Day in the Life, Spring 2015

How about a Day in the Life post? Here's a Wednesday, with Cora in second grade, Violet in her last couple of weeks of preschool.

6:15 - After my alarm yells for a bit, I get up and settle in with my coffee and devotional. Cora joins me about 10 minutes later, dressed for the day. She normally gets up at 6:40, so she is early. She brushes her hair on the couch and reads the Lego Magazine.
"I'm at least like 27 minutes early," she said, referring to her morning time chart. Her thoughts turn to soccer. "Who are we versing next? The Cheetahs?"

6:50 - It's time for me to shower, and I encourage Cora to change clothes, since she wearing leggings with a shirt that ends at her waist. She argues, but then agrees to change into a longer top.

6: 55 - Cora is so early, she asks if she can watch a show while she eats breakfast. I say "yes," after she unloads the dishwasher, one of her main paid chores. She argues at first, but then gets the job done. When I am clean and dressed, she again asks to watch a show - yes, when she is dressed to her shoes. She argues, but obeys. See a pattern? Though I'd love to see her obey WITHOUT grousing, sometimes I let her come to obey on her own (within reason), without turning Every. Single. Thing. into a big fight.

7:25 - I wake up Violet and she requests a dress with pockets,"for Owliver and Swoops," her Beanie Boo clips.
7:30 - I prepare Cora's lunch, Violet's snack and some food for me for later, while Violet eats cereal that Cora poured for her. The girls watch Wild Kratts online.

7:45 - Time to shut off the show and start walking.
Within five minutes, we're off, and as we approach our streetlight, we notice that the landscapers have put new mulch near the rosebushes.
"Awww, I wish it was blue mulch!" Cora said.
"Have you ever seen blue mulch?" I ask.
"No, but you could spray paint it blue!"

Since Cora got new tennis shoes the other day, she has been walking to school, instead of riding her scooter. As we pass the park, I asked why.
"Putting on my helmet and getting out the scooter is too much hassle, and I want my legs to be strong for soccer," she said. "And when I get too far ahead on my scooter, I miss you."

7:56 - We reach the school gate as the first bell rings. After goodbye kisses and a little chit-chat with my mommy friends, Violet and I head back home.

8:13 - We're back home, and nearly ready to leave for Violet's preschool. On the way, I remind her that Grandpa would be picking her up from school. Violet is happy about this - she loves playing with his dogs Jake and Benny, and usually achieves her goal of getting a vanilla milk and cake pop at Starbucks.

8:33 - I leave Violet at the door to her school, and head back to Cora's school. I volunteer in Cora's class every other week on Wednesday, and this is my week in class.
9:00 - I sign in at the lobby of Cora's school, and head back to Dr. Porter's classroom. It's nearly silent, as the children are working hard on a writing assessment. That's a big difference between 1st grade and 2nd grade - the students are much more able to work quietly.

 9:15 - I'm preparing next week's homework packets at a desk in the back of the room. Cora walks by, gives me a hug, and proudly whispers that she's on her FOURTH page of her writing assignment. The teacher had said that some of the students like to write novels. Cora's following in her mama's footsteps, I guess!

When the children are finished with their writing time, I get to help them with a art project. They are making a stained glass window using bits of colored tissue paper and starch.

A couple of months ago, I'd helped cut the black window frames, which will be glued on later in the week.

By 10 a.m., the children are out for recess, and after saying goodbye to Cora, I head out front.

10:10 My friend Jen is meeting me, and we drive together to Vasquez Rocks in Agua Dulce. The second grade is coming here next week on a field trip, thanks to Stace's suggestion and Jen's hard work on the phones and email to get it organized. She and I want to go out and do the two suggested hikes, so we know the lay of the land.

11 - After checking out the interpretive center, we find the park employee Jen has been working with, and she talks us through our options. Thankfully, it's a cool, cloudy day, perfect for hiking, and unusual for May. It's a far cry from the high 90s we had a week ago.

12:30 We've completed both hikes, and head back into Saugus, taking the scenic route (Sierra Highway to Vasquez Canyon to Bouquet).

Meanwhile, Violet has had a fun lunch time with Grandpa - she succeeded in getting that cake pop, along with mini corn dogs for lunch that Grandpa got her at Target.

1:15 p.m. - When Jen and I arrive at Grandpa and Grandma's home, Violet is playing a computer game. We chat for a few minutes and then get going back to Valencia.

On the way to school, I look into the back set and see a sleeping child. Violet is old enough now that she rarely naps, but will sometimes drop off if we're in the car on a longer drive.

1:50 p.m. - Back at school, I leave Jen and then get a phone call from Stace. My car had its "check engine" light come on the day before, and he thought I might drop into Auto Zone and ask to borrow the diagnostic tool.

2:00 - Carrying a sleeping 5-year-old on my shoulder, I enter the store and ask about the code reader. No, they no longer can give it out - state law changed a couple of years ago.

2:15 - Back at home, I talk to Stace and we decide I'll call the mechanic we trust and take the car in. We have been planning to get it serviced anyway. The mechanic suggests we bring it in the next morning.

2:35 - Violet has remained asleep in the car this whole time - again, I'm so grateful for a cool day, though I know that a nap means she won't be sleepy at bedtime.
We drive to Cora's school to pick her up, and then we'll go pick up Stacey from work. He rode his bike to work, and if he leaves it at work, it will be easier for us to get the Hyundai into the mechanic the next day.

2:45 - School's out! Cora buckles up and I explain the afternoon's plan. On our way to get Daddy, we'll stop at the grocery store, since there are a few deals I want to get, and Stace isn't ready to leave work.

2:50 - Cora is chatty on our short drive: "When we get to Sprouts, I don't want you to get anything. I want you to tell me what to get, like a scavenger hunt. I like to turn shopping into a game."
About soccer: "The only thing is, I haven't had any hard balls at me when I'm in goal. I want a hard one that I have to catch, or hit away."
And, "I wish I had my bear with me. That's why I like to have a stuffed animal with me at school; in case we go to a store and I didn't know, they can come with me."

3:10 - Inside Sprouts, we get the fruit we need, I get a couple of bottles of wine, and the girls want to pick out candy from the bulk bins. 

Violet gets yogurt-covered pretzels, and Cora chooses gummy bears. Interestingly, from the bulk bins, one amounts to $1, and the other to 95 cents.

Cora thinks I should choose a sweet too, and it should be black licorice, because she'd like to try it. She thinks she likes it, because she's enjoyed licorice-flavored jelly beans and licorice-scented markers. I pick four small pieces, and we go check out.

3:45 - Once in the car, Cora's not so sure she does like black licorice.
4:00 - Stace still isn't ready to be picked up, so we make a stop at Valley Produce for a few more deals before going to his work at 4:45.
5:00 - Home again, at last. On a normal day I'm home a lot more than this! I unload the groceries, put them away and start making dinner. Violet plays, and at 5:20, Cora starts homework with Stace. He gives her a practice spelling test of the week's words, and completes her timed math flashcard practice and timed reading assignment.

5:40 - Dinner is ready. Tonight, on the menu is a baked egg dish, with cheese, ham and mushrooms, with broccoli and red bell pepper on the side.

The girls finish getting ready for Pioneer Club, and we're off. It's the last regular Pioneer Club meeting of the year, as next week is the closing ceremony.

"Oh, I really want Skippy," Violet sings. "I want Skippy, I want Skippy. Oh, I really want Skippy, I love him so much."

6:15 - When the girls are checked into their classes, Stace and I have an hour to do something - often we run errands, but I got my grocery shopping done already for the day. Colleen and Rigo have no plans either, so we all decide a chocolate-dipped ice cream cone sounds great.

7:30 - Pickup time! Luckily, these two friends are in the same Scooter class this year. They are looking over their pages from the "My Fun With Skippy" journal, which have been handed back since the year is coming to a close.

7:45 - Cora and Violet play on the playground for a few minutes, and then we load back into the car.

7:50 - I make two mugs of children's Sleepytime tea, and get out a few graham crackers. Violet had an hour nap, so I expect her to need all the help she can get to fall asleep.

8:10 - The girls are brushing their teeth and getting into bed. While I chat with Cora, Stace reads to Violet about butterflies.
8:20 - Before we pray and kiss goodnight, Cora tells me that she had another headache during Pioneer Club, and she can't wait to get her glasses. Also, when will we be going to Montana and seeing Ave and Johnny???


8:30 - I kiss Violet goodnight, and encourage her to stay in her bed, even if she doesn't feel tired. Then, I head out. She heeds my advice for 10 minutes, before coming out to say she needs to go potty. This takes a while.
9:15 - Violet is back in bed.
9:35 - Violet is singing to herself.
10 - I peek into the girls' rooms on my way to bed - Cora is asleep, and, finally, so is her sister. Maybe having a good friend to cuddle with made the difference. Sebastian begins purring loudly when I come in. We do love our boys.

There you have it - A Day in the Life. Not an "ordinary" day since I don't ordinarily go to Vasquez Rocks, and we don't ordinarily shop for groceries after school or pick up Stace from work. But, by all means, a normal day, and by that, I mean a blessed one. Thank you, Lord, for this life with my family.

Beaches and Birds

 After Kidz Love Soccer on Saturday, we escaped the week's heat by heading to the beach with our friends JT, Jim, Callie and Jonah.

We met up at Uncle Bill and Aunt Patty's house, after arranging this weekend playdate back in early March. We found the beach sunny but very windy, so it was pretty cold.

Stace, Cora and Callie stayed warm (enough) by running races and doing the long jump. Jonah played in the sand, and Violet mainly stayed huddled under towels on my lap, after splashing enough to get cold.

In the evening, after getting the kids bathed and warm, we enjoyed dinner and hanging out together.

Rather amazingly, the children all went to bed very well - the younger three in one room, with Callie and Violet having a "sleepover" in sleeping bags.

Cora slept on the floor in a room with Stace and me, so she could read after bedtime. She's reading through the Little House books, and has moved on to "The Long Winter."

 In the morning, Uncle Bill made a feast of pancakes and all the trimmings.

 Thanks to Uncle Bill and Aunt Patty for hosting all of us!

 Violet loved her birthday gift from Callie and Jonah - this bird sings when you whistle to it. She has named it "Chirp Sweet Tweet."

 We came home Sunday to find real bird eggs in the bush outside our house. We've seen mockingbirds flying to and from this bush, and the cats have been watching closely.

Though I love birds, I wasn't thrilled about this - mockingbirds can be annoyingly noisy and protective. I remember mockingbirds dive-bombing my parents' elderly cat when he slept on the front step.

So far, we haven't had any trouble from this family.

Here is the bush that is home to the next, which is about halfway up and in the middle. Not very smart, being that the cats are in the yard frequently enough, and are capable of climbing.

I'll keep the blog updated, if there is anything to report.

Week In Review

Here is Cora's geometry shape project - the students had to come up with a creation using different shapes. Some made castles or lighthouses; Cora made a cat.

Cora wanted to help with dinner the other night, which was "breakfast for dinner" since we got home late from soccer practice. She cut up several fruits, and made kabobs with the skewers. So yummy and creative!

Cora has been complaining about headaches the last few months off and on. She gets them at school, but not at home very often.

On Friday afternoon we went to my optometrist, and he determined that Cora's eyes are having trouble adjusting to the change in focus, when she's looking at the board in front of class and then focusing on her own paper or book. She will be getting glasses to wear in the classroom, and he said she'll probably only need them for a year or two before her eyes get stronger.

Cora was so excited about this! It was cute to watch her face light up. She said she likes being different, and not that many of her classmates wear glasses. She picked out a pair of purple plastic frames, and we'll get them in a week or so.

After that successful appointment, we celebrated with half-price frappuccinos.

Also on Friday, we played at the park after school. Violet brought her new scooter and was zipping around the park. She stopped to look at a ladybug larvae - remember, her school has been studying ladybugs.

Violet was very excited to show it to her friends.

 Speaking of Violet's preschool units, here are the art projects she's brought home this week. Such adorable things! The picture of her is "grouchy," as in "The Very Grouchy Ladybug" book by Eric Carle.








This project is one of those that takes many class days to complete, with so many pieces to create and paint. I love her preschool so much, and am already sad she is in her final month.








Friday evening, we had Colleen, Rigo, Lucas and Liana over for dinner. They brought the food, so they were more than welcome. We had s'mores for dessert, with a tiny fire.

The children had fun playing with a huge cardboard box, and then destroying it.

Violet is 5!

Violet is FIVE. It's official. The baby is gone, the preschooler is weeks away from moving on up, and we are moving into the next stage in our family's life.

Stace and I aren't sure what to make of this, but no one asked us, and here we are.We are simply trying to appreciate each moment we have with our girls while they're still girls.

Anyway...
Violet's birthday fell on a preschool day, and I worked it out with Miss Lorrie to come in near the end of class Monday to pass out mini cupcakes. Elementary schools here don't allow birthday treats, so this was our big shot at a classroom sweet feast.

After snack time, the children listened to a story on ladybugs, and I assisted with a ladybug craft. The current unit is on lifecycles, especially of ladybugs, and the children even have a box of ladybug larvae they're watching grow and develop.










When the painting was finished, the children were given magnifying glasses to have a closer look at the ladybug books.

After school, Violet painted a piece of pottery at the mall with Grandma, and we then had dinner at Lazy Dog with our favorite waitress. The restaurant was Violet's choice, and she opted for the kids' menu pizza.

Auntie Mel brought over an ice cream, and we all sang "Happy Birthday" one last time.

Then came Violet's next birthday treat - a surprise trip to the Ice Station, which offered a short skating session for $5 each. Bingo!

Here, Violet is roaring like a leopard.

When we got back home, it was late, but the birthday girl had one more gift to open. Cora had used her own money to buy the Calico Critters bear family. She is a very generous girl, and her little sis was so pleased.

Happy Birthday, our BIG little girl! We are so blessed to call you ours.

Violet's Birthday Weekend

Violet's birthday weekend started off with fun with friends. We had Alli, Emily and Megan over Friday, from noon till bedtime, so the afternoon included lunch and dinner together, homeschool fun, trampolining, and nail painting.

They are such sweet girls, and I loved the help from Meg, who will be going into junior high next year.

Saturday was Violet's birthday party, and that night we went to Mod Pizza for dinner.

On Sunday, after soccer (another win!), we talked to our Somerset family. Violet was thrilled to receive her own Razor scooter from Nan and Pop!

After church in the evening, we enjoyed Menchie's frozen yogurt.

These two sure love each other.
And, Violet might be 5, but she's not too big to carry!

Violet also enjoyed her birthday mini bundt cake treat from Nothing Bundt Cakes. While Cora chose carrot cake, after considering the many options, Violet went for the chocolate-chocolate chip. Of course!

Violet's Birthday Party

 After considering many party options and venues over the past few months, Violet settled on an animal party for her 5th birthday.

Our friends met us Saturday at Placerita Canyon Nature Center for the animal show, and we passed out photo "scavenger hunt" sheets. Cora is holding one here, with Cami, Alli and Emily nearby.

Cora took this photo of the American Kestrel for the scavenger hunt - such a beautiful bird! Other animals shown to the children included a barn owl, gopher snake, tarantula and tortoise.

 After the show, we headed over to the picnic area, where we'd set up snacks and animal crafts. Over 30 of Violet's friends and family joined us - she is a loved little girl!

Auntie Mel volunteered to was suckered into painting faces. Violet chose a bunny.

 Violet loved her lion cake, which was actually 30 cupcakes frosted together with about 30 pounds of frosting.

 We had had a smattering of rain - shocking in our current drought! - so getting the candles lit was a little more involved.

But once they were blown out, there was the joy of licking off the frosting!












The children, with plenty of parental help, made fuzzy wild animals and birds; some colored wooden owls and butterflies.

 We also had a round of pin the tail on the donkey, with sticker tails.













After Melanie had gone on to work, my friend Christina continued with the face-painting. Cora was transformed into a butterfly.










A final activity for the children - besides playing their own made-up games in this beautiful setting - was making goody bags.

They put animal critter stickers on clear plastic treat bags, and filled them with their craft, a fruit rollup and candy.

Thanks to all our friends who came and celebrated Violet with us!

Week In Review

Cora wanted to make a snack the other day, and let Violet help her with these ants-on-a-log.

She's also been preparing my coffee maker the last couple of nights. This helpful kid will be making dinner soon; I can feel it!








I had the opportunity to help out in Violet's preschool the other day, which was very enjoyable.

Coming from a 3-year-old co-op program, when parental help was mandatory, I do miss having that fly-on-the-wall experience of seeing Violet interact with her peers.

Here, she has a turn on the glider with Caleb.


And here, during "station time," Violet finds the correct shapes to complete the picture. Violet, our social butterfly, loves preschool and her preschool friends.

A Violetism, regarding two preschool friends, Nico and Nicolas: "They love each other. One is funny and one's cool, like the dinosaur cool. That kind of cool."

I asked for a little more clarity of "dinosaur cool," but didn't get very far.

This past week I was able to help in Cora's class, and was there when she "shared" Stace's ukelele.

The students had learned about the instrument during music class, and Cora was excited to show them her dad's. He taught her a couple of chords, and she played them for her classmates.

Lastly, a happy birthday to Pop! I'm so impressed with the artwork Cora did for the card she made for Gordon.