Happy Birthday Bria.....

Brianna's 31st birthday cake and candle.....I think you should always have wish for your birthday.

Summer days.....

Yesterday we spent outside in the sun. 1st we went and played mini-golf with the boys. Then we praticed riding bikes. Then we all cooled off in the pool and with the hose. A great time had by all, and good sleeping :-)

Learning to ride....

Dear Aragorn.....

You started kindergarten today, it has been the most awesome and saddest thing i have ever had happen to me.


Our day started out as usual, we ate breakfast, did some computer stuff, went up and did some school stuff. Then showers, lunch and......and taking my baby to school. We have been talking about it for a couple weeks, reminding you at bedtime that school was coming up, so you knew. I took your picture in front of the tree in our front yard, i took so many you told me to stop because your cheeks were hurting. Just one more i asked, about 7 times. Dad came home, and as a family we took you to your first day of what will be pretty normal until you turn 18. I did it, dad did it, Rohan will do it, but nothing can prepare you for the 1st moment when your baby goes in those doors. You lined up with your classmates, and smiled back at us, excited, and apprehensive. I gave you a reassuring wave and smiled, glad to have my sunglasses hiding the tears. I did good, not to many came, but enough that they made my cheeks wet. As you turned to go into the school, and into a new life, you gave us one last wave and smile as if to say "it's ok mom, it's only 3 hours" something i needed to know. I know this is an important and needed step in your life, and i know in the end, it will bring nothing but good things. But i can't believe how fast 5 years came and went.

I love you so very much monster mash.

Love,
Mom

Update after Rant.....

I sat down with Aragorn this morning and worked with him on a few things, not only did he know most of it, he knew more than even i thought he did. We worked on his scissors usage, and writing his name.

His 1st day seemed to go well. He said it was fun, and that was about it. Rohan was happy to see him too. I wish i would have taken my camera with me, Rohan kept asking when Aragorn was going to come out. I think he'll do good. I did catch a couple of words with his Teacher, and she said we need to work on pencil grip. I am not sure how to do this, any ideas? I have already tried breaking a crayon in 1/2 which forces him to hold it lower, and also tape where he can put his fingers, this seems to help here at home, but not at school.

Testing day....

Today was Aragorn's "School prepardness testing" and i'll tell you what, there is nothing that will make you feel like a horrible parent more, than having a teacher tell you your kid, basically isn’t ready for kindergarten, but really he has no choice because of his age. We were all excited for him to take this "test" as we thought he is actually a pretty smart cookie, and picks up on things well. Apprently, according to the State of Colorado, he is far from a smart anything. According to this test he had to take, he can’t cut with scissors, doesn’t recognize letters, can’t write his name, got the names of shapes wrong……the list goes on. His teacher even made a comment about how she could tell he hadn't been to preschool.

This is frustrating for me as his mom because I KNOW he knows some of it. He IS smart and we have been working on some things. The scissors thing I will give her, we haven’t worked on that. I didn’t know that was such a HUGE deal to be honest (but according to her, they will be using scissors as early as his 1st day-which is tomorrow). As far as shapes and stuff, he knows them (for Pete’s sake he called a circle an Oval, really?) She said he didn’t know the difference between the front cover and back cover of a book i will dispute that to the grave (along with the shapes thing).

I just wanna cry about this, I feel like I’ve failed as a parent……I feel like I let him down for freakin KINDERGARTEN. I mean whatever happened to kids getting to be kids? Summer was meant for fun, but now, he’s expected to know almost everything before he even goes. WHY should i have to put my child in school at age 3 to be ready for kindergarten? And WHY if that's what the schools want, do they not make Pre-school mandatory and affordable?

I am hopeful that his was just "i don't know who this women is, why is she asking me to do this stuff?" having never been in preschool, this was all new to him.

I just hope it gets better for him.

Baby Bullet.....

Just enterd to win a Baby Bullet on http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com/baby-bullet-giveaway/ Check out the blog at

Hoping to win for Nichelle and baby Brooklyn!!