celebration snack

It seems like our little squeezie just turned 3 the other day...and he'll be 6 tomorrow! He requested fresh (sweet only- haha) strawberries and poppy seed bread for birthday treats at school today. I decided to make the bread into mini muffins, and even with just 1/2 a recipe there were enough for each student to have 2. We've got some fun RayDay plans for tomorrow-including the standard birthday photos! :)

lost in the tree house

There tend to be lots of reading obsessions in our house, and we're now to the point where the youngest munchkin is in on the kicks of a great series:

MagicTreeHouse is the name- reading them IN ORDER is the game. Rayzer is quite insistent that he follow them by the numbers, which is a challenge for a series that now has close to 40 titles and all of them are very popular.

He came home from school very frustrated yesterday that we weren't stopping by the library to pick up #22-#28 that we put holds on at the library. It was a teary lesson on the concept of a hold at the library not being like a drive through order at Chick_Fila.

Jack and Annie's adventures have really captured his attention, and I love that a history lesson is woven in so beautifully in the stories.

movin' on up

Mr. Rayzer Jayzer has really loved being at school this year. He missed the cutoff to begin traditional kindergarten by 2 days, and the district wouldn't budge. (we understand, as this opens a can of worms for everyone wishing to get their kids into school/free daycare for all sorts of reasons) Thankfully, our school received permission to open up a full day k-4 program that runs the same schedule as the upper grades. We have lower enrollment at our school this year, so an extra classroom for these kids was not a problem. Also, our principal was kind enough to allow our little dude in without the lengthy registration process since our family has been a part of the school for a few years now. He has had a fabulous k-4 teacher and assistant, and we love them dearly. He's also been moving to a regular kindergarten room for reading groups each day, and he loves the greater challenge of material (and also getting to be in a group with our next door neighbor!).

A few weeks ago, I asked to meet with his k-4 teacher and the kindergarten teacher he has reading groups with. I wanted to discuss next year and throw around some ideas to keep him challenged and excited about learning. We were all very excited that Rayzer was given permission to complete the last quarter of school in the kindergarten room, then move on to 1st grade in the fall. He is very driven academically, and loves all the challenge that his older siblings send his way. We have a fine group of 1st grade teachers, and I'm so glad we've gotten to know most all of them well.

Rayzer has been most delighted that he does not have to take rest time anymore (he needed it at the beginning of the year, but after Christmas break, he decided is was more fun to try to be sneaky during rest time than to actually rest). He is also excited that he gets to have lunch in the cafeteria now with the older children, since the k-4 class had their lunches in their room. They are working on money in math, and he now gets to be with his neighbor friend the whole day! God has been so good in providing this opportunity!

calapitter

Rayzer has been plugging away at his reading, and we're working on having him read loud and clear. We are hoping this will be helpful as he prepares for Kdg. testing in the spring. He is completely captivated by written words!

counting down~

Rayzer crosses out days on his printout calendar every day as part of our preschool time at home. This morning, he woke up and declared that it was "time to print my new calendar!"

Well, little did he know what I had planned for him!

This was a hybrid project I made for the sight I'm part of the creative team for. The days are printed on sticker back paper and it ends with the baby Jesus on Dec. 25

Rayzer is a little confused with the counting backward concept since the calendar numbers are moving forward, but I think it'll be a great lesson about doing countdowns.

Happy December everyone! There's a great birthday celebration to be looking forward to this month (yes, even greater than a certain girl in our house). Jesus is the reason for this season!

oooops!

bedtime bind~

This is what a boy looks like that had a nap too late in the afternoon and couldn't lie still to fall asleep:

He came downstairs quiet as a mouse and I didn't even know he was there until Adam mentioned he was right behind me. Those were the words spoken in a whisper, and thankfully my camera was nearby.

goodnight...sleep TIGHT. :)

(yes, I helped him untangle)

feet, feet, feet~

Rayzer meets a few feet, Dr.Seuss style:

(last night at bedtime)

Drama with Rayzer

So, I guess our go-with-the-flow guy has turned a bit of a corner.

In the last 2 days, he declared more than once (with drama)-

"I'm UPSET!!!" (the pouty lip came out again for that one)

"I can't handle this!" (after I told him it was time to go get his pj's on)

Sad thing is, he may have picked up the latter phrase from his Mommy in a really low moment (or 7).

*sigh*

i know i've seen that face somewhere before....

Do you remember Grammy, Brian, Andy? The words "a bird's gonna perch right there" comes to mind.

(this was at the playground at our apt. at SEBTS this past week. Rayzer spent quite a bit of time resenting the fact that he was not allowed to take off his shoes and socks but XanMan had his flip flops off on the playground) Life's just not fair and Moms just don't give into whining, either!!

We found this summer has kicked off with LOTS of time on Philippians 2:14.."do all things without complaining or arguing". Sometimes I sub complaining for whining, as I think a little liberty in translation is fully acceptable for certain needs of the moment in parenting!

fffff.....ttttthhhhh?

(I guess I'll never run out of ideas if I never run out of moments like these!)

and so it starts

(sorry for the blurry print...I can't seem to get it to upload clearer than that-even when I enlarge the file). Journaling can be read better in the credit link below.
Credits here

down N out

We think he may have had something along the lines of s.almonella (not sure if you can pick that up from a shopping cart handle, but he's the only one who still rides in the cart and still sucks his fingies when he's riding in the car or napping). We're sure glad this guy is back to his sweet self now!

[PardnerKitbyHeidiLarsen_LittleDreamer]

perks

just one of the many perks of having the Mommy's kitchen all to himself!
(art by MichelleColeman_LittleDreamer)

rayzer thoughts:

Last night:

Rayzer- "When I grow up mom, I'll live with you."
Mommy- "Well, you'll probably get married and live somewhere else. Who do you think you'll get married to?"
Rayzer- "Grammy. Maybe Grandma Carlann. Yeah. That'd be good."

Mommy's thought: a 3 year old is not that far off from a 30 year old. both find a solid path to their heart through their tummies, and ray's was likely thinking about m&m pancakes, cinnamon rolls, or homemade cookies.

gone bananas

I've always told the kids I want a monkey for a pet after they all grow up (seriously! But I tease them it will be because I want to remember what it was like having kids around) ;)

Well, that's all changed after today. I've got an early arrival, and many years of human monkeys left in the house!

the rayzer monkey

This is not a boy. Well, only if he's wearing "the boy" hat (which is one of Daddy's oldest hats that has no straps on the back to hold it on his head). Otherwise, this guy is either 'kitty cat' or 'monkey' and he says "gheeeee" quite a bit, which can be a cat or monkey noise (I'm told).


I was hoping that I could track down a monkey costume for him (as there is a plethora of choices this time of year), and found that e_bay had several people willing to sell one to me for over $25 or so. Then I found that OldN. clearance section happened to have only the size left that I'd need for the little animal. We're looking forward to this coming in the mail:


Can't wait to post photos of the monkey trying on his new skin next week!!

daddy's glasses

{graphics by M0JACKS0N}

more than a toothbrush

makes a nice household drill, dontcha think??

Thanks for the fun and multi-useful birthday gift, Grammy!! :D

snapping a 3 yr old

Always interesting, yet he's still easier to get in real-smile-mode than a certain kindygardner around here.

The one I captured outside by the step and posted on on Sep.3 is the one I had prints made of. Portraits are something I always feel I need to work on, especially since I love to have them to mark birthdays. Otherwise, give me candid...hands down!