Tired. . . Every Morning

Does anyone else have to literally pull all of their children out of bed EVERY school day morning?  Not only do Alex and I have to repeat this extraction process time and time again, we then have to turn around and find them flat on the floor when they are supposed to be getting ready.  Help!

Mother's Day Tea with The Belle

After the African Market, I made my way over to Adeline's school for their school wide Mother's Day Tea.  While most children have anticipation and excitement over the event, I am not sure Adeline fully understands what it means when I tell her that I will be at her school for the Mother's Day Tea.  It is really hard to know.  Because of this, I always worry that she will have an adverse reaction to all of the people or spot me in the crowd and want to come and sit on my lap.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Adeline immediately saw me and waved with a very cute, "Hi, Mommy."  She did a great job singing the songs and doing the motions.  At the end, when the preschool director stood up to speak, Adeline stepped down and climbed into her teacher's lap.  She rested her head on her should, then raised up and said, "I love you Stueve."  Priceless!!



After the singing, we joined together for some snacks and fellowship.  Adeline presented me with a gift she made.  She also had a drawing of me.  She initially did make a circle for my head and dot some eyes in but covered it up with her scribbles.  She isn't quite ready to draw due to the weakness in her fingers.

The most touching part of my time with her - possibly the only time she wasn't shoveling M&Ms in her mouth- was when she turned to me with a spontaneous, "Happy Mother's Day," followed by a hug.  I almost fell over.  She is really starting to get things! 

African Market

Today, Savannah's Kindergarten class put on an African Market. This activity was the culmination of a very exciting unit they have been working on for the past couple of months. Savannah chose to work the rain forest station because she was most interested in the gorillas. T. Michelle shared the story of Koko and his kitten which immediately grabbed Savannah's attention.  Savannah and her friend Lydia did a great job of presenting their information to parents and then to the students in her school.  I think they were pretty worn out after an hour of talking.  One thing was certain, Savannah was very proud of the work she put into this day.




Here is an example of another exhibit. There were about seven of them in all. It was rather impressive.

Belly Buttons

Does anyone else have a child that refers to their belly button as a belly but?  All three of mine do/did.  Yesterday, when going down for a nap, Lila requested, "I sleep with my belly but."  It was her way of saying that she wanted to sleep naked.  I thought is was rather cute.

I guess the heat is getting to us all.

Baltimore - Inner Harbor

Aunt Amy and Morgan flew out to Maryland for the Sheep and Wool Festival this past weekend. We knew we had to see them since they were only a couple of hours away. What better way to do it than to spend the weekend on the Inner Harbor? We took the kids out of school on Friday and drove down to pick Aunt Amy and Morgan up, and soon we were on our way to Baltimore. The weather was perfect and the company was even better.

The first stop. . . A Coast Guard boat. The girls were fascinated by its size and wanted so desperately to go in. We opted for a trip into the National Aquarium instead.

Two of the three girls loved the aquarium. It is huge and very dark. Lila paired off with Aunt Amy and is still talking about seeing the octopus. Savannah loved the Sting Rays but Adeline was not a fan. She was definitely interested in the fish but couldn't get herself over the sensation that they were going to come right out of the glass and get her. Again, unpredictable and fast movements from animals seemed to get the best of her. She did enjoy watching the huge sea turtle so it wasn't a total loss. We are members now so Miss Belle better gear up fro a couple more trips.

Dragon paddle boats were our next stop. This something I would have never considered if Amy and Morgan didn't raise the question. The rules stated four to a boat so Savannah teamed up with Amy and Morgan while the twins road with us. All three girls were VERY excited. I couldn't believe that Adeline was willing put on her life preserver. Once on the boat, Mommy and Daddy were quickly reminded that paddle boats (especially large ones) always take more work than you think. Adeline was insistent on "driving" which kept us going around in circles. Lila, on the other hand, just enjoyed the ride. Funny how I thought she would jump head first in the water and she never even budged from her seat.

After more exploring and sight seeing, it was time to return Amy and Morgan to the fair grounds. Since the dinner hour was upon us and not a nap had been had, I opted to take the girls to the hotel and skip the car ride. Our belongings were still in the car which left us stuck in an empty hotel room while nothing appropriate was on TV. No need to worry, the girls found plenty of ways to stay entertained. Here is on of them. . .

Once Daddy returned, we headed out for dinner. On our way we came across a pretty fun fountain and outdoor steal drum band. Daddy and The Belle shared a dance.

After the sun set we found ourselves over looking the harbor from our deck seating at Uno's. We scarfed down the pizza and enjoyed some yummy milkshakes.

After taking in all of the lights in and around the harbor - the Hard Rock Guitar being the favorite, we were off to the hotel for some much needed sleep. The girls had been going for 14 hours without a nap. I was amazed at how well behaved they were.

We woke up to wonderful weather yet again. Here are some pictures that include our water taxi rides, dreams of being a sea captain, and just enjoying spending time together. If you ever have a chance to a family trip the Inner Harbor, it is fun and easy. I think it was our best family trip yet!

Thank You Teachers!

Teacher Appreciation Day is upon us. . .  and I can't find the words that adequately describe the adoration I have for my girls' teachers.  These woman greet my girls with smiles and hugs each morning.  They work tirelessly to be an extension of my love and high expectations.  I feel incredibly lucky to drop my girls at three different doors each morning, knowing they are safe, loved, and pushed toward excellence.  What is even more gratifying is that these teachers "get" my girls and appreciate their unique qualities.  Savannah's teacher revels in her sweet/compassionate ways.  Lila's hard work and attention is never overlooked while Adeline's sweet perseverance is celebrated time and time again by her many teachers.

 There are 11 full time classroom teachers helping my three girls grow and develop.

Music to My Ears

My girls have been using their manners abundantly these last couple of weeks.  For example, while in the middle of dinner tonight, Adeline said, "Thanks for dinner Mommy."  Immediately, the other two did the same.  I couldn't believe it.  Sometimes Savannah will thank me and then the twins will follow suit but today it was Adeline.  Being thanked for making dinner is one way to make this Mommy feel super appreciated.  (Do you think it matters that dinner was pancakes, strawberries and scrambled eggs??)