Which card??

I know I've asked people their opinion but I'm getting mixed reviews. I just can't choose. I encourage everyone to vote! Just push the button below! And I love comments :-) well, as long as they're nice.

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Skating

OMG! Another month without a post. So so so busy with christmas card designs for clients.

I've been so overwhelmed with how to catch up on here. Do I say "screw the stuff I've missed and just start fresh now?" Or do I stay strict with chronological order? So while I'm trying to decide I feel anxious and the blog just sits. I had a conversation tonight with a fellow blogger who said to just wait until January when I'm not so busy and catch up then. After all, what's another month?

Oh and another thing I'm horrified at myself for is that in November it was the 22nd before I realized that I hadn't taken the kids' monthly pictures on the 17th. I've been a day late two or three times since they were born but it was because I physically couldn't do it on the 17th but this time the date just completely slipped my mind.

So while I'm going to catch up in January I am going to try to keep up withe current stuff when I can...like today. What a crazy day.

This morning I took the kids to the first day of gymnastics class. It's held at the skating rink in town. They took the same class at the same location last year and loved to watch the people skate. Today after class was over we watched the guys playing hockey for a while. They begged to go skating so we went to a used sports store and bought the cheapest skates we could find. All three of us left with "new" skates and drove right back to the skating rink. They were SOOOOO excited to get their stuff on and get on the ice. I talked to them a lot about how they were going to fall down a lot and that that was ok and how it was going to take a lot practice to be comfortable.

My prediction was that Maddie would fall down...a lot, and get frustrated and cry. I couldn't have been more wrong. That child had a smile on her face the entire time, was exclaiming, "Weeee!" and said "ouchie!" when she fell down. She could even get back up to hold onto the crates by herself. I was so proud of her and so impressed.

The only skates the store had to fit Jackson were hockey skates rather than figure skates. With no toe pick (I didn't realize the toe pick would be so helpful in learning) he had no way to push off to get going. I was trying to teach him to push to the side but it was really hard for him. He did get independent enough that I could skate around but he wasn't moving very fast and wasn't overly happy. He didn't cry when he would fall down and he didn't want to get off the ice. He was content to hang on the milk crates for dear life. At one point I reached down around him to lean on the crate and made him go really fast while holding on. He loved that!

Oh, when free skate was over and it was time to go, Madison was heartbroken (and tired) and she hysterically cried the entire time I was getting all of our skates off and shoes on and half way home when she finally fell asleep in the car. I felt so bad for her. We're definitely going to have to go again soon!

OH and just as we were all getting on the ice I realized I had left their helmets (bike) in the car. I stopped in my tracks and told them that I had forgotten the helmets. There was another mother there watching her kids skate. I said to her (in a funny way), "is it total child abuse to send your kids on the ice with no helmets?" She just looked at me as if to say "yes". I showed frustration and told her I had left them in the car. She told me she would stay with the kids while I went to get them. So what's worse? Letting your kids skate with no helmets or leaving them with a total stranger while you go get said helmets? Obviously they were fine when i got back and the mother had even put their mittens on for them.

Wow

Since I'm here updating my header I might as well update the blog too. A month and a half?? That has GOT to be some sort of record. Not one post in October. Unreal.

Since my last update the kids have settled into school. Jackson had quite the transition. He's not exactly clingy with me but he sure does love his mama and he wanted me to stay at school with him. I learned quickly that I couldn't tell him we were going to school in the morning because he would cry and wouldn't want to get ready. The first day I dropped him off he complained that he was tired the whole way there. When the director of the school came to the car to get him out of the drop off line I told her he was "tired" so she went and scooped him up out of his car seat and brought him with promises of a nice rest once inside. He never cried though and had a ball while he was there and said at the end of the day that he didn't want to leave. He got progressively better as the days went on and maybe the 5th or so day he declared in the morning "I want to go to school!" I knew we were going to be fine after that.

Maddie has had no issues what so ever.

We had our first parent teacher meeting in October and the teacher was perfectly pleased with each of them.

Dance class has also been going very well. They both absolutely love it and are doing so well in an instructional setting.

Attitudes about Jackson being in dance class have been mixed; either all in favor or dead set against it. Unfortunately Jackson's father is one that is against it but he's also the one to call him a wuss if he cries after getting injured or to tell me that I'm turning him into a girl because I hug him, so I'm not surprised at his opinion but it's just so absurd. I could go on and on about this topic but I'll stop now.

If you read my photography blog or are friends with me on facebook you'll know that I've been very busy with sessions which is great and having a few hours while the kids are at school two days a week has been so helpful for me to get some things done.

I guess that's it for now. Dance class is over so it's time to go.

First ballet class

I finally picked a dance school to send Maddie to and she started yesterday. There was only one other girl in the class that was supposed to be there (the other girls in the photo are older and just there for fun). She was so excited to be there and immediately started dancing around while watching herself in the mirror.

Once the class started Jackson didn't want to leave. I asked the teacher if he could stay and she said sure. They both did amazing! They were so focused and energetic and did everything they were instructed. The only reason I didn't sign Jackson up for lessons too was simply because of money. I'm strapping myself enough to get Maddie in. I told my mom how much he enjoyed it and she said she'd pay for him!

I got all of Maddie's clothes at target because it's so much cheaper than a dance store but the slippers are horrible. they aren't leather and look like old lady slippers. They also kept slipping off her feet and she had to keep pulling them back on. Since they were only 4.99 I think I'll splurge on the $18 leather ones.

Across from the school is this antique-y junk store. We were parked right in front of it so on the way to the car Jackson says "him's not talking". I look and see this creepy fake person in a wheelchair. They ended up thinking he was funny and let me take their picture with him.

First day of school

This past tuesday was the kids' first day of pre-school even if it was only for 45 minutes and I was in the classroom with them. They've been very excited for school all summer and were so happy to go on Tuesday. For some reason Jackson became grumpy as we were leaving so he wasn't very cooperative for pictures.

When we got to school Nana happened to be outside with her class so she was the first person to greet them at school. She said she was probably more excited that day then they were.

They had a great time and did NOT want to leave when it was time to go. On Thursday it was the first official day but it was still only an hour long. I pulled into the drop off line and the teachers were there to bring them right in. Jackson said "I want you to come in" (he's been SO attached to me lately). I said "OH, I have to go park the car" and that was enough for him to get out and go with the teacher. I didn't lie ;-)

They had a nice setup for the parents in one of the rooms with coffee and fruit etc. They figure if a child is going to have a complete meltdown the first day it's better if you're right in the building. So we all socialized. I saw some people I knew and met a lot of new people. I really enjoyed it. I did peak in their room a couple of times and they were doing just fine. I even heard Maddie boss Jackson around.

When it was almost time for the kids to be dismissed we all went back out to our cars and got in line again. When Jackson came out of the building he was yelling "MOMMY!!!" He ran up to me, hugged me and said so sadly, "I missed you!" They still didn't want to leave though. They've been dying to play on the playground at the school but they haven't done it yet so I took them to a different playground on the way home.

Next Tuesday they go for 1.5 hours and the following Thursday they go for the full 3 hours.

The school isn't that far away from our house but it's not just down the road either so rather than driving back and forth twice I'll be bringing my macbook and hanging out at the town library that is right next to the school. I can't wait to get some focused work done. I have a wedding album to design from a wedding I did last november! I just haven't had the time to concentrate on it without being interrupted by the zillion demands of my children.