Our Newest Preschooler!

Jaden officially started preschool this week. He has been soo excited to go to his "Big School". He even asked today if he could ride to school in "Sissy's seat" since he's a big boy now too. Unfortunately, I had to squash his sweet request because he is still required to be strapped in to his car seat. He handled it well. He continued to smile the whole way there.

It has been a much easier transition than it was with Anna. It really helps that he has been looking forward to going to school for such a long time. Seeing him so excited makes us even more excited for him. Also, we've known that it would also be tremendously beneficial for him to be around the other children to encourage his speech. It was too hard for me to do before he started talking. I was worried that he would be scared and wouldn't be able to express it or that he couldn't ask the teacher to help. There was too much uncertainty. Plus, since I didn't know anyone I wasn't comfortable leaving him somewhere that I could not be at least very close by. But, in the past 6 months he has made huge strides physically and verbally. We are so proud of how far he has come.

When I look at this picture I can't help but think in my mind "Trouble and Double Trouble". These brothers are so darn cute and so darn ornery!! They are definitely giving me a run for my money and it's only the beginning!!!

I'm interested to see how Luke does with this time that we will have alone together. It's never really been just he and I. I think we will be spending a lot of time working on developing his speech. He is behind as well. Good thing I've got lots of practice in knowing what to do with Jaden. Still, he may need some extra help as well.

Jaden and his Mommy on his first day of preschool.

Just three short years ago, we lived hour to hour then day to day. It seems like just recently we've really been able to relax and breathe again. When he was born we had no idea what the future had in store for him. It is more wonderful than words can describe to see him so happy, so healthy, and so full of life. He is truly a blessing. We hope that he has an incredible year at preschool growing and learning about God, making new friends, becoming more independent, and developing a love of learning. We are so excited about his new chapter!! We love you soo much Jaden, our Big Boy!!

My "Bat-men"

Who's that masked man?

It's just Luke :)
Jaden is very independent. He's often heard saying "Me do-d it". Tonight he insisted on dressing himself for bed. Instead of standing over him supervising and fighting my urges to help I just left. Soon after I heard "Julie, come look at Jaden". Instead he came to me and fortunately my camera was right next to me. I did such a good job not laughing so he would work with me to take his picture. I told him to "show me his Batman face". Apparently Batman is in a very good mood :)

Here's a closer look at his pants...

So cute! He was very proud :)

Meet the teacher day

Jaden has been sooooooo excited about going to school. He has been talking about it and talking about it. He has to get dressed in the morning "like Sissy", and put socks and shoes on "like Sissy", and brush his teeth, etc... "like Sissy". He has even been wearing his SpiderMan backpack every day, all day since Monday morning. I am afraid that he is going to be disappointed that he will only be going two days a week for 3 hours. I really hope that school lives up to all of his expectations!

Finally, this Thursday we got to go to the school to see his classroom and meet his teacher. He was such a big boy who behaved well and spoke to his teacher when she asked him questions. I was very relieved. Especially, considering the events immediately preceeding our departure from home...
I was very proud of myself for getting myself dressed, makeup on, toes painted. Then, I got the boys changed and dressed, teeth brushed, hair brushed - all on time! They were clean, they looked cute. Score! I had just a few minutes to spare so I ran into my bathroom to put my shoes on and apply a quick coat of clear nail polish. Soon after the boys came into my bathroom (we're never apart more than 2 minutes) and Luke's face, hair, some of his shirt had been colored with yellow marker and Jaden was carrying the evidence! Oh my gosh! I hurried up and washed him up as fast as I could and threw them in the car. It was then that I noticed that the marker drawing was not confined to just his face! It was all over his arms and legs. Then to make things better in the daylight I realized I didn't do that great of a job getting the marker off of his face either! Nice first impression...

After surviving meet the teacher day - just barely - I rewarded the boys with Shipley do-nuts!!! Really, it was just an excuse for me to satisfy my cravings. It has been a long time since we've indulged ourselves so it was a nice treat for all of us.

The woman who waited on us asked us if we were going to stay or get them to go. We were going to stay but I figured we'd have some leftover so I'd take them in a to-go box. I bought 6 do-nuts and 1 dozen donut holes. I had nothing to take home. They devoured the tasty treats!!!

Do-nut number one. The best - the "bulls-eye"- yummm!

Luke at pretty much all of the do-nut holes. These are sort of "his thing". He always gets these plus another do-nut.

Do-nut #2: Strawberry Iced. Seriously, if you are ever near a Shipley's do-nuts you've got to stop in and try some. They are sooo good!

Next thing I knew Jaden had gone ahead and helped himself to a few more do-nuts...

Sugar high coming on....

Now I need to find another excuse to go back to Shipley's...

We've got a first grader!!

Well, I'm happy to report that Anna made it through her first week of school! It was a little touch-and-go there the week before. When I asked her if she was excited about going back to school she quicky replied "NO!" Then, "I want to rub my hands in poison ivy and go to the doctor so I don't have to go to school!" First of all, the girl has never had poison ivy in her life. If she had she would realize what an incredibly STUPID wish this is because there are not many things more miserable than having poison ivy - including going to school! Second of all, she HATES going to the doctor so she must be really serious.
Personally, I think this strong reaction to going back to school is just a reaction to the impending Disney channel withdrawl...

Good morning Sunshine!

Fortunately, the Froot Loops and OJ were enough to put her in a good mood for the start of school. She was even completely cooperative with having her picture taken.

Chris stayed around long enough for us all to walk Anna to school - our first day of school tradition. We love being able to walk. It reminds me of my chilhood when I walked to my elementary school.

Ready to learn!

Kindergarten year memories

I like to do beginning and end of year interviews with Anna. This year she was just not cooperative so this was all that I got:

1. My teacher this year was: Mrs. Burns
2. My favorite subject was: Art
3. What was your least favorite subject: No answer!!
4. Tell me one thing you learned this year:

A. "About frogs"

Q. What about them?

A. "First they are in eggs, then they crack out of the eggs and turn into something like a fish. They're just tiny like this (she shows me). They live under water. In a couple of days they get this big (she shows me)..." Guess she needs a refresher. I can't believe she is done with her first year of school. I didn't think I'd make it through her first day. You can read my thoughts and feelings from her first day here: Kindergarten post

What a difference a year makes! She was still my baby when she first stepped through those doors and now she is my beautiful little girl, growing up a little more every day. To say that I'm proud of her doesn't seem like enough.

Super Tangle Update:

Maybe it was my mistake for asking my 6 1/2 year old daughter to brush her own hair? When I walked back to the bathroom and found her with that comb all tangled up in her hair I was so mad. Surprisingly, she was laughing about it. I think she was a little proud of herself. For what I have no idea. It wasn't so funny after I started trying to untangle it. It looked like it should have been easy at first but she somehow wrapped her crazy, long hair around and around all of those little teeth on that comb. It was really a mess.
I managed to get the comb untangled from Anna's hair with lots of detangler spray, a little patience (surprised myself that I had any left by Friday afternoon...) and a whole lot of luck - without having to resort to scissors. I did have visions of how in the heck I was going to manage to eek out enough hair to cut bangs. I am very thankful that I didn't have to cut it. We've done bangs before and it just didn't work. Anna's got such a little face that the bangs were overwhelming and they grew so fast I was always having to trim them. Plus, growing out bangs is no fun. Alas, we are good to go until the next crisis...

Wish me luck...

Jaden's turn for swimming lessons: Jaden swimming with some help from Daddy

Anna's underwater doggie paddle

Washable markers???

Luke sort of "tatoo-ed" himself with the markers he was supposed to be coloring with. You can't see all the artwork down his arms as well plus what got transferred to me when I picked him up. Don't ask what his parents were doing while he committed this act...
But "washable" or not it still took a lot of scrubbing to get this off!

My "green" tips

I call it a "journey" because it's a process. As I go along I learn new things and make changes here and there. I'm not 100% green by any means but I'm working at becoming more aware and more responsible with the choices I make and resources I use.
Whenever I quit work and had a little more time to read I happened across a magazine called "Organic Style". Unfortunately, they don't make it anymore but I loved it! I learned so much. That's when I started replacing my "conventional" cleaners with ones that were "natural" or home made. The best thing about using natural, homemade cleaners aside from saving money and avoiding exposure to unnecessary chemicals is the safety around children. There is no need to worry about calling poison control because your child got into your cleaners. Vinegar, water, and baking soda aren't poisonous! My children often want to "help" me clean - sometimes even when I am doing something else and don't know they are "helping"- but I don't have to worry because they can't hurt themselves or any of my furniture. The cleaners are safe, effective, and gentle.
Inspired by some recent posts by my friend Dana over at Thoughts on Life and Dirty Diapers I decided to share my "green" arsenal. (She pretty regularly posts really great "green" tips - definitely worth the time to stop by and check out.)

The main staples here at the Tyree house are:

1. white vinegar
2. baking soda
3. borax
4. a new product I love (its actually been around a long time): Dr. Bronners castile soap
5. microfiber washcloths (I just buy them in the automotive sections - you get more for a better price). It's a good idea to have a stack of these. You can even cut them in half because they are kinda big. They help to cut down on the use of paper towels. Its easy to toss them in the wash and reuse. Because of the microfibers you don't even need any cleaner - plain old water will do. The germs and bacteria will be "trapped" in the microfibers.
6. polishing cloths (find in automotive section too). these are great to use with the "all purpose cleaner" (described below) for cleaning glass, mirrors, granite counter tops.
7. spray bottles
8. essential oils

My go to all-purpose cleaner is simply filtered water + vinegar + a few drops of liquid soap (or Dr. Bronner's) in a spray bottle and my microfiber cloth. You can also add a few drops of an essential oil if you prefer another smell or cut down on the vinegar smell. But, if you add a little Dr. Bronner's they are scented. I like the peppermint. Its a nice refreshing "clean" smell.

To clean floors a little Dr. Bronner's in a bucket with a mop is great. I also have a steam mop that uses only a microfiber (re-usable) pad and water.

To clean bathtubs, showers, sinks you can use the all-purpose spray but I like to have a little scrub. I mix borax or baking soda with liquid soap (usually dish soap). Adjust the amounts of baking soda/borax and soap until you get a consistency like frosting. It works great! Note: if you use borax it tends to be "sudsy". Baking soda is a little less abrasive as well.

A simple air freshener can be made with filtered water + your favorite essential oil(s) in a spray bottle. My personal fav is lavender + sweet orange. Ahhhh....relaxation!

Toilets: sprinkle baking soda into the basin then pour vinegar. It will make a really cool "fizz". Scrub with your toilet brush - easy as that.

If you have an extra downy ball its a good idea to add white vinegar in the ball with a load of laundry so that when it reaches the rinse cycle the vinegar will be released. The vinegar helps to get rid of the residue that can be left behind from the detergent. I do with with whites and towels.

Borax is also a natural booster for your detergent - you can just add a scoop with the detergent. You can also pre-soak extra stinky or stained clothes in it before you wash. There are lots of tips on the box for its many, many uses.

I've recently been having some issues with my dishes not getting clean in the dishwasher or coming out with a residue. Thanks to Dana (post on cleaning dishwasher) I've started adding some baking soda into the open slot each time I wash a load. Its been great. Vinegar added to the bottom during the rinse cycle also helps to make the dishes shine and keep the dish washer clean.

There are things I will buy from the store because I don't use them that often and either haven't found an equivalent I can make or I just don't want to like furniture polish and granite cleaner. For these I use Method brand (can be found at Target). Seventh generation, Mrs. Meyers, and Folex (great for carpet and upholstry stains) are a couple of others I've used and liked. I'm especially concerned about chemicals that are in things like baby shampoos and lotions. For these I use California Baby and Burt's Bees. California baby also has a wonderful calendula cream that is great for scratches, bug bites, pretty much any minor skin irritation. I use it for myself as well.

I know there are lots more out there. I just haven't gotten around to trying them just yet.

Speaking of....if you stop by Ms. Dana's blog that I've talked so much about you can leave her a comment or become a follower (but be one of mine too!) or both and earn some chances to win some free natural cleaning products from Eco Store USA. She's tried a few of their products and reported her results (they were good by the way!). I'm gonna get some extra entries to try to win them myself by making this post!!

Jaden was sooo excited to get a new "big boy" bike for his birthday. He did so well riding it - we were really impressed. He rode that thing for about 2 straight hours! I'm not even kidding. He mostly did circles around our cul-de-sac but we also took a ride around the neighborhood. Well, I walked and Chris rode his bike pulling Anna and Luke in the little attachment thing-a-ma-bob that they can sit in. Jaden got to call all the shots as far as where we would turn. He was so cute. He can be seen out riding any chance he gets. I'm sure he'll be wearing it out as soon as the weather gets a little more bearable. It's still pretty darn hot for most of the day.
I don't know if you can see in the picture but this is a Tony Hawk bike and it's got pegs on the front wheels. I just think that's hilarious that a bike made for a little one with training wheels would actually be equipped for tricks. Who knows? He is always surprising us. Maybe one day you'll find a post with pictures of Jaden getting fancy with his new wheels.

Beach dinner

I've been trying very hard to mix things up and find things to do. I've found that the key to keeping them from turning on each other and subsequently making me want to pull my hair out is to keep them busy. They just cannot be in this house for very long. It gets really ugly.

When I was growing up summer meant children being outside all day running, playing, and riding bikes. We can't really do that because it is insanely hot! We just cook outside.

So one day Anna helped me make some cupcakes, we threw in some pizzas, and put together a little picnic. When Chris got home we loaded up the car and had dinner at the beach. It was a lot of fun! The beach had a picnic area with tables and restrooms.

After eating and cleaning up we headed down to the beach. This wasn't a warning we were happy to see. Anna has a new fear of jelly fish. She was afraid to take a bath for a long time because she thought they were going to end up in the tub or come out of the shower. We were having to wipe her down while she was standing up in the inch of water screaming. Not so fun! If we actually saw a jelly fish it could really set us back.

Hmmm... I don't even know what to say about this...

Everything you need for the beach:

Great big stick - check

Dog leash (no dog, just leash) - check

Before leaving I walked into the kitchen to ice the cupcakes, I noticed some little bites taken out of several of the cupcakes...

Then Jaden walked into the room. I asked him if who was eating the cupcakes and he just said "No". Guess he forgot to wipe the crumbs off of his face...

Verdict-Guilty.