under the age of 5.  Sometimes I envy those other 25 year olds that I graduated with; I imagine they all live glamorous, simple lives.  Lives of less responsibility.  Recently I have realized I am wrong.

One 25 year old has had to cope with years of infertility and is now working hard to be considered for adoption.
One 25 year old fell in love with a boy who was called off to war.  A whole year she waited to be with him again.
One 25 year old was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  She's been through surgery and chemotherapy.

As I heard these stories, I was taken aback that someone could go through such difficulty at such a young age.  And I'm stunned at how different each of our lives can be.  In my ignorance, I saw only married-with-kids and single-and-interesting.  Like every other kid I knew just stayed a teenager or something.  Life is more complex than that.

This 25 year old woke up at 5 am with a sick son.  I couldn't fall back to sleep because I'm worrying about an audition that I have today, and my other sick child is sleeping in my bed.  There is food in my refrigerator, though; and after I eat breakfast, I will say good morning to my good husband.  He'll smile at me and we'll work together through the chaos of a morning in our home.  There is the burden of responsibility, that I feel on my shoulders everyday, but there is also a great deal of love.  And I am grateful for all the love in my life.

I'm grateful for my beautiful children.  I'm grateful for my health.  And I'm grateful that Heavenly Father sent me trials designed specifically for me; He knows me better than I know myself, for sure.

I want to express my admiration for those out there who are going through something hard.  You are strong and resilient; you will make it through this trial.  I look up to you.

Taesya's prayer

Imagine a little 4 year old say this, while half asleep:

"Please bless all the plants and people to grow.... but not into giants.  Please bless us to get older but also to be young sometimes."

Brought me many smiles and I hope those come your way also. Smile people, its good for you.

Ben

Current Events

Taesya is our beautiful daughter, who loves to help.  She wants to cook and take care of her brothers.  Today she was pouting because we didn't let her clean up Riley's poop.

Riley likes to follow us around, get petted, and lay in various locations.  Yesterday we gave him his second bath and it was much wetter than the first.  

Canon draws robots, almost exclusively.  It makes me glad that all of my children like to color; even Kel is starting to get the hang of it.  Art is good for the soul, I believe.

This is Keller reading King Lear.  Pretty good for a one year old.  He prefers my books to the kid's books.  And he will tell you (in his baby language) exactly what he is reading.  Today he was perusing Freddy and Fredericka, which is an interesting novel; you might consider giving it a try.  

I'm having a rocky day.  But I had a really good walk/run with Riley; and the sun is shining.  Ben and I are determined to go on a date this weekend, which I know will do us some good.  We really have to make a point to speak to one another when life gets busy, or else we just don't.  Crazy life.

Children as Dogs and Vice Versa

1.  Even when Keller "says" he's done eating the food we are giving him at the table, he will still try his very best to get at the food that has fallen underneath.  Somehow it looks yummier down there?

2.  Reported to us by Taesya, in the middle of a digging session in the backyard, Canon pulled down his pants and peed on the grass.  Completely random.  Where did he learn this from?  This was pre-Riley, I promise.

3.  When Taesya had her own room, we would find that she had fallen asleep on the floor more often than on the bed.  I'm guessing she'd have a firm setting on a Sleep Number bed.

And, as a side note, why aren't there children obedience training classes?  I'd pay money for that.

Busytown

Ben has been working like a crazy person lately.  Working all day, then after the kids are in bed, working at night.  He's exhausted.  But he's happy.  I think that he's happier working for himself, making his own decisions, doing what he loves.  He worries about money, but he's more content than I've seen him in a long time.

Check out Ben's work at www.bentdesignstudio.com

The Secret Garden (the play that I am in) is going well.  We finished blocking last night, so from now on, we're just running the show over and over and over.  I love being at the Children's Theater and spending time with all those hilarious people.  I laugh every day!  And it's awesome to receive such support from my friends and family; so many people want to come see the show--I feel so loved.

If you want tickets: www.tctheatre.org

We have had a dog for almost 4 days now.  We adopted Riley on Friday, picking him up in Logan.  He is a 3-yr-old Alaskan Malamute/German Shepherd mix.  Every day has been a learning experience, for sure.  Just learning to understand what he needs is going to take some time.  (Does he need to go outside?  Or does he just need some attention?)  I think I expected that life would be the same, just with a dog; but life is different, and we need to make some adjustments.  For example, Ben learned yesterday that doing sit-ups on the floor with the dog in the room is basically impossible.  Riley is such a sweetie, though, and we're glad to have him in our family.  

Keller has decided to start talking again.  He took a long break while he was learning to walk, but now that he's gotten that skill down, he's refocused on communication.  He can say ball, book, dog, no no, tickle tickle, mama, dada, baba (bottle), and something that sounds a little bit like Taesya.  Anytime he learns a new grown-up thing, he looks so proud of himself.  My favorite is Kisses!  He kisses me now!

Taesya's still doing great in school.  Her teacher wants her to get tested for some kind of more advanced schooling, but I have mixed feeling about that.  I really want my kids to be kids, to be able to have fun, avoid all the pressure for a while.  Why are we all in such a hurry to grow up?  Being grown up is tough.  So, for now, Tae's going to stay where she's at.

Canon and I went to Smith's together yesterday, just the two of us.  It was a quick trip, but we had a good time.  Canon is such a sweet kid.  He loves me and we love being together.  He picked some Star Wars fruit snacks for himself.  Random sticks are becoming swords lately, and half-eaten toast becomes a gun.  Should I be worried?  

Hope this didn't seem like a Christmas letter; there's a lot going on 'round here.

Take a Deep Breath and Smile

Courtesy of Taesya Peck, age 4.

Just some yadda

Keller is sorting socks while Canon watches Cinderella in the family room.  I am still in my pajamas and tackling my "list" one thing at a time.  My abs are killing me from yesterday.  Just some basic sit-up type stuff, but apparently I really needed it.  Tae's at school and Benny's working from the library currently.

I bought a new air freshener and it's kind of suffocating me.  I want my house to smell nice, but a muted level of nice.  Whew, I really hope this thing tones down soon.

I think I offended the sun yesterday.  I don't exactly understand it, but I sent Taesya to school with shorts, and I even wore sandals myself.  By afternoon the sky and turned grey and today there isn't a ray of sunlight to be seen.  There are raindrops on the window and I am seriously remorseful for jumping the summer gun.  Please come back, sun, and I promise I'll keep my family wearing pants and socks until May.  Please?

Hey, look, Keller's still in Jammies, too.  G-L-OO-MY Day.  Here's hoping there's sunshine in your corner of the planet.

Photo Booth is our New Favorite Toy

Just some good times with two of my best friends.