This year is coming to an end...tonight.
My boys have had a fabulous year in 2014.
The boys have acclimated to living in a new home in South Dakota.
Luke has become acquainted with Valley View Elementary school. Doing the 2nd half of his Kindergarten year there and then the first half of his 1st grade year. He is doing so well in school.
He has learned to read! He is learning to spell/write. He loves practicing...writing whatever he feels like; signs, his plan for the day, little notes.
Both boys have gained a baby sister. Luke is an amazing big brother. He loves playing with his little sister or making her laugh.
Tiberias became a big brother for the first time. He went from being the baby to being the big brother. That's a big change. He is doing well. At first he thought she was there to take all his food and toys and mess up everything he is doing. He is learning and trying to be a big brother now.
It is hard for him to understand that he does not know what she is thinking. That she is not after everything he has. She really isn't.
Tiberias started being part of a preschool for the first time ever. I have done some homeschooling with him. But this school year he is part of a preschool with three of his friends. Julia who turned 5 recently, Cj age 4 and Teddy who is almost 3 I think. I teach every Tuesday and every other Thursday. 2 days a week. 9:30-11:30am. It is going great and is exactly what Tiberias needs. He gets the social interaction, learns to be in a class situation under a teacher's rule. He learns to do what he is told when he is told...order and structure. He is learning what he needs to know before he starts Kindergarten at Valley View next school year.
Tiberias has done a great job this year being in Sunbeams...not nursery anymore.
I, Mom, am very excited for 2015. When the next school year starts I will take Ty and Luke to the elementary school every morning. And I will walk (Athena in stroller) to the school to pick up my boys every day when the weather is nice. Athena will be the only child home with mom. No Preschool. I will have time to keep the house clean and be the perfect mom and wife.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
The Baby Game
One of Tiberias' favorite games is "The Baby Game." He loves to pretend he is a baby. This games entails him crawling, learning to walk, learning to use a spoon, going down for naps, being held by mommy, etc. It also includes mommy picking him up to put him in his crib (aka the couch) and getting him out when he wakes a minute later. This game requires kisses from mommy and praise at how big he is getting and how well he is learning. :)
As a 4 year old he gets a lot of encouragement to be a big boy. To be independent. And to help out at home. Whereas Athena gets always praise and love and playing. She gets to be held all the time. When Ty asks to be held, which is often, we always says "You are too big."
So I indulge him with the baby game. He is still very young. And his love languages are (equally) words of affirmation and touch. He has to be coddled and praised and loved. It's adorable!
I do recall when Tiberias was a baby...Luke made his own version of the baby game. He wanted to play and pretend he was a baby. I don't think he ever did it as much as Ty likes to do it. But Luke has a different personality and different love language.
As a 4 year old he gets a lot of encouragement to be a big boy. To be independent. And to help out at home. Whereas Athena gets always praise and love and playing. She gets to be held all the time. When Ty asks to be held, which is often, we always says "You are too big."
So I indulge him with the baby game. He is still very young. And his love languages are (equally) words of affirmation and touch. He has to be coddled and praised and loved. It's adorable!
I do recall when Tiberias was a baby...Luke made his own version of the baby game. He wanted to play and pretend he was a baby. I don't think he ever did it as much as Ty likes to do it. But Luke has a different personality and different love language.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Big Brother Luke
I am so proud of Luke! He is such a great big brother and a wonderful kid.
At school he strives for success. His teacher, Sarah Stieger, is awesome and encourages the kids to succeed by giving them incentives. The ones Luke has told me about are 1) they have a treasure box for the kids every day who pick up the most trash. 2) those who behave well in class and do what they should get to participate in a party at the end of the month. An ice cream party.
Now that Athena is old enough to laugh at her brothers and try to play with them Luke has taken a great interest in her. When all the boys could do with her was PeekaBoo and holding her Ty was more interested than Luke. But now Luke loves spending time with his sister. He is very helpful.
With Luke learning to read Sterling has encouraged him to read small books to his little brother. I am so happy to see Luke and Ty go, without being told, sit on the couch together and read a book.
Lately Luke and Ty enjoy playing two kinds of pretend games together. 1) Doctor/vet where they take their animals to get shots and they have to calm the pets down because they are nervous. And the boys gets shots as well. And 2) school. They each have a school backpack which they like to use when playing this game. And sometimes they come to the kitchen asking for school snacks.
The other day while they were playing school in their bedroom I could hear Luke teaching Tiberias the Pledge of Allegiance. I am so happy that Luke knows it! I don't think they said it in Preschool the two years he went. Then he had half a school year for Kindergarten and recently started 1st grade . But he knows the whole Pledge of Allegiance.
Luke would say a few words and Ty would then repeat them. Then of course Luke would move to the next few words. They did this until they got through the Pledge.
My kids make me smile!
At school he strives for success. His teacher, Sarah Stieger, is awesome and encourages the kids to succeed by giving them incentives. The ones Luke has told me about are 1) they have a treasure box for the kids every day who pick up the most trash. 2) those who behave well in class and do what they should get to participate in a party at the end of the month. An ice cream party.
Now that Athena is old enough to laugh at her brothers and try to play with them Luke has taken a great interest in her. When all the boys could do with her was PeekaBoo and holding her Ty was more interested than Luke. But now Luke loves spending time with his sister. He is very helpful.
With Luke learning to read Sterling has encouraged him to read small books to his little brother. I am so happy to see Luke and Ty go, without being told, sit on the couch together and read a book.
Lately Luke and Ty enjoy playing two kinds of pretend games together. 1) Doctor/vet where they take their animals to get shots and they have to calm the pets down because they are nervous. And the boys gets shots as well. And 2) school. They each have a school backpack which they like to use when playing this game. And sometimes they come to the kitchen asking for school snacks.
The other day while they were playing school in their bedroom I could hear Luke teaching Tiberias the Pledge of Allegiance. I am so happy that Luke knows it! I don't think they said it in Preschool the two years he went. Then he had half a school year for Kindergarten and recently started 1st grade . But he knows the whole Pledge of Allegiance.
Luke would say a few words and Ty would then repeat them. Then of course Luke would move to the next few words. They did this until they got through the Pledge.
My kids make me smile!
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Preschool and 1st Grade
Growing Into Someone Else
Tiberias turns 4 yrs old in just under a week.
He knows that one day he will be grown just like his dad. Lately he has not had too many issues with anxiety , as he had a few months ago. However, he is concerned about turning the big number 4.
Less than a week ago he started sharing his concerns with me, his mom. "I don't want to be a dad. I want to be a Ty." That was his first attempt at letting me know what was going on. And being his mom I totally knew what he meant. He is afraid of growing up too fast. And maybe worried his appearance will change over night.
As days went on and he continued to comment it confirmed that he was afraid his physical appearance would change over night because his age changes over night. Cute kid.
I have tried to teach him how it works and assure him he will still be himself.
It did not help that I made his appearnce change drastically with a hair cut. But I think he will be fine.
I was growing his hair out because Luke looks so great with longer hair than buzzed hair. I wanted to grow out and tame Ty's hair to see what he would look like.
His hair was getting long but being difficult to tame. It's so soft and puffy just as it has been since he was an infant. But looking at him with his hair wet and moused into place and looking at our last family portrait when his hair was buzzed (but not bald) I decided he looks best with a buzzed cut. He does look a little older than he did the last time his hair was this short so it is a change for him. He said "I don't look like Ty."
Trying To Be "Good"
Tiberias struggles with , and has for a few years, behaving well. "Being good" you might say. He loves books and movies he can relate to. For example we got a book from the library a couple months ago about a dinosaur who did not hear everything he was told. He was too busy, in his mind and physically, to pay enough attention to know what he was told to do.
Another example; When Sophie Gets Angry. A book about a girl who has to share with her sister but doesn't want to so she throws a fit and runs outside. She runs away to a tree. Climbs the tree and has some time to herself to calm down. Then she goes back home where her family is waiting for her. Where her family loves her. And everything is good again.
Right now Tiberias loves Lilo & Stitch 2. Not the first movie but the 2nd. It's about Stitch trying to be good when something in him makes him misbehave.
I have not sat down and watched it but I think that's the jist of it. And that's why Ty loves it. Because he has that struggle as well.
I have struggled with Tiberias' behavior for a couple of years. This Summer our biggest problem is his desire to argue. He wants to argue about everything even if he is totally wrong.
I am really surprised at how hard it is not to argue with him when I set a goal not to.
About a month ago in the van I said something and Ty , as if trying to repeat what I said, rephrased it to be the opposite of what I said. So I corrected him. Then he said it again but opposite. He does not seem to be trying to be silly or make me upset. But for some reason he gets mixed up in his head.
He then said "Mom, I am just learning. okay?!" That's when I realized he is trying. He's not just being difficult but instead he is trying and having a hard time.
It also makes me wonder if he has some kind of learning disability.
Doing Preschool 2014-2015 with Martha and her two sons will be really good for all of us. He will get to interact with other kids and another teacher. He will start learning how to be in a classroom/learning environment/schedule/routine. I will be able to see how he does through the school year to know if he will be ready for Kindergarten the next school year.
Lachoneus 1st Grader
Next week is our last week of summer. Lachoneus will be in 1st grade. I am so proud of him.
We have done homework throughout the summer to help him with his writing skill and reading ability. And of course we have had tons of reading, me to the kids, all summer.
I plan to walk to pick up Luke from school every day that the weather will permit. I've just started working out to get back in shape after the baby was born.
Tiberias turns 4 yrs old in just under a week.
He knows that one day he will be grown just like his dad. Lately he has not had too many issues with anxiety , as he had a few months ago. However, he is concerned about turning the big number 4.
Less than a week ago he started sharing his concerns with me, his mom. "I don't want to be a dad. I want to be a Ty." That was his first attempt at letting me know what was going on. And being his mom I totally knew what he meant. He is afraid of growing up too fast. And maybe worried his appearance will change over night.
As days went on and he continued to comment it confirmed that he was afraid his physical appearance would change over night because his age changes over night. Cute kid.
I have tried to teach him how it works and assure him he will still be himself.
It did not help that I made his appearnce change drastically with a hair cut. But I think he will be fine.
I was growing his hair out because Luke looks so great with longer hair than buzzed hair. I wanted to grow out and tame Ty's hair to see what he would look like.
His hair was getting long but being difficult to tame. It's so soft and puffy just as it has been since he was an infant. But looking at him with his hair wet and moused into place and looking at our last family portrait when his hair was buzzed (but not bald) I decided he looks best with a buzzed cut. He does look a little older than he did the last time his hair was this short so it is a change for him. He said "I don't look like Ty."
Trying To Be "Good"
Tiberias struggles with , and has for a few years, behaving well. "Being good" you might say. He loves books and movies he can relate to. For example we got a book from the library a couple months ago about a dinosaur who did not hear everything he was told. He was too busy, in his mind and physically, to pay enough attention to know what he was told to do.
Another example; When Sophie Gets Angry. A book about a girl who has to share with her sister but doesn't want to so she throws a fit and runs outside. She runs away to a tree. Climbs the tree and has some time to herself to calm down. Then she goes back home where her family is waiting for her. Where her family loves her. And everything is good again.
Right now Tiberias loves Lilo & Stitch 2. Not the first movie but the 2nd. It's about Stitch trying to be good when something in him makes him misbehave.
I have not sat down and watched it but I think that's the jist of it. And that's why Ty loves it. Because he has that struggle as well.
I have struggled with Tiberias' behavior for a couple of years. This Summer our biggest problem is his desire to argue. He wants to argue about everything even if he is totally wrong.
I am really surprised at how hard it is not to argue with him when I set a goal not to.
About a month ago in the van I said something and Ty , as if trying to repeat what I said, rephrased it to be the opposite of what I said. So I corrected him. Then he said it again but opposite. He does not seem to be trying to be silly or make me upset. But for some reason he gets mixed up in his head.
He then said "Mom, I am just learning. okay?!" That's when I realized he is trying. He's not just being difficult but instead he is trying and having a hard time.
It also makes me wonder if he has some kind of learning disability.
Doing Preschool 2014-2015 with Martha and her two sons will be really good for all of us. He will get to interact with other kids and another teacher. He will start learning how to be in a classroom/learning environment/schedule/routine. I will be able to see how he does through the school year to know if he will be ready for Kindergarten the next school year.
Lachoneus 1st Grader
Next week is our last week of summer. Lachoneus will be in 1st grade. I am so proud of him.
We have done homework throughout the summer to help him with his writing skill and reading ability. And of course we have had tons of reading, me to the kids, all summer.
I plan to walk to pick up Luke from school every day that the weather will permit. I've just started working out to get back in shape after the baby was born.
Friday, July 25, 2014
My Three Kids
Tiberias loves to hold Athena. Luke loves to play with her (Peek-a-boo etc). It is fun that they have a baby sister.
Athena is 6 months old and sits up on her own. She does fall over sometimes though.
She goes from sitting position to on her belly when trying to get toys a few inches away.
She can go from her back to her tummy and the other way around. She can get up on her hands and knees as if ready to crawl.
She has started to scoot around around to get objects she wants. And when I hold her to standing position she is now taking big steps to practice walking around.
The last few nights she woken only once, around 3am, to eat. But then she had a stinky diaper around 5am and once I change her she doesn't want to go back to sleep.
She is still a happy and positive baby. A truly adorable baby girl!
Lachoneus has such a wonderful imagination. He loves his stuffed animal toys, drawing and building out of shapes or blocks. He loves creating "Patch land" and other things from his Kirby game...when he can't play his game. He will draw it and create it when it's "non electronic play time."
He has a Kirby and a Prince Fluff stuffed toys. A puppy he named Fluffy from his grandparents Roundy (given to him for Easter a few years ago). And yesterday he got Fluffy a friend...a puppy Luke immediately named Ruffle. lol.
He likes to take his toys places and gets excited when they (the toys) get to go somewhere and experience something new to them. He will leave them home for some rest or quiet when we leave the house some times. And the last few nights he has tucked them into bed (since we have a third bunk bed in their room).
Tiberias , being a crazy ball of energy, loves to jump, kick, kapow and constantly move. But he also loves to sit in mommy's arms. To sit with daddy. To give hugs and kisses. His imagination takes him to fighting bad guys and doing karate etc. But his heart is so full of love and affection. He is still mommy's baby.
Athena is 6 months old and sits up on her own. She does fall over sometimes though.
She goes from sitting position to on her belly when trying to get toys a few inches away.
She can go from her back to her tummy and the other way around. She can get up on her hands and knees as if ready to crawl.
She has started to scoot around around to get objects she wants. And when I hold her to standing position she is now taking big steps to practice walking around.
The last few nights she woken only once, around 3am, to eat. But then she had a stinky diaper around 5am and once I change her she doesn't want to go back to sleep.
She is still a happy and positive baby. A truly adorable baby girl!
Lachoneus has such a wonderful imagination. He loves his stuffed animal toys, drawing and building out of shapes or blocks. He loves creating "Patch land" and other things from his Kirby game...when he can't play his game. He will draw it and create it when it's "non electronic play time."
He has a Kirby and a Prince Fluff stuffed toys. A puppy he named Fluffy from his grandparents Roundy (given to him for Easter a few years ago). And yesterday he got Fluffy a friend...a puppy Luke immediately named Ruffle. lol.
He likes to take his toys places and gets excited when they (the toys) get to go somewhere and experience something new to them. He will leave them home for some rest or quiet when we leave the house some times. And the last few nights he has tucked them into bed (since we have a third bunk bed in their room).
Tiberias , being a crazy ball of energy, loves to jump, kick, kapow and constantly move. But he also loves to sit in mommy's arms. To sit with daddy. To give hugs and kisses. His imagination takes him to fighting bad guys and doing karate etc. But his heart is so full of love and affection. He is still mommy's baby.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Precious Kids
Precious Times
Athena is 5 months old today. She is adorable! She looks like a baby doll. She enjoys jumping with help and now tries giving kisses to mom and dad. Her kisses are her opening her mouth wide, like she does when she gets excited, and leaning in to mom or dad's cheek and leaving a little slobber.
I love her attempted kisses!!
Tiberias turns 4 in August. He still loves affection: physical and verbal. Says "I love you" a lot and needs to hear it often. Loves being on mom or dad's lap. Loves cuddling and hugging and kissing.
I love laying in the hammock outside with him!
Lachoneus will be 6 yrs old in just a few weeks. He is starting to write words with the correct spelling all by himself. In Primary today he was given a Father's day card to color and wrote "I love you dad" and signed his name.
He loves when mom or dad read to him. Lots of books. Shel Silverstein poems as well.
He is good at drawing! And loves to cut, paste, color and draw.
Sometimes mom and even dad need breaks from the kids but these days are so precious. They are thoroughly enjoyable!
Athena is 5 months old today. She is adorable! She looks like a baby doll. She enjoys jumping with help and now tries giving kisses to mom and dad. Her kisses are her opening her mouth wide, like she does when she gets excited, and leaning in to mom or dad's cheek and leaving a little slobber.
I love her attempted kisses!!
Tiberias turns 4 in August. He still loves affection: physical and verbal. Says "I love you" a lot and needs to hear it often. Loves being on mom or dad's lap. Loves cuddling and hugging and kissing.
I love laying in the hammock outside with him!
Lachoneus will be 6 yrs old in just a few weeks. He is starting to write words with the correct spelling all by himself. In Primary today he was given a Father's day card to color and wrote "I love you dad" and signed his name.
He loves when mom or dad read to him. Lots of books. Shel Silverstein poems as well.
He is good at drawing! And loves to cut, paste, color and draw.
Sometimes mom and even dad need breaks from the kids but these days are so precious. They are thoroughly enjoyable!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Proud Mama
I am so proud of my boys.
Lachoneus will turn 6 yrs old in three months. He has learned so much since December when we put him in Kindergarten. He is doing so well at reading! And has learned to do simple addition and subtraction. I am surprised and pleased that he is becoming so artistic. A few years ago I did not think Luke would ever become artistic.
Being forced to color for school, Preschool, has really turned him from hating art to loving it. He use to hate coloring. Now he likes to color and is great at drawing. He loves doing "projects" where he cuts shapes out of paper and tapes, glues or staples them to other paper. Usually his art is based on Kirby Epic Yarn for the Wii...his favorite game. He creates Dreamland in many artistic forms. He even loves taking our shape pieces from our shape puzzles and creating Dreamland. He takes those shapes and also makes cool designs...beautiful creations.
Tiberias has recently learned how to rhyme. He can recognize most of his letters and we are working on the hardest ones: W, M, E, N and G.
Next school year (in four months) I am going to do a group for Ty. A group of little kids, Preschool age, to have a coop or preschool/babysitting. I will find a few moms who are willing to take turns teaching the group of kids, giving the other moms a break. We all take turns so that we are all teaching the kids and we are all getting a break to go shopping or do whatever we choose.
Ty will have a whole school year of that to socialize and learn in preparation for starting Kindergarten in Sept. 2015.
My boys love each other. They fight a lot, some times more than others. But they love each other. They are friends and we, Ster and I, love that.
Lachoneus will turn 6 yrs old in three months. He has learned so much since December when we put him in Kindergarten. He is doing so well at reading! And has learned to do simple addition and subtraction. I am surprised and pleased that he is becoming so artistic. A few years ago I did not think Luke would ever become artistic.
Being forced to color for school, Preschool, has really turned him from hating art to loving it. He use to hate coloring. Now he likes to color and is great at drawing. He loves doing "projects" where he cuts shapes out of paper and tapes, glues or staples them to other paper. Usually his art is based on Kirby Epic Yarn for the Wii...his favorite game. He creates Dreamland in many artistic forms. He even loves taking our shape pieces from our shape puzzles and creating Dreamland. He takes those shapes and also makes cool designs...beautiful creations.
Tiberias has recently learned how to rhyme. He can recognize most of his letters and we are working on the hardest ones: W, M, E, N and G.
Next school year (in four months) I am going to do a group for Ty. A group of little kids, Preschool age, to have a coop or preschool/babysitting. I will find a few moms who are willing to take turns teaching the group of kids, giving the other moms a break. We all take turns so that we are all teaching the kids and we are all getting a break to go shopping or do whatever we choose.
Ty will have a whole school year of that to socialize and learn in preparation for starting Kindergarten in Sept. 2015.
My boys love each other. They fight a lot, some times more than others. But they love each other. They are friends and we, Ster and I, love that.
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