The growing Ambrose.

Familiar sights, familiar sounds, and the things that we do when we're hanging around.

Ambrose has been in Kindergarten for about three weeks now and he likes it just fine.  Some days he doesn't want to get ready and go and some days he comes home upset that a certain kid wouldn't let him play at recess and it breaks my heart.  Those stupid kids!  Why can't everyone just play with everyone?! :)

Most days though he enjoys getting through his homework and hugs his teacher before he leaves class and eats things he would never eat for me the one day a week I let him buy school lunch and tells me about a new friend he's made and sings a new song for me and feels super cool about riding his razor scooter to school and gives us an ear full about something he learned.

I take the good with the bad when it comes to school.  I don't know why it feels so strange to send my kids off for the day to be with other people I hardly know doing who knows what.  I know it is good for them, but I am still adjusting.  I am happy that he is having a good time with it and learning from the hard experiences too.

Our Ambrose Carl certainly is growing up.

May Day

I have been trying to get a video of May Day up all day and the computer has shut down twice in the process.... so until I get that figured out- here are some cute action shots Thomas took of our own Sheriff Woody in the preschool Toy Story dance number at May Day this year. Note to mainlanders- May Day is a gigantic production where each grade performs a long dance to a theme in full costume that would rival Disneyland. Schools get criticized here for taking weeks out of school instruction to practice, but I pretty much think it's completely awesome. This was our first May Day and it was just as big, and crazy, and indulgent as I had hoped. I love it! The preschoolers were so so cute. I love the preschool my son goes to. If they taught up through high school graduation I would gladly pay the tuition to keep Ambrose there. It's an amazing school. Anyway, Thomas caught all the moments: the pre-show sit, the nervous grouping when they're about to go on, the serious dance moves, the nose picking, all of it!

What should I give the best Sunbeam teachers ever?

I am really grateful for Ambrose's primary teachers. The certainly do a lot more prep for their lessons than I ever did as a Sunbeam teacher and I am so inspired by them!

Ambrose comes home with all kinds of facts, for instance, out of seemingly nowhere at the dinner table last night, "When Jesus Christ returns the sun and the moon will turn to darkness and the stars..... will fall from the sky."

Me: "Oh my goodness yes that's true I guess wow Ambrose! How did you know that?"

A: "My teachers at church."

Me: "Good for them!"

I need to take them something for Christmas- with all the costumes, crafts, and facts he comes home with they've earned a fruit basket or fudge or something!

no one's ever accused us of being athletic

Not that I know of anyway. Feel free to come forward if you have. I'll probably award you some sort of fantastic prize out of shock.

But, I know that a lot of kids pick up skills and talents at the age of three and so we are trying our hand at a couple of things lately. Really, it's probably my creepy inner stage mom sneaking it's way out or something... I guess in this case inner soccer mom or something.

Doesn't it seem like a lot of people who have some musical talent or were first string of a sports team started when they were like three? Am I making this up?

The memory of me struggling at dance or swim team or soccer when I was 12 and wishing I could be as good as my friends who started when they were three is probably driving my current lesson hunt. Blame it if you will, but don't linger too long because I have some cute pictures to show you.

First: An apology to my dear mother. She tried to get me to love the piano from a young age, bless her heart, and now I wish I would have listened to her. Oh and I was in gymnastics when I was little too and was pretty good, but lost interest as soon as I grew to a normal size.... that sport would do well to find that secret water fountain from Tuck Everlasting...

Now on to the pictures...

Exhibit one:

The boy in his second session of swim lessons. We'll see if he ever puts his whole head under the water, but the good news is he loves it and shows steady (slow) improvement.

Exhibit two:


Kids can't start AYSO soccer until they are 5 here, but our genius primary president has a son who is 4 who was dying to play soccer like his older siblings so she started a little 3-4 year old boy soccer group and it is so fun! It's just the right amount of boys too. Not so small that they don't feel like a team, but anymore would probably be pure chaos. They do all kinds of creative games and I may have cried a little while watching Ambrose interact with his "team".

So far no sign of any athletic prodigy, but he can, like, run around and kick stuff...

So, yeah.... we're pretty sporty. Watch out.