Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The Karate Kid!

His gi finally arrived, on week three of class. He is so happy! And I even convinced him to let me take a few photos when we got home, before he took it off.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Checking In...

So, it's been a while since I posted. Ironically, the main reason is because I've been working on the third volume of my blog book! I'm taking all the posts from January 2011 to the present and formatting them into a giant Word document (and yes, that is the only way to handle something so large. The online blog-to-book services make my book over 1500 pages long!!). I'm 267 pages in so far, and I've made it up to March 9th, 2012. Yeah... It's no small task. It takes forever. And then I think of something new to post about, and it's like "Really? I want to give myself MORE work??" So I don't. But I am giving in now, because pictures are piling up!

Without further ado... We went to the Ecotarium last weekend. They have a new exhibit about how scientists work, sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. It was fun! And here are the pictures!
Niko has still been enjoying karate. I had hoped to be able to post a picture of him in his gi (uniform), but it hasn't come in yet. It was supposed to arrive at the sensei's house yesterday, but it didn't. Maybe next week! In the meantime, here's a quick video of him doing some moves earlier this week. :)
Yesterday, Maya had a Thanksgiving Feast at preschool. They started by singing a few songs:
And then we ate!
It was a lot of fun! Today is Friday, and it's raining, and little girl is currently at preschool. I am reading to Niko's class in the library again this afternoon. Life is good, just busy! And Thanksgiving is next week! EEK!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The Verdict...

Niko is a great kid! We already knew that. But his teacher had nothing but wonderful things to say about our little guy this morning, and it felt pretty awesome! He is ahead of the curve across the board, and she sent us home with some additional things we can do with Niko at home to keep him going at his current pace. He's a sponge right now! She's also going to start with him on the first grade sight words, since he knows all the kindergarten ones. And she wants to put together a small group of about 3 kids to do some enrichment activities. AND she asked me if I would be willing to come in and facilitate the small group a few times a week, provided she hands me the activities and does the prep. AND I can bring Maya with me! Um, yes!!! I really, truly love volunteering at his school, and I feel like it's been sort of hard to get my foot in the door there. But I've been assertive, and am involved in the school's PTO and all that. And now I have a regular gig reading to his class when they go to the library. I am fairly certain I am the only parent in the class who volunteers. And I can see why-- it would be very intimidating to most new kindergarten parents. I'm not intimidated because elementary school is my domain!! haha! But yes. I've told his teacher since day one that I would love to help out in the classroom, but now she knows/trusts me. I'm in! Yeah!!!

On a related note... I know some of my old teacher buddies read this blog from time to time, and they will appreciate this! Schools here are laid out so differently than they are in California! Sure, that's a gross generalization, but there are some very MAJOR differences between the two places that affect how a school is designed. The big one is the weather, obviously. Southern California = nice weather most of the time = covered breezeways and lots of open, outdoor space. Massachusetts = snow. Haha! But the school is a maze of very long hallways, all completely indoors, with coatrooms and large multipurpose rooms. To get into the school at any time, you have to be buzzed in at the front door, and you have to check in at the front desk and show your volunteer badge. In California, parents could walk their kids to class every day if they wanted to. And they would be let onto the campus just before the bell rang at the end of the day. This meant that there was a lot of contact between parents and teachers-- sometimes daily. Here? Forget it! If you pick up your kid at school, you must stay in your vehicle in the pick-up lane outside. No going inside. Most kids ride the buses, though, so it's not an issue. But the school is locked up pretty tightly! It's great from a safety point of view!

However, the only way I've developed a relationship with Niko's teacher is by volunteering at the school-- first through the PTO and now in the library. I am sure there are plenty of parents who can't do that, though, and they may have only just met the teacher at their parent-teacher conference. That is so weird to me! And I am just so happy that I am able to do this! I cannot imagine not knowing my kid's teacher!

Anyway, that's all! The boy is doing awesome. Best of all, he is a great role model for the other kids. Atta boy, Niko!!!!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Snow!!

We had our first *real* snow this morning! We've had a few days where we've had flurries, but nothing ever stuck to the ground. This morning, Maya came running into my bedroom at 7am, bounced onto the bed, and announced that there was SNOW outside! For once, the forecast had been right! And I was so excited that I jumped out of bed and immediately got dressed. I have been waiting for this moment, wanting to get a great snowy shot of the kids to use on our Christmas cards. I had everything all set to go by the back door, and it was time to make it happen! We went out in the snow for about 15 minutes, and I am so, so happy that I didn't wait-- the snow stopped falling shortly after that. And I got some photos I LOVE, including the one that we used on the Christmas card. I want that one to be a surprise, but here was my second-favorite! I went back and forth a lot, and almost used this one on the card, but decided on another one that showed more of the trees in the background. But look! Real snow! And my babies!
It really only snowed about a quarter of an inch, and the grass quickly became visible again through the snow, but the coating is still there! It never went above freezing today. Right now, it's down to 24 degrees outside. The snow that fell this morning is very hard and icy now. I used it as justification to put some of my Christmas decorations up. Because, let's face it, Thanksgiving is super late this year, and Christmas decorations just make my heart happy. And a snowy day is just perfect for putting them up!

Tomorrow, we have our first-ever parent-teacher conference for Niko! I can't wait! I talk with his teacher regularly, and I already know he is doing great. But it will be nice to hear it again, and for Gus to hear it with his own ears. I will report back afterward!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Niko's First Day of Karate

Niko and his buddy Evan started karate today! The place is literally right across the street from our house, and we'd been thinking about enrolling Niko for a while. Then Gus' parents gave him the classes as a gift. THEN my friend Caryn was saying she was looking for a place for Evan to do karate... and it all fell into place! The best part is that one of us adults can stay and watch the class, while the other one stays at my house and watches the girls (so they don't have to sit there for an hour, bored to tears like they were today). It is a pretty awesome arrangement-- and a perk of living on Main Street! Of course, we all went today-- the boys had a trial class, and they loved it! They will most likely get their uniforms next week. The owner of the place needs to look through what he has and find a few of the smaller ones. But really, it was great. The instructor is firm but not mean, and he does a great job handling a group full of wiggly 6- and 7-year-old boys. Niko already learned a lot! He can't wait to go again!
And the boys' favorite part: when they got to spar with each other. This was all Niko could talk about! They were both laughing fools!
I apologize for poor photo quality... I was trying to be stealthy. :)

Two Busy Weeks!

Prepare for picture overload as I attempt to play catch-up!

When I last posted, it was Niko's 6th birthday. My parents were visiting for the weekend. That morning, we went for a very short walk on the rail trail with the boy, while the girl was at preschool. It was cut short because the sky was gunmetal gray and it was freezing! We thought it was going to rain. But then it started SNOWING! The first flurries of the season! Niko was very excited that it happened on his birthday. I was more excited that it quickly changed into freezing rain, then regular rain, and then the sun came out. Whew!

The highlight of MY day was getting to read to Niko's class during their library time-- it was so fun, and he was so excited to see me! I'm actually doing it again tomorrow. But I snapped this quick picture of the birthday boy wearing his crown (we called it his birthday fez):
The fun continued when he got home from school that day, and he got to open his presents. This is such a great age-- he opened all the cards, read who they were from, and then opened his gifts. And he loved EVERYTHING that he got-- he said so repeatedly! It's nice that he's older and has gotten more specific about what he likes. He's becoming easier to shop for! Anyway, he was over the moon, and immediately had to open everything up and play with it.
That evening, it was the Fall Fest at Niko's school-- a great event where kids get to wear their costumes, do crafts, and play carnival games. They had a blast!
We left a little early, though, so that the birthday boy could blow out the dinosaur candles on his Darth Maul cake (his very specific request).
The next day, after lunch, we went to a huge corn maze. This was the activity Niko chose to do instead of having a birthday party. And it was no joke! We spent about two hours in there trying to find our way out. When we finally asked for help, we were pretty much right at the exit. Of course! The kids were a little cranky towards the end, but they recovered quickly when they saw all the fun things that awaited them when we got out (sand box filled with corn, giant inflatable slide, etc.). It was an adventure for us all-- that maze was over 3 miles long!
The next day, Sunday, was freezing! It was windy, which made everything feel 10 degrees colder. But there was a Spooky Run happening in town, and there was a quarter-mile kids' run for $5. Both kids wanted to do it, so we did! They had some activities for the kids to do beforehand, too. But it was so cold that everyone took turns going back and sitting in the car. In the end, though, Niko WON the race! We were so proud! And Maya did fantastically, running the entire way without stopping (this was her first race). :)
On Monday, my dad and I carved our three pumpkins (we had a fourth, but it was rotten and gross inside!). I think they turned out well! Niko wanted his to look like his beloved Bear. Maya wanted a witch. And I made an executive decision about the ghost.
My parents stayed until Tuesday, when they helped get Niko onto the bus and then headed to the airport. It was a nice visit! Wednesday was Halloween dress-up day at dance class:
My focus at this point turned to Halloween, which was on Thursday. All day Thursday, it poured. It was not looking good for trick-or-treating. I even had to take the kids' picture outside with them holding umbrellas, because it was still coming down...
But, miracle of miracles, it slowed down to a light mist JUST IN TIME for trick-or-treating! The kids had a great time. We went around for just over an hour, then got in the car, ordered a pizza, came home and bathed everyone, and ate dinner. Success! Niko insisted on taking inventory of all his candy before bed, though. He literally made me write the names of every kind of candy and we made tally marks for how many he got. Silly kid!
The next morning, the kids woke up to a fun surprise: Gus had woken up very early to go get his mom and sister from the airport. They got home and we were all still asleep! The kids were the first ones downstairs, though, and were very excited for more visitors! And they brought Dunkin Donuts. Come to think of it, everyone always shows up here with donuts, haha! Whatever, the kids love them!

Anyway, their trip was a short one. They spent most of their time just doing whatever with the kiddos. Maya painted Theia's nails (and didn't do a bad job!). We went late-season apple picking and they got some yummy Fuji apples. We just hung out and had a nice time together! On Sunday morning, it snowed some pretty good-sized flakes for a few hours (it was too warm for anything to stick, though). This was the morning after the most beautiful day we'd had in a while-- 60-something degrees and sunny. Gotta love New England!
Theia left on Sunday morning, and Yiayia left on Monday afternoon. When Niko came home from school, he wanted to know who would be visiting us next! It does seem like we've had a parade of visitors recently. And Gus' cousin is planning to stop by for a brief visit in a few weeks, so I guess it continues! We are so lucky to have families who love us and make an effort to come see us 3,000 miles away. We love you guys!

Next up: Thanksgiving. I have officially de-Halloweened the house and have made a huge dent in my Christmas shopping. The holidays are upon us! Commence cleaning frenzy...