Summer videos

2015-08-07 Shawn's 3rd stripe test on single red belt

 http://youtu.be/VYgilqKTVas  

2015-08-06 Shawn's Lego Robotics week of projects (The Kicker, airplane, alligator, & spinning tops)

http://youtu.be/ej-SoPuHdgc

2015-07-31 Lilly dancing with a lion at Gymboree

http://youtu.be/ZN6jjJhyzos

2015-07-17 Instrument Petting Zoo at the Library

http://youtu.be/ZiC3V66Wjes

PJs and compliments in Kindergarten

Lilly helped me set out the flag this morning. The morning DJs on the radio were doing a lot of remembrance and dedications.There was an eerie feeling in the air. I wonder when (if) that will ever go away.

Shawn's kindergarten class has been working on their goal of 50 compliments. For each compliment they earned as a class, they received a link in a paper chain. When the chain reached the floor, they met their goal. They voted as a class for a pajama and stuffed animal day.

Wednesday, the class met their goal! Shawn was so excited that he pulled out just the right pajamas to wear to school as soon as he got home. He had no trouble getting dressed this morning and was very excited about their reward.

About 15 minutes *after* Shawn's bus left on Thursday morning, I got an email blast from Mrs. Johnsen announcing the reward the class earned. For tomorrow. Friday. Ooops!

Since I hadn't heard anything official from school about pajama day until then, I had packed regular clothes in Shawn's backpack just in case (though he didn't end up changing). Today would have been a perfect pajama day, if you ask me. It was 48°F at the bus stop this morning! (I highly doubt we ever reached the forecast high of 61°F!)

From Ms. Johnsen:

Hi Everyone
Great News! The compliment Chain hit the floor this week!  The children votes to have a pajama day and bring-a-stuffed-animal-to-school day.!
So tomorrow, Friday, the children will be allowed to wear pajamas and bring ONE stuffed animal that will fit into their back pack. It will be a fun day of learning, teaching our favorite animals all about kindergarten. If the girls are used to wearing night gowns please have them wear shorts or slacks under it.  If your child prefers not to wear pajamas it is a choice! They can just bring their stuffed animal.
They are all very excited that they earned this reward!  We have already started earning new chains towards our next reward day!
Have a good day.
Karen Johnsen

Lilly and I went to Gymboree for Level 4 Play & Learn. The equipment was set up for the theme "Rocking & Rolling." Lilly's favorite activity was rolling/throwing whiffle balls down a ramp. Of course, she also likes the routine of bubbles, parachute, and "Gymbo the Clown Goes Up and Down" song.

Then, we picked up a gift at Babies R Us and visited my friend Melissa, with whom I used to teach. She had her second little boy 3 months ago, and I had yet to meet him. With her maternity leave ending this week, we made a point to set a date to see each other, otherwise we'd run the risk of not doing it until next summer! Lilly fell asleep on our way there, but it was more of a mom-playdate than a kid one anyway. Baby Alexander was very sweet, and I even got to cuddle with him for a little while :) Most of all, it was great to catch up with Melissa. Lilly and I said goodbye in time to pick Shawn up from the bus stop.

Instead of being disappointed or embarrassed that today wasn't actually pajama day, Shawn was thrilled that he gets to do it again tomorrow! He'll bring a small stuffed animal, too. The trouble is... which one? Decisions, decisions!

Busy day in St. Charles

Holy shmoley! What an afternoon. We had our Gymboree friends over for a playdate. One family was out of town, but we had 3 moms (plus me) and their 6 kids (plus Shawn & Lilly) come over. We basically stayed in the basement, other than a stray who'd wander upstairs occasionally. The moms have gotten used to being able to have a chance to chat while the kids play and burning energy. Today was a bit more challenging! Exhausting as it was for everyone involved, I'm really glad they came over. It was equally wonderful to say goodbye at the end! Phew! Moments after our last friend pulled out of our driveway, Shawn jumped into his karate uniform and we rushed to class. Lilly passed out in the car (lucky girl!) as we pulled out if the driveway. In class, the kids got into partners to practice front kicks. It's the first time Shawn's practiced moves with another child - they've always practiced with instructors and assistants before. They also practiced ax kicks in partners. Later, they circulated around the room doing high blocks, inside blocks, and hammer punches with the instructors and assistants. After class, Shawn wanted to watch the brown belts' class, but then decided he was too hungry to watch. While I got dinner ready, I also made a call to the Orkin Man. During our playdate, Shawn discovered an infestation of ants in the basement bathroom, which we've never noticed before, but were hard to miss today! There were more than a do-it-yourself job could handle and more were overtaking the bathroom as the evening went on. Since then, I've found a couple on the main floor in the hallway and mudroom. Luckily, Orkin is sending someone over tomorrow afternoon. Raj was disappointed that they couldn't come immediately, but I'm happy that they should be able to fix the problem tomorrow. I know they'll want to do repeat inspections/treatments, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I'm also glad their treatments are pet-safe and child-safe. I don't want to bug-bomb us out of the house! That's enough excitement for one day. I plan on sleeping well tonight!

Party at Monkey Bizness

See a story here.

An exhausting day

It's the first week that we're not going to Gymboree - it honestly feels a little weird! (I may need to find a class for Lilly!) Instead, we met our Gymboree friends at a Chik-Fil-A for lunch. The cow mascot came over to wish Michael a happy birthday & gave him a paper crown (cow head & party hat) and a plush cow. You don't see that at McDonald's!

Then we caravanned to the other side of the parking lot to Little Monkey Bizness for his party. (It's an indoor play center with climbing structures, plastic playground style equipment, a bounce-house... And a cafe.) We joined his non-Gymboree friends and the kids had a blast. Shawn had a run-in with another party guest who he claimed was being a bully and not playing nicely, but who I also saw Shawn karate chopping. Arg. The other boy's mom & I had them apologize to each other and kept closer watch anytime they were near each other. Shawn was quick to get defensive if the other boy even looked at him. He didn't like the fact that this boy used foam blocks to make a 'gun' and was pretending to shoot the kids he was playing with. (I tend to agree, Shawn, but he was definitely into a role playing game and I don't think he was really trying to hurt anyone.) I had to explain that it's okay if the other boy wanted to play something he didn't, but that Shawn couldn't interfere with it. Anyway, once we got past that, it was a great time.

I randomly bumped into another former Gymboree mom, who was not there with the party. Her daughter and Shawn used to be in Gymboree Art together 2.5 years ago! Small world.

The party ended in time for us to get to karate. After all of the running around at the party, I'm amazed (& relieved) that Shawn didn't pass out in route!

Karate:

Rotations with different assistant instructors: high kick, ax kick, 1-2 punch-thrust kick, high block (Shawn gave me a proud look back when Mr. Flight complimented his progress with his high blocks since Monday.) Obstacle course: roll under, jump over, step through rings, 1-2-punch, run through path, duck past chopping bar, high block!

A particular young man is going to sleep well tonight!

Lilly at gymboree

The bubbles were a recent discovery for her. Though they are part of class each week, she just started noticing them about 2 weeks ago! I love watching her reach for them. The parachute is by FAR her favorite part of class - I giggle with her every time!

AWWWW, Man!

This morning was uncharacteristically smooth and easy going! I got Shawn up, dressed, hair & teeth brushed and ready to go to school.  We were hanging out in the living room, where I was feeling mighty proud of myself for helping Shawn get ready before Raj was even downstairs, when Raj asked me what our plans were. I looked at him funny, "Well, school of course." "That's tomorrow. Today's Wednesday." 

AWWWW, Man!

He teased me relentlessly about the mixup and asked at least a dozen times of I felt ok.  Honestly, I felt better when I thought I was ahead of the game. Now? Not so much!

(Looking back, I'm actually amazed that mixups like this don't happen more often!)

Oh, well. Shawn and I were already fully awake, so it didn't make sense to go back to bed. Instead, we had a leisurely morning, breakfast, and played. I even chipped away at the laundry pile a bit - ooooh! Fun! 

Later, we resumed our regularly scheduled Wednesday activities at Gymboree.  There's been a high turnover among the School Skills teachers lately. Today, I think it got to Shawn. It's the only thing I could think of to explain why he wasn't himself in class. He was fine helping in Lilly's Level 1 and playing in Open Gym, but when School Skills started, he got clingy with me and then had a very hard time following the teachers directions. Everyone who knows him there made reference that he wasn't acting like himself. However, when we were heading home, he was back to himself again! 

The rest of the evening & night were great! Shawn even got an extra long story time when it was time for bed. I still don't know what happened at School Skills, but I'm glad it worked its way out of his system!

Doodlebugs and more

We started the day with a play date with a new group called Doodlebugs. The idea behind the group is to get kids outside playing in local preserves and other green spaces. I love it! I do wish there were more of the get-togethers during times we could attend, but it's fun to find other families who value playing outside.

From the Meetup.com website:

"This is a group for families who want to wander through the woods once a week. We'll conduct bug hunts, climb trees, dig holes, splash in puddles, look for flowers and wildlife. Let's get out there and explore!"

Today we met the Blackwell Forest preserve in Wheaton, which Lilly, Shawn, and I have never been to.

"Let's meet at the North Shelter. From there we can access the Egret trail (.6 mile) loop. It is a nice grassy path through the prairie and the woods. Following our ramble, we can lunch at the shelter and explore the edge of Silver Lake. We might have some light rain, so bring rain ponchos and galoshes for all. Let's get out there, Doodle Bugs!"

It was supposed to go from 10 AM until noon, but by the time we got out the door and found our way through some construction detours, it was after 11. We were pleasantly surprised that we were actually only the third group to arrive out of five families! The kids entertained themselves / each other for about half an hour while the moms got reacquainted with each other. Then we went on a short hike exploring bugs and interesting plants. Then had a picnic lunch back where we started.  The weather was absolutely perfect for our outdoor adventure today. (Upper 70°F, blue sky, & Sunshine). Good thing too - I didn't come prepared for rain as the event description had suggested!

If we had gotten to Doodlebugs on time and if our adventure had started on time, we possibly could have made it to Gymboree in time for either Lilly's Level 1 baby class or Shawn's music class (depending on which we were in the mood for when we arrived). That was not the case. Plus, we were having too much fun exploring, so I didn't push the issue. We ended up missing all of Music & the babies' class as well as Open Gym and eventually arrived partway through School Skills! Normally, while Shawn is in class, another mom or two hang out with me in the waiting area and we chat until class is over. I guess everyone thought we weren't coming because when we arrived, the doors were locked and the kids were having class in the back room!  Luckily, Mr. Brian saw us through the window and let us in so Shawn could join the group. Within minutes, one of the other moms arrived and soon a couple of us were busy chatting away for the last few minutes of class as usual.

When class was over, we were supposed to meet Kristin, a Mothers & More friend, and her two school aged children, who Shawn had a lot of fun playing with on a previous outing to the Arboretum; however, those plans changed as well. Kristin sent me a message saying that her son was home sick from school with a sore throat and was hoping we could reschedule. At first Shawn was really disappointed to miss Wyatt and Sydney, but then a large storm cloud rolled in and unleashed a late spring rainfall. Not good for a zoo trip, but we were pleased that it waited until so late in the day to arrive so as not to interfere with our earlier plans!

It was a full day - even with one less activity!

Lilly's first class

Lilly was invited to join the babies' class at Gymboree while Shawn had his music class. We used lots of props to stimulate our babies' senses- dry paintbrushes, mini shakers, a colorful parachute, a large mirror on the floor with whiffle balls rolling across it...

 Even 'Gymbo' clown puppets. Lilly wasn't so sure what he was at first, but then it looked like she liked him.

I think Lilly may have found her left hand! (Otherwise she's gotten lucky & latched on to it every time it's come close to her face.) She slurps on her knuckles like they're a drippy ice cream cone & you can hear her from across the room!

Sometimes her right hand pushes her left hand into position - it's really funny!