First Full Day & E

Well yesterday we had the meeting with the speech therapist that tested E the week before (same one from when N had speech). She is in the mild/moderate range...which means she below the norm median. Now to be automatically put in the preschool program she has to test really low and have more then one area...like with N it was speech and social skills. Well the only way to try to get her in is to do the preschool screening which she can not do until she is 3...so on Oct 5 I have an appt set up for her to go thru the screening. They will do a hearing screening too...which is what I wanted too and was going to do thru her ear dr but now that they will do it there I will wait and see what they say. Now if she tests low in a couple of things it looks like she could get into the preschool program. It would be at the same school as N and at the same time...so they both would be gone Tues-Friday (preschool is not on Mondays). So now it is a wait and see. I did have her service lady put her on the waiting list for speech therapy but that could be a very long wait.

N started his first full (half) day at school today. I didn't realized that I would just drop him off at the playground and then when the bell range they would go line up with his teacher and go inside. So pretty much I won't even see his classroom much. B/c after school we have to wait outside for the class to come out...less distractions. It's just weird to go from where I was in the classroom and knew the teacher really well at preschool to just dropping him off and picking him up. I'm having a hard time with it but N seems fine with it. He loves school. I am thinking about having him come home on the school bus. He is most nervous about having big kids on the bus but on the way home it would only be preschoolers and kindergartens. Plus that would be one less trip to the school...but we will see what he wants to do when we get home. I can't even imagine him getting off the bus in the morning and going straight to the playground...b/c that is what he would have to do...with no real supervision. So we shall see what happens.

And here is a new "word" from E that started yesterday....Wowie Zoeie. :-)

First Day of Kindergarten!

Well today was the first day of Kindergarten for N. He was not nervous at all...he was just ready to go. Mornings are going to be good for us. N is such a morning person that it just makes it so much easier for all of us. Kindergarten is from 8:45am - 11:30am. Today was a early release day and only half the class was there. The other half comes tomorrow to meet the teacher and the classroom. Then Weds will be the first day. His teacher's name is Ms. Sarah. So easy for him to remember. His friends from preschool last year I noticed are in the afternoon class, so he won't be seeing them. But he was fine with meeting new people. He just wanted people his age to play with. :-) E and I got to stay until 9:20 this morning and talk to the teacher and see his classroom. Then we left and did some grocery shopping and then went back. E was not happy leaving N there. She kept telling me I want N. So I took her for a treat of choclate milk so she didn't feel so left out. Next week we will be busy for her too with swimming lessons on Monday/Weds and tumble time on Thursdays. Just this week will be hard for her.

New Desk

Well I have been wanting the kids to have an "art" desk but they are all to expensive. Well I lucked out. I was at the 2nd hand store yesterday and they had one of the desk I had been looking at. It was very dirty and needed some serious cleaning but for $20 (regularly like $80-90) I could clean it. So one magic eraser and some scrubbing it was like new again. The kids love it and they share while working at...which is even better. I need to keep an eye out for a 2nd chair now though. :-)

Western Idaho Fair

Well we took the kids to the fair. M does not like the fair that much and we had told ourselves that we would try to go to Lagoon (Salt Lake City) every year instead but this year we just don't have the time for it...we will be planning it for next year. Anyways, we took the kids Sunday afternoon. The weather was not the greatest...the kids and I rode the boat ride (which E loved and N didn't like so much) and then we started to walk out b/c the wind had gotten really bad. But it passed so we asked the kid what they wanted to do leave and I would bring them back a different day or we could do the rides right then. They decided to stay...which the weather held out. The kids had a blast. E is like me and likes the rides that go around. N isn't too sure of those types. They both wanted to go on the ferris wheel but with the way the clouds looked and stuff we were too nervous to take them up there. Plus we didn't see much of the animals...saw some roosters, chicks being born, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Oh and we saw a couple cows. But I have a friend that will be at the fair with some relatives 20 some cows...so thought maybe I would take the kids out to see them on Thursday. Luckily the
kids are still free to get in. :-)

Swimming Lessons

Well here are some pictures finally of swimming lessons. Nathan loves to go under the water...especially with his new goggles. Now Ellie we can't get to go under quite yet.

Time Flying

Well it is now Friday and I was hoping to get on a couple of days ago and post but of course that goes down the drain before I know it! This month has been busy with swimming lessons on Tues/Thurs w/me working out beforehand too. Then on Weds have been the free movie that we have been taking part in. So before I know it is Friday and I haven't even made a dent in the things I wanted to get done. Oh well...in a couple weeks will start and we shall see if I have a little more time.

I think I found a gymnastics class for E to take at the Y. I just have to call and ask the lady in charge since it is in Sept and E turns 3 in Sept. The age limit is 3-5 yr olds. But if she can it is on Tues/Thurs mornings for about 45 min...so would be while N was at school.

Well took N to the ENT dr on Tuesday b/c we had the appt set up for a couple of weeks and I wanted to make sure he was all cleared up...even though once in awhile he would tell me his ear was bugging him. Come to find out he is stuffed up and they think it is allergies. So took him in for an allergy test on Weds morning. Now they do a test that is so easy!!! It is a little plastic thing that sort of looks like a spider and sits in the "solution...6 different ones" and then place it on your arm and rock it back and forth. Now it has no needles...just a hard plastic. Well of course N did not like it...since he is sensitive to scratches and such (which is what it sort of feels like but she doesn't scratch...just rocks). We had to do 3 of these "spiders"...then wait 3 minutes and them wipe the solution off. Then you wait another 12 min to see reactions. Well right away one was swelling up (in the 3 min) and that was cat. After the test was done we found out on a scale of 1-5 he is 4+ on cats, 2+ on dogs, and 1+ on corn pollen (not corn), grasses, and box elder (maple trees). Our guess is that on some dogs he will be worse then others. Plus he will probably be like me and just keep the dog clean and he will be fine. Plus a dog probably will never sleep in his room/on his bed. No cats though...which M doesn't mind at all. :-) I am going to start him back up on the allergy nasal spray the ENT gave me as samples and see how well it helps him. I noticed last night he was stuffed up in his sleep...so we will just have to see how it all goes. He isn't bad at all!!! But just trying to get him to sleep better and maybe longer! This morning he was up at 5:30am and woke up E too! He got in trouble for that b/c I have told him he needs to come in and see me to ask what time it is. If it's before 6am we tell him to go back to bed. Plus he is NOT to wake up his sister!!! I think he gets up b/c he wakes up and doesn't think about if he is tired or not just that he wants to play his leapster. We have had to cut him off every day lately on that thing! He would play it almost all day if we let him.

They are both loving swimming lessons. (Will try to remember to bring my camera on Tuesday.) N is loving going under the water and he definitely tries more things with his teacher then with us. E was nervous at first but loves it now. She still isn't totally comfortable but likes to go and get in. She still doesn't like going under all the way though. :-) I think I might try to keep her going while N is at school or if they have afternoon classes take them both then. The new schedule comes out Aug 15 so have to wait until then.

Well off to try to get some things on my to do list done before the week is totally over. :-) Have a great weekend! I get to go scrapbooking Saturday night so I am excited...now to get my stuff together. :-)

I spy...

Can you spy what was flying around my butterfly bush?? Someday I want to have room to have a few of these bushes...I love what comes to visit every year around this time. Now to be able to get a better picture. :-)

Hate this Air!!!

Ok I am really getting sick of this air quality around here! You know when M and I first moved here and even when he was an intern we don't ever remember the air being this bad. Now I do have to admit that I am so glad N and I have not had any asthma problems from this (atleast major ones...just once in a great while small ones). I just would love it if it rained or had some gusty winds!!! It just looks like the area is covered with a sort of cloud cover but it's all smoke and air pollution! Here is an article from the ktvb.com site...

"Shifting winds are causing a rapid deterioration of air quality over the Treasure Valley.

The Department of Environmental Quality issued an orange air alert for Thursday – the third level on a scale of five steps. Just two days ago, the air of the valley was significantly cleaner, with the air status at a rare “green” status – the best level. A change in the weather pattern switched the wind direction to funnel smoke from central Idaho fires down in to the valley. The Air Quality Index is expected hit 130 for today – and the DEQ warns the air is unhealthy for sensitive individuals.

As the sun rose this morning – it appeared a bright orange color. The skies around the area are a murky brown, with the sun a diminished dot. The skies are mostly clear of clouds – but the haze gives the area an overcast feeling.

As you might imagine, open outdoor burning is banned in Ada and Canyon counties until the air quality improves."

Ok now to leave you with a picture of N that M took the other night when M was messing with the camera and asked N to wait a minute to fix his airplane...this is a classic look for N. :-)