Andrew is 6 and a half

Boy, am I late again.  Andrew is 6 and a half now.  He has been telling everyone when his half birthday was, when Logan's birthday was, when his real birthday is, and when Logan's half birthday is.  It is pretty cute.

Andrew is doing well in school.  He got his first report card and everything is on target for his grade.  I went to his parent teacher conference (seems very few people actually go here) and there wasn't much to say.  We mostly talked about how he likes to bring home his teacher's trash.  He always sit next to her at lunch and then brings home her trash so he can recycle it.  He is really into recycling and is always going around telling me what we can recycle (like the flyswatter - I keep saying we still need that one).  Otherwise, he is doing great.

I have seen a lot of improvement in Andrew's handwriting.  His d's and a' still look too angular to me and he isn't always super consistent with his n and h's.  But last week, he missed a spelling word because it looked like he wrote shack instead of snack.  So, I think he is learning his lesson.  Before and after that, he always got 100% on his spelling test, so it was a bit of a shock.  He also has started to really write long and elaborate responses to questions in his reading log each night.  He takes a lot of initiative for his homework and always makes sure it gets done.

Andrew gets "dojo" points at school for each 9 weeks - they get points for good behavior, turning in homework, and doing well on spelling tests.  He always keeps careful track of how many he has in comparison to other kids in his class.  At the end of the 9 weeks, you can turn them in for prizes.  Last 9 weeks, he was just one short of the highest number of dojo points, he had like 120 or something.  I hear more about dojo points than probably anything else at school.

Andrew seems to be making friends - he will occasionally talk about his "friend", but honestly, he doesn't share much about that part of his life.  He is always excited to be home and play with Seth and especially play on our new play set.  He also loves playing with Logan and likes to read him books, too.  He also is always hammering for time on the computer.  He wants to play the game they play at school, so he can have as many points as everyone else.  He also is always wanting to send email - I guess they have accounts at school - but I think he is too young.  He must be learning some typing because he keeps telling me about it, but I tell him to improve his handwriting first and then we can think about learning to type.  Andrew also loves playing Lego Star Wars video game with Dad - I do not love it.  He gets annoying and yells at Seth whenever Seth is doing exactly what Andrew thinks he should be doing, but Andrew really really loves it.  He has been getting into Legos some, too.  Most of all, though, he loves to build machines out of Trio blocks and then come and attack me.

Andrew finished up soccer.  He only missed one game, and that was because of his school carnival.  He played hard and made a goal his last game.  He got a trophy  and was super excited about that.  He always told us he only wanted to play for a trophy.  But I think he had a really good experience and I think he wants to play again in the spring.

FUN THINGS THIS MONTH
- Visiting New Bern for Columbus day.  We went to the fire museum and walked around town.  Andrew liked to look for all the bears.  We ate at a cute cow restaurant and had ice cream and then walked around the garden of Tryon Palace.  Andrew had fun and wants to go back, but thought the drive was too long (about an hour).
- Lots of soccer games (weeknights and on weekends)
- Playing too many video games while Katsu and I paint the fence
- Trunk or treat at church.  It went pretty fast, but the boys got loads of candy and had lots of fun.  Andrew dressed up as a dragon again.
- Another day off of school.  We pretty much just played at home.
- Party at school.  "Fall Festival" instead of Halloween - they got snacks and did crafts.  He was sad I wasn't there, but the parties for his class are assigned and I am not until Valentine's Day.
- Playset installed!!!!!  The boys were so excited!  They have loved playing on it so much.
- Watching videos at Dad's work while I had an afternoon meeting.  Andrew thinks it so cool that Katsu has 2 screens and they can watch a movie on one.
- Halloween!  We had chili with friends and then went trick or treating with them.  They have two boys around Andrew's age, so all the boys ran fast from door to door.  It was all Logan and I could do to catch up.  The neighborhood was packed, but the boys all had so much fun.  The weather had really warmed up and Andrew was sweating so much in his fleece costume by the end.  THey got tired, but insisted on doing houses on the way home, too, even though it was winding down.  At one house, apparently they were out of candy, so they gave the kids a handful of candy corn.  And Andrew ate it immediately without asking me!  I guess we will have to go over the rules of trick or treating again.  It was a fun night.
- Last soccer game, eating at Bojangles (Andrew's new favorite place to eat, apparently) and finally getting a trophy.
- Early day off for Parent Teacher Conferences.
- Veteran's Day off - just played with friends
- Dinner with friends for a birthday.
- Getting hand, foot, and mouth disease.  We didn't realize Andrew had until today for sure.  He had a slight fever and got sent home from school, though by the time he got home he didn't have a fever (Katsu had to pick him up because I was teaching).  But it went away and he was being really hyper the two days he was home from school, so i thought he was better.  He started getting a rash on his mouth, but only today with blisters on his lips and spots on his hands and feet did we realize what he had.  Oh, well.
- Football game.  The boys all went to the ECU game and had fun cheering on the pirates for a big win.  A fun day with Dad.

Logan is 2 years old!

Yesterday was Logan's second birthday.  I think he had a really great day.  In the morning, we told him happy birthday a lot.  He helped me pick out some things for the party at the grocery store and helped me cook (and sample) the cupcakes.  We were trying to clean up for the party and I left a door open and he found his birthday present.  I told him we had to wait and there was a lot of tears, but we finally gathered everyone together and he opened family presents.  From us, he got a plane and a Thomas book.  From Grandma and Grandpa, he got a Thomas T-shirt and some Thomas books.  From Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, he got a train.  He wanted to take everything with him, but I let him bring the plane and wear his Thomas shirt.  In fact, he would like to wear the Thomas shirt continuously, but I did manage to get him into Sunday clothes today.  We had soccer games - ate at Bojangles in between since it was the last soccer game (Logan already recognizes this place, even though it was only our second time).  We also bought some Halloween decorations for next year and on the way to the second soccer game, Logan feel asleep, so he slept through almost the whole game.  Yay!  We got home about 5 minutes before his party.

The party was fun.  I think Logan loved it.  Our playset was just installed and thankfully the weather was great, so a whole passel of kids just played on the playset, our climbing dome, and in the sandbox, and soccer and just running around.  We cooked up too many hot dogs and brats and had chips and water and fruit.  Then, we sang and had cupcakes.  Logan was a little mystified / mesmerized by the candles and a friend helped blow them out.  He got three presents - a big ball & a little plane, some ABC puzzles, and a Chugginton DVD (which we watched this morning so I could take a shower).  We had a lot of friends there - our neighbors, the Jones and their two kids, the Harris' and their three kids, the McCarlies and their three kids, the Arriagadas and their three kids, and the Howards and their two kids.  Logan seemed to have a ball.

He seems to understand that he is two now.  If you ask how old he is, he will tell you two and hold us his two pointer fingers.  And whenever we asked whose birthday it is, he would say "Me".  I said no more nursing when he turned two and he was a little sad, but got over it and accepted it (yay!).  I also told him two year olds start using the potty - we'll see about that one.

Otherwise, Logan is just adorable and trouble - basically the definition of a 2 year old.  He LOVES cars and trains and is always carrying at least one.  Usually multiple.  He sleeps with them now, too.  He leaves them at Play Date each week, though Seth has been culling through the collection and bringing home ours.  Logan loves books with cars and trains and planes and anything that moves and wants to hear them over and over.  He loves to play trains and can start to build some tracks himself.  He loves for me to build a Trio race track and loves to play with our big track.  He is even starting to kind of like to watch cars or trucks on TV, though honestly he is still not really interested in TV at all.  He also loves ball and enjoys throwing things.  Everything.  He loves our new swing set.  He likes the swings - the first time I put him on and pushed him, he fell right off, but he has done great since then and I have remembered to push more gently.  He can even go up the rock wall with a little help with placement.

This last month, Logan has been all about me.  He won't go to nursery anymore.  He had one bad day at Play date when I was teaching.  Some child was inconsolable, and I guess Logan got upset and started crying till he threw up (gotta love my kids), so Katsu picked him up.  He ended up having loads of fun at Katsu's work, but now he doesn't want to go to Nursery anymore.  He cries when we bring it up or when Sacrament meeting ends.  I would just go with him, but Seth won't go to Sunbeams, either, so I end up going to Primary and then Logan ends up falling asleep or whatever ...  And we are good friends with the nursery leader and he likes her and will talk to her, but as soon as you  mention Nursery, he will just say "No."  He is basically attached to my hip.  However, yesterday at soccer, he seemed to want Katsu and I think he is sad when Katsu is not with us for bishopric things, so I am hoping that Logan will be going through a Katsu phase shortly.

Logan is starting to talk a lot more.  He has a lot of words now, but still doesn't use a whole bunch of sentences.  He is pretty funny to listen to.  Whenever we are stopped at a red light, he just yells out "Go.  Go. Go."  I wish buddy.  He said couscous a week or so ago which was SO cute.

Logan is a super eater.  He can eat SO much!  I am curious to see what they say at his doctor appt tomorrow, because that kid had an appetite and will eat almost anything.  He even steals broccoli off other people's plates.

Logan mainly follows me around all day with cars or planes or trains or trucks and watches what I am doing.  He is pretty helpful.  He usually puts his shoes away and brings his plate to the sink and tries to put things away.

Logan loved trick or treating.  He loved Halloween.  He would say "treat" all the time and LOVED the trunk or treat and trick or treating.  On Halloween, I had to work in the afternoon, so I took the boys over to katsu's work.  Logan through we were going trick or treating

Fun Things This Month

• Lots and lots of soccer games and practices.  Logan is a good sport and likes to kick around a ball, too.
• Friends over to play several times.
• Logan went over to a friend's house one day so I could substitute teach a lecture.  He got sad when he went outside because he recognized our neighborhood and wanted me. He just kept saying Mommy.
• Trunk or treating at ECU.  There was a kid dressed up as the Hulk, complete with a mask, and Logan was TERRIFIED.  Generally, masks really scared him on Halloween.
• Trunk or treat at church.  Logan loved it.

• Day trip to New Bern -- we went to the Firefighters museum (the kids favorite thing of the day), the birthplace of Pepsi (kids not interested at all), the Cow Cafe for lunch (everything decorated in cows and a kids play room, plus pop corn and ice cream - i.e., kid paradise), and then walked around the city and went and walked through the grounds of Tryon Palace.  The kids did a lot of walking, but were excited to try to find all the bears that were painted differently around town.
• Fall Festival at Andrew's school.  Logan got to do a few of the free games and really had fun, even though he was exhausted.
• Our new playset.  Logan loved watching them install it and then starting crying as soon as they were done because he wanted to run out and play on it.
• Birthday!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Seth is 4 years 4 months old

Or was ... like a week ago.  I am getting so behind on these.  Seth is still having a bumpy transition to life here.  One big change was Katsu getting called into the bishopric.  Seth has not been happy about that.  He wants Katsu to sit with us.  And we are back to him not going to Primary again.  I tried to take him a couple weeks ago and he ended up teary eyed and I had to get him.  Last week, he refused to go because he said I wouldn't stay with the whole time and so he stayed about half way through RS when he finally decided it was too boring and he would go to his class.  It was interesting ... I was trying to conduct RS with Logan starting to doze off on my shoulder (won't go to nursery) and Seth sitting next to me.

I just hope we're doing right by Seth and not forcing him into anything.  I hope he's not too bored at home.  He likes to do things quietly by himself.  He loves to look at Japanese comic books, seriously for hours at a time.  He also loves to do workbooks.  He worked through the BrainQuest kindergarten one in probably 1-2 months and that is one long book.  Then, he was sad without it so I got him another 300 pg kindergarten one, a different brand.  I though 1st grade would be a bit hard.  Seth really wants to do really well because he thinks if he does, he can be in the same grade as Andrew.  Poor kid - sometimes, I feel like he is just counting time until Andrew comes home from school.

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but Seth is very afraid of blood.  He is a tough kid - like seriously tough.  But at the first sight of blood - wow, he freaks out.  Like today, he fell off his scooter on our daily walk and got some little cuts on his knee and elbow.  I thought he was going to hyperventilate for at least the next 30 minutes, probably more like hour.  It's like he just can't handle the thought that he is bleeding, poor kid.

Seth is such a nervous thing.  He chews on everything, whatever is around.  It is his nervous habit, I guess.

Seth keeps doing better in school things.  He still does his reading lessons, now and then.  He is about 60 lessons through.  He can read some things and is getting much better at writing his letters and his numbers.  He can do some simple math, too.

Seth loves playing on the computer.  He loves to look at books and do crafts and to play army.  He likes to play outside, but mostly if Andrew is around.

And soccer - Seth is obsessed.  Every day he asks if it is a soccer day.  He practices every day and cries if Katsu doesn't play enough with him or pay enough attention.  He goads the players on Andrew's team and gives them pretty good advice.  He LOVES soccer like it's no one's business.  It is SO cute.

Fun Things This Month:
- Soccer games galore.
- Lots of inside rainy days.
- A couple visits to Dad's work.  He puts a video on the screen for them to watch while he works, plus there is candy so they LOVE it.
- Hanging out at the walking school bus day and getting treats.
- Visit to the eye doctor.  Seth was nervous, but we watched a you tube video about what would happen, and he did really well.  They said his vision is pretty good ... he probably will need glasses, but not for another year or two.  Seth got to get some sunglasses to take home and for several days he was very serious about how his doctor told him that he had to wear sunglasses or he would hurt his eyes.
- We got "booed" and go to "boo" some other people in the neighborhood.  Seth was really excited about it and had to come and deliver one with us (he feel asleep early the other night and missed it).  He ran and put it on their porch, but hid it.  I had to come out and show him to put it on the door mat or they might never find it.  Then, the next day, he told them we had "booed" them.  Ha ha ha.
- Trunk or treat at ECU - pretty small ... I think Seth was a bit disappointed.
- Trunk or treat at church.  Seth dressed as a tiger - nice and warm for a cold evening.  He got lots of candy and had lots of fun.
- Watching some of the world series with Dad.  Seth is a big Cardinals fan.
- Day trip to New Bern -- we went to the Firefighters museum (the kids favorite thing of the day), the birthplace of Pepsi (kids not interested at all), the Cow Cafe for lunch (everything decorated in cows and a kids play room, plus pop corn and ice cream - i.e., kid paradise), and then walked around the city and went and walked through the grounds of Tryon Palace.  The kids did a lot of walking, but were excited to try to find all the bears that were painted differently around town.
- Fall Festival at Andrew's school.  Seth got to do a haunted house on a scooter thing that you laid on, and played lots of games - ring toss, bowling, sack race, etc. etc. and got some candy.  They all had a lot of fun.
- Our playset was installed which was super exciting for Seth!
- Halloween!!!  Our friends came over and we had Chili and then we went around the neighborhood.  I was slow with Logan, but the rest of the boys (Andrew, Seth, plus their two boys) were running around from house to house.  I couldn't keep up!  We ran into lots of people we knew and it was just pretty busy and fun.