Smileys, Glasses, and Cars,..Oh My!

SMILEYS...After an incident on the playground at school, I requested a conference with Connor's teacher. Connor and I went in and his teacher shared a "Smiley Chart" (a.k.a Behavior Plan) she had created for Connor. Prior to this, almost daily, we were receiving notes home describing problems/issues that had arisen. The teacher thought the Smiley Chart would provide us both positive and negative feedback. The chart includes each part of the day (Circle Time, Work Stations, Lunch, Recess, Special, Morning and Afternoon Activities, Rest Time, etc...) and allows the teacher to draw either a happy or a frown face to denote his behavior during that particular activity. Each day is a new day and we never know what to expect. We are, however, hoping to see some patterns that might help explain his behavior and provide us with feedback as to what our evening discussions need to focus on at home. Only time will tell...

GLASSES...For a some time now, I have had trouble with my eyes. I have always had 20-20 vision so it was immediately obvious when these issues began. I had previously acknowledged the fact that age must be playing a factor when I couldn't read things as close as I had been able to before and I found myself extending my arms to hold something at a distance to be able to see clearly. I also couldn't see road and street signs from as far away as I could before. More recently though, I felt the sensation like I was really, really tired and I felt like I was zoning...like my eyes were crossing. After dealing with this for a few weeks, I decided to take the next step and make an appointment with an opthamologist.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and loved the experience. He did many tests and tried many different things before a diagnosis was made. He concluded that the muscles in one of my eyes (I think the right) were weak, therefore allowing it to drift slightly inward. The problem is fixable (and also genetic). Guess how? GLASSES! Anyone that knows me knows how badly I have wanted glasses...ever since I was in middle school. I just love the "look" of glasses and think it's so neat how they can change a person's look almost immediately. So, I was actually excited when the Dr. told me that he was prescribing glasses and he was laughing at my excitement. I spent the next hour or so trying on different frames, getting the opinions of all the ladies in the office, and I even called my mom to come to the office (with C&C) to help me make a decision. I liked them all! Finally, we narrowed it down to two. They suggested I take both frames home to show Matt and get his thoughts...which I did. Both he and my mom chose the same pair. I still wanted one more vote, so I drove to Sally's and tried them on for her. She chose the same ones...so they're ordered and I should be getting them this week. I really can't wait. I feel like a little child before Christmas!

CARS...The garage finally told us what we knew was coming. We needed to get rid of our Honda Odyssey. Although we had replaced the transmission just a few years ago, it was still experiencing problems. Matt and I spent all last weekend car shopping (with both children!) and test drove a couple of vans. On our way home from Northern Virginia on Sunday, we stopped at a dealer in Stafford, VA because we had seen two vans there on the internet. Only one of the vans was left, so we test drove it. Meanwhile, the salesman shared with us that there was a family who had made an appointment to come see the van and were on their way from Maryland at that moment. They were not normally open on Sundays. What luck. Just after we pulled in from our test-drive, the family pulled in and began their inspection of the van. The poor salesman was very uncomfortable but didn't share with the family that we were both interested in the same van. They also test drove it and, while they were gone, we spoke with the salesman, got all of the details, and informed him that we were very interested in the van. They had just gotten the van in the day before and we knew it would not last long at the asking price. As luck would have it, the other family said that they wanted a vibration issue to be fixed before they purchased it (because they were paying cash) and would be back the following day (Monday) to drive it once more. Since we already discussed this issue with the salesman and knew that he was going to have the vibration taken care of, we jumped on it and bought it! So...we have a new van. A pearl white (not my first choice) Toyota Sienna XLE. I'm still getting used to the differences between this one and our Honda...but it's been fun. No more transmission issues...Now we officially belong to the "White Car Club."

OH MY...

Catch-Up

Well, I guess I can rule out receiving the "Best Blogger" award. Seems life's been just a tad bit busy in the Terry house. Sorry for those of you who read our blog. I haven't been the best blogger lately and have so much to blog about. Let's start with our annual trip to Virignia Beach the last weekend in (clear throat) September (I know...sorry!)

We made our annual trip to Virginia Beach for the Neptune Festival. We always meet Matt's parents there for the weekend. This year, Matt's brother and his wife and their daughter, Julianna, joined us. They've never been able to come before because of the timing and the school schedule. The weather wasn't ideal beach weather, but the rain did hold out for the most part. Other than some kettle corn, none of us bought anything, but we did enjoy strolling along the Boardwalk, looking at all of the vendors' wares, and staring in amazement and awe at the sand sculptures (there is a competition each year). C&C were spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa and got to experience some "trampolining" and "bungee-jumping". It's always a nice get-away and this year was no different. Take a peak...

Back to School Bash

This weekend was our Back to School Bash. The weather was perfect and the company even better. I think the kids had a good time. The day's recap:

For Snack, the kids (and adults) munched on a few school goodies and then we jumped right into P.E. This started with a School Supply Scavenger Hunt. I pulled out my tucked-away teaching skills and differentiated the lists. The younger children had picture lists while the older kids had to read theirs.

The Morning Routine Relay provided some good laughter as the two teams battled to see who was more efficient at following the routine. They had to 1. get out of bed 2. get dressed (Matt's jeans, shirt, and shoes) 3. Put books in a backpack and put it on their back 4. Kiss Mom or Dad and 5. Run to the "bus" before returning to each stop and removing the items in order and tagging the next person in line.

In Art, the kids created Shrinky Dink backpack tags.
The children enjoyed playing football and using the playground during the unorganized portion of Recess. Then it was time for "Bobbing"for Apples. Early on, I had decided that the traditional way of doing this may not be so health conscious so I twisted it a little and tied the apples to a string so that the apples were mouth level. The older kids did this first, which was a good thing because we decided (after getting a few good laughs) that this was nearly impossible. So I improvised and quickly pulled together a number of large bowls/pans and filled each with water. Each child then had their own bucket to "bob" for apples in. No germ swapping this way! Again, the adults were entertained...

After some adjustments...

"Lunch" was ready...

Finally, the Pencil Walk (liken to a Cake Walk)

The day was over! Maybe this will be an annual event...hope to see you next year!

Connor's first day on the school bus

Here is a video of Connor's first school bus experience. 9/8/09- On his way to Glen Allen Elementary for the first day of Kindergarten.

Off to School...

It was a rainy morning, but the weather didn't damper the excitement this morning. Connor was very excited, yet reserved, as he ate his breakfast and got ready for school. There were several children waiting at the bus stop and Connor was thrilled that he got to ride the school bus with both sets of neighbor boys. He got on the bus, and just as Mommy instructed him, sat in the front seat. As soon as he sat in his seat, he poked his head around the corner to see us. Just as the bus driver started to close the doors, his little hand came around the corner and gave us a sweet little wave.
I can't wait to hear all about his first day when he returns this afternoon!

It's Almost Here!

We attended Glen Allen Elementary's Kindergarten Orientation on Friday. Matt took the morning off and went with Connor and I for our first official visit to his classroom. All kindergarten students and parents were ushered into the gymnasium. Students and parents sat in assigned teacher sections - students on mats on the floor and parents in rows of chairs behind them. The gym was packed. As we glanced around, we noticed some familiar faces and Connor reunited with some pre-school friends (one of whom is in his class).

The principal identified herself and greeted everyone. She proceeded to ask the children if they knew what a principal was. Guess who raised his hand? And guess who she called on? Yep, our sweet boy was already making a name for himself. He informed everyone that a principal is "someone who keeps us safe and we go to your office if we're bad. And you call the police." Dr. Fawcett acknowledged the first part and snickered at the latter - as did everyone else in the gym. Matt and I turned tomato red and slid slightly lower in our seats. But he didn't stop there...Connor continued "My dad's a Principal" as he pointed directly at Matt. Can you imagine!? I didn't even look at Matt because I knew he wanted to crawl under his chair. So then...

Each teacher was dismissed, with her class, while the parents were given some pertinent information. Then we were able to leave and join our children in the classrooms. When we got there, the kids were walking around trying to find their desks (labeled with their names). Connor immediately found his...up front! Just where he needs to be! Directions on the chalkboard informed us where to put each of the school supplies we had brought with us. It was slightly chaotic and cramped, so I quickly got things organized and we hustled out of there.

Of course, we couldn't leave without stopping into the library. He has become friends with Fluffy, the guinea pig, who lives in the library. We met him when we went for Connor's screening.

Wow! It's really happening. My baby is going to school. I'm off to read through and sign the stack of papers that were sent home with us!

14 Days to Go...

until Connor's first day of Kindergarten. We have begun preparation. He has his backpack and all of his school supplies. Now we need a routine. For the past several months, in anticipation of having a child in school and knowing the organization and structure that that requires, I have given some thought to our nighttime and morning routines (what time will each begin, what will be involved, how can they be organized and become habit). Today at the pool, my mom and I were discussing these very things and I just happened to have a copy of the new September Family Fun magazine. I haven't even completed reading it, but in the first few pages I came across an article titled A Fistful of Dad Dollars. In it, the author explains that she uses these "dollars" as an incentive to creat order on school mornings. She goes on to explain that she printed up these Dad Dollars free from a website. Each morning, three Dad Dollars waited on the kitchen table for each of her children. In order for her children to pick up/earn their Dollars, they had to complete their morning routine (get dressed, brush teeth, etc...). The catch: The Dollars disappeared at 7:30am. Ah Ha! I am SO borrowing her idea!

I got busy and created our own version of the Dad Dollar and printed a number of them off. I'm hoping I can get Matt to laminate them. I am going to use them for the same purpose. In order for Connor (and Carly) to know what activities must be completed each morning I am going to have index cards with pictures of the things they need to complete before coming downstairs to retrieve their Daddy Dollars. Since I am going to use real pictures of each of them completing the tasks, I started taking those pictures tonight. They will each be responsible for getting dressed, making their beds, and brushing their teeth each morning. These index cards will lay on their dressers each evening and when they get up in the morning they will look at the cards and complete each task, each time flipping the completed task over to reveal the words "Done". If they make it in time and snatch their Daddy Dollars before they disappear, they will collect them to "spend" at the Mommy Mart (also from the article in Family Fun) on things such as a backyard bonfire with s'mores, movie night, extended bedtime, afternoon playdate with a friend, family bike ride, etc... I may also provide other chore opportunities for them to earn additional Daddy Dollars. Hmmm...this could get really fun!

Our very own Daddy Dollar!

Weekend Adventure...ACE Style!

About a month and a half ago we were invited by a dear friend to spend the weekend in West Virginia at ACE Adventure Resort to celebrate his wife's 30th birthday. His plan was for Matt and I and another couple to join them as a surprise for Sally. We were honored and touched by his idea. Of course we accepted his offer.

This past weekend was THE weekend. Sally and Doug were dropping their children off with their godparents in western Virginia. Per Doug's request, Matt and I and Heather and JD drove over there ahead of them and surprised Sally when she walked in the door. She admitted that she'd had an idea that she and Doug might be going whitewater rafting but had no idea that the four of us might be involved.

We all piled in our van and continued our journey to Beckley, West Virginia...home of ACE Adventure Resort. As we wound our way through the mountain roads, admiring the beautiful landscapes, the conversation was wonderful and the anticipation of what was to come was exhilirating.

We finally came upon the Resort, nestled among the lush greenery and hills. The first thing we noticed was the large lake filled with enormous blow-up equipment (rock-climbing wall, slides, teeter-totter, etc...) as well as a zip-line running across the entire lake. We all decided immediately that we'd definitely be doing that before we left!

We encouraged Doug and Sally to eat at The Lost Paddle because we had called ahead and arranged for a birthday cake to be delivered to Doug because, although this weekend was planned for Sally's 30th birthday, it was also Doug's birthday...we fondly call it the week of the Johnsons!

Back at our site, we unpacked our things in our cabin tents (each couple had their own, side by side) and then let the guys, I mean JD, prepare a campfire. I must say it was pretty impressive. Of course we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. YUM!

We all went to bed fairly early in anticipation of our big day the next day. The temps were in the 60's at night so sleeping was quite comfortable. I'm sure the platform beds and matresses helped with that.

After breakfast the following morning, we headed off on our whitewater excursion. Most of us had been whitewater rafting before. We were all excited to experience the lower New River. Our guide, Doug, was soft-spoken (made hearing his commands a challenge) and personable. He guided us through the rapids and ensured that we all had a great time. We lost (our) Doug twice overboard and I made a graceful exit (think back flip, legs wide open) while we were "surfing". Other than a lost can of sunscreen, a broken nail, and a small finger injury, we all had a blast and have decided that we're all going to go back, maybe next year, to attempt the Gauley (the river to tackle in WV).

As soon as we returned to the Resort, we all jumped in line for the zip-line. That was really neat. We also had a little time to enjoy some of the other inflatables before heading back to watch our trip video with the other guests. Next stop: Shower! (And they weren't bad at all - and even had electricity) After dinner we, again, enjoyed a fabulous roaring fire compliments of JD the Master Fire-starter.

It was sad to say goodbye, but we have all vowed that we are going back. Thanks Doug for including in this special weekend and Happy Birthday to my dear forever friend!

Beach Week

Our neighbors were kind enough to invite us to their beach house in Manteo, NC (on Roanoke Island) last week. Both husbands had to work during the week, so Jeannine and I took the kids (she has an eight year old boy) down on Tuesday and waited for the guys to get there Friday evening.

We spent each day doing almost the same thing. After we woke up and had breakfast, I would take Carly to the playground while Jeannine took the boys for a bike ride around the neighborhood. She was quick to share how excited she was that Connor could ride so fast, as he set the pace for the 3 mile ride (and I might add that he was ready to ride some more after he returned from the trip). That boy has some energy! Then we'd head back to the house and change into our bathing suits. The big decision of the day was whether to hit the beach or pool first. We were able to spend adequate time at each, and the kids loved both. I was amazed at how well Connor and Carly "managed" themselves in the ocean. They each knew their own personal limits and only went out as far as they felt comfortable. Back to the house for dinner and then we either took a walk or watched a movie before settling down for bed. Nice.

One of my favorite moments was when DJ Steve a.k.a."The Dream" set up at the pool and played some tunes for all to enjoy. He was very interestingly dressed and provided some great entertainment. I might add that he had some good moves as well. At one point he got all the kids up and invited them to the side of the pool for a Limbo competition, then a little YMCA dancing. What a hoot!

Once the guys got into town, they took the kids fishing off the pier and we signed the kids up for crabbing. They even caught some! That was lots of fun.

We had a great time...I miss the beach already! All in all...lots of fun in the sun!

Going Private...

Well, the time has come to change the privacy settings on our family's blog.

Have you heard about the latest news story involving a baby whose picture was stolen from a family's blog page and placed on a Craigslist ad offering adoption? Read it here.

If you read our blog and would like access to it, please notify me so that I can give you access to it.