School Update

 To say Will loved his first day of school would be an understatement.  He had a great day!  He loved playing with rice and scoopers, he talked about the table where he could color and also mentioned the playgrounds.  The rice was the biggest hit. 

Every night before bed I ask him what his favorite thing was that he did that day.  On Monday, it was school and specifically playing with the rice.  He is clear to tell you that the rice is not to eat.

Yesterday was not a school day and before bed I asked him what his favorite thing was of the day.  His answer - school.  I think he was still on the high from Monday.

This morning after he got ready - around 7:45am - he told Chad - "Let's go to school Daddy!"  We don't need to take him until 8:15am, but he would have preferred to go earlier. 

I tried to get a picture of him with his new school bag, but he told me he had a busy day at school and didn't have time for pictures.  I snapped these few on his way out the door.  Katie loves carrying his bag around - today it had a blankie and his teddy bear (the one you gave him Amye!).

Baby Katie

 I rarely put Katie in anything put pastels because she looks too grown up in bright and dark colors.  I just loved this cute dress and had to get it for her, and sure enough, she looks like a 2 year old (or more!) when she wears it.

Katie is busy being a little mama (as Chad calls her) these days.  She is always tending to her babies, pushing them in the stroller, using wipes on them, rocking them and taking them on car trips.  She just loves having her baby with her.  It makes my heart happy to see this - I was the exact same way when I was little and I was hoping she would like dolls. 

She is also keeping us laughing - she has quite a sense of humor and surprises us with her little tricks and jokes.  She is a joy to have in our family and I honestly have a hard time remembering what life was like with only Will!

Will's 1st First Day of School!

 Today is Will's 1st first day of school!  We don't have the concept of back to school yet since Will has never been.  Today is a big day - for him and for me!

I woke up early this morning and made him cinnamon rolls - it's the only breakfast item that he will eat before 10am!  When he got up, he was excited to smell the cinnamon rolls and I mentioned today was his first day of school.

He quickly told me that he didn't want to go to school.  Maybe he could just look in the windows instead of going inside.  Over the next 10 minutes he warmed up to the idea of meeting his friends.  Finally he said he wanted to meet his friends and see what toys they had at school.

At that point, I stopped talking about school...hoping that he wouldn't change his mind back to not wanting to go!  So Will played with Granddad for a while, collecting rocks for his rock collection and showing Granddad some of his toys.

When it was time to go, he was a trooper.  He was ready to meet his friends.  When we stepped foot into the classroom, he was hooked.  He went around and played with a bunch of different toys before settling in with some play dough and rolling pins.  That is when we snuck out.

I go get him at 10am.  It is usually 8:30-11:30, but today it is just until 10.  I cannot wait to pick him up and see what he thinks of his new school!

iPhone Pictures

Here are the latest images from my iPhone.  These are some of the spontaneous things that happen when I don't have my camera ready... luckily the iPhone does a decent job!

Kisses for her baby

Riding the shoe at Stride Rite - their treat for taking off the store's sample shoes

Outside looking in - I think this is ride #4

Riding in the Costco cart with cousin Andrew (who is 1 today!)

Reading before bed

In the pool with Marta and her grandson Mathias

Will on the "tallest bed in the whole wide world"

Prince in the Pea?

Sleeping in his Star Wars backpack

Trying on Katie's Halloween costume

Pumpkin Katie

Will in Katie's Octopus costume (too big this year, so maybe next year!)

Darth Will.  He loved this so much he slept it in!

Home Visit

Today Will's teachers came to the house to meet Will.  I thought this was such a great touch to helping Will prepare for his first day of school.  I was so excited to meet the teachers - arguably more so than Will was!

So the doorbell rang.  Will told them "Hi, I'm William, this is my sister Katie, my nanny Loli and my mommy Suzie.  I want to go watch my show."

Will is obsessed with his new favorite show Mighty Machines: Building an Airplane.  He loves it.  Apparently more than meeting his new teachers.

Luckily they were able to engage him easily.  He showed them his room, Katie's room, and our room.  He jumped on his bed (which he really doesn't do since he busted his chin open from jumping!) and was all over the place.

I wanted to get a picture of him with his teachers, and so this is the shot I got.  He wanted to make a funny face.  Of course, this is not the picture I dreamed of when I thought of a picture with his first teachers! 

My best friend Amye commented that he may not have known what to do and I think she is right!  I am not sure he really understands the concepts of "teachers" since this is his first time going to school.  He definitely was not himself so I now know that when he is in a new situation, he isn't shy... he's hyper!

7-11

I took Will to Stride Rite to get shoes for school (he has to wear all white shoes!).  He is currently wearing size 10 sandals, but when they measured him, he is actually an 11.5.  Oops. 

So I had them measure Katie just for fun.  She can still wear a pair of sandals that are a size 4.  However, she actually wears a 7.  Oops again.

I wear an 11 and Chad wears a 13, so I guess they come by it honestly!

How cute are these pink running shoes?  Katie just loves them and so do I!

18 Month Appointment

 I just got back from Katie's 18m appointment.  She is doing great and growing like crazy.  She is...

* 33.25 inches tall (90%)

* 29 lbs (95%)

* Head is 48cm (90%)

She did great with her shot and overall it is just so easy to take her to the doctor.  She played with her shoes most of the time - trying to get them back on her feet... or she would just sit in my lap and play with my nose and eyes.  I remember these appointments with Will where he would go through the cabinets and climb everywhere.  It was hard to keep him contained.  It's fun having babies with such different personalities.  I also think I have it easy in having the easier baby second!

Her hair is getting so long!

With her bunny - who usually wears the pajamas Katie wears for her naps

On the go

Uniform

I picked up Will's uniform yesterday and I cannot wait for him to wear it on his first day of school - August 27!  The uniform store has the cutest stuff - especially for girls.  You can even buy a uniform for your doll! 

I am really excited that he will wear a uniform - how great not to have to pick out what you will wear each day.  We haven't hit the point where he is picky, but we will I assume and hopefully this will make things that much easier.  That probably sounds odd coming from me since I am obsessed with dressing my children. I do love the idea of everyone looking the same at school - no peer pressure to get something name brand, etc.  I realize that probably doesn't happen this early, but I know it happens.  Also, I just love that plaid. 

18 months old!

 Katie is 18 months old today!  While I can't believe she is already a year and a half, I can also hardly remember life without her. 

She is such a funny little girl with some hilarious facial expressions.  She can be dramatic sometimes and loves to sit on my lap and snuggle.  She adores Will and looks for him first thing when she wakes up.  She loves her dolls and pushes them around in the stroller everyday. 

She loves her sleep and her bedtime routine is probably all of ten minutes on a slow night.  She has the cutest smile and she says "Mommy" all the time. 

She loves to hold Will's hand when she is in her carseat in the car.  She likes to be held a lot in the mornings.  She has no desire to climb out of her crib (yet).  She plays on the playground like she is much older - climbing high and sliding down the tallest slides.  She loves Will's trucks and loves to push them while carrying a purse.  She loves all dogs and points them out, along with trucks and buses, all the time. 

She still has a little roll on one leg, but it is thinning out and almost gone!  :(  I will miss that.  Her hair is almost long enough for pig tails.  She has one molar in each quadrant right now.  She puts absolutely everything in her mouth.  She doesn't mind the taste of dog food. 

She has her daddy wrapped completely around her finger.

We are lucky to be her parents.  We are so in love with this baby girl!