Sabrina's First Month of Kindergarten

My sweet began Kindergarten and was off like a rocket. Her teacher, Mrs. Marek, is a total pro who's been teaching Kinder for 7 years. Her room is stimulating and pretty with lots to do and learn. I love the little desks, 4 to a group, with little chairs to match. Friday Sabrina brought home her first 25 days of school behavior chart - she got a sticker every day! Which means she never had to "move her banana" - not even one warning! She definitely exceeds my behavior at that age. I got "N" for needs improvement in conduct through at least 2nd grade. Talker I was, shocking as that is!

Sabrina & I wore coordinating bracelets - an idea I borrowed from a friend to remind her how much she was loved. I think it almost made me cry 100x the first week. Constant reminder that she had joined the 'big' world outside a small known environment. I'd say a prayer, and trust in our Lord, and push down the tears. She made it through just fine though. (I did make her rehearse the morning walk from the bus drop off point to her classroom with me walking behind. This thoroughly annoyed her, but gave me comfort! :) )

They have art, music, computer, and PE as "specials." I'm so glad they don't just do curriculum, and have a nice outdoor area for playtime after lunch. We feel so blessed to have her at this sweet school. She's already checked out her first book from the library, purchased some Scholastic books at a bargain, and participated in the school's first book fair. They are busy, busy over there.

Not all has been wine and roses. She tells us how she and a lot of the kids sleep on the bus on the way to school. With a pickup time of 6:35, it's no wonder!! She's also had a lot of catnaps - car, couch, and some random places like shopping carts. Then there was the prison gang scene in the back of our car one day. She put her Cinderella play cell phone in the bottom of her sock and smacked her little brother in the face with it. Doubtless she wanted him to cry, but the sight of blood pouring out of his nose caused her to scream for Daddy to pull over! Pull over!!! Oh. my. gosh. That was a conversation with her he'd never planned out. Who knew she could be so creative in her Samuel harassment? Little buddy is fine though. A pint of blood lighter perhaps, but fine.

Kidding, not quite a pint... ;)

We are trying soccer. She likes her friend Sydney and her coaches, but soccer? Jury's still out. We've seen her enthusiasm wane already, and we're only on week 3. I've heard this was most of the other parents' experience as well with their kid's first season as they really don't know what's going on. She definitely wants to go back to dancing. As I'm speaking, she's dancing to the radio all around the room in a homemade costume.

I guess all in all - it's going well! I love reading books with her and her finding 'popcorn' words of the week from school. (This week it was 'like'.) She still loves Mrs. Piggle Wiggle chapters best, and we finished Pollyanna a few weeks ago.

Sabrina Night Night

After a particularly hard conversation about our expectations of Miss S versus how she behaves sometimes (particularly today), at bedtime she told me this.

"Your heart is mine and my heart is yours, Mommy."  "I love you Mommy, understand?"

"Yes baby, you're right. I do understand," I replied.

That girl...

Sabrina and Mommy's Date Night Out

Philip has taken Sabrina to 2 movies. Me? Zero.  How does this happen? 

Monday night I decided it was my turn, and Philip encouraged us to do a whole night: dinner & a movie. Sabrina & I decided to dress up, just like Annie does when she goes to the movies, in nice dresses and with our hair done.  It was fun getting ready, and then we headed out.  I asked her if she wanted Serrano's or Texas Roadhouse (both had before 6pm deals going on). She replied Texas Roadhouse, not knowing anything about either, but happy to be the decider.

We ate well with shelling peanuts, and enjoying the sweet cinnamon buttered rolls.  Then she had a mini-burger with veggies, and I had a little sirloin with mashed potatoes.  We split the salad.  It was so nice to give her 100% of my attention, and she was a delightful dinner companion.  We discussed her favorite songs, and Muppets.  When dinner was over, Sabrina asked why we ate so quick!  The funny thing was that dinner was not quick, just normal.  I guess that means time flew for her too.

We went next to Tinseltown theater to see the new Muppets movie.  Sabrina & I have the same favorites: Miss Piggy & Kermit.  We also really liked the new character, Walter.  Walter whistles fabulously in the movie, which Sabrina thought for a moment was really bad singing.  She cracked up at this part telling me, "He's really bad!" :) It was cute.  Later I demonstrated some REALLY bad whistling, and she told me, "That's ok Mommy, I get it now, you can stop." Hey, Annie's Tomorrow is really hard to whistle! (For me.)  We got the works - popcorn, Sprite, and a coke for me, and had a great time hanging out, laughing, and chair dancing through the funny movie.  Sometimes she sat on my laugh & cuddled with me.  She finished off the popcorn, and then apologized saying, "I'm really sorry I ate the last popcorn without sharing with you Mommy." She thought there was more in there.  I told her it was ok, I was full.  We left singing the last songs of the movie together, hit the ladies room, and didn't stop singing the whole time.  On the way home we sang and rocked out to "Bad to the Bone" on the radio.  Bbbbbbbbad!  BBBBBBbad!  Bad to the Bone!  She told me two things as we sang and drove, "Get it moving, Mommy!"  Later, it was "Keep it moving, Mommy. Keep it moving."  I thought both coined phrases were very cool & totally Sabrina.  I think I'll copy my girl, and introduce the phrases around the office.  They'll fit in just fine.

Last night, while shopping for baby Mae, Sabrina picked out the cutest pink little Laura Ashley sandals.  They were even on sale!  Whoop for Sabrina's early shopping skills developing. Goodness knows I have zero skills (or desire) in that department! ;)  Stephanie said she really liked the shoes, so I think we succeeded!  And yes, Steph, I am in total stealthy spy mode filling your house with pink girly accessories... Ha! (Just accents, my dear.)

Read all about Christmas here!

We went to Wimberley's Trail of Lights on Thursday night.  It was the nicest free Christmas event!  Cocoa, Mrs. Clause, a book for each child, and lights galore.  They had a music playing area, and a bonfire for roasting free marshmallows.  Sabrina danced on stage to Christmas music.  Of course, she had to stick her head in the elf picture... See our accidental video here - we were trying to take a picture! Haha...!

Samuel on Christmas Eve. 

We had a lovely day at home with my parents, then attended Bethany Lutheran's simple & sweet Christmas service. They focused on all the Scripture of the angel coming to Mary & Christ's birth, with focused songs intermingled in between passages, and two sermons. We all really enjoyed it. Then Philip & I visited Rae & family while my parents attended Mass. The kids had a great time. Sabrina & Alessandra read the Grinch, and Samuel hung out with us in the kitchen. We finished the night up singing carols while Rae played our favorites on her piano. Sabrina danced to all of the songs, sometimes with Samuel, and piped in whenever she knew the song. This year she's learned all of Rudolph, Santa Comes to Town, and Jingle Bells. She also knows most of Joy to the World, and some of a bunch of songs: The First Noel, Away in a Manger, Deck the Halls, and Little Town of Bethlehem. She really prefers fast and fun songs, so the slower/softer Christian Christmas songs are harder to teach her as she is less motivated to learn them. I don't want to pressure her & cause her to not like any of them, so I'm just being patient.

 

Christmas morning arrived and Sabrina was thrilled with her new bike.  Samuel was not really sure what was going on, but he was really excited to have all of us home together.  Samuel was most thrilled with his dump truck.  Sabrina helped me with the turkey rub, and was exhausted by all the present unwrapping.  We had to end round #1 of unwrapping because she just wanted to play with the toys she had received!  Who could blame her?  We took a few more videos, I'll share them soon. All in all, we were so satisfied and content with our Christmas in Austin.  We enjoyed all of our family, and dinner was really yummy.  I didn't burn anything to oblivion! Relief....

Our littlest of friends...

Sabrina decided Wednesday night, at 5:50, to take matters into her own hands.  She had been somewhat anxiously awaiting the arrival of Sally & Robert to join us for dinner.  By 5:50 though, she had had it.  She was not waiting any longer, and told me, "Mom, I just need to go get them, they are taking wayyyy too long!"  She then turned, as she planned to head right out that door...

I stopped her, "Honey, they aren't even supposed to be here yet.  They aren't due for 10 minutes." 
'What???'  Being a 3 year old has its disadvantages, the inability to read clocks is way high on that list. 

Finally, Robert & Sally came over and she was so excited.  Despite only meeting him a few times before, Samuel went right up to Robert to greet him when he squatted down.  Later, Sabrina gave Robert a dot picture she had made off the fridge.  Suffice it to say that I think he is welcome in our house from the kids' perspective.

Hard lesson learned by the Johnson parents this week: do not pretend to run into things to make your kids laugh.

Ok, does that sound ridiculous?  As if anyone would ever do that?  Well, the back story is that Samuel thinks it is pretty darn funny whenever one of us big folks gets hurt.  Pull your hair to elicit a howl?  Oh my gosh, gut busting laughter.  See you trip, stub your toe, bang your head?  Wow, that's the silliest hilarity ever!!! Us, being the loving parents we are, decided that the only way to keep our kids laughing was to imitate injuring ourselves by faking these things regularly, usually accompanied with slapping our hand on a wall to make the loud 'bang' noise.  Just call us the 2 stooges, well 3 when Sabrina gets in on the act too... Fast forward to this week.  The usual - Daddy is "running" into the wall with his head and making the predictable noisy bang sounds with his hand.  Sabrina joins in, doing a few performances herself.  So what does Samuel decide?  Well, time to try it himself!  Samuel gets on the floor, and proceeds to walk directly into the wall, legitimately banging his head on the wall.  Our 1 year old busts a gut laughing at himself hurting his head!  The burbling bubble from his tummy kind of laughter, for probably 2 minutes. Wait a MINUTE, buster! The idea is to PRETEND to hurt yourself, not deliberately injure your head. AHHH!  Somehow we have taught our baby to run into walls.  With his head. Nice.  Parenting FAIL.... now we just have to wait for him to forget how hilarious it is.  Luckily it doesn't seem to have caused any permanent damage. Yet.

Sabrina has figured out real cooks wear aprons.  For every meal prep.  Therefore, she has taken to wearing her apron, thank you Aunt Hanna, for every tea party, picnic, and kitchen activity in the upstairs playroom.  It's totally adorable. Wait! I have to get dressed before I can make you strawberry soup Mommy, or your blueberry soup Daddy... And then, while adorably reappearing in her pink & white gingham strawberry apron, she cooks magical meals for us.  It is so fun. :)
And the quote of the week from Sabrina... Drinks a long gulp of milk, "That's just the way I like it, sweet, and cold, and white. MMMmmm!"

They came into the kitchen last night together, after dinner...I followed them back into the living room on their journey. Samuel is holding on tight, but seemed happy about the choo choo ride.  Those 2!

An old draft post I never published... from Dec 2008!

ATTENTION:  turn your volume to its lowest setting, then up as soon as I hush up...to hear Sabrina babble! I totally apologize for this one, you have to hear me sing!  And it's pretty awful, especially since I'm 1 inch from the video camera.  But I just can't help but post, because now Samuel is at this age!  And I still sing Itsy Bitsy Spider, and he is the dancer now.  Shaking that diaper... similarities abound.  It is so easy to forget how our precious Sabrina looked & acted at the same age (approximately).  Little baldy, love my sweet girl...then as much as now! If not more... ;)

Sabrina morning talk..

Sabrina & I got to talking about her future because she started out asking if I missed her Grandma & Papa.  "Because they're your mommy and daddy."  I answered her, and she said that when she was grown up she would have her own mommy and daddy....?  Hmm, I replied, "Well I've had the same parents my whole life.  You know, your Dad and I will be your mom & dad your whole life too."  Which brought us to...

Sabrina:
"Someday I'm going to get married." 
Me:
"Are you going to have kids."
"Yes, 1,2,3. 3 kids."
"What will their names be?"
"Arizona, Philip and Sarah"
Later amended to...
"Arizona, Philip, and Morgan." "Morgan's my friend"
Boys or girls or both?
1 big girl, 1 big boy, then 1 little girl.
Ahhh...
What kind of house will you live in?
Green.
Later amended to
Blue.
What will you do for work?  You can be a doctor, a scientist, a nurse, a police woman, a fire woman, anything you want!
I'll be a doctor, because I've ALWAYS wanted to be a doctor. (Emphasis here on always, despite the fact that we know she's only 3.)
Will you take care of grownups or kids?
Grownups.
Will you be a doctor who helps you when you are sick or a doctor you visit to have surgery, when they cut you and stitch you up?
Both. 
What if you could only be one type?
Both.
OK. :)  Where will you go to vacation? The beach or the mountains.
Oh the beach, we will have a blue house on the beach.  Maybe I'll have six kids....
How will you pay for six kids?
I'll be a doctor. (She shrugged here)

Ok, bun, good talk.  We've got to let Stella outside now, it's been a while she's been making noise.
OK, Mommy! (Smile, kiss, hug.)

Ahhhh... I'm so glad Philip worked last night so SBJ and I could have this talk today.  Love spontaneous talks with my grown up gal.

Meanwhile, Samuel slept in until 8. 8! Seriously... maybe he's growing!??