Reading and Hopscotch

Daniel is getting better and better at reading.

He recognizes lots of words, and enjoys reading many of our board books and picture books.  Anna likes to listen in . . .

. . . and occasionally do some light "reading" of her own (as long as she's heard the book often enough to remember what words go with each picture).

The kids also enjoy playing hopscotch in the courtyard.

They even let Joy's tiny toy Steve join in the game. :)

Cheering on Our Two Joggers

Anna, Todd, and I went to the big kids' school today to cheer them on . . .

. . . as they ran in the annual Jog-a-thon to raise money for their elementary school.

It was blazing hot today, so Joy and her class really enjoyed their post-jog Popsicles.

After congratulating Joy on running 21 laps, we went to the kindergarten playground to watch Daniel run.  Each time a child completed a lap, a parent volunteer made a mark on a sticker on the child's back.

Daniel ran 24 laps in all.  Nice work, buddy!

Here he is enjoying a well-earned Popsicle with his friend Liam.

Potty Training

If there was one aspect of parenting I could outsource, it would probably be potty training.  I've been meaning to start it with Anna for months, and kept putting it off for one reason or another.  I finally determined that February was going to be The Month When I Finally Start Potty Training Anna.  Of course, I waited until the last possible weekend, but I am proud to say that I have finally crossed the Rubicon and put underwear on our third-born.

It actually went better than I expected.  Phillip took a day off work yesterday to watch the other three kids while I gave Anna 100 percent of my attention.  She had lots of accidents yesterday morning, but by the afternoon things clicked and she started having lots of success.  In fact, after one of her trips to the bathroom I was so confident in her progress that I took a nap while she watched a Super Why! episode.  Today, Anna did even better.  I am really relieved that things are going so well.

I think it helped that we put two of Anna's favorite bears in undies, and let them model how to use the toilet.  It also helped to remind Anna that her favorite preschool buddy wears underwear and uses the toilet.  She's pretty excited to show him the stickers on her success chart.

DIY Hammocks

Joy can be very inventive.  Her latest project is . . .

. . . a blanket hammock.

Anna decided to give it a try, too, and found it very comfortable.  If Daniel looks bored, it's probably because he was tired of being a vital structural component of Joy's hammock design.  You see, whenever he got out of that chair while someone was in the hammock, the chair tipped over on the hammock occupant.

Joy's Hammock 2.0 was secured to two heavier and more stationary objects: the bunk bed and Todd's big crib.  Daniel will be the first to tell you that that worked out much better for everyone.

Joy tried to persuade us to let her sleep in the hammock at night, but I nixed that idea.  The hammock unexpectedly comes untied now and then, and I didn't want to deal with the fallout if that happened at 2am.

Daniel, Monet, and Jonas

I volunteered to help with an art project in Daniel's kindergarten class today.

For the middle third of the school year, the school has an artist come into each class once a week and lead them in making an art project.  She gives them a little history about an artist or technique (the focus was on Monet today) then she instructs the kids how to make an art project step-by-step.

I don't know about you, but I'm impressed that my kindergartner produced this with his own two hands.

After art class, the kids paired up with their fourth-grade reading buddies.  I snapped a picture of Daniel reading with his buddy Jonas.  I think it's cool that the big kids at school get a chance to mentor the younger ones.  The little kids really enjoy it, and I'm sure Joy will like being a mentor after she starts third grade next year.

Birthday Perks

Extended family gathered at our home this evening to celebrate Daniel's birthday.  Remember that chocolate sheet cake from the last post?  It's my Grandma's recipe (very similar to this one), and Daniel requested it again tonight.  Yeah--we're fans.  If I can figure out to how to make a vanilla version, I may never need another cake recipe in my life.

Daniel is getting old enough to appreciate (and read) the birthday cards in addition to his gifts.

Anna had fun dressing up with the ribbons.

We gave Daniel a scooter for his birthday, and he and Anna have enjoyed riding their scooters together outside (though Anna often becomes upset when Daniel passes her).  If I feel really adventurous later this week, I may let them ride their scooters when we walk to and from school.

For now, I'll just let them tool around the courtyard.

King Birthday Boy

Guess what?!?

It's Daniel's 6th birthday!

We sang him the Super-Long Happy Birthday Song . . .

. . . he blew out the candles, we ate some delicious chocolate sheet cake . . .

. . . then the Birthday Boy played Tic Tac Toe with Anna.

(Birthday crown courtesy of his kindergarten teacher. :)