Setting Up the Tree

Thansksgiving was finished and that meant that it was time for us to head to the shed and find all of the Christmas decorations. We played christmas music, built a fire, drank hot chocolate, and watched daddy fuss over the lights (some years it takes him over an hour to put all of the lights on). After daddy finishes, it's mommy's turn to help the girls put all of the decorations on the tree. Everyone helped while mom supervised to make sure all of the decorations didn't end up in the same spot on the tree.

Just down the street from our new house, a neighbor goes all out and decorates his entire yard. They've been doing it for 25 years! Each year they add one or more new displays. Thousands of people make their way to our neighborhood to take a look at the display. Visitors see things like mechanized santas and snowmen, electric trains on tracks (Grandpa Berger, they've got 6 trains running simulatenously on 600 feet of track all over the front yard), and lots of other things that our kids get giddy about. In fact, the kids have us going down nearly every day of the week to take a look.

Only 21 more days to go until Christmas. As you can imagine the girls can hardly wait. We'll make sure to take a few photos to share with you all!

Slacking...

Alright, so we've been lazy. Between the move and midterms at school, it seems like activities such as updating the blog get pushed to the back burner. Finally, after emails and calls from family (mostly grandmas!), we are back on task.

On Friday night, we drove out to Bodega Bay, and went camping with some friends from school and church. The girls and daddy watched the movie "Madagascar" in the tent. Mom cooked up a whole chicken with red potatoes for dinner, and a raspberry and peach cobbler for dessert (She is getting really good at using those dutch oven pots that we got for camping!). In the morning, we drove down the the beach and went crabbing off the rocks. We didn't catch anything from the ocean, but some nice fishermen threw us a couple of big crabs for the kids to look at.

When we got home in the afternoon, we all decided the weather was perfect for raking the leaves. We had a lot of fun. The girls had fun jumping in the leaves and tossing them over their heads. It was nice to finally have a fun moment without the pressures of school.

The New School

We are just thrilled with the girl's new school. They are attending Dixie Elementary and every day I ask myself why I didn't move them earlier. They are coming home happy (although hungry) every day and they are really learning.

Hannah is in half day Kindergarten now. They do the neatest thing in the school, the children go until noon and then four or five kids who are on about the same learning plane stay for about an hour and a half in the afternoon for more individual learning time. I think it is an excellent answer for educating Kindergarteners. There is so much that is expected by the end of Kindergarten these days but they are still little kids so I think the one extended day with individualized attention is the best answer!!! I am thrill with Hannah's teacher and the kids are much more under control and there is a real emphasis on developmentally appropriate teaching.

Carolyn is also doing extremely well. She is finally getting challenged--really challenged at school. She is learning to put some effort in as things have always come pretty easily for her. She is in an advanced reading class with a bunch of kids from all the different first grade classes--they have harder spelling words and read a variety of difficult books. It is really good for her. She missed 10 on her first spelling test (out of 20) because she had never had to review words before but she reviewed for the next test and got them all right!!! Her teacher is kind and sweet. It is a thrill to see her excited about learning again.

The school also has a wonderful library that each of the girls get to go to every week and they have music and movement (which is just simple dance with music) and art. They also have a little orchestra starting in second grade (or third) I think. It really is a much better circumstance for the girls. Every one is happier--especially mom.

At the Park

Sunday, October 23, 2005

The girls are doing well. The weather has been good about every other day. We were finally able to get out to a park and enjoy the sun.

We are moving to a bigger space this next weekend. The girls school is terrible here in Sausalito. I won't bore anyone with the details. The girls are excited for the new place because it is a house with a backyard and a swingset. Oh boy!!

We'll post some pictures of the new place after we move.

Dance, Dance, Dance

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

The girls have been slowing increasing their energy levels over the last couple of days in anticipation for Hannah's birthday celebration. Hannah is beside herself with anxious anticipation. If she could count minutes and seconds, she would. Heavnen knows that the rest of us are forced to count the ticking minutes FOR her. We are having a little family party on Thursday night for her, and on Friday, we are pulling out the stops and having a big party for her and her friends. We invited all 15 of her kindergarten classmates to come over for pizza and cupcakes.

Here is a picture of the girls boogeying down to some music. The stereo is in our bedroom, so the girls pushed the bench as close as they could get it to our room. Carolyn is the lead singer and Hannah and Kate are backup dancers/singers. You can see they have quite the act put together.

Grandma Evy's Birthday Party

Ok, so we didn't do streamers and hats and all that other party stuff, but we did have fun. We only put 3 candles on the cake. We figured once you reach 50, you get to start all over again. So, we put 2 candles for being 52 and a third candle to grow on.

We've loved having grandma around. The kids are making sure they get all the miles out of her that they can. Katie has really latched on to her. She and grandma do lots of things together. One of Katie's favorite activities is to read "Love that Baby" with grandma. They sure are cute together.

The other girls are doing well. School is less than amazing. There aren't proper books in the classroom, the school is under staffed, and some of the teachers aren't anything to brag about. Fortunately, that won't be a problem in a month. We are signing a lease for a new place in San Rafael that has a little more space for the family to grow and live. We'll post pictures soon. But until then, enjoy these . . .

Well, today is Cyrus' last day of finals. He has been fairly busy but he thinks he over-studied for the tests...it is looking like a lot of A's and maybe a few B's so that is good.

Carolyn finally started reading in school again. I am always amazed with how excited she gets about doing her work when she is doing it at school. She was thrilled to be reading again and has started reading through all the books we have here at home again. The library here is lacking in books so the girls are reading everything they can find here at home. She has been jumping rope like there is no tomorrow since that seems to be important here :). She has gotten really good at it.

Hannah has really gotten the hang of school and she loves to see her sister every day outside. She is a nice little girls and is always looking for people who don't have anyone to play with. Hannah was thrilled to get to make a sculpture at school with wood. She was a little sad she was suppose to make it look like the teacher's. She said that next week she will get to paint the sculpture.

Carolyn and Hannah will be starting piano lessons in about two weeks so they are really excited about that. I am excited for them too.

Katie loves Mary Poppins. She wants to watch it every day...she is still a little bored home with mommy all the time but we do have fun.

Here Are Some Pics From Our Hike

Last week, I went the whole week without posting, it just flew right by. Katie is getting the hang of being home without her sisters. Last week, she ran out into the living room and yelled, "steppin time" and started dancing. Her favorite show (and the only show that doesn't end up with her crying) is Mary Poppins. She has only watched it a couple of times but she remembers "Steppin Time." Today she finally is napping so that is wonderful. She gets so grouchy in the afternoon but she fights tooth and nail against naps.

Hannah has made a new friend named Victor at school. He is so nice to Hannah and they play together every day. He always makes sure Hannah can find her sister at recess and her mom after school and stays right with her all day. Her teacher told me today they are always sitting by each other and being friends throughout the day and are in short, very much in love. She also told me it has been good for Victor because he is sort of a dreamer and doesn't focus and Hannah is the smartest girl in class (that made me happy) so now Victor is really putting his heart into being like Hannah. I am so happy Hannah has a good friend. She still plays with Carolyn every day and that makes me happy too. In fact, they told me, when Hannah leaves Carolyn after recess, she gives Carolyn a hug and so does Victor.

Hannah is loving school too. Her teacher is just great!!! They don't have books in the Kindergarten classroom (one of the problems I have with the school) but she saw that Hannah was ready to really jump into reading so she has started using these photo-copy books. All the children work on them at their own pace. I am thrilled with Hannah's teacher. She has 25 years of experience and seems to have managing all kinds of levels and all kinds of children in the bag. Some of the parents wish her room was more decorated and such (they hired her only 4 days before school started and her classroom has only things that she personally owned in it--the school supplied nothing) but I wouldn't trade her experience for anything.

Carolyn loves school. She loves the structure and thrives on whatever kind of learning is offered. She certainly isn't being challenged here yet but I am hoping soon...Carolyn's teacher is somewhat new and I think teaching to various levels comes a bit slower with less experience but she tells me she WILL challenge Carolyn so that is good. Carolyn has had a harder time getting into her class. There are a few very nice girls that she has been playing with and two sweet little boys she and Hannah chase. There are also some really awful kids. Mean girls who say awful things to her--make plans specifically to leave her out, etc. She keeps trying to be nice and they just keep bing mean. Daddy told her to just stay away from them (particularly one girl is mean) and I told her to keep being nice. This is a new experience for all of us so we will see how it goes. I was surprised that girls start being mean in 1st grade!!! Yikes. It still feels like Carolyn is such a baby.

This Thursday, the girls get their first experience being taught by a naturalist in the MArin headlands. This is one of the things the school throws a lot of money into. They have a naturalist teach the children 3 hours a week (but no level-appropriate books in Kindergarten) for environmental studies. It feels a bit like a pet project to me but hopefully the girls will like it.

Blessings

The girls are having a great week at school this week . Hannah is finally feeling comfortable at school and I am so pleased with her teacher. She is a kind, gentle lady who is perfect for Hannah. Carolyn is a little bored in first grade but she will be ok...I try to challenge her a bit at home.

Last week we went to this wonderful place called Tennessee Valley Cove. It was a fun and easy hike there (about 1.8 miles but mostly flat so that was perfect for the girls) and a fun day at the beach. The waves were really big and periodically surprised us and got us all wet!!! It was a fun way to spend the afternoon.

Yesterday I was talking to the girls about the hurricane and all the devistation in New Orleans and Mississippi and what we could do to help. We decided that we could try to use the car less to save gas for people who really need it and that we can keep our ears open for ways to help. Our budget is tight but we will donate extra to fast offering at church so it can be used for relief. It gave me some peace of mind to know that the church has sent supplies to places they can get to and that churches in the south are being used for temporary housing. Now if only I had an extra bus to go pick up all those poor people stuck in New Orleans. :) Hannah had the best idea of all when we were talking--she said, "Mom, I know what we can do for all those people, we can pray." The most wonderful things come out of the mouths of our babies. I have truly felt the burden of our blessings as I have thought of all the suffering. I can really and truly be more grateful.

More School Pictures

Here are those pictures of the two girls on their first day. Hannah is crying in one photo, and in the other photo she is very uncertain about us leaving. As a side note, yesterday was her second day and she did much, much better. She got through the worst of it. Carolyn looks as happy as can be. Almost as if she is saying, "Finally! I get to be without mom and dad for a bit."

School Started Today

Today was the first day of school for Carolyn and Hannah. We wondered if they would have a difficult time falling asleep last night. They've been terrible about sleeping all summer long. We tell them to get to bed and instead they go into their room and play, and laugh, and tease each other until mom and dad threaten them with their lives . . .er, just teasing, we don't actually threaten them. But, last night, to our amazement they went right to sleep.

Dad woke up early and made bacon, pancakes, eggs, and potatoes so that his girls could have a big, hot breakfast before school. Hannah didn't eat a bite. She was too nervous.

We got the girls to school at 8:15. Hannah's teacher saw us on the sidewalk and walked over to meet her. Hannah's teacher's name is Ms. Holly. She asked Hannah what her name was, but Hannah was too shy to even look at Ms. Holly. Next, we met Carolyn's teaher, Ms. Laurie. She was very nice, and Carolyn was very excited, although a bit shy too.

When it was time to leave, Carolyn put a boot in our butts. She was ready to get down to business. However, sweet Hannah started to cry. She wasn't so sure about the whole idea of going to school. Mom, Dad, and Katie went with Hannah to her classroom and helped her unpack her bag. But the time came for us to leave. Hannah cried a little more, but dad told her how proud he was of her and that she was his bravest little girl. And, even then she still cried. But, dad got a bright idea and promised her there would be a little surprise when she got home if she was brave. And, that time, the tears dried up.

After school, the girls came home and told mom and dad all about their first day. Hannah got to color, and play outside on the playground. She reports that Ms. Holly made her and the rest of the class take a nap without reading a story first. She says she did NOT fall asleep and did NOT like that napping business one bit. At lunch, she had a bit of trouble getting her straw into her capri sun drink and then the wind blew hard and the straw went flying away like a kite. She did not know what to do, and she didn't get to have a drink for a long time. Poor gal had a rough first day, but she says she is ready to go back tomorrow.

Carolyn says that she had a great deal of fun. She got to play a game called zoom, that even after telling mom and dad about, we aren't sure what it is or how it is played. She also got to meet everyone in her class and learned their names. She likes her teacher and is excited to get some homework.

Katie was very jealous of her big sisters going to school. She hung out with mom all day and was overjoyed to go pick up the sisters when it was time.

Overall, it was a decent first day. One that I'm sure we'll remember for a while to come. Tomorrow, I'll post some other pictures of the girls from their first day of school. I just need to wait to use the hi-speed interent at school.

Potty Training

Well, Katie no longer wears diapers. Unfortunately, she only wears princess panties so mom has been on a mad rush to find princess panties in size 2T and to get the few pairs we have washed. She looks like such a baby to be wearing underwear. She looks younger than she is because of her head of baby hair but talks like a much older girl. She is such a fire ball.

School Starting Soon!!!!

Today I went to a meeting at the girl's school to find out about the new school year. It was so exciting to hear about all the school stuff. We thought Hannah was going to have a fairly intense teacher but they just hired a second Kindergarten teacher and she is just smashing (I hope)!!! She has been teaching for 25 years and seems to have a fairly motherly way about her. I think she is a much better fit for Hannah. I hope that this school works out well for the girls. Carolyn's teacher seems really bright and wonderful too. I think that she will do a good job with Carolyn. Carolyn is a bit less stubborn than Hannah so I don't worry as much about her. Meanwhile, Katie is just going to hang out with Mama so hopefully she won't be bored sick.

It's A Tickle Party

Dad came home at 5pm today for a change. Sometimes it seems like he doesn't even live here. The girls were excited to see him. They ate some home-made pizza that mom cooked. Afterwards, the kids and dad played "tickle party" on the bean bag. During "tickly party" (a name the kids gave the activity) the kids run and jump on dad who then tickles them until they beg him to stop. This gets repeated over and over until dad is tired.

Mom took the girls grocery shopping and to the library. Grandma Evy sent some books on CD and the girls spent time listening to them. Books on tape are a nice way of entertaining the kids. They use their imaginations a lot more than with the TV.

Carolyn's head wound from Monday is healing up nicely. She has been a little concerned about bonking it (mostly becasue dad said she had to be super-duper careful not to bonk the booboo). In fact she bonked it during tickle-party, and we had to stop everything and call out the triage unit to take a look at it before she would let dad tickle her again. Honestly, we never intended to raise a hypochondriac.

Giddyup!

The girls are doing well. We had a busy weekend. Saturday's and Sunday's are about the only days that dad gets to play with his kids. Here (although Hannah looks sad) they finally got their dad just where they want him.

Today, Carolyn bonked her noggin' on a window ledge. She's been a little scared that it was a serious injury, but it's nothing more than a cut. So, Carolyn has been taking it easy by lying on the bed watching movies.

The girls are getting excited to start school next week. Only 10 more days! Mom is looking forward to having some one-on-one time with Kate. They will really be a dangerous duo.

Hey, for anyone that is interested, we will have a picture of the girls up tomorrow.

They are doing well. The kids and Annie came down to watch me play soccer after school. It was a cold and windy evening in San Francisco. The girls lasted about an hour before they were ready to get in the car.

We went to Costco afterwards. What a fantastic store. We get in a trance when we see all the good deals on food. You'd be surprised how expensive some items are here in Marin. On a similar note, I put gasoline in my motorcycle the other day. Do you know how much it cost? If you guessed $3.05 a gallon, you were right. U-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-e-a-b-l-e!

Painting!!

We had a HUGE box left over from Katie's birthday and the girls decided they wanted to make it into a house, so we did!! We cut windows and a door and then the girls got out the paint and the real fun began!!! They had such a great time painting the walls and decorating the house. Hannah told me, "I painted Carolyn's leg, so she painted my foot. Then we were having a paint fight." It was so much fun. The girls all had paint in their hair, on their bodies, and all over their painting clothes. After the house was done (and mom's paints were gone), the girls hopped in the bath for another round of fun...pretend swimming lessons in the tub!

Happy Birthday Katie!!!

Kate graduated from infancy today. She is a now a holy terror . . . errr, I mean, a happy toddler. Mom spent the day making cakes for the party and getting the house all cleaned up. The girls helped decorate. Daddy finally came home at 4:30 and Katie got to open her gifts. She got a wagon, a set of wooden food (that she can cut and reassemble), some cute clothes, and a fun puzzle. More gifts will arrive soon. We went out to eat dinner at In-n-Out Burger. After dinner, we had the neighbors over for cake and ice cream. Kate blew out all three (one to grow on) of her candles, although it took her about 16 attempts. Everyone had fun.

We'll post pictures tonight. Our slower-than-a-three-toed sloth internet takes a bit of time to upload the pictures.

It's now 9pm. Here you go . . .

So Sad . . .

Hello, this is Annie's first blog post. Here is a picture:

Here they are . . .

These photos are a couple of weeks old, but they are what I have loaded on to my computer right now. I'll go through the more recent photos tomorrow and see if I can find some cute ones.

Welcome

Welcome to our blog! It'll mostly be stuff about our 3 adorable girls, but we'll also include some stuff about the two rodeo clowns that chase them around all day. Check back soon for more!