Big day for schools...

This morning Kylie and I went and signed her up for school next year!  That's right, Kylie will be entering the land that most other Charlotte children have known for a long time already...preschool!  Long story, but here is the short version: I had signed her up for the 4's class at Rodgers' school for next year, but then was questioning my decision since she would then be basically doing the same curriculum the next year since we are going to hold her back from kindergarten (thanks a lot CMS for changing your date...).  So then Tara calls and tells me that for some strange reason there is an opening in Jule's class for next year in the 3's class, so I go and talk with the director this morning and LOVED IT (they have Spanish class there; enough said).  I was worried about putting her in the 3's class since she will be 4 until I realized 1) those are the kids she will go to K with, and 2) that gives me the option the following year of the 4's or T-K.  The best part: they had a magician there today and we got to go enjoy the show after checking out the classrooms and filling out our papers!  So funny story: we are on our way to see the school and I am explaining to Kylie that we are going to look at Jule's school to see if it is where she would want to go next year.  Then the following conversation:

Kylie: But Mom is Jule in school now?

Me: Yes.

Kylie: Mom, how old is Jule?

Me: 3

Kylie: But Mom, you said I couldn't go to school until I was 4.

Man, was I in the doghouse!!!  I then got the silent treatment for at least the next 15 minutes.  She's tough, I'm telling you!  At first I tried the whole "Jule doesn't have a baby at home to help take care of" but then realized that may lead to trouble for Eli, so we switched to the "Rodgers didn't go til he was 4, so that is how the Millers do it."

So anyway, Kylie's school decision has been made.  As we speak, or should I say, as I type, they are holding the lottery for the charter school I am trying to get Rodgers into.  It's not looking so good, though, since there are 22 spots and over 80 qualifying applications for kindergarten.  Lovely odds.  We will hear back from the magnet schools next week (?).  And we are still working on his portfolio for Horizons, which is where he will be unless something better comes along.  On that note, he learned double digit addition yesterday and thinks it is the coolest thing EVER!  So funny!  He loves big numbers!  He is so excited about Kindergarten!  You just have to ask him about it and his whole face lights up.  He says he can't wait because "I'm ready to learn something!"  Too cute!

I am pretty sure I never shared the spelling bee story, so here it is: One night at dinner we were quizzing him on spelling words, just words of stuff on the table and around the room, trying to figure out if he sounds stuff out or just remembers seeing the word and does it that way.  So he is spelling fork, plate, napkin, etc, then:

Rod: How about 'pumpernickel?'

Rodgers: huh?  What's that?

Me: Daddy's just teasing you!  That word is too hard!

Rodgers: Not really.  It sounds like 'pump' 'er' 'nickel'

And then he spelled it!  I couldn't believe it.  Later he wanted to know what pumpernickel was.  I told him he was going to be in the spelling bee one day.  The funny thing is that one of the next few days at school we were walking in and on the message board was a big posting about the spelling bee because someone associated with the preschool has a daughter who won the regional spelling bee.  Well, he walked in the door and yelled "hey look!  The spelling bee!  I'm gonna win that one day, too!"  All the people in the hall stopped and looked at him and asked me, "did he just read that board or how did he know what it was about??"

Okay, one more funny story about Rodgers reading: We were at Costco when Kylie was on her world tour (more on that later).  I had Rodgers in the seat of the cart and Elijah in his carseat in the big part of the cart.  We are walking in through the main aisle of the store and Rodgers yells REALLY LOUD "STOP THE CART!"  So I stop and am like "what in the world is wrong??"  It scared me half to death!  Then he calmly proceeds to tell me "It says right here not to leave the child in that big part of the cart.  You have to get Elijah out!"  Breathing agian, I start to walk off and say, "no honey, he's fine, he's in his carseat."  Again in a too-loud-for-inside-voice he says: "SERIOUS INJURY COULD OCCUR!!!"  Oh for the love!!!!  I had to stop and have a conversation in the middle of the aisle in Costco explaining why I was allowed to keep shopping!  This, people, is why I sometimes have a slightly hard time seeing his brains as a blessing!  Brains can be embarrassing!!!

Okay, now, Kylie's trip.  Kylie went on tour with Nana Kathy for 10 days!  (Let me tell you how different this house is without her around!)  They started in Pinehurst, then to Amelia Island, FL, then to Fort Meyers, FL, then to Orlando, FL, then back to Pinehurst!  She had a blast!  She got to play with Nana Kathy's friends, pick up Papa Fred at the airport, visit Nana & Papa B, see Aunt Wendy, swim in the pool, go on a dinner cruise, visit Sea World and see Shamu, go to the conference exhibits with Papa Fred, spend lots of time in the car...she is still talking about all the fun she had!  And from the minute she got home I really don't think she has stopped talking!!!!  I mean, she is my daughter and I really forget when she is gone just how....energetic she is!  While she was gone she got a Polly Pocket doll with a little travel dollhouse (apparently a necessity for entertaining her in the car).  Well, Polly Pocket comes with a lot of little parts including clothes, shoes and accessories.  While in Orlando, Kylie lost one of the orange boots sometime right before they were to check out of the hotel.  She and Nana Kathy were "looking" for it, but Kylie wasn't really putting forth much effort, so when Nana told her they must have left it down at the restaurant at breakfast she asked Kylie if they needed to go down there to look for it or otherwise they wouldn't have it and would she be ok with that?  Apparently Kylie looked around for a while but then told Papa that she couldn't find the other boot, but "I'm ok with that."  Well that little phrase has stuck and to this day anytime we play with Polly or take her anywhere Kylie is quick to add that she doesn't have her orange boots but "I'm ok with that."  That phrase has also made it into many other conversations...she seems to "be ok with that" a lot.

Another funny Kylie story: The other morning we were getting ready to leave for school and I was telling Rodgers that if he wanted to take his binoculars for show-and-tell then he needed to get them right now because we had to leave.  Kylie put her hand on her hip and said, "Mom, you need to stop worrying about what he is doing and get your own shoes on!"  I laughed so hard!  What a little mommy!  Of course what was funny then was NOT funny later when she told me during a confrontation in the playroom "Mom, you are not in charge here!"  Oh my...

For Valentine's Day, Rod got me some shoes and gave me permission to start my shoe collection!!!  He got me some super cute shoes and then I went out with Rodgers and Eli and bought some more.  Rodgers picked some red ones for me that are really cute.  Kylie got me a pair the following weekend while she was out shopping with Daddy, too.  I have had lots of fun with all my cute shoes!  It is one of Kylie's favorite things now to pick out my shoes in the morning.  Of course, that means I usually have to plan my outfits based on which shoes she picks for me.  But it is worth it for the comments that follow, "Oh Mom, those shoes are great!  You look so cute!"

Hope I am not boring you all with stories...I know you really only check the blog for the pictures...but I keep thinking of more and more...

Rodgers was writing his Valentines for school at the table and I was trying to encourage him because he HATES to write (but is actually doing much better lately), so I told him he was doing such a good job and he was such a good writer, etc etc blah blah.  He stopped writing and smiled at me and said, "Thanks Mom.  I owe it all to you."  What a charmer!

Kylie busted me the other day for rearranging the furniture again.  She said, "Mom, we need to talk."  I faked and serious look and sat down in front of her and sarcastically said, "oh ok, what exactly do we need to talk about?"  She said as she cocked her head to the side and pointed her finger around, "well, the tv room was the den, and the playroom was the game room, but now the den is the game room and the tv room is the living room.  do you think that is ok?"  So, I did what any good mother would do, and used her own line against her saying, "I did change it all around, but 'I'm ok with that!'"

Rodgers learned about El Monstro at school the other day, which is some Mexican volcano.  Anyway, he got in the car after school talking about it and lava spewing everywhere and he was all excited.  So, we got home and he went to the bathroom and then made a point of informing me that it was "just like El Monstro exploded out of my butt!"  Thanks, bud.  I really wanted to know.  I mean, seriously...

Ok, I really could just go on and on because it has been so long since I have shared stories with you, but I need to stop.  My fingers are cramping.

I will give you a quick update on Elijah:

I think he has allergies just like the other kids cause he is all stuffy and snotty and irritable.  This back and forth weather is not helping, by the way.

He is now sticking out his tongue and spitting.

I tried to feed him cereal last night but he cried, so I'm back to waiting for another month.

He is trying so hard to sit up now, but almost every time he reaches for a toy he falls over, which usually ends in him giggling with a goofy smile...at least he thinks it is funny!

He loves his nap times and cuddles his puppy and pulls his Steelers football blanket over his face to sleep.

His brother makes him laugh uncontrollably.

He loves when his sister picks the fuzz out of his toes.

He cries when Daddy walks out of the room.

He loves to pull hair.

He is finally a fan of playing on his stomach.

Bathtime is his favorite and he seriously soaks the entire bathroom with his splashing.

He now usually likes riding in the car cause he can play with toys.

He WILL NOT take a nap if we are out anywhere; he will just stay awake for HOURS!

And...he is wearing 6-9 month clothes now...at 5 1/2 months...and the outfit he wore today was 12 mo.  Seriously huge.  And hurting my back.  But we love him anyway!

Ok, I will leave you with a tribute to my FABULOUS neighbor and friend, Tara, who showed up at my door this evening with a glass of Chardonnay.  YOU ROCK!  I seriously don't think anyone anywhere has a better neighbor, and for this reason I can not move!