Big Brother Colin

He has been wanting to read a book to Gwyn.  I got a picture!  She is a bit too big, but he was determined.

Catch Up

I know the posts are few and far between now.  That is what happens when summer ends!  Here are some updates on the kiddos.  No pictures though.  They are still on the camera, and the camera is all the way over there...


Kevin
He started Kindergarten on August 8th, and loves it.  He has even made a friend.  The little boy rides his bus and is even in latchkey before school with him.  And he lives on our street!  Hopefully, he can be Kevin's Suzanne.  (My Suzanne was the friend across the street who I did everything with.  Sledding, making up a bazillion games, marking our houses in the street in tar, ice skating routines on the carpet.  Normal kid stuff.) He has gotten a smiley face every day, and is proud of that.  His teacher said that he is quiet in class, but participates and follows directions.  I know that is shocking, right? He told me on Friday that his teacher asked him to count as high as he could.  He started counting, and counting, and counting.  (He reenacted it all for me.) Around the 50s he said with a sigh "This is going to take a while."  Then she told him "You can just sop now."  (I think she only wanted to see if he could go to 20.)  Tonight he started writing down math problems.  (1+2=3, 2+2=4, 4+3=7, stuff like that.)  I asked him if he is doing math at school and he told me all they do is count right now.  I think the kid will be good at math, like his mom and dad.  Woo hoo!

Colin
Apparently, he has been holding back.  Who knew?  I have been worried about him being without Kevin at Pappy & Grandma's on Monday and Tuesdays.  He has never been there without Kevin.  I thought Gwyn would bore him. Same with school.  Nope, not even a little.  He marched into Pappy's and told them that he was going to sleep downstairs (where Kevin napped) since he was now the biggest.  During transition week, which usually is over 5 days, he went into his new room on the first day and said good-bye to his old teacher.  He ate, napped, and moved his stuff over.  Even his teachers (old and new) have commented on how active and lively he is.  I guess he was just waiting for Kevin to leave!  He loves it!


Gwyn
She has been the child most upset about Kevin starting Kindergarten.  She cries most days.  He is dropped off before preschool, and knows he is not there.  It is kind of sad, but more adorable.  Something for therapy later.  She has started talking more in the last few weeks.  She has animal sounds for dog, cat, cow, and elephant down.  She speaks more words every week.  She is now trying to say Colin, but hasn't tried Kevin other than sign language.  She says go, more, DAYEEEEEEEEE! (daddy), brother, ma-eeeeeeeeeeeeeee (mommy), fshhhh (fish), ba ba (up up), bir (bird) and probably a few others.  She still signs as well, which is adorable.  She goes up and down stairs on her own (walking), has figured out how to climb up on furniture and most other things, and dances whenever she hears music, especially in the car.  She also tried to do Itsy Bitsy Spider, but she sucks.  All she does is put her hands up.  She doesn't twist her wrists at all. 

Folding Laundry

Whenever I fold laundry, Gwyn tries to help out.  It starts with her helping get the clothes out of the dryer and then sitting in the basket, then she sits in the basket and hands me clothes (while unfolding everything) and then he sitting in my lap handing me clothes (while unfolding everything).  She has added a step.  Now she picks out clothing (mostly her brothers') and puts it on.  Last night she had on a blue skirt, Colin's pajama's, two pairs of the boys' underwear, and one of Colin's favorite slippers from Aunt Kelly.

Brown-Noser

No, I am not talking about Paul Ryan.  I am talking about Gwyn.  She feel at school last week and got scratches on her forehead, hand and nose.  The nose is the worst. I hope she doesn't get a scar.  With the big scratches she got on her shoulder knee the week before, I think she might be more like Colin than Kevin.  (Remember all the bumps he had?  Or the mosquito bites?  No?  Here is a picture.)

Here are some pictures of Gwyn as well.  Poor thing!

Here she is on Friday, the day she got the scratch.

Saturday morning.

Kevin's First Day of Kindergarten

Kevin loved his first day of kindergarten.  We dropped him off at Vacation Station in the morning, which is the latchkey program.  This way we could all be there to see him, and he could get used to it.  It was not very exciting at all.  No getting on the bus.  No waving good-bye as he walked into school.  We just all walked him in and signed him in and then they showed him where to go.  He was nervous, and wanted a hug from us.  Then Colin demanded one more hug.  When he got home, he told us all about his day.  It wasn't difficult to get him to share at all!  He said that he learned a song ("Tootsie roll, lollipop.  We were talking, but now we stop.")  He ate most of his lunch, which included a ham sandwich that he wanted to finish after dinner.  (There was one bite left.)  He made a craft project at Vacation Station.  And he sat by one of his classmates on the bus, but can't remember his name just yet.  He went to music class (he thinks), and had free time and two recesses!  (He said the kids who behave can get extra recess later on.  He was excited about that.)  And for afternoon snack he got a small cupcake since it was a classmates birthday! He was exhausted when he got home, and got to watch Electric Company while I cooked dinner.  It has been 15 minutes since he went down and I just checked on him and he is already asleep!  I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted, but with Kevin I guess I was lucky to get the ones I did.

Kevin woke up early and surprised us in the kitchen.  He was excited!

Yes, this was where he wanted his picture with his backpack.

Colin was so proud of him.

Waiting at the bus stop!

After dinner we played outside since it wasn't too hot.  We mowed the lawn and played with bubbles. 

Watching Olympic diving before bed time.  (The boys proceeded to practice diving and running for the next 20 minutes.)

Kindergarten

Kevin starts kindergarten today.  I am not sure how Kevin and I will handle it.  I am sure I will post later about it.  But for now, here are some pictures of our little guy growing up!

The Evolution of Brother

Gwyn has been saying the word "brother" for a while now.  But every now and then it evolves, like it did today. 

Here is how that word has changed:
Spring: bru-bru
June: bru-broo
July: bru-er
Yesterday: bru-roo

Here is her face saying the last part.  Adorable.

Also, for he first time I heard her say Colin's name!  She either calls them "brother" or says their names using sign language.  (I taught her signs for their names to help her.  It has helped us, too.  One morning when her brothers were gone, she stop playing abruptly and then started signing "Colin."  I guess she missed him.)  Kevin is tapping the head (for his blond spot) and Colin is tapping the arm.  Anyway, yesterday I mentioned Colin's name and she turned to him and tried to say it!

Olympics!

We love the Olympics.  This is one of the rare times where our tv is on most of the time.  That means the kids love imitating the Olympians.  Kevin said he wanted to be in the Olympics.  We asked in what, and he said swimming.  Then we pointed out that he needs to learn to swim to do that, to which he quickly said "Oh no, I don't want to do that."  Colin said he wants to be in the Olympics as well.  We asked him in what, and he said "Whatever Kevin is doing."  For now though, their thing is to run and exercise.  Colin has really been exercising a lot.  He (attempts) sit up, push ups, stretching, jumping jacks, all of it!  If that wasn't cute enough, he keeps telling me, in his deep serious voice, "Yeah, got to do my exercise.  My need to get my body ready for running." Here are a few pictures from yesterday.

Waiting for me to do the starter's pistol noise.

Showing me his Olympic medals.  (They are really from t-ball.)

I love Gwyn's face here!  She loves when Kevin lets her tackle him.