RPA

I was elected President of RPA (Rockwall Preschool Association) this year. I had to have a current picture for our first newsletter. Johnny took this yesterday morning :)

KINDERGARTEN!!!

Where have the last five years gone?!?! Eli just finished his first week of kindergarten. On the way home, I asked him to describe it using only 3 words. He said, "Cool, awesome and best!!" He loves his teacher, Mrs. Scamperino. She even got an extra hug on the first day after school before I got one. His best friend David isn't in the same class, which was devastating at first. However, he does know one girl that is in his class, Charlotte, which made it better. The first four days we walked him in and got him settled in his class. This morning, he informed me that he was ready to do it by himself. I was a little sad, but also a little relieved when I realized that meant that I didn't have to get up at 6:15 in order to have time to shower, get dressed, finish packing his lunch, get Zoe ready and be out the door by 7:40. So, I'm back to taking him in my pajamas :)

Starting school has meant a few changes around the Tomasino house. We now have this thing called a bedtime, after school chores and no more naps for Eli. I am trying to have dinner ready by 6:30 (which is early for us), showers and bath by 7:15 and kids heading to bed by 8:00. When Eli gets home, he is responsible for feeding Harley, taking out his portion of the trash and packing his lunch for the next day. He takes a lunch and an afternoon snack each day. I bought 3 plastic shoe boxes for the pantry. Two of them are for lunches, one with chips and crackers and one with dessert. The other is for snacks. He chooses one item from each box and I make the rest in the morning. So far, it is working really well and he isn't doing any complaining about it :) We'll see if it's the same story around week ten!

Long Time, No Blog :)

Wow, I didn't realize just how long it's been since I'd put a new entry. A lot has happened in the last five months :)

Eli turned 5 on April 30th. He had a Science birthday party at the Rotary Hall. We saw this Professor Brainius at one of the summer programs at the library last summer. He has said since then, 9 months before his birthday that that is what he wanted to do for his party. So, I booked him in January. There were 21 kids plus him and Zoe at the party. All of the kids had a great time and Eli was the star of the show. The Professor even brought him special goggles that he got to keep.


Zoe turned 2 on June 30. However, her party was a couple of weeks later. Eli came up with the idea to have a dress up party at home, so that is what we did :) I made Zoe a big fluffy tutu so she could be a ballerina and she refused to even put it on. Fortunately, on the way home from Clint and Staci's wedding we stopped in Granbury and I found a little Mud Pie dress with an attached tutu. Eli was Super Why the first half of the party and then he switched into Spiderman. The kids decorated foam door hangers and tiara cookies.

Updates

Springtime

Let me start by saying, I am not a summer person, at least not the summers in Rockwall, TX. They are hot and miserable. Maybe someday we can "summer in Canada". However, springtime is one of my favorite times of year. I love days that you can be outside with the sun shining, breeze blowing and you might need a light jacket. We have spent a few afternoons at the park with picnic lunches in the last few weeks. Zoe is getting to the age where she can enjoy the playground equipment right along with Eli. She climbs the ladders, goes down the slides, walks across the bridges and she could spend the day in the swings. I can't keep up with her and all our stuff at the same time anymore. So, I hang out by the exit so they can't escape and off they go to play. Every few minutes or so I'll hear, "Mom, mom!!" and see those chubby cheeks come bouncing my way. She either wants a bite or a drink, then she's off again. Eli does a really good job of keeping up with her and including her in whatever he's playing. On Monday, we were there with some of our Preschool Association friends and they made Zoe the park monster. She had a blast chasing all the big kids around. Then they'd all come down the twisty tube slide holding onto eachother with her in the middle. I am always so proud to see Eli watch out for her and make sure that she is okay and having fun.

Update for Eli

Eli started his second soccer season a couple of weeks ago at our church, Lake Pointe. This season, Johnny and Eli's friend David's dad Danny are coaching. Neither of them has had this kind of experience before and they are really funny to watch. They are both so loving and patient with the nine boys on the team. Danny did bring them both new whistles at the second practice :) Johnny proudly keeps his hanging from his rear view mirror in his car. I have to include this quick clip of Eli attempting to do sit-ups. He clearly doesn't get it :)

I also got Eli signed up for his second summer of swimming lessons. He starts the week after school gets out. He cried when I first told him, but then for some reason the fact that he will be five and no longer four has made him very excited. His goal is to be jumping off the diving board by the time the lessons are over. We go to a woman that teaches out of her home in her own pool. I was very proud of him last summer and hopefully he will really excel this year.

Update for Zoe

When I look at Zoe I no longer see a baby, I see a little girl. She is full of personality and spunk, and is growing up too fast. I love watching her develop and learn new things, but it's a little bittersweet since she's our last. She is talking more and more and is 100% mobile.

This week she started ISR (Infant Swim Resource) survival swimming lessons. She goes every Monday-Friday until she is completely successful. At her age, they said it takes four to six weeks. The lessons are only ten minutes long.

From the ISR website:

"Children over 1 year learn the following sequence during ISR's Self-Rescue swimming lessons.

• To hold their breath underwater
• Swim with their head down
• Roll onto their back to float, rest, and breathe
• Roll back over to resume swimming until they reach the side of the pool, crawl out or be rescued by an adult
• To perform these Self-Rescue skills first in a swim diaper, then while fully clothed

With these skills your child will be able to swim independently and learn to move at his or her own pace toward the safety of the side of the pool or the shores of a pond or lake."

She cried quite a bit the first two days, but she did a great job. She has really good arm strength and is able to grab onto the side of the pool very quickly. Today, the third day, she hardly cried at all. She seems to really be getting the hang of what they've done so far. At the end of the lesson, I lay two towels by the edge of the pool then cover her with a third one. She is so worn out that she just lays there and almost falls asleep. I will feel so much better this summer at the pool and the water park with both my babies having the skills they are gaining through swimming lessons.

Mommy Time

Last Friday, Eli all of a sudden said he had a great idea, but he couldn't tell me what it was. He adamantly asked me to remind him to tell daddy when he got home. Not knowing what his idea was, I wasn't positive he would be able to remember himself (he comes up with lots of ideas that he later forgets). So, I asked him for a little clue that might help him to remember in case he forgot. He told me that it was a surprise he wanted to get for me and that daddy would have to take him to get it. Saturday afternoon, the kids and I went to Durant, OK for cousins birthday parties, and Johnny stayed home to work and meet with a client. Johnny promised to take him on Sunday after naps. The original plan was they would go and have "boy time" and Zoe and I would stay home and have "girl time". However, about an hour before they left, Eli crawled up in my lap and said, "Mom, I decided we are going to take Zoe with us. That way you can have a little time by yourself with no kids bugging you." In case you haven't noticed this about Eli, he is one of the sweetest boys on the planet and he loves his mommy :)

So, they headed out and I set up the couch for laundry folding and TV watching. They were gone for awhile and Johnny called to say they had left the store, but would be about 30 more minutes. Eli was playing a car bingo game and was missing several items. They were going to drive around for a little while longer and try to find some of them.

When they got home, Eli had a huge smile on his face, but no surprise in his hands. He told me that it was hiding in daddy's car because he still had to do something before he was ready to give it to me. Tuesday afternoon, he got out all his scissors (plain and fancy edged), construction paper, stamps, stickers, markers, crayons, etc. and set up on the kitchen table. He made cards for all four of us. Zoe tore hers in half the second he handed it to her. Luckily, Eli is an understanding big brother and he didn't get too upset. He put mine and Johnny's under our pillows so we could find them at bedtime. Then when Johnny got home from work, which was a little late, he asked him to get my surprise out of the car and to put in under my pillow with the card. I was allowed to look before I went to bed. He got me a package of colored pens. He was so proud of himself and asked me about five times if I loved them. He told me the best part about me being his mom was that he loves me with all his heart and he can buy me things :)
The first picture is the front of the card. It says Mommy and has stamps and pictures of badges. Somewhere, I can't remember, we saw a boy with boyscout badges. He drew them on my card.


The second picture is the back of the card. This is a picture of the four of us.

Star Student Week

This has been a very good week for Eli. He has been Star Student at school. On Monday, he took a poster that we made with about 40 pictures on it. When we were completely finished making it, he told me that they have to tell about each picture on their poster. Oops! Wednesday he took his favorite book to school and his teacher read it to the class. He chose Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems. Tomorrow he takes his favorite snack for the entire class to eat. He decided to make monster cupcakes. I iced them all then we each decorated a pan.My pan

Eli's pan

Tuesday was also a big day, Eli got his very first report card. The first 9 weeks we just had a parent conference because they had not been in school long enough to really be graded or assessed in a formal way since they are only four. We were so proud of him. It could not have been more perfect. Hopefully he will continue to make us this proud when it comes to school.

Dear Future Daughter

Dear Future Daughter,

It's crazy to think that you're somewhere on this big blue planet, right now... maybe in pre-kindergarten like your husband-to-be, maybe not even in school yet... maybe graduating High School like your future-father-in-law was while I was still in Middle School. But that's a whole other letter.

You might have a play-date today after school. Or perhaps your parents have a conference with your teacher. Tonight Eli will be playing with his sister and hanging out with his dad and me. I wonder what traditions your family has.

I often think about you, and wonder what you're doing while Eli is coloring me a picture or playing superhero, rescuing us from monsters and aliens. Do you have a brother or sister, or a puppy to play with? Do you share a room with someone? Are your eyes brown like Eli's, or are they blue? Are you a little pain-in-the-rear about having your toe nails trimmed too?

My daughter-to-be, while I care about these things and everything about you, what I really pray for are the things we can't always see. I pray you are surrounded by loved ones who are affectionate and playful with you. I pray that you are affirmed as the wonderful creature you are every day. I pray you are filled with the knowledge of God's immense love for you. I pray there's a man in your life who models being a man of integrity on a daily basis. I hope you see your dad kiss your mom and hold her hand when they walk together. Or if your parents aren't together, that you aren't basing your idea of romance off of what you see on TV, because that stuff is not real. I pray you see your mom prized like the jewel she is... that you see her doted on and lavished with praise, because the young man you are going to marry has not only seen ME praised and valued, but he's never known a day of insignificance in his life.

He is being raised to open car doors and store doors for ladies. His father will one day teach him that it is his responsibility to pay for your dates, to walk to the door and pick you up, and return you with all of your clothing and all of your self-esteem in-tact at the end of the night. He will be taught that real men don't participate in activities they would be ashamed of their moms knowing about. When you mess up, I pray you have a repentant heart.

You have big shoes to fill. Up to this point, his sister and I have been the number one and two ladies in his life. We love him more than anything in this world, but know that we must let him fly at some point. And when you’re in, you’re in, you’re family. Eli has learned to treat us like the special ladies we are. He is fiercely protective of both of us and is being trained to do the same for you and your future children.

Eli has been raised to speak kindly to you, to value your hard work, to help in the kitchen and with the housework to show how much he appreciates you. He will understand that you are a VERY important part of your household.

He is not perfect. He could survive on yogurt, fruit and macaroni and cheese. He thinks Cheetos are a dairy product. He sometimes slobbers and talks in his sleep. He forgets to flush the toilet after he uses the restroom. Drama runs DEEEEEEPLY in his veins. But young lady, you are receiving the best gift you could have ever received on this side of eternity when you take his hand. He is responsible, trustworthy, honest and hilarious. Our house if filled with laughter every single day. If you knew the treasure you will receive in him, you'd find it hard to concentrate on anything else for the next twenty years or so until he's ready. So, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, whoever you're with... we are praying for you. We love you already.

Oh, and what I pray for you most is that you have a personal, living, breathing relationship with the One who laid His life down for yours. Your husband does. I see him live intimately with Him every day. He has learned early how to pray and trust in God.

Love,
Mom

PS. I fully plan on being the next best thing to your own mom for the rest of my life. You're stuck with me. Be thankful. And scared ;-)

PPS Eli has already promised me that he is going to be our next door neighbor when he grows up, so you’ll be seeing a lot of me. I promise not to butt in too much.