School Performance

This is why it is good to have a fabulous school and teachers for you child. Happy smiles all around. We could not be happier with our decision to move him back into his old school with the nurturing environment that it is.


James' school performance was Sunday. He sang out the songs along with the rest of the children.

He was proud of himself and we were proud of him! He made a little speech of how the children made turkey for families in need.

They brought canned food up to the alter to show the preschool's contribution to the food drive.

Lots of hand motions and smiles as they sang their songs... "Blue is the color of blue blue sky. Yellow is the color of the sun up high... way up high in the big blue sky. Jesus, you sure know how to color... color my life with love". Something like that. Very sweet.

Cutting a Tooth

Etame is cutting her first tooth, on the bottom front. She was fussy yesterday and we finally realized this was why. Today she hasn't been fussy at all so it must only hurt at certain times.

James had a birthday party today of one of his friends. Duckpin bowling. He had a great time with all the (mostly) bigger boys and as he put it, "it was fun once I got the hang of it". His new words for the week are "wicked", "awesome", and "wicked awesome". They gave out Bakaguns as party favors and this was a huge hit for him as well. Swell day all around.

Books!

We have a nightly ritual of reading books in the evening before bedtime. James was read to from day one. The only thing that would calm him is the continual reading of The Velveteen Rabbit. It must have something to do with the rhythm of a consistent voice. I have learned to appreciate good writing, even in childrens books.

When James was born, Lee's parents starting sending all of his books they had saved from his childhood. You could tell there were some well loved books. In particular Go Dog Go which his dad read to him over and over again. It came to us duct taped up the spine. I love the history this library of kid's books has and to imagine Lee being read to from them or even me from the ones my parents have handed down to me. The illustrations in some of them are so lovely, I get distracted sometimes.

Well Etame has definitely taken a liking to books as well. In fact she will cry if we put her in her crib without letting her join us. So now she lies in between James and I or James and Daddy as we read at least 2 books together. Both of the children love this comforting nightly routine.

Tonight we are reading Sleeping Beauty, The Tin Soldier, and the rest of James and the Giant Peach. What are you reading?

What a Difference a School Makes

James is now back at his old Lutheran preschool. The drawbacks are that we no longer can walk to his school, we don't see neighborhood friends and church friends at the school too, no Spanish lessons, and well... that's about it. Because on the good front, he is happier!

No more angry aggression in the evenings and instead it has been replaced with Jesus songs, blessings, compliments to me on dinner, and him reminding me what life is about - relationships and people around you. As an example, while driving him home yesterday he says, "Mom, you now what friends are for?" I had to really think about it because it's such a simple question yet with so much meaning. Then he says, "For playing, laughing, and helping when they can't do something."

Now, tell me that's not what a nursery school should be about. Yes, he's relearning his alphabet and sounds, but he's back to basics and being nurtured. It's not a bad word at this school.



Here he is with one of his beautiful cousins, whom he misses sooooo much.