He really does love her...
Tonight Skyler was at her limit. Tired from her long days at school and endless activities and fun that we have been having in the afternoon. She was upset...yelling and crying and berating herself.
Liam, on the other hand, was SO excited because the Dog Man book he had been waiting for to arrive from Amazon for weeks, finally showed up. He ran to the mailbox to get it as I layed in bed with Skyler trying to calm her down and help her recognize that she was just tired.
When Liam came through the door, he went straight upstairs and handed the book to Skyler and said "Here Skyler, you can read it first."
He picks at her almost constantly but the minute he sees her upset or sad, he is the first to come to her aid. :)
(Old pics but some of my favorites nonetheless)
Presley Kindergarten
The kids started school last week and I can now say, after 10 days, we are settled. Liam settled day one – he absolutely loves his new school and his new friends. When asked about missing Kirkland, he said yesterday, “I’m kinda over it.” LOL. Did not take him long! He has connected with some great kids and he really (REALLY) likes his new teacher, Dana. As Leif waited in line to pick him up on Day 3, Liam went running by soaking wet head to toe because they had decided to go jump in the river…just because Dana needed to get outside. He even has a class called “5th Grade Work Habits & Social/Emotional Development.” I mean, really?
Skyler too has adjusted and is loving her school. She connected with three girls on the first day and they have been inseparable since. And in talking with the parents, teachers, etc., it sounds like she has picked the best of the bunch! Of course. I am so thrilled for her because that is the only part of this move I worried about with her. I really wanted her to find some good girl friends and she has. She even had a play date today after school with all of them. She LOVES all of the “specials” – art, technology, PE, science and is really excited about (almost) all of her teachers. She even said her PE teacher was as nice as Mr. Sandbo, which is really saying something.
Presley has, unexpectedly, been the challenging one. After countless conversations over the last 6 months, we were feeling so good about putting her into Kindergarten. She had developed so much these last few months and just seemed like she was in a great space. However, I think we pushed her a little too far by putting her into the big public school. With all the changes in her life of late, I suppose we should not be surprised. She really struggled that first week – very scared and overwhelmed and confused. It was not getting any better and our hearts were breaking each time she expressed her anxieties. She was crying at recess – very scared of all the kids and always wanting to know where her teacher was. Skyler was trying hard to comfort her at recess but that was taking Skyler away from playing with and making new friends. By Friday, I was done. And although I am sure she would have learned to “cope” if we had kept her there a few more weeks, it seemed wrong to make a 5 year old figure out how to handle such big emotions. She just turned 5 and though she is socially and academically more than ready, she is still figuring out her emotional side – and it’s a big emotional side this one has – trust me! We wanted to keep her in K, because we really do think she is ready for it, but we put her at the Community School where there are 9 5 year olds and 2 teachers. Her first day was still scary for her and she cried when I was leaving but she was swooped into the arms of her teacher and told that she would be held until she felt safe. I felt so much better about leaving her in that environment.
Flash forward to today, three days after making the switch, and she had a perfect drop off! I am so thrilled.
First Day of School!!!
Can't believe we actually did it! Here is SV and all three kiddos heading off to Elementary School this morning!
They really do listen to me!
We moved Thursday, went to the symphony upon arrival, unpacked my mom's house Friday, unpacked (sort of) our house Saturday and Sunday, went to a school event for Community School Sunday, worked Monday and then I took off for a work trip in Ohio Tuesday. Returned Thursday only to race to get school supplies and head to Liam's open house. Am I on the verge of a nervous breakdown? Yes. Do I see an end to the craziness any time soon? No.
On our way home from the Open House, I decided it was a good time to "parent" and discuss TV and electronic time rules, expectations around chores, schedules, etc. I found myself immediately irritated because no one was listening and I couldn't get any of my points across. Then Liam chimes in...
"mom...you've said this to us 100 times...you got up at 4am this morning, you've been travelling, you are tired. This is not the right time to talk about this."
As much as I wanted to argue with him, he was 100% right and I was so impressed and amused that he called me out. Sometimes I need it!
We Moved to Sun Valley!
It still most definitely seems surreal and I wake up wondering where I am...our new house is in total disarray and we are eating out of coffee mugs...we still don't know where the good places are to eat, drink or shop but we all have smiles on our faces and are enjoying every moment of figuring this new place out together. I can't believe we actually did it - packed up our whole family and my mom, bought a house, rented a condo (ok, 2), drove two Uhaul loads to SV and are now unpacking. School starts in a week! Work never stopped! Am I totally and completely disheveled?? YES!!! But we are here and are ready to jump in to the fun and excitement that Ketchum and Hailey seem to buzz with! Our house is incredible - I never dreamed I would live in such a beautiful place.
Home at Herron Island
We moved to Herron for the summer knowing (or, at least hoping) that all would come together in Sun Valley by the time we planned to move in August. Trying to lead a normal day to day life on the island was a challenging task...who on earth can work in such a beautiful and fun filled place! Working at a place I normally decompress at was not great but on the days I was able to relax and enjoy all the island has to offer, it was magical. This year's highlights stacked high on each other:
1. The Pratt family being next door;
2. Meeting a new young family from Portland that has two sons and a daughter that our kids adore
3. Killer whales....yes...KILLER WHALES!
4. Skyler baking with grandma Stephie (they have mastered the zucchini bread)
5. Scott, Kat, Samir, Ben and Susanna's visit
6. Family time
7. The fire pit - we used it nightly
8. Sleeping on the cots outside
9. Mars
10. The moon rising
11. Skyler learning to wakeboard!
12. The hammock that dad bought us.
13. Narnia tag (don't ask...or better yet...ask the kids)
14. Dad's visit
15. 4th of July chaos
Presley's Pre-Birthday Birthday Party
If there is one thing Presley is good at, it's being the STAR. She had a smile glued on her face for her entire party. We decided to celebrate early so that she could invite all of her friends from Preschool and Cuddlebugs. She was very vocal about her desire to have a party at Pump it Up and about all the friends she wanted to invite so it felt cruel not to give her that before we moved to SV, where we know no one. Let's just say that everyone knows Presley had a good time! :)
Skyler learns to wakeboard!
Not to be left behind, Skyler conquered her fears and learned to wakeboard this year! She forced me to do it next to her for the first couple times and after that, it was old hat. She is such a natural athlete with amazing body awareness and control. We were so stoked for her!
4th of July
I swear there can't be a more spectacular fireworks display than on Herron Island! It's not just the mad chaos of the North Beach where people go nuts with these enormous explosions but everywhere you look around the Puget Sound, there are fireworks going off. The girls had a blast getting their faces painted (yes I did have a rare moment of time to be creative), Skyler played softball, and we set off some of our own (smaller) fireworks out front of the house. It was a gorgeous, warm and clear night...perfect for the 4th.
Saying Goodbye to Juanita Bay Montessori
Today we said goodbye to Meribeth and Leslie - two wonderful teachers who lovingly cared for all three of our kiddos through Preschool. I didn't realize how emotional I would get until I was taking this picture and then all of the sudden there were tears running down my face. Not only do I love them for teaching, loving, and keeping our kids safe through such crucial years but it is also the end of an era - no more preschoolers. My youngest is going to turn 5 this summer....YIKES!
Even though they will never read this, I want to document how wonderful I think both of them are. From the moment I stepped into their "school" (i.e. downstairs basement), I knew I wanted the kids at Juanita Montessori. They would have years to spend in a classroom environment filled with rules and this school was just the opposite. They were loved first and foremost and their teaching philosophy went hand and hand with that. Thank you both for giving my kids such a wonderful experience.