Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Kindergarten begins..and so does growing pains.

Brian had his first day of Kindergarten. ..he loved it...I held together pretty well. When Brian Sr came home, he asked how my first day of Kindergarten was, if I had any "separation anxiety". I told him I was ok. I know Brian jr is ready. He was perfectly fine and the day was a little uneventful.
It still makes me a little sad to think of all then time he will not be spending with me; that somebody else will get to teach him, watch him grow, be with him. Sharing my kids and letting them experience new things is part of growing up. Growing pains. I do enjoy the new freedom of only 2 little ones at home all morning.
Katie is experiencing her own growing pains. She was very jealous of all the new stuff Brian got for school, she is jealous Brian gets to go to kindergarten without her. She was very whiny all through Brain's first day. She cried over everything and was very sassy. I took her to get a special doughnut with just mommy, she spilled her orange juice and cried. She painted her and Susan's face with some lipstick that does not come off for days, she poured out milk on the kitchen floor, a bag of pretzels on the couch and continues to cry. I will have to figure that one out. Ya think she need MORE time with me?! Well she gonna get it! or her parent-participation-preschool starts soon she will like that.
I have been concerned about, all day kindergarten vs. half day. When I was in kindergarten we learned the alphabet, the numbers and some simple science facts, taking turns, being quiet colors, playing nicely, and crafts. Now in Kindergarten Kids learn all that plus how to read and how to write, basic math, and social studies. I think most kids can handle a full day of Kindergarten and its great they are learning so much!
When Brian came home from his first day we called my mom to tell her about how kindergarten was, he told he he learned all his letters. She was surprised, she told me they took all year to teach her kindergartners there letters. (I am sure most kindergartners know there letters before they go to Kindergarten now)
Brian is very exited to learn at school and I will make sure he is still having lots of fun, and free time, free from; TV, computer, school, and organized games. Just some time to let him play, use his imagination, play with great toys that encourage creativity. I love to hear him playing, by himself, making noises, talking out loud to himself, it laying down playing with legos, robots, cars in his own imaginary childhood world.
I do miss him throughout the day but now when he is gone I can clean, craft, spend time with Katie and Susan, and have more me time so that when he is home I don't have to say "Honey not right now" so much. I love kindergarten with all its growing pain.
As I have been getting him ready for kindergarten we went shopping. I let him pick out, the shirt, shoes, and shorts for him to wear for the first day. On his own he told me, "Mom we need to get shoes with out laces. I can't tie them yet. I need shorts with no zippers or buttons, so I can get them off quick, and I want I a shirt with Super heroes." Now isn't he smart and ready for kindergarten!

Here is all the excitement (that I saw) of the first dayof school (it was pretty uneventful on my side of the classroom doors).

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Rejuvenating Reunion with Relatives

When my sister and her family same to visit this weekend it was rejuvenating. I think the most rejuvenating part was laughing! Jenny and I stayed up so late making aprons for an upcoming Boutique. While we worked she let me teach her some sewing tricks, we had lots of fun exercising our creativity by designing aprons.
She is so funny and we understand each other so well, we are so much a like. I love her! She is so love able, and fun to be around. Many people close to Jenny know she is very special, Jenny has become a confidant to many of her friends they turn to her for advice, comfort, sympathy, love, and upliftment. That is what I get from Jenny also. My dad always say she is spunky! She is. As I have grown up and gotten less aware of popular culture I notice trends from Jenny first then in movies and on TV, she is just co cool! She is also married to a great guy! I love Shawn, he was my year in High School and we were friends and hung out in the same group, so did Jenny. He swears I had a crush in him in HS, I checked my Journal and I did not. But I love him now, he is fits so perfectly into our family, like a puzzle. He is always trying to include everybody, he takes care of the kids and love them. Brain and Him share lots of manly interests and he also has a great sense of humor!
Brian and I were so exited for the Browns to come, and we have a very rejuvenating weekend, at the Zoo, the Beach, The sea Wall in La Jolla, the Fireworks at Sea World, Phil's BBQ, Girardellis and a serious lack of sleep. Here are some pictures of the week:
I am pretty proud of these shots I took of the Browns, cute kids! and I love the ones Jenny took of us.



Jenny covered the weekend so well! Check it out: JennyLynnBrown

Friday, August 29, 2008

Getting Political

You may recall that there was a video here with John McCain announcing Sarah Palin as his selection for VP. I had intended to write my first real post on this blog. Chantal suggested one on this very political topic, but by the time i got around to actually writing it, the clip seemed stale- So I have deleated it. I will write one with a political topic soon though.
Alas... I am "Still working on posting."

Monday, August 25, 2008

Sunday Morning

We hand an unusual Sunday morning. We actually had extra time! With church starting at 1:00 you would think we always have extra time, but no we do not. We are almost always on time or early but this week we were ready a hour and a half early! So we took family pictures.
Brian Jr. also practiced for his talk. This was the first one in a long time. He was very exited! We wrote his talk together. The kids are suppose to give a talk on a story from the friend. I found on the church website you can read and LISEN to the friend! So I played the story for him a few times and he told me what he remembered then we wrote the talk with pictures. Like we did for Katie.

He did such a great job! I was so nervous. I forgot to ask him if he wanted help before he went up so I decided to hang back until he asked for help. I was on the edge of my seat very nervously waiting for him to break-down and call "mommy, help me!" but he never did. He gave the whole talk all by himself and he did a great job!
I cant post the video right now..we are having technical difficulties!

Oh (family in Az, and Figgins) did that post make you miss us?! Guess you just have to come visit!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

How to Camp Clean

Our little adventurous, family went camping again. While camping we had some adventures getting clean. We camped 3 days 2 nights this time, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday after we set up camp I did Katie's hair. With 13 "ponies" . This smart lady does it so much neater, but I don't think she has 13 ponies. I actually started doing Katie's hair this way as an idea from Lacy. I knew it would be the easy to keep it cleaner this way and it would probably stay in for until Wednesday, and it did!
Tuesday afternoon we went to find a near by creek, stream, lake, pond, anything fun to play in or throw rocks into. We drove to the closest creek on the map. There was nothing. We then drove to the closest Lake it was a meadow with a mud pit. We passed! Then we drove to the next closest like about 30 min. away. It was a nice, little sunny lake. Lake Cuyamaca The kids had fun walking out a short ways and throwing rocks. Check out Katie's poses! What a lady.
Our first adventure getting clean started with blowing bubbles at the lake. One of the kids poured too much soap into the bowl they were dipping there wands into. Then they started fighting over the better bubble wand. I took the chance to introduce Brian to the art of making bubbles with your hands. He was actually very good at it! I could not blow one bubble and he had a whole stream of bubbles coming from the little circle he made with his hands.


This got the kids and me really soapy. We did no think the Lake was a good place to clean off so we decided and try to find a bathroom sink but we found something better.

We got lots of funny looks. Brian and I thought oh man I bet we look like red-necks, but,
Do red-necks take pictures when they do something that looks trashy, or funny? Probably not so there fore we are still not red necks.
Susan is the master at getting dirty! On our last camping trip she loved falling down flat onto the dirty ground. This trip was no different. Except the camp ground was dusty! There was dust everywhere. She would take a drink, dribble down her shirt, then fall in the dirt and have muddy lines going down her round belly and on their face. She got very dirty! I let her play happily and get real dirty.
Then at bed time I did the cleaning routine that I love. Brian Sr. warms up a pot of soapy water. One at a time the kids undress to there undies and I wipe them down with warm soapy water and clean rags. I always remember my Mom teaching us how to wash your body, "face first, then work your way down to your feet. Top-to bottom." (not literally "the bottom" that special place gets wipes) I also wiped a rag over the kids hair to get some smoke and dust out. Then they run to the tent in there undies and I dress them in clean pj's in the tent.
Wednesday Morning Brian and I wanted to go home through Julian and Romona. Brian did not want to go into a restaurant or stores smelling like smoke and feeling all dirty from camping. So in the morning we took a family shower! I packed shower supplies just in case and bathing suits for everybody. The campground has pretty clean showers and they were big enough for everybody. It was quite an experience to all shower together, but the shower had 2 heads one regular height and one shorter for the kids.
We left the camp feeling cleaner then we have ever felt after camping!

and that is how you camp clean.
btw, while camping we did some camping crafts. More at my other blog. We also saw crazy trees from busy wood peckers. and probably 50 squirls!









AND this awsome tree stump we had to take pictures for my Mommy.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Katie's 4th

Here is Katie's birthday Video.

Katie's Birthday was full of fun! We had pink strawberry pancakes for breakfast. The cake and ice cream for Lunch and Nachos at Balboa park. Katie wanted to ride the "spinney thing" at the park so we rode the free trolley and walked through balboa park to the play ground. After the park we took her to the corvette diner. It was a full day of lots of fun.

KATIE IS 4

1Beautiful

2Crazy

3Giggly

4Sweet

YEARS OLD!

Here is another video of everybody.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Based on my calculations I am AWSOME.*

I have never though of myself as a nerd.(Check me out in the HS photos) not super nerdy anyway. If I was a nerd I had lots of good company! I was not popular either. I have always valued my individuality, and did not do things just to be popular. For example I was in NAHS, instead of choir or dance. I was in the Outdoor Science Club. I took art classes and science not because they were an easy elective but because I wanted to learn more about art and enjoy exercising my creative mind. Also we went on awesome field trips!

Starting now I am going to embrace my inner nerd even more with a new blog all about my nerd hobbies. Crafting. Thrifting. Decorating Gardening. Creating with my kids. This new blog, Chantal's Getting Crafty at susiepoosie.blogspot.com will be repetitive of some things here at "Team Jones" but I will go into more detail about my projects and less family fun stuff.

Brian once gave me good advice that "self deprecation does'nt looks good." I do not want you to think I am doing that now. Nerd is not a bad thing, Nerd to me is someone who values ummm whats the word...in..intelect! someone who values intellect. (I like #3), someone who wants to increase their knowledge of everything around them to make their lives fuller. Then second somebody who goes against what is popular, whatever! I am bringing nerdy back! *
*I stole these quotes from some cool Wal-Mart shirts...the nerdyness now!

Come check out the new blog!