It's happening already...

Alyssa came home from school last week with 3 phone numbers. Each phone number was written in large numbers on a half piece of paper torn from a full sheet. You could tell a 1st grader had proudly written the numbers. Each page folded in several folds, one from Kira, another from Imani and other from....a boy, Nicholas.

Alyssa wanted so badly to call these friends and talk with them on the phone. Considering she is only in 1st grade I didn't feel very compelled to let her call them. Also I just didn't know if their parents would appreciate it either. We didn't let her call, but did ask..."did you give your number to anyone?" Alyssa smiled shyly and said yes, I gave it to Kira, Imani and Nicholas. We asked, sort-of testing to make sure she knew her phone number, what number did you give them? She said I gave Kira and Imani 476-.... ( which was correct, she knows her phone number) and I gave Nicholas 312-...." Chad and I laughed, as that is Chad's cell phone number. Chad said "good, I want to talk to that Nicholas if he calls".

This week Alyssa talked her dad into letting her call Nicholas. Alyssa dialed the number and spoke to Nicholas's father. She asked if Nicholas was there and his dad said, who is this. Alyssa explained that she was a friend from Nicholas class. Nicholas's dad said, well I'm not home right now I'm at work, you called my cell phone, but what is your number, I'll have Nicholas call you when I get home. Alyssa proudly gave Nicholas's dad her number.

Sure enough she got a call back from Nicholas. She took the phone to her room and chatted with him, while I stood outside her door and listened. She giggled and asked if his sister was there and if she could talk to her. She asked what he was doing. When I told her it was time to hang up she said in such a big girl way, "Nicholas I need to go, my mom said I need to go, I'll see you at school tomorrow, bye Nicholas".

I believe this is a small glimpse into the next 12 years! She is growing up so fast. YIKES

Witches

Owen and I have been playing make believe. We had a mommy/son day at the park. We went on a short hike in the woods. We were "looking for the dragon and giant". When we found the dragon (tree stump and looked like it could be the tail end of a dragon" I told him that I thought the dragon was petrified, I explained that it was now wood like because the witch ( who lived in the trees at this park) put a magic spell on the dragon and made it that way. Owen wouldn't walk past the tree, he insisted I touch it and hold him as we walked by.

Oh boy, for days Owen has been talking about witches. Amy his child care provider says he's talking about it all the time at her house, to the point that he's scaring himself. She won't even say the word out loud and spelled it out to me when discussing her concern.

Last night at dinner he had a short conversation about a "witch". It went something like this...
Emily- "Owen I hear you've been talking to Amy about witches"
Owen-"Mrs. Anderson is a witch".
Chad- "who's Mrs. Anderson".
Owen-" the crossing guard at Bella's school".
Chad- "how do you know she is a witch Owen".
Owen -"she has white hair".

Chad and I are just amazed, he's 2 years old and knows what the crossing guard is. However, Amy is worried Owen might call Mrs. Anderson a witch when they pick up Bella from school.

He means no harm really. He just thinks she's the one that cast the spell on the dragon in the park.

Oh to be 2 again!

Locked in locked out

Ok just for those of you that think you're having a bad day.

Could it be any worse than... driving to Seattle to take your parents to the port and leaving your truck (husbands truck no less, with his fishing license he needs for his fishing trip the next day) in the parking lot at the port while you take a cab to the theater down town Seattle, to come back and find you are locked out of the parking area, not an attendant in sight, not a single way back in to get you truck out.

Thank goodness I let Desiree drive me back to the parking lot, if I would have been in a cab Alyssa and I would have been stuck on the side of the road looking lost and pathetic or with a huge cab fair from Seattle to Tacoma.

If that doesn't sound too terribly bad and you think your day is worse, could it be worse than (mind you this is less than 24 hours later) leaving the house in your mom's car (because she drives a mustang and you thought you'd be really cool driving it) to go to the gym to come home and realize you took your mom's keys not your own and have locked yourself, your 2 year old and 6 year old out of the house. The spare key isn't in the "hiding spot" and you neighbor, bless her heart talks you into using her really long ladder to get on the roof (which has a very steep slope mind you). Getting on the roof proves to be a bit more challenging than first anticipated and neither myself nor Laura would take that step from the top rung of the ladder to the steep incline of the roof. We go and find another window that is open (only windows that are open are on the 2nd floor), as we position the ladder(and now the whole neighborhood is watching and knows exactly how easy it is to break into our home) we find we can't get the screen off. I say "just get me a knife and I'll cut it, but unsure if I can fit in the window we look for another window. Owen's bedroom window is open and I manage...finagle more like myself inside the window as Laura "shout's where is a camera when you need one" as my rear is sticking out of the window as I'm driving in face first.

Really your day can't be that bad.

Take you daughter to a musical

Alyssa and I went on a date to the Shrek musical. What a fun time we had. It was down town Seattle at the Fifth Avenue theater. I don't know who was more mesmorized, Alyssa or me. We went with Desiree and the Eberhart boys. We rode in a taxi, which was a first for Alyssa. She said as we were getting into, do I have to take my car seat? I didn't make her.

It was a very special date I'd highly recommend for a mother/daughter day. I can hardly wait for Annie!

Puyallup Fair

Amber and Alyssa Puyallup Fair 2008

Alyssa and Amber Puyallup Fair 2007

Alyssa's school closes for 1 day during the fair, I'm sure it's for a teacher in service day, but they call it fair day. The children get a free ticket to the fair and families are encouraged to go. You better believe we go. Our family loves the fair. Owen has been asking about the fair since early spring. Chad was gone on a fishing trip so I took Alyssa, Owen and Amber to the fair. We got there at 12:00 and didn't get home until 9:00.

Who doesn't love unlimited rides, corn dogs, cotton candy, face painting, fishing, petting zoo, pirates and the scones.

Fishing for junk toys...gotta love those fair stuffed toys.

Puyallup Fair delight...Krusty Pups, curly fries and pepsi.

Alyssa and Amber loved the extreme jump, Owen gave it his best try. The girls were doing back flips like nobodys business. I just forgot to take a picture of it...boy were they mad.

The girls are about an inch shy of riding the big rides, they did however get to go on the some of the "bigger" rides. Amber's really wished she would have worn her heelies, she would have been able to ride the roller coasters.

Owen could have rode this ride all day long. In fact he ask all day long to ride the "motorcycle".

The best pirate ever, my kids weren't even scared, that's amazing

Speed racer!

First Day of First Grade- "So easy"

So for those of you that know me well, know how hard I was struggling with whether to send Alyssa to 1st grade this year. Being a young kindergartener I thought that perhaps she should do kindergarten again and give her a little edge when she entered the 1st grade.

Well as you know from our previous post when she graduated Kindergarten we made the decision to let her move on with her classmates to the first grade. Even though we made the decision I had a difficult time this summer letting it go and giving it to God. I still had serveral conversations with myself, Laura, Desiree and Cathy (all my good friends) and Chad as to whether we made the right decision.

Knowing that God had given me peace when I prayed about this at the end of last year, Alyssa started 1st grade on Sept. 2. What I'm most excited about is she's returning to the school she attended last year, in a 1st and 2nd grade combination class. She has 19 ( 10 from Kindergarten) classmates and Amber, Alyssa's best friend (who is in 2nd grade) is in her class. Alyssa is excited about being in the same class and Amber said she is most excited about being able to help Alyssa.

We also have the priviledge of taking Amber to school. This is the second year that she has accompanied Alyssa to school, making the transition so easy for all of us.

Both girls reported after the first day of school that "First grade is so easy" - Alyssa,

"Second grade is so easy" - Amber.