woodfamily4OU on Xanga

Weblog

Monday, 01 September 2008

A Week of Firsts

It was an exciting week ...
Jacob lost his first tooth. It was hanging by a thread but he wouldn't let either one of us pull it. So he brushed his teeth until it fell out! The tooth fairy brought him $1. He now likes to squirt water through the hole and make a fake tooth out of gum or fruit chews! We'll get some pics soon and post them.
He also completed his first week of Kindergarten. Of course I get practically nothing out of him about his days. I met briefly with his teacher and she said he was doing fine. He has made some new friends in his class, but still finds all of his former friends outside during recess and in lunch. Andy takes him to school every morning and Natalie and I pick him up. The bus doesn't come to our neighborhood because we live too close. We are getting used to the schedule and our new activities. Natalie and I are going places that she enjoys ... the park, library and just walking around the block. She likes the attention, but still misses big brother.
Natalie at the park

Jacob also had his first soccer practice on Thursday. We joined a team that has been playing together for 2 years. Our neighbor is the coach and our boys have been friends for a couple of years. Jacob did really well for having never played. He got right in there and did the drills and kept up with all the other kids. His first game is next Saturday.

We also had our first OU home football game. It didn't turn out exactly how we thought ... we won by 50 points, but we had an exciting exit from the game. A storm started forming during half time, so we left and started to our car. Just as we exited the stadium and said goodbye to my brother and sister-in-law, the rains came. And I mean rain ... it dumped on us with no warning. Andy and I ran from building to building, making our way to the car. The rain was heavy the entire time, but the lightning was the scary part. Lots of it and very close to where we were. We got to the car without being struck but we were absolutely drenched.
Labor Day weekend ended well. We went to some friends for dinner and games Friday night. Natalie was a little clingy and cranky, and she never got any better. It was a rough night with her awake for a lot of it. I took her to the Dr. in the morning and she had another ear infection, chest congestion and a red/swollen throat. She got some medicine, but wasn't really herself until today. So, we went to the zoo today and then to the pool with neighbors after nap time. Natalie is better and we'll be visiting her doctor soon to talk about preventative measures for her ear and sinus infections. Tomorrow starts another week of our new routines.
Love the turtles! They are so big and love to post for pics.

Natalie demanded her towel and tried to spread it out on the chair and sun bathe like the big girls!

Take care and have a great week!

Wednesday, 20 August 2008

First Day of School

This was the day ... Jacob entered all-day Kindergarten! He was very excited, even told me that he could walk to his class all by himself. He didn't even need me! Of course it was a happy and sad comment. He knows about a half a dozen kids in his class, but none of his buddies from last year are in is class, which could be a good thing! They sure can get rowdy.
So, I walked him in to the opening assembly and he just blended right in with his class and never looked back. We went out for ice cream after I picked him up and he told us all about his day during dinner. He's ready to go back, so I guess that's a good thing! He told us his favorite part of the day was watching a movie during recess (it's too wet to play outside). I just can't believe what a big boy he is. But like I tell him, he will always be my baby!
Here are his first day of school pictures.

He loves his Star Wars backpack.

Natalie missed him so much today. She would walk around the house saying "Jacob, Jacob". Then she would find me and say his name again and again, wanting to know where he was. It's probably hardest on her!

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

Last weeks of summer

It's been way too long and we've been way too busy! Summer is nearly over, but we are still packing in activities! Here's the quick version...
Jacob and a friend took two weeks of tennis lessons. Jacob really liked it and wants to do more. Of course I am thrilled because it is something we can do together. He got a new racket and his favorite shot is a volley!

This photo was from July 4. We went to an ice cream festival where Jacob entered an ice cream eating contest. He came in fourth!

One of Natalie's favorite backyard activities is blowing bubbles. She doesn't quite understand how to blow, so daddy helps her.

She also loves her new "hat"! She will walk around the backyard just bumping into everything and laughing the whole time!

The other night, we took the kids bowling with two other families. They had a great time. Jacob put several dents in the lanes by chucking the ball down the lane instead of rolling it. This may not be his sport just yet! In the next lane is Joseph, his best bud. They are two months apart and have known each other since birth. His mother and I are long-time friends so now we basically raise our kids together.

Jacob also has his first loose tooth, actually, two loose teeth! He starts school next week -- full-day kindergarten. Natalie is doing well ... she learns new words every day and just continues to amaze and amuse us.
Take care!

Friday, 20 June 2008

Summer is in full swing!

I have summer fever -- right along with Jacob! He has had a busy summer already. Five is the magic age when classes and events start accepting children. Our first week off, Jacob attended a program called Safety Town. This free course is managed by our local police department. The kids learn all about bike safety within a mini-city built with working street lights, cross walks and small buildings. They also hear from fire fighters, EMSA personnel and other safety experts. That same week, he also took a class at our dinosaur museum, properly named Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. The class, Pond Explorers, lets the kids explore different ponds in Norman and learn about the plants and creatures that live in them! He was so stinky and muddy everyday -- we threw out so many socks and a pair of old shoes. But he loved it all.
The next week we had Vacation Bible School at our church. I volunteered in the kitchen so both kids could go and play and learn. All week they learn songs and motions (sort of like sign language) to all 6 songs. Then the whole group -- all 250 kids -- perform the songs on stage one night. We discovered another trait Andy and Jacob have in common -- they can't do two things at once!!! The singing and the hand motions got the best of him. So he decided to just stand there, in the front row, and pick his nose -- at least five times! We are so proud to call him our sugar booger!
This week is swimming lessons. He is taking a private lesson and has already given up holding his nose and any sort of floatation device. He isn't afraid of jumping off the diving board and likes to dive down and touch the bottom of the pool. We have a neighborhood pool, so we really want him comfortable in the water. We also went with some friends to see Kung Fu Panda this week. It's a very cute movie, but Jacob now enjoys practicing his new Kung Fu art on the rest of the family!
Natalie is doing fine. She is going through a stage of crying at night. At least we hope it's just a stage! She is not too thrilled with the pool -- she plays on the first step and drinks the pool water. She'll watch the other kids, but loudly protests when we try to take her into the water. She can say several dozen words and is starting to put a couple of them together. "Jacob" and "cracker" are her favorite words! Jacob is teaching her "mine" this week despite my dirty looks at him! She finally got her first hair cut, which is stretching the reality of what really took place. She doesn't have a lot of hair yet, so the few strands that needed trimming were barely enough to even keep for her baby book.
Here are only two recent photos of the kids. We'll get more soon!

Tuesday, 17 June 2008

Welcome!

Welcome to our first family blog site! We are hoping this will help keep us connected with family and friends -- we are not reliable letter-writers or phone-callers. This should be easier for us to manage and an updated way of letting you all know what we are up to. Be warned though, I do like to brag on my kids and show them off! Hope you all enjoy and have a little fun reading our updates.
Amy, Andy, Jacob and Natalie