Elijah - 5 Years

In honor of Eli's 5th birthday today, I wanted to share his responses to this year's birthday survey:

What is your favorite color?  All of them except white and gray...I like gold

What is your favorite toy?  Supermarket play set

What is your favorite animal? Zebra

What is your favorite book? Truck and car books

What is your favorite TV show? "Blaze and the Monster Machines"

What is your favorite movie? Planes: Fire and Rescue

What is your favorite thing to wear? Shirt from bible school

What is your favorite food?  Oatmeal and vitamins

What is your favorite drink?  Juice

Who is your best friend?  Anthony

What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Pick up sticks with my wagon

What is your favorite song?  "Uptown Funk"

What is your favorite thing to do with Mom? Shopping

What is your favorite thing to do with Dad? Mowing the lawn and following him with my tractor

Where is your favorite place to go?  Museum

What do you want to be when you grow up?  Cowboy and work with Dad outside

Eli's 5th Birthday Paw-ty

We celebrated Eli's 5th birthday with a Paw Patrol themed party this past weekend.  Our lunch menu this year consisted of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, salads, fresh fruit, "paw-tato" chips, and cheesecake along with other puppy-themed snacks.  Eli enjoyed the afternoon with his cousins while Lia took her nap during most of the party action.  

Eight Months

Aliyah is still following the same eating and sleeping schedule each day.  She has mastered her balance and strength and is a solid sitter and will roll everywhere.  She has started to push herself up on her hands and knees and is getting really close to traveling more distance by crawling.  Just recently she traded in her infant tub for the regular bathtub which seemed to be a frightening experience for her as she cried but then slowly was able to get used to the new bath environment.  Lia really has taken an interest in books along with her musical toys.  She is also able to keep herself entertained for an extended period of time these days.  Happy 8 months, little lady!

Little Life Lessons

I have been brainstorming thoughts and ideas for this blog post for a while after coming across a similar post on a different site and wanted to compose my own list of life's little lessons I want my kids to learn:

Importance of punctuality:  I always like to allow enough time to be a few minutes early when we arrive at our destination.  Being on time is also a way to show those you are meeting that you are respectful of their time and that they are valuable to you.

Send handwritten notes:  While a verbal thank you is polite, it is a nice gesture to follow up with a personalized handwritten note.  Especially in this age of technology with e-mail and text messaging, it is a nice surprise to find there is "real" mail in the mailbox.

Attend mass weekly:  While this is a tradition I grew up with, I didn't fully appreciate this gift until I was much older.  It is a valuable lesson I hope to instill in my own kids.  Not only does this regular routine provide a sense of self-discipline it also allows for the opportunity to set aside time on a weekly basis to escape from the busyness of life and refocus.  It can be a time to recollect thoughts, re-energize spiritually, and reflect through prayer while preparing for the week ahead just as each new day is a true gift and a chance to begin anew.  I have found that through regular mass attendance it helps keep me centered and grounded in what really matters.

Make your bed daily:  This goes along with keeping things organized, neat, and tidy.  I may not always have the cleanest house by way of dusting and vacuuming but I like to keep everything in its proper spot and put away by the end of the day, along with making the beds in the morning.  It is a good feeling to get into a bed that is made at the end of the day.

Life is full of ups and downs:  There will be good days and bad days.  The ability to weather through life's storms leads to enjoyment of the moments of sunshine and true happiness.  You will get through the challenging times and look back at those experiences as times of learning and discovery and realize you can conquer the next obstacle in the same way.  In fact, an issue you are dealing with one day will seem trivial as time goes on - it is all about perspective.

Be careful not to underestimate the power of these simple words - "I'm sorry":  While reading some tidbits of parenting advice one day, I came across the idea of apologizing to your kids when you make a mistake.  At first, this almost seemed like a foreign concept to me - shouldn't it be the other way around with your kids apologizing to you?  I remember when I heeded this advice and tried it myself, saying, "I'm sorry" for the times when I would yell.  It was a very humbling experience.  After all, it really does make sense to model this kind of behavior as an adult such as apologizing after making a mistake.  Over time, Eli started to emulate this by apologizing himself when he realized he made a mistake.  It is a good habit to first of all admit a wrongdoing which is the first step on the way towards changing a pattern of behavior and becoming a better person.  It is also important for the person who is hurt to hear these simple words, especially if they are said in a contrite, heartfelt way.

Buy generic or store brand products:  Some people say there is a noticeable difference between generic and brand name things, but for the most part I haven't been able to tell a difference except for the price, so you might as well buy the one that is more cost effective.  This is just one of many little lessons you will encounter with your frugal mommy along the way while we are out shopping together.  While I do not make much of an effort to utilize coupons, I do like a good bargain.  I like to consider myself a savvy shopper when it comes to finding good deals online.  I will diligently compare websites before making a final purchase.  When it comes to a shopping list, I stick to the list and only get what is on it.  I will not purchase something simply because it is on sale if it is something I don't really need anyway. 

Words can be powerful tools:  Be careful what you say, especially when you are in the heat of the moment so you do not regret what might be said as words cannot be retracted once spoken.  Again, I have found myself in this same situation with yelling.  After calmly giving a direction what seems like 39587498357348574 times I just don't have any patience left by that point and resort to yelling which blows off steam for me and really seems to be the only way to finally get some action to be taken.  Instantly regret sets in and I vow to not yell anymore (until the next time, of course).  I need to constantly remind myself we cannot completely control situations, people around us, or even our moods but we can take action when it comes to our attitude and how we react.

Choose your friends wisely:  At the tender young age of a preschooler all the way through the critical age of a middle schooler and high schooler, it is imperative to choose your friends wisely.  Their influence on you can be stronger than you realize.  Surround yourself with those who make good decisions, accept you for who you are, only want what is best for you, and treat you with a genuine kindness.  When the time comes for you to choose a future spouse, choose someone you would be proud to bring home to meet your parents and someone who you want to help you raise your own kids some day and can be a role model for them.

A sense of unconditional love and forgiveness:  Treating others the way you wish to be treated is a guideline that truly encompasses all the commandments and moral codes into one standard to live by; this type of empathy is something we should strive to develop throughout our lives so that when we look back and reflect on our lives we are able to leave a positive legacy and impact on others.  This type of love and forgiveness that is unconditional - giving without expecting anything in return, forgiving over and over again is sometimes the hardest to do but it is what we are called to do and will ultimately provide us with a deep sense of peace knowing we are fulfilling the goal of doing our best to become the people we are created to be. 

Seven Months

This past month Aliyah was introduced to solid baby food for the first time.  She has enjoyed a wide variety of both fruits and vegetables twice a day and seems to like them all equally now finishing off the entire container each time.  

Her drooling has increased lately but no sign of any teeth yet.  She has stopped taking her pacifier.  I'm not sure if she is completely done with it or if it is just a phase and she will take to it again later on.  She can sit alone now for limited amounts of time.  While she seems to have the strength for it, the balance is a bit of a challenge yet, and she will slowly roll back over onto the floor after a while.  She rolls everywhere these days and can spin her body around while on her stomach to change direction.  Lia seems to want to scoot but is still working on learning how to achieve this goal.  

As for her schedule, she follows the same eating and sleeping pattern each day and remains a good eater and sleeper.  Lia is a content baby, and it has been fun to watch her as she grows and her own little personality continues to develop.  

Tribute to Miss Virginia and Ms. Kathy

Miss Virginia - Eli - Ms. Kathy

As Eli's first year of school is winding down, I wanted to take some time to reflect back on his preschool experience and dedicate this post to his teacher, Miss Virginia and her associate, Ms. Kathy.  Eli truly enjoyed preschool throughout the year.  He looked forward to going every day and was excited to tell me about his adventures and what he learned at the end of each day.  The summer prior to the start of school he was enrolled in the Sacred Heart Childcare program which was in the same building as his preschool.  I think this really helped him transition from the in-home daycare experience to an even more structured school-like environment to help prepare him for preschool last fall. 

The 4-year-old preschool program exceeded my expectations as far as Eli's growth both academically and socially.  At the beginning of the year I remember Eli wanted to stay at school longer when it was time to go and even voiced disappointment that it was time to be picked up at the end of the day.  Miss Virginia provided a structured, disciplined yet fun and positive learning environment to help facilitate a love of learning in her students.  I also appreciated her organizational skills which were evident at the open house where she created an engaging scavenger hunt for the kids to become acquainted with their new classroom.  She also maintained open lines of communication throughout the year and kept the parents updated utilizing weekly newsletters.  It was a great tool to use not only to foster conversations about what they were learning in school but also to work on some of the same skills at home they were learning in school.  Even though Eli was only in preschool for part of the day, a few hours each afternoon (which always flew by in the blink of an eye), they were still able to incorporate classroom visits from the guidance counselor on a weekly basis, PE twice a week, music once a week, and a trip to the school library on Fridays. 

Thematic units which changed on a weekly basis maintained Eli's interest.  His favorites seemed to be the solar system and even a unit on laundry!  Eli also worked on mastering the basic skills of colors, shapes, letters, and numbers.  At the beginning of the year his writing skills were limited to writing "Eli" as compared to the end of the year now when he can write his full first and last name along with the other letters of the alphabet, some a little more legible than others.  I have been very pleased with the progress he has made in his writing skills and even more so his confidence in accomplishing daily tasks independently without getting frustrated quite so easily.  At the beginning of the year the preschoolers were also introduced to sign language.  Even his drawing and coloring skills have become more purposeful as he has grown in his creativity throughout the year.  He also loves to cut and glue and do worksheets at home that I either create myself or print off from the Internet.  I love to see how he has become much more intrinsically motivated to maintain attention while doing a variety of academic-type tasks and art projects.   

Throughout the year pre-reading skills have been incorporated in various ways, first recognizing all the letters, both uppercase and then lowercase and then learning the sounds the letters make along with visual cues with hand gestures to go along with the sounds.  I remember towards the beginning of the year Eli was singing a song about the letters.  It took me a little while to decipher all the words but with some context clues I could understand in the song, I realized he was singing:  "T is a consonant, a letter in the alphabet" and "A is a vowel, a letter in the alphabet."  One night I heard Eli sorting out his foam letters in the bathtub and grouping them by "letter friends" which must be letters that resemble each other.  He is also able to identify the sounds various pairs of letters make together along with sounding out simple words to either attempt to read or spell and write them.  Eli has also mentioned various forms of punctuation and is aware of the purpose of each. 

Ms. Kathy, the classroom assistant always greeted us each day with a cheerful and friendly hello with a smile.  She would oftentimes say a quick hello to Aliyah, too.  Eli really enjoyed Ms. Kathy and her help and presence in the classroom.  She could make him laugh easily.  For Halloween, Ms. Kathy dressed up as a larger than life Minion which Eli especially enjoyed since he also sported a Minion costume this year.  She participated in pajama day as well with her Eeyore adult-sized zippered pajamas complete with a hood. 

Eli has wrapped up a fun first year of school.  I am so glad he was able to experience a great beginning to his educational journey.  I hope his excitement for school continues through his school years as I believe one of the best ways to facilitate student learning is through enjoyable and meaningful learning experiences which Miss Virginia and Ms. Kathy provided. 

This summer he will once again be attending Sacred Heart Childcare.  He is registered for the pre-kindergarten program at Cardinal in the fall where he will go all day, every day.  It seems to be a great bridge between preschool and kindergarten with a modified curriculum.  This program is designed for kids who could benefit from an extra year before starting kindergarten and with his summer birthday it will allow him to take advantage of that before starting kindergarten back at Sacred Heart.

Family Pictures

At the end of April we had our family pictures taken as part of the 35th anniversary celebration of my parents this year.  So much has changed in even just the past 7 years with the addition of 3 marriages and 3 grandkids.  As I was browsing through the photos I was taken back while reminiscing about our childhood days.  The three of us girls can really be described quite accurately according to the birth order theory based on our roles in the family as oldest, middle, and youngest; just about as different as can be personality-wise but still rooted in the same morals and values we were raised with thanks to our parents that we now have the privilege and honor to pass on to our own kids as part of the next generation.  

Here is the link to see the pictures:

http://shootingimagesphotography.com/

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