Final Day of Preschool EVER

Bittersweet!

Today was Henry's last day of preschool! Ever! I got a little choked up when we said bye to the teachers....we have been going there for four years, after all. BUT, I have a lovely, hot, long summer stretching before me with two boys who get up at 530, so it doesn't really seem like I'm sending him out into the big bad cold dangerous world quite yet.

They had water day today (big blow-up bounce houses), and he was so excited.





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I am sure that other mommies stayed and took their pictures and savored every last moment of this. In fact I know they did, b/c they were there....all sweaty and worn out....when I returned at 2:01. You know me - I just couldn't stand the emotion. ;) To escape this amazing moment, I met my long-time mommy friends in Plano and had lunch on a lovely patio. And I got there a little early, so I killed some time in Nordstrom Rack. It is just what I HAD TO DO to get through the amazing significance of this monumental day.

Did you know that they have these amazing little handheld dealies at N'Strom now where they can just check you out right in the middle of the store??? Hand them items....hand them a card....they give them back to you in a bag and email you the receipt! Now THAT is monumental.

Ahem. Anyway....

With the lovely Carla and Allie. Counseling for the price of lunch. It's a good deal.





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I can't find H's official first day of preschool picture, but here he is that Fall....b/c when Leo started K, Henry started 1 yr old preschool. Sniff.





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Mind like a steel trap

I am trying to do some little things to make my summer easier...and also I am doing lots of self-talk with myself about making them take more responsibility. It is SO much quicker to just do lots of things myself, and I have to listen to lots less whining and complaining that way. But I don't want them to think that clothes magically appear in their drawers and their towels grow wings and fly up to the towel bars.

I decided that they need to start sorting their own laundry. Todd and I have one of those big rectangular things with the 3 bags, but those don't really fit in their spaces, and they don't really have enough clothes for those big bags. When Todd was working at CS last week, I had him bring home 6 big stacking baskets.  I put three in their bedrooms last Thursday.

Henry asked me what they were for when he saw them, and I told him that we were going to sort our laundry. He asked for more details, and I said...."We're going to put underwear and socks in one, jeans in one, and everything else in the other one." And that was the last time we mentioned it. And, honestly, I really don't remember this...but it must have happened.

Yesterday (Monday) was the first chance I've had to go up there and label the baskets, and I figured we would have a practice session after school with whatever dirty laundry was up there. I carefully made little notecards with words and pictures to tape on the sides of the baskets. When I got up there to put it together....Henry's laundry was already perfectly sorted. Jeans, underwear, and everything else.

I chatted Todd. No, he had not done any sorting.

When I picked Henry up from school, I asked him if he had done that. Yes, he said. I asked him how he knew what to do. "You told me....underwear, jeans, everything else."

He can't remember to close the back door, but this little episode thrilled me to my core and gave me hope that they will be functioning adults. It's the little things.

In other summer laundry news, I had a Eureka! (and...duh) moment. I really only have 2 summer running shorts that I like and 2 pairs of the super light socks that I like for hot weather. I run 4X/week, so I have to do laundry at least 2X during the week. SO....I got on Amazon and ordered everything Todd and I will need to be able to exercise for a week without washing. I'm so smart. ;)

Current Happenings

Here is a recap of our latest happenings! Believe it or not, I have finally made it to the most current pictures on my camera. I think I missed a big chunk, but I am trying not to dwell on that.

Betsy and Brett came to visit us at the end of April. We had such a lovely visit, and we enjoyed getting to know Brett better.



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We went to a brewery and had some beer and a very very brief tour that was pretty much just a guy standing in front of a bunch of equipment and yelling. But we had fun.



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Here are Betsy's pictures from the visit - much better than mine.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsssssy/sets/72157629589430058/

The week after they were here, I went and bought us a new car! It is a 2011 Ford Flex. It has 3 rows and lots of fancy gadgets. We absolutely love it.



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Now that Todd is working right down the street, we have lunch at the house together most days. For his birthday, we were able to go out and have a little sushi lunch date right here in Coppell.



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Henry and I at the Mother's Day Tea at his preschool.



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We had our playgroup over for brunch, and Henry helped with the vacuuming.



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We went to a Magic School Bus exhibit at the Dallas Science Museum. They both had fun, but it was PERFECT for Henry's level. He is now in love with The Magic School Bus series and wants to check out all the books and movies.



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Playing school. I had to sit right behind him while he wrote mysterious things on the blackboard. He never turned around, looked at me, spoke to me, or gave me any clue as to what I was learning. But I had to sit "right there" and not move.



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We had lunch at Fair Park.



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It was beautiful at FP on this Saturday. Overcast and everything was blooming. We did some exploring of parts of the grounds that we have not seen and had a lovely time. Leo's favorite part of the day was an IMAX about flying reptiles (fossil excavations and then computer graphics to represent what they looked like).



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They found a big snapping turtle to watch.



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It has been a crazy couple of weeks around here b/c Todd had to work for 2 weeks at the NorthPark Container Store. All CS employees from HQ do 2 wks of retail work so that they understand the business. I think it is a fabulous idea. But it was an interesting 2 wks b/c it is quite difficult to get to NP right now at rush hour due to the 635 construction. So he had an hour+ commute both ways, and then he had to work odd hours such as 5am-2pm, etc. But he learned a lot, and we made it. He finished that training on Thursday, and then this weekend he went to one of his favorite JAVA conferences with his team. It was ALL day Fri, Sat, and Sun....and it was right over by NorthPark mall. So more driving. More single parenting for me. But, we survived! There was some crying (by me), but we made it.

Todd's final day of retail work. He had a great time and learned a lot about shelving. He would come home and tell me about ideas he had for organizing our house....it was surreal!



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Henry and I at our playgroup end-of-the-year celebration. It was at Sneaky Pete's at Lake Lewisville.



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Henry spends a lot of time upside down on the couches these days.



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