Fall is Here

Fall brings many good things. Cooler weather, football, animal migrations, and school. Our fall has been fantastic on all points.

The start of school brought lots of emotions, but not the ones you'd think. Mia started kindergarten, full day kindergarten none the less. Knowing that kindergarten would be the starting point of full day away from home education, she never went to preschool. I was very apprehensive knowing how slow to warm up she can be and sometimes allowing people to walk all over her. I was nervous about friends or the lack there of, school lunch, recess, and bathroom successes. (Not that she isn't potty trained just doesn't ask until it's a little too close for comfort). Such fears have been handled well and aside from a few accidents, she's loving it.

She loves it so much that when we surprised her at lunch, she decided to stay with her friends at her table. Fernando was worried that it bothered me or made me sad she didn't want to sit with us/me. On the contrary. I was so glad that she felt included and confidant.

We had decided to walk in the mornings and bus home after school. Several other moms in the neighborhood had the same idea. I wonder what it looks like to all the people seeing this mommy crew pump up a ridiculous incline in order to get their school children and younger siblings to the school. This same hill is used frequently for the near by High School's track team for intense workouts. I am by far the most out of shape mom. Mind you I am pushing a weighty Graco DuoGlider Stroller with Tiago in front asking if I'm sweaty and Mia holding Talia in the back. The kids alone weigh almost 100 pounds! Still, it hurts the pride when I see a fellow mom who is pregnant leaving the school before I get there with a loaded stroller. I take it in stride. What I am lacking in cardio capacity, I have made up for with petitioning the school's transportation system to change the bus route. Many phone calls brought the bus stop much closer to ours and our friends' homes.


Mia's thoughts about school "I like fun Fridays. We do fun stuff like catch gingerbread mans. On fun Fridays i have a bessert at lunch. (Bee-ssert= dessert). I am learning how to sort by color and other things. I can write my name from head to toe. Sibley is my friend. She plays with me." I also love fun Fridays. They seem to have a hat for the kids to make with each theme. She's always wearing her hat on the bus ride home. This last Friday nearly took my breath away as Mia descended the steps of the bus with an Uncle Sam like hat. Where is the camera when you need it.

Tiago is doing ok. Mia and him are best friends. It becomes very apparent when he starts wanting to eat because he is bored or when we go to a Library Storytime and he won't budge from my leg. If Mia were there, they would have found a spot together with good view of the book. He has taken a new role as oldest in the house. He often talks about how Talia will one day grow older like him. Meanwhile, he is my big helper. Since I can't rely on Mia and Tiago keeping each other busy, I just add Tiago to whatever chore I am doing. He helps me weed, clean, and cook in exchange for book time and singing church songs. His favorites are "I am a Child of God" both verses (meaning the 1st and 2nd) and When Jesus Christ was Baptized. Every time we are doing yard work, he finds a new friend. One day it was a slug in need of a home. Tiago made him a comfortable place out of recent grass clippings from the edger. Shown here:
Lightning McQueen is Tiago's side kick usually.

A few days ago, he found a grub. I was less then excited to even approach it with gloves, but Tiago didn't mind. He even asked if he could eat it. I gave the green light, but luckily, he decided to carry it around for quite sometime and opt for licking our tree in the back instead.

We have already run the gauntlet of miscreant behaviors (mostly on account of me) including being tardy twice, unexcused week of absence, parking illegally in a handicap spot because it was the only one available and barely missing a police officer, forgetting homework, grumpiness, unkempt hair, and BO. The learning curve is steep, but I will master the morning routine. Goal is to have worked out, showered, prepared breakfast and school lunch all before 7am then walk with the kids to school as we recite motivational scriptures and notice the beauty of the earth. I'll let you know when it happens.

The unexcused absence was due to a family vacation up to Utah for family and football. Intern year brings limited time off. Two weeks to be exact. The rules are quite strict about when you take the two one week vay cay. After careful meaningful discussion we requested September in order to catch a game. The week we got happened to be the fantastic BYU UCLA game. This section deserves its own post so you'll have to wait.