Pre-Halloween

On Wednesday we had a Halloween Party for Mom's Club (our playgroup). Josie didn't want to wear her REAL Halloween costume - so she wore her Princess Dress. She had strict rules though: NO tiara, add some boots, Nolan had to be her Prince. Well, Nolan didn't have a Prince costume on hand - so he was the next best thing: a frog.

The other day Jack came home from school with a book he made in his writing center. One of the pictures caught my attention...can you guess what it is??

In the Ditch

Well, it seems someone - me - was a little excited to get Jack to PreSchool on Thursday. We were going down a hill into the town of Northville and I hit black ice. Let me just tell you - there is nothing more scary than knowing you've lost control of your car with your babies inside. Nothing. We slid sideways, then started to get control but ended up in a huge snow drift in the ditch. God was watching out for us because 1) no cars were coming up the hill, 2) we ended up on the other side of the road but completely OFF the road, 3) the kids had no idea anything had happened. Of course, I was crying - only because I felt like a terrible mother. Luckily OnStar was quick about sending a police officer and he got a tow truck to help me within 15 minutes. There wasn't a scratch on my car...and the four year old in the backseat was PUMPED because he got to see a "real policeman and a tow f&%$." Thanking God - for sure. Oh - and Jack made it to school by 10am. You didn't think I was going to let a little "accident" stop me from getting him to school, did you?

He spent the rest of the day lecturing me about how I need to "drive slow, Mommy...there could be back ice and you could slide off the road." Seriously, he has told me that 25 times. He also shared the story with his class. Awesome.

Out of the blue - he has a new obsession with hockey. We don't watch hockey. We actually turn the channel when it comes on ESPN. But somehow he has managed to discover it. Damn you, Michigan. The only person I know - who is happy about this is Carrie Norton.

And finally, after being gone since early Sunday morning - Tyson surprised me and came home a day early! Perhaps the text from the ditch was his motivation. Whatever it was - we are SOOOO happy to have him home again. Above you'll see Jack pretending he's on an airplane going to Florida. He read my mind.

Baby Jesus...and the Dog

Yesterday our family watched Jack & his class perform a live nativity scene and some fabulous Christmas Carols.  Jack was a donkey...but here is how that went down:

His teachers asked him what he wanted to be - he answered: "A cow."

However, under the pressure of the part - he decided he couldn't be a cow and wanted to be something different. He wanted to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. His teachers informed him that the TMNT weren't at the birth of Jesus. His next best option was a donkey.

Or if you ask Jack - a dog.

Somehow he managed to look embarrassed. He yelled "Daddy" and ran to Tyson before being sent to the "stage."

Oh look - a shot of Jack standing nicely. Rarity. He was usually waving at everyone or making silly faces. Yes, my child was the one ruining everyone's pictures with his tongue out.

He also spent a lot of time playing with his "dog ears." What he didn't spend a lot of time doing was singing. He didn't sing one single word. Guess we'll start practicing for next year...

Preschool Day 2

Yesterday was Jack's 2nd day of Preschool and the first time he went by himself. I wasn't worried. He's been in & out of daycares since he was one. And he LOVES being around other kids. I knew he'd be excited and have a fun time.

He was SO excited - he woke up at 6:30am. Whoa, dude - do not let your excitement for school interrupt this amazing sleep thing we have going on. 

We got ourselves ready and made it to school ON TIME. (over/under on how many times this will happen in the future?!?)

We did the drop off line and Jack was all - "bye, mom...bye, Jos...I'm going to school" He jumped out of the car and didn't look back. 

And Josie was all:

 "JAAAAACK!!"

Can you feel her devastation?

Since it was a shortened class, we hung around downtown. We read some books, grabbed a latte, and took a stroll. We bought Jack a muffin and Josie was in better spirits.

 By 10:15 she was excited to pick him up.

And Jack had a great time! His report: "Mommy, I had fun. I like my school and my friends." Yay!

Happy Weekend, everyone!

First Day of Preschool

 Jack did great for his first day of Preschool! He was excited and ready to meet "new friends." He has 9 boys in his class and 2 girls. (Poor teachers!)

 Hugs from his sister before he left. She cried pretty hard as we walked out the door. Poor Jos!

He's following in my footsteps. I attended Presby Preschool for 3's & 4's!

For his first day, we met his teachers (one is an IU grad!!) and some of his classmates. We did a Sticker Hunt around the room & in various parts of the building. Jack listened to a story and played while his teacher talked to the moms about the upcoming year. A few moms expressed concern about the drop off process and their child crying. When we were finished, we joined the kids for more playtime and then, we left. It was short and sweet. Perhaps TOO SHORT in Jack's mind. As we were leaving he said, "No, Mommy, you leave and I'll stay here with my new friends."

Guess that "tears-at-dropoff" shouldn't be a concern for me…

Pre School Prep

We have been talking about Pre School a lot lately. I want Jack to love school from the beginning. He's SO excited to meet new friends. It's all he talks about when we discuss "school." {Future Beta Social Chair?}

Yes, I may be a teacher, but I up until now I have let him decide when he wants to focus on his "academics". He knows the typical toddler info: shapes, colors, numbers, & ABCs. I know what school will hold, soon enough...Plus, he's way more interested in Baseball, firetrucks, and Spiderman. School will happen - for the next 19+ years...

So Friday morning he woke up at 7:10am (which for me was like someone waking up at 4:10am). I turned on PBS and tried to get a little more sleep (stellar parenting). After about 25 minutes Jack disappeared downstairs. When he came back he had crayons, paper, and toddler scissors.

When I got up to check on him I stepped over a pile of cut up paper and found him in the hallway "working,"

He wrote his name, all by himself...which was both shocking and exciting. Note the uppercase letter and then the lowercase letters...Kindergarten Teacher Heart Melt.

And then he drew "a person." I'm sure you recognize that person, right? It's Grandpa Denny.

Today is the first day of Pre School. It's an hour-long class and I get to tag along! Will have an update on Day 1 soon...