Anna's nightly visits....

Every single night over the summer it was such a battle to get Sam and Anna to bed. Some how I always got to put Anna and Sydney to bed while Greg put Sam to bed, which entailed him laying in bed and watching television (usually some kind of sports) with Sam. I would read to Anna and then lay with her for several minutes. After a couple minutes I would leave and say goodnight. Greg and I would be sitting downstairs watching television when we would hear Anna on the stairs, or she would just pop out of nowhere (she is very quiet sneaking down the steps). She always showed up dressed up in some kind of costume. The latest time I was home by myself and Anna comes down dressed in her Ariel dress with a crown on her head upside down and says, "mom, I'm a pretty girl." She was a very pretty girl, but she needed to go to bed! Another time she came down dressed up in her ladybug costume, wings and all. It was becoming a nightly occurance, what would Anna show up wearing an hour after her bedtime? Needless to say when school started and everyone started to go to bed earlier because they had to wake up earlier, the nightly visits stopped. But I must admit, it was very cute!

Sam starts Kindergarten!

Our little baby boy started Kindergarten on Thursday September 1st. Of course I was an emotional wreck. That morning it was raining and I was so disappointed that we could not walk Sam to school but would have to drive him instead. Sam was so excited, he could not wait to go to Kindergarten! The weeks and days leading up to his first day of school, I read Kindergarten books to him and talked with him about what school might be like, looking to see if he had any anxiety or scared feelings about doing something new. Nope, not one ounce of fright in this kid. He didn't understand why in some of the books that some of the kids felt nervous or scared. Sam was just excited to go. It made me feel good that we had prepared him so well over the years that he really was genuinely excited to go to Kindergarten at the big school. Every night on the days leading up to school starting we read, "off to Kindergarten" which was Sam's favorite. We also read "the night before Kindergarten" which he seemed to like too, but not as much as "Off to Kindergarten" which was a book that I had bought a Marshall's two or three years ago! Sam walked right into the school and remembered exactly how to get to his classroom, he led the way! He ran into Jackson and Ella in the hallway and stopped for a dew pictures. Since it was raining, all the kids were sitting in the hallway down by his classroom. Seeing all the older kids seemed to make Sam a little nervous, but seeing his two friends seemed to make it all okay. After a few pictures, Sam was anxiously waiting by the classroom door to enter the classroom. Anna stood excitedly next to Sam, peaking into the class too. When it was time to go into the classroom, Sam was one of the first kids in. He had his picture taken with his teacher, Mrs. Rowe and found his name tag at a table. I was one of the first parents to leave the classroom because I found myself feeling like it was time to let him get started on this new adventure and I was starting to think about what I was really doing and didn't want to start to cry. I did tear up slightly as I left my little baby boy in that Kindergarten classroom, but it was happy tears that he was moving on and growing up so fast into such a wonderful kid!

I anxiously waited outside of the school waiting for Sam to finish his first day of Kindergarten. I couldn't wait to hear how everything went and what he thought! Of course he didn't say much, but he really liked it and couldn't wait to go back! We had lunch with Jackson at our house and decorated cookies for a special after school snack. Then we painted wooden picture frames that we could put a picture from his first day of Kindergarten in. It truly was a very special and memorable first day of Kindergarten that I know that I have been anticipating since the day Sam was born.

The many sides of Sam.......

Sam has decided that he is really into sports. Not just one or two different sports, but every sport, baseball, basketball, football, tennis, golf, and soccer. One of his favorite past times this summer is to put on a uniform that he put together depending on what sport he was going to "have a game for" at that time. He would start off in his pirates t-shirt (jersey), pirate hat, and his fish bike helmet (a boy needs a batting helmet, right?) and head out to the yard with his miniature baseball bat (that is suppose to be decorative) and several baseballs. He pretends to bat and run the bases, and pitch a few balls to the other team until his game is over. Sam then precedes to come inside and change into his Pitt football uniform, and plays a Pitt football game. He then will come inside and change his clothes into his Steeler uniform and play a Steeler football game. Sam will also change into a basketball uniform, consisting of a white tank with a number on it and white matching shorts. He goes outside and plays a basketball game, shooting some hoops in his basketball hoop. When the basketball game is over, he will then change into his soccer uniform, which was usually his soccer t-shirt (again, jersey as he calls it) and soccer shorts and plays a soccer game. Just watching him made me tired! Then we needed to play golf. He would take his plastic gold clubs that Greg bought him and set chairs up outside and had his sisters sit in them to be the spectators at his game. When he got the ball in the hole, he would put his hands up and that was the signal for the girls to clap! It was actually hilarious to watch from the kitchen! Sam also became an avid Pirate fan this summer. He watches the Pirates play every single night before he goes to bed. Maybe that is the good luck that the pirates needed to go to the world series this year!

Anna thinks she is a dog....

So we are in the dog days of summer and have been spending many of our days at the pool. Anna was potty trained for 2 whole months this past winter. She had no accidents and would just go on the big potty whenever she needed without telling or asking anyone, she would just go. Then one day she had an accident and by the end of the week she had nothing but accidents. Needless to say it was very frustrating but we went back to square one and started the process all over again. That was in March, now we are in July and it has taken us to this point to get back to Anna being trained with no accidents!!! Yay Anna!!! Which leads me back to the dog days of summer and being at the pool. So we are all at the pool. It is break time (time when everyone needs to get out of the pool and rest). Sydney is hungry so she runs over to the picnic tables to eat. Sam has to go to the bathroom, so Greg takes him to the bathroom. Anna hangs out with me and Syd at the picnic tables. The girls get down and run over to the fence behind me. I assume that they are playing since they have down this before, so I don't turn around right away to see what they are up to. Finally after a couple of minutes I decided to turn around and see what the girls are into. When I turn around, I find Anna with her bathing suit bottoms down around her ankles and she is squatting and peeing in the grass! As I say something and run over to her, she pulls up her bathing suit and says, "I just had to pee, that's all." My response was, "Anna you are not a dog, only dogs pee in the grass." Anna responded with, "yes I am mom." Oh Anna what am I going to do with you???? At least she didn't go in her pants!

And we start Adventures in Mommyhood Part 4....

So we are having another baby! Yesterday we heard the baby's heartbeat for the very first time, which I don't care how many babies you have, it is ALWAYS an amazing experience that brings tears to my eyes. We decided to take everyone to the appointment so that the whole family could experience the excitement. Not too sure what the kids got out of it, but it was nice for them to go. Anna walked into the Doctor's office like she owned the place stating to every nurse or doctor that she saw, "I want a baby boy." I think she thought we were going to the doctor to get a baby! How very cute, if only it happened that way, so easy. Anna is really excited about the baby. It is really fun to hear her ask questions and she even has a little song that she sings as she embraces my belly (which at this point is not there, so she basically hugs me) and sings "little ba-by, little ba-by, little ba-by" over and over. It is neat because she is old enough to be excited about the baby, but will still ask me, looking very confused, "mommy, there's a baby in your belly?" These are the times I wish I could just freeze my kids and keep them at these ages forever. Sam is at a crossroads, about to start Kindergarten. Once he starts Kindergarten the years are just going to fly and before we know it we will be at high school graduation for graduation and not for preschool soccer practice :(

Anna fell off Sam's bed and had a buckle fracture in her arm a couple weeks ago. We had no idea she broke it. I thought maybe she sprained it but there was no swelling or bruising. She had the cast on for three weeks and did very well with it, although it had to bother her (it would have bothered me!). She got it off last Monday and to celebrate we joined the Upper St. Clair rec center to go swimming!!! The kids love it!!!

Anna is such an animal lover. She has about 10-15 dog stuffed animals that she plays with and carries around the house. Greg and I like to call the dogs, Anna's posy. She will get clothes out of her drawers and closet for them. Giving them each underwear or a pull up, a shirt, and a skirt, shorts, or pants. She then wants me to dress them all, which I kindly explain to her that Brady does not wear clothes and that dogs do not wear clothes. After each dog has their clothes (and half of her wardrobe is out of her closet), she brings them up on her bed and arranges the dogs in a circle around me to hear the story "Go Dog Go." (one of Anna's favorites) After the story, Anna moves the dogs to their beds (all covered up in her bed). It is really cute how much she loves dogs. Greg always jokes that maybe she will be a veterinarian some day. I guess we will have to wait and see!!!

Anna takes Brady for a walk (by herself!)

Anna, Anna, Anna.....Anna is such an independent and curious child. She is a got getter, nothing intimidates this child. Ms. M, her preschool teacher told me at conferences that she has never had a child like Anna before. She is the most confident and independent little girl that she has ever had. I guess that is a compliament, right? That is the end goal, to raise a confident and independent woman that is able to succeed in the life on her own. Well, today a classic Anna story took place and I just had to remember it forever. Greg was working on the retaining wall on the side of the house with all three kids playing outside with him. I was at the gym. Greg realized that Sam and Anna were missing for an extended period of time so he thought that he would look inot what they were in to. He found Sam inside. When Sam was questioned about where the whereabouts of his sister was, he had no idea. After soon searching, Greg found Anna 4 houses down the road with Brady! When Greg approached her and asked her what she was doing, Anna's reply was, "him wanted to go for a walk." She thought nothing of taking Brady for a walk by herself because that is what we do, go on family walks with Brady. We had some talks with her about who takes Brady for walks and where she is allowed to be outside without an adult.

Sam's last preschool spirit of Music week :(

As the children grow up, I learn more and more about the intense feelings that they bring out in me, particularly pride. Pride is such an overwhelming feeling. Sam is in his last year of preschool this year and being that he is my first born, I have always felt so excited for him to experience everything for the first time. I was really looking forward to him going to Kindergarten and experience new things, that is until the paperwork came in the mail. So I filled out the paperwork and was excited, but a little sad that my little boy would be starting "the big school" in a few short months. This week was Spirit of Music week at Southminster, which means family comes in to participate in a music class with their child. So, there we were in the very same room that I was with Sam only 3 1/2 years ago when we where just a family of 3, and I did mom and tot class with him. Only this time, Sam was singing the songs and doing the hand motions and participating in the songs! The class stood together and sang the most beautiful song about building a better world. My eyes suddenly began to swell up with tears as I sat there and thought about my baby boy and how proud he makes me every single day. He has grown into such a wonderful little boy and will continue to amaze me I am sure as the years go by. As the class sang that song, it was if time was frozen for those couple minutes. Everything around me just stopped and I just focused on Sam. I also felt Sydney as I held her in my arms and just took in how she felt in my arms, so little and cuddly and thought about how in a couple short years she was going to be where Sam is now. Pride is such a wonderful feeling and I am sure my children will continue to make me feel proud throughout their lives.

Sydney turns one and Anna is potty trained!!!

I can't help to think about this time last year since Sydney is turning one tomorrow. Thinking back to this time last year....I was furious with Sam and Anna since while I was cleaning up from lunch, they decided to sneak upstairs and "play." I even remember thinking to myself, it is so nice how they are playing so nice together and I am able to get some things done (and can hear myself think.) Little did I know what was going on upstairs was about to put me into labor. I went upstairs to put the kids down for naps when I walked into Sam's room to find a large cloud of white puff filling the room. As the room cleared, I was able to find my two children with two large bottles of baby powder....jumping on them! "look mom!" Sam said excitedly as he took another jump on the already empty bottle. Anna repeatedly just jumped up and down on the other bottle. Now, at this point I was exactly one week away from my due date with Syd. The last thing I wanted to do was get down on my hands and knees and clean up baby powder and give the kids a bath, when they were suppose to be going down for a nap and I was suppose to be having me time. I was so angry with the kids I couldn't even deal with them at that moment. I put one kids in one bathtub and one in the other and went to the bathroom. Then, I vacuumed and scrubbed Sam's room the best I could to get the baby powder off of the rug and furniture. It was EVERYWHERE! To this day I still think there is baby powder in that room. That day all the baby powder and baby oil, which was given to me when I was pregnant with Sam and never used, was thrown away in the trash. Oh and Vaseline was put away in a secret place. So needless to say the next day, I went into labor with Sydney.

On January 7, I decided that enough was enough and Anna was ready to wear underwear. We had been going back and forth for over a year now on her peeing in the potty and I knew she was ready. So I bribed her. If she went to the bathroom in the potty all the time, I would get her slinky dog from toy story. So, we went cold turkey, no more diapers. Underwear during the day and pullups at night and nap time. She was awesome! Only one accident a day for the first couple of days and then there were no accidents at all! She was so happy when we went to the store to get slinky dog and they have been inseparable every since!