OmaClou

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

James's First Day of Kindergarten 2016

You're probably not surprised by now, but I took a lot of photos of James's first day of Kindergarten!

My super cute 5-year-old boy!

Modeling the backpack

"You're going to miss me Miranda." "Yeah."

Spontaneous hug instead of posing

I am a bit tired in this picture. Here are some reasons I didn't sleep last night: 1) James was starting kindergarten today!, 2) Tropical storm Hermine was making a lot of noise in Long Island, 3) I was inexplicably itchy, 4) when I finally fell asleep I had a very scary nightmare, 5) when I woke up again I contemplated how worm holes might work for time travel. (I am reading Brian Greene.)

Kevin slept just fine.

Kindergarten jitter-glitter confetti!! YAY! Congratulations!

Adjusting the straps to the smallest setting.

Here comes the bus! Almost 9 AM.

I am not sad yet because I'm going to stalk him at school.

Miranda is very sad she didn't get on the bus too. "I go school bus!"

Got off the bus with his backpack and everything! (He doesn't know I'm there.)

I saw some people that looked like parents, and even though I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to go in, I went in to check- and maybe get a picture of James going into his class. Unfortunately I got busted by the Principal who very nicely told me there were no parents in the building today. Off to a good first impression!

James's teacher greeting one of James's classmates.

After that I went home and bawled like a baby. I counted down until he would be home.

Mercifully, they sent me this class picture via email. Thank the heavens!

He was a little crazy when he got home, but at dinner he told me he had two teachers today but one would stay, Mr. J, and one was temporary. He colored his hat, above, a bear picture, and ate his entire huge snack at snack time. He had an art class, and the art teacher Mr. B told them they could draw anything so he drew his kindle. His homeroom teacher Mr. J asked them if before kindergarten the kids were excited, happy, or nervous. Most of the kids said they were excited, James said he was happy, and the teacher said he was nervous.

K: "The teacher was nervous?"
J: "Well, it was before kindergarten."
K: "Why?"
J: "Well maybe that the kids would be mean to him."

He talked about his Kindle video games with one of the boys who has the same Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion game, but didn't learn his name yet. I asked if they were BFF, and he looked at me like I was crazy and told me it was only the first day.

The buses were super late to pick them up at the school! He's supposed to be home by 4:30 which is bad enough, but didn't get home until almost 5:15 PM! While we were waiting at the door, it occurred to me that based on how Miranda kept saying James was on the school bus, she thought in her little toddler brain that he'd been riding around all day on the bus. Kevin pointed out that she'd gone to the school three times including today, but when we asked her, she confirmed she thought he was on the bus all day.

Finally home! Here we go again tomorrow!

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Clou Cookout 2016

We had a cookout. Everyone that came was super awesome. They also brought lots of goodies. They chatted, they mingled, some of them played games in the backyard. I got too tipsy to take enough pictures. Rob, Erika, Nick, and Emily also partied especially hard. Thank you all for being the best!

Rob and Erika are the bomb

Kevin with former students Heather and Rachel

Nick and Emily visited for the weekend!

Rita gave me a flower chain

Jaz, Kristina, Joe, Shaf, and Avi

Shaf and Nick did all the grilling for us because they're awesome!

Dave and Jaz

James telling Jilleen about all his video games (sorry!)

Kalyna, James, Maksym, and Miranda

Cuban Selfie

Picture fail: Not pictured: Darren, Adam, Colleen, and Rita.

Monday, September 5, 2016

Backyard Project 2016

When we moved in a year ago, our backyard was a pretty big mess. The downside of living near the beach is that a lot of the soil in our town is actually sandy infertile ground that doesn't do grass very well. But we can't use the backyard that well if its dusty or sandy because whenever we send the kids out they come back in covered in dirt or mud. Also it doesn't look that nice.

The previous owners had an above ground pool and had given up on grass around the pool so they threw down wood chips to prevent weeds around the pool. They also left all the bricks that were around the pool, and the big hole. Also, the house was on the market a while, and by the time we actually moved in at the beginning of August, the yard had 40 large bags worth of leaves in it.

Before picture of the backyard (toys not included)

We did a tiny amount of work on it when we moved in, but there was a lot of other stuff going on when we moved in, as there always in when you move into a new house.

Also the fence was kind of bent.

By the time we looked up how to grow grass back there, it was no longer the ideal season to do so, ie. Spring or beginning of Fall. We did what we could, getting the leaves out, cleaning the plastic and bricks out. Bob helped us fix the fence. We hired someone to cut two dead trees that endangered our house.

Leaf removal, August 2015

Bob helps us fix the fence, September 2015

In Spring, we went to Japan, so two weeks ago we finally got started with the yard.

Weeding

Raking up the woodchips

And we got dirt to fill in the yard generally and also the big hole from the pool. Our friend had recently grown grass in his yard and ordered 10 yards. When we spoke to the dirt place on the phone they suggested 8 yards, and since it was the smaller number we decided to go with that. We didn't actually understand how much dirt that was or that they would leave it in the front of our house not the back.

8 yards of dirt = Mt. Everest, delivered August 24

We got out our shovels and filled a wheelbarrow, took it to the back, dropped it, raked it, rinse, repeat, over and over again.

Shoveling!

It's not child labor if you don't pay them!

Miranda putting little handfuls into the wheelbarrow. So proud!

Bring it to the back

Racking out the mound of dirt

The back is finished, a lot of wheelbarrows to rake...

Kids had a lot of fun getting filthy while I raked

Neverending dirt!

Finally rolling it down

Seeding

Seeded!

Watering

One problem was that after we had put more dirt in our backyard than we ever could have dreamed of, is that we still had about 2 yards of dirt left in our driveway. (At least!) We listed it on Craigslist (Free dirt!) and we had four different guys come over and take the dirt. Hm.

Too much left!

August 31- Our long dirt pile nightmare is over!

A little bit of grass!!

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Kindergarten Orientation 2016

James is starting Kindergarten on Tuesday! So far, we've had two visits to his new school. Last week we got to walk around the building together. We were actually supposed to drop off supplies then too, but we hadn't been able to find the supply list until that day. Tuesday we had Kindergarten Orientation. The kids went to their classroom with PTO volunteers and rode the school bus around town. They also very briefly met their teacher.

The bus for the kids ride around the school

James is excited and happy to start soon

Parents checking in

James visiting his class

The adults sat in an auditorium that was 500 degrees, heard about the school, and briefly saw the Kindergarten teachers. We also got advice regarding packing snacks and lunches, sending kids on the bus, picking up from school, and not freaking out as a parent so that your kids maintain their cool. At the end we got to meet some of the other parents in our class. The first mom I met was named Erica and her husband's name is Kevin. True story.