1st Day of School X2!!!

Emma had her 1st day of FIRST grade on July 25th…. yep, our 3 week summer was SHORT!!!

She was nervous to start something new, but was very excited to see all her friends again!  

The first couple of weeks were HARD on Emma!  She is an awesome student & loves to learn, but her Chinese class was hard for her because they wouldn’t allow you to speak ANY ENGLISH!!!  When you did speak English you got a sticker taken away & you got stickers for saying things in Chinese.  Emma got MANY stickers removed from her chart, & became VERY discouraged & wanted to withdraw from the program.  We had many talks about how life is hard sometimes, but we just have to keep trying our best.  In about a 3 week time she was catching onto the ONLY Chinese in Chinese class & was really loving her teachers …… It’s always hard to watch your child struggle, but it’s awesome to watch Emma EXCEL in both her classes.  At parent teacher conferences a  couple weeks ago the Chinese teacher was SHOCKED that neither Alan or I spoke Chinese!!  He explained that Emma is at the top of the class in speaking & understanding the language ……. I’m so PROUD of her!!!  She CAN DO HARD things & SHE KNOWS IT!!!

After dropping her off & looking at the FISHIES with the boys, Zachary was all gung-ho about going to pre-school …

 

…… it was a VERY long 6 weeks until he actually started!  But when that blessed day came there was much RE-JOYCING on his part!!!!

Zachary started school on September 5, & has LOVED it!!!  He goes Monday & Wednesday for 2 1/2 hours & is loving the social interaction & the learning crafts they make!!! He was EXSTATIC about going the first day & had no apprehensions AT ALL!!!

 

I had a lil’ chat with his teacher recently & learned that he is such a good listener & minder!!  She explained that she felt bad because she felt like she wasn’t paying enough attention to him because there was so many fights & rough housing she had to focus on.  She said she was happy to know that when she told Zachary to do something she knew he was on task & doing it, so she didn’t have to worry about him!

   

I’m so proud of my ALL-STAR students!!!  I’m grateful that, for the most part, they both LOVE school & going to school … they do have their days of DRAGGING their feet, but don’t we all!!!

I’m grateful to be their Mom & grateful that they are learning & growing.  It’s hard to send them off, but when I know they have such AMAZING teachers it makes it easier!!!

I’m happy I get to volunteer this year in Emma’s class one day a week!   It’s while Zachary is at school, so I just bring Kye along & he plays on my phone & I don’t hear a PEEP from him ….. thank goodness for TECHNOLOGY!!!  I’m also excited to attend all the FUN-FILLED field trips with Zachary!

…… This should be an exciting year for both of them & I am grateful to be able to tag along some of the time!!!!!

LOTOJA 2012

This is one race I have a STRONG love/hate relationship with.  It’s a fun race for people DOING it I’m sure …. but to drive all that way in a car …. BITTER/SWEET!  It conveniently falls on the weekend of our Anniversary …. at least I get to spend the weekend with Alan?!!? In a round about way & with other people & really it’s NOT my idea of a romantic getaway! Hmmmm …. I do enjoy seeing him accomplish this race … it’s a mind boggling race that seems so unaccomplishable to me, even with riding this summer!  I also think he is quite SEXY, sorry he is, to watch …. running or biking.  I like to be a moral support to him too & I wouldn’t miss a race, if he’s doing one … I guess I get that mentality from my Mom, but I LOVE it ---Thanks Mom for ALWAYS supporting ME!!!

So for the 2nd year in a row THIS is what we did:  SOME this the same as last A LOT of things different

---

Difference: New, FASTER, LIGHTER Bike

“Nice Orbea!” was what some fellow rider told him on one of OUR rides we did this summer & Alan was in rider’s HEAVEN … he LOVES this bike!!!Difference:

His riding partner --- Last year Blake was Al’s riding partner & he was THIS year until about mid-summer when He & Meggie made plans & moved far, far away from us ---:( It made me SAD not to have them there, BUT the show {Race} must go on ….

Luckily Alan had been training with a guy in our ward … so he just asked him if he’d want to do it & of course he did …. Enter Cody Cagle & his wife Amy …. at least it gave me an AWESOME person to hang with!!!

Same:

Alan rode the EXACT same legs …. I think he had something to prove to himself … I he DID accomplish the proving!!!  He slaughtered his rides & felt like they were MUCH easier on him during & afterwards!!!!

 

Same/Difference:

We got to see Grandma Wilkes just like we did last year, but this year we opted to STAY in Jackson Hole rather than drive back & stay with Grandma.

It was nice to just CRASH after Alan & Cody finished. It was also fun to feel like we were “getting away” for the weekend & staying in a nice hotel & be able to HOT TUB it afterward ---- :)

  

Difference:

Alan finished his legs in the amount of time, OR LESS, that he thought he would.  That made the “WAITING game” not so torture-some!!!

They finished in: 10 Hours  23 minutes 4 Seconds

They did AWESOME & it was nice to be done EARLY …. like 4 o’clock-ish!!!!

We showered up, got ready, & got some take-out PIZZA!!!  Ate it in our hotel room, watched some TV, & then FORCED the boys down to the HOT TUB where we chatted & Enjoyed the STEAMY, HOT water … well Amy & I did!!! :)

The BOYS were DEAD & ended our enjoyment EARLY, but at least we got to enjoy for a lil while!!! :)

 

Until NEXT TIME …… :) ….. Don’t know yet if I’m gonna ALLOW him to do it NEXT YEAR!! :)

Last day of School …

I know this is TOTALLY LATE, but so is a lot on this blog right now & I do want to remember Emma’s year of Kindergarten & what we did the LAST day of SCHOOL ….

Em’s last day was July 3 …. Yep, the day before the 4th of July …. LOVELY!!! {NOT}  It STUNK, but it’s life on year round, i guess. {The rest of the year I don’t mind year round, but THIS summer was hard to only have 3 weeks to squeeze all the fun in!}

ANYWAYS ---

She had 2 AMAZING teachers for Kindergarten: Mrs. Larsen who taught the English side of things, & Mr. Lon who taught the Chinese side of things, Emma adored him & I was so impressed with him!  She truly LOVED Kindergarten & CRIED often the last week of school thinking she’d HATE 1st grade.  {I am happy to report she LOVES 1st grade too!!}

T The boys helped me decorate a BIG banner to hang in our house ….We then picked Em up from school & headed to our FAVORITE park … THE CASTLE PARK!

We ate lunch & got a lil’ SILLY, but had a BLAST playing around together!!!

Then we headed back home to enjoy our surprises, treats, & a wonderful MOVIE together …. It was a fun day & We were all so excited to FINALLY have SUMMER HERE!!!

Zachary’s BE-LATED 4th Birthday Post:

Yep, 4 months LATE, but definitely worth the WAIT!!! :)

Zach turned 4 back in May on our vacation to California.  It was such a fun things to celebrate on our vacation & I hope looking back on this he knows we did things “SPECIAL” on that day … just for HIM!!!

Before we left we had several people come & give him presents, so they would miss his ACTUAL birthday.  First up was his primary teachers who gave him a balloon, a special cup, 2 awesome cars, & lots of yummy candy.  Then Grammy & Grandpa Madsen came to give him an awesome ball tosser/catcher sticky thing.  {which we had a BLAST playing with this summer}  Next Grandma & Grandpa Fergy came delivering his final pre-Birthday gift --- a magnetic guy dress-up doll & a DARLING outfit!!!  He was one spoiled boy & he hadn’t received gifts from US, yet!!!  Thanks to EVERYONE who made him feel special with all your gifts!!! We left for our vacation & had plans of going to the beach ON his birthday cause he LOVES the water, but due to weather reports we went the day before … for this reason we had a lil pre-birthday giving of gifts right there in the parking lot of the beach … cause you can’t give dinosaur sand molds the day AFTER going to the beach!!! May 23 was his ACTUAL birthday & boy did we CELEBRATE …. good times!!  He opened a few more present before getting his BIGGER gift from the closet of our hotel room …..  A neighbor had lent us a 2-wheeler bike once Zachary learned how to ride Emma’s.  It was SUPER nice to have each of them have their own bikes to ride around on bike rides & such, so we decided Zach needed a bike of his own for his birthday … no training wheel & ALL!!  He LOVED his new bike & mastered even getting on & off all by himself just THIS summer!!!  He is one quick & determined learner …His life theme is: anything SHE {aka EMMA} can do I can do BETTER! We went to a park & played & rode bikes.  It was a lovely day, so via Zach’s request….. we went swimming in Aunt Ashley’s pool.  It was a short swim & then we headed back to the hotel to rest up & shower to get ready for a night full of fun!!!

We surprised all of our kids by taking to Chucky Cheese.  They had NEVER been and it was fun to watch their eyes light up as they really realized ALL that this fun place entails!!  We watched the “KID” come out in us all …. Ash, Luis, Alan, & I got to play plenty of games too!!!!! 

It was such a blast to play away all our coins & then redeem the tickets for rink-e-dink prizes …. oh the JOYS of being a KID!!

The day was FULL of surprises … just when Zach thought he had hit the HIGHLIGHT of the day we headed back to Ash, Lu, & Ra-Ra’s house to celebrate with a SPIDER MAN ICE CREAM CAKE …. Zach had seen this cake earlier in the week as we went out for ice cream with the Moreno’s …… he FELL in love & said he wanted it for his birthday, but when his actual day came he NEVER said a word about it …. As Ash & Lu went to get it, so it could be a surprise …. they informed them that they had sold that cake just 1 hour earlier!!!  AGH!!!  Well the kind people at Baskin Robin whipped up another one in no time flat & all was well after all!!!!

Thanks Ash & Lu for letting us eat saturated blue dye cake at YOUR house!!!!  Thanks for helping us with ALL our surprises & thanks for sharing the remarkable birthday with us!!!  My kids …. well Emma & Zach … have asked if they can always celebrate their birthdays in California & Chuck E Cheeses!!!

 

& just like MOST nights ENDED in California ….. We carried ALL our sleeping “BABIES” straight up stairs into their beds …. EVEN OUR not so Lil 4 Year OLD!!!

GOODNIGHT …. SLEEP TIGHT …. BIRTHDAY BOY!!!!!

Here are SOME things about Zachary that I wanna remember:

{feel free to skip on over …. these are for ME!!!}

-He has the kindest, sweetest heart!

-He almost ALWAYS thanks me for any meal before anyone else, but almost never clears his dishes.  :)

-He is all boy & loves ANYTHING & EVERYTHING that might shoot, protect, & fight away bad guys!

-He still will snuggle up close to me whenever he gets a chance

-He doesn’t takes naps, but when he HITS the pillow at night …. HE IS OUT …. TOTALLY WORTH IT {for me}!!!

-He gets his feelings hurt & is afraid to ask people to play with him ---- EVEN COUSINS!

-He calls me his “SWEET BABOO” --- & i can’t get enough of it!

-His favorite colors are blue & green

-He is the precious lil soul of our family who prays with all his heart, and forgets to bless Emma, but prays for another baby.  :) {nope, NO announcement!!!}

-His nicknames are: Zach-a-roni, Buddy, Dude, Zach Attack, Zacharias, Zachary Dachery, & Z-Man.

-He LOVES all food EXCEPT my homemade mac n’ cheese with bread crumbs on top … lil’ stinker --- it is the BEST STUFF EVER!

-His favorite food is PIZZA --- OF COURSE!

-He loves to LEARN & gobbles up when I sit down with him to teach him how to write letters/numbers.

-I would have to say his favorite activity is watching movies/playing on phones …. darn you technology …. its such a battle to make sure he doesn’t do this ALL DAY LONG!

-His favorite movies is: Kung Fu Panda or Monster House

He is my LOVEABLE lil Teddy Bear & I love that his cheeks are STILL so kissable … just like the day he was born!  He is TOTAL boy, with a side of sensitive & I just adore having him around.  He’s always happy to go shopping as long as the store is ONLY food & has a FUN sitting cart.  He loves going to pre-school & couldn’t WAIT to start it this fall!!!

Our family is so blessed to have such a SMART & SWEET Son/Brother in it & I love him to pieces as his Mommy!!!

Thanks Zachary for showing me ample amounts of kindness EVERY day & how to be truly polite!!!

Love ya …. BUDDY!!!!