Look closely...

at the tv in the background. Is this a coincidence or not? You be the judge.

NO HOMEWORK!!

Avery came home today and said that he got all of his homework done at school today. He finished his spelling for the week, and literally had nothing he had to do. It was a fabulous afternoon. He was able to go outside and jump on the trampoline, play the Wii, whatever he wanted to do. Today he was able to be a kid. The reason he was able to get his work done at school was because they went on a field trip. They didn't have time to start anything, but they did have a little time in the classroom. It gets better...he had recess!! I just had to share this wonderful day with you all, since I'm quick to share the frustrating ones.

Halloween party update

Avery went to the party tonight, even though Keith and I had doubts. My hope was that he would get to know some kids in his class better. Well, there were no other boys that he knew. Apparently, it was a party for not only his age, but older kids as well. It was also somewhat of a neighborhood party. We sent him with my cell phone in case he wanted to come home for any reason, but we never got a call. I think he had fun, but I'm not sure he would do it again. He said that most of the adults were smoking, which really makes him uncomfortable. It was definitely outside of all of our comfort zones. Is this how we're going to feel for the rest of our lives?? Constantly wondering and worrying about them any time they're not with us? The older I get and the more experiences I have with my kids makes me so thankful for my parents. I wish this was information I had as a teenager. I guess nothing but experiencing it yourself can make you understand how it feels. Bummer.

I miss nap time

I really do miss nap time in a lot of different ways. I miss taking them myself, but I really miss them most when the kids stop taking them. I don't remember exactly when Avery stopped taking naps, but I think it was somewhere around 2-3. Brady stopped napping when he turned 2. I remember it very clearly because I just couldn't believe it. That was the hardest thing for me to accept, a two year old that wouldn't nap. Even after the boys stopped actually sleeping, they would just lay in their beds quietly (or not quietly) for a little while. When Brady stopped napping, I had a four year old and two year old, so I definitely needed that little bit of time to myself. Well, I'm afraid that we are approaching no nap time with Chloe. She's always been a really good sleeper, but lately she's not napping as much. Just a few months ago, she would sleep 3-4 hours easily during the day. I was hoping that she would nap until kindergarten!! :) Actually, the funny thing is that I'm not that bummed about no nap. I'll definitely miss it, but in some ways, it might make our day easier. The boys are not riding the bus anymore, so if she takes a nap, most likely, I would have to wake her up to drive to the school. It also makes getting errands done a little more difficult because I have to work around her nap. I guess there are definitely good and bad things about it. I think every time Chloe quits one phase, it's going to be hard just because I know it's the last time I'll go through it. It's so bittersweet.
I actually wrote this a couple of days ago, but I'm just now posting it. I missed her nap today for sure! The other day it didn't bother me too bad that she didn't nap. I guess it just depends on the day! Is it bed time yet?? :)

Homework

So, it's been about a week and a half since I last vented my frustrations on here. I said that I wasn't going to do it anymore, but I knew that wouldn't last very long. Avery has been coming home with one to one and a half hours of homework every night. He has so many books that they won't all fit in his backpack. He's forgetting homework and not getting everything done, which isn't like him. I think that he just has too much going on to remember everything. He's also still not having a regular recess. On top of that, we've had issues with the bus driver. I'm not a fan of the bus to begin with, but I thought we would give it a try in the afternoons. It was really nice not driving to the school and waiting in line. At first, they were being dropped off where I couldn't see them. They were supposed to be dropped off at the end of our street. I called the bus driver, and he made me feel guilty, like I was asking for him to come to our driveway. Anyway, he changed his route so that he could drop them off at the end of the street, but that made them 10-15 minutes later than usual. One of the reasons I liked the idea of the bus, was because they would get home about the same time as if I picked them up. So much for that. I guess you can't go by the website or what it's actually supposed to be. The final straw was when Avery told me that the driver yelled at some kids for spilling water. He not only yelled, but cussed at them. Avery said it wasn't just one time either. I was so mad!! I know that bus drivers aren't required to have the same education as teachers, but they should be able to control themselves around kids. They are still adults. I'm planning on calling to complain about him, but I just haven't done it yet. I want them to know that it's not acceptable to use that language around the kids. Brady told his teacher, and she seemed upset about it, and told him to tell the principal. Maybe they will do something about it without me having to complain, again. Anyway, there's the latest with our lovely school system. I'm not wondering if anything else will go wrong this year, I'm just wondering what it will be.

Jack-o-lanterns

The boys love when we carve jack-o-lanterns. Last year we didn't get around to it, so I made sure we got to it this year. Keith and I each carved one. The boys picked out a stencil,( no we didn't just carve that on our own), and we did our best. It was fun to do it, and somehow it makes us cool, even for just a few minutes. Of course the boys picked out the creepiest ones. We didn't do one for Chloe this year, but I'm sure it would have been Dora, and I really don't think I can put that on a pumpkin. I guess next year I'll have to find a pattern for that on line or somewhere. Anyway, I just wanted to share them with you all. Sorry they're so evil looking. I didn't think they would be quite that bad.

I'm not surprised...

74%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I found this on someone else's blog, and thought it was funny. I think it's pretty accurate. It would be higher if I could think of something to blog about everyday. I'm definitely addicted though. I'm curious how addicted the rest of you are?