My Handsome Guy

Corynne's Music Informance

Corynne had a "Informance" at school today. It was about 30 min of what they typically do in a music class.

Meeting Rupert

So Rupert from Survivor is from Indy and has done tons of public appearances but we have never wanted to stand in line. Today we went to the Flower and Patio show and there he was with only one person that he was talking too. So, TK was terrified of him and neither Calvin nor TK knew who he was and the girls don't know who he is either but they had stayed at the neighbors while we went.

This rude lady went in front of us and actually cut in line-she was like 50-60 age range. She started a conversation with him and he said with a big smile, hold on. Stuck his hand out ask my name and ignored her and talked to us. Then she started asking me questions about whether we were foster parents and where we got our training and I tried to explain everything and finally said why don't you go to their website I have explained it to the best of my ability. Crazy people everywhere!!!

So here is a pic and signed pics for us and he also gave me an autographed book "Rupert Just Being Me"

Smart Kids-Hmmm where do they get that from???

Corynne is doing great in school. We are very proud of her!
We got a letter from Corynne's school saying she was being considered for advanced placement in intermediate school. Although and honor, David and I both said NO WAY! We have a difficult time getting her to cooperate with her current studies. She gets great grades, but the work to get to that point is too much of a headache for all of us. We are proud of her but would rather her get good grades in an average class than low grades in an advanced class. It will be a big transition for her to go from elementary to intermediate without the addition of advanced classes. She would be completely skipping a grade. She would skip from 4th to 6th grade work.








We also got a letter that Josie is being considered for advanced math in second grade which is a new program and the only offered in 2nd grade at her elementary. As you can see on her report card she has moved from level E up to I by mid year in reading which is where she should be at the end of the year and then is now at L. She is a wonderful reader and we are very proud of her. She comes right home and gets her homework done without struggles or arguments. Since she seems to accel in school quickly and also is self motivated we are going to let her be in the advanced math if she is invited. They are evaluated at each grading period so if we see that she is struggling we can always move her. On the last page of Josie's report card there are things that aren't marked that means that she doesn't need work in any of those areas. It's like the reverse of what you would think.

Calvin can recite his ABC's, count to 20 and speaks well. He transposes some letters for others like t for a c but will correct it if you remind him. He knows how to do it just seems to be a habit that will take some time to work on. He knows some shapes and some colors although colors seem to be a struggle for him. He loves books, loves to read and and be read to. He can identify anything. I don't think there is anything he doesn't know the name of.

TK went to the girls school last Fri and will go again this Fri for evaluations and then hopefully will get to go to the preschool at their elementary.

Golf Course is OPEN!!!

Sunday, we are starting to work on our landscaping. We have to do knee walls, and landscape around the pool before pool weather gets here. We DO NOT want a muddy pool from the kids running around in the mud and then jumping in the pool. So this morning we went down and got a golf cart and drove around to take pics of all the homes with knee walls and retainer walls to get an idea of what we want. The course also opened for the season today at 11am so hopefully weather permitting we can start back to our Tues morning golf game!

When we got home a guy stopped by our house from the Sagamore Monthly Magazine and ask to take some pics of Calvin and do a feature article on him for next month. I laughed and ask if I could send pics as we hadn't changed him out of his jammies. So next month we'll see how exciting this guy can make an article about a 2 yr old.

Rewards for Good Behavior

I'm not huge on bribery but when there are things that you just can't seem to get under control sometimes a reward for good behavior can come in mighty handy! Calvin has been having issues with walking down to our room in the middle of the night.  I take him back up and put him to bed and he is fine.  Just a weird habit he came across when he got a bed that he could get out of.  So he had a chart and after sleeping in his bed without waking me up he got a ukulele.  Luckily we found my moms old ukulele so all we had to do was buy new strings and tuning knobs and viola reward.  So he got it last night.

TK has had a horrible time leaving mom when we do our hour visits.  The last one a couple weeks ago I honestly was worried someone was gonna call the cops thinking I was kidnapping him.  So this week I bribed him with a bike.  A lady who had donated a pair of snow boots to him saw me at the Y and said her son had won a bike and wanted to give TK his old one.  So he left like an angel from his visit and yesterday got his bike and she even gave him a helmet.

Calvin also got a bike from Keefer. He is so excited to have a big boy bike.



Here's a few video's of the kids doing Zumba class

Happy 40th! Again

So just 2 weeks ago we were celebrating Lydia's 40th and now, today is David's 40th.  He gets for 2 weeks to tell everyone he is married to an older woman and he certainly takes advantage of it;)  We started the day off with putting up in big neon letters on our window "Happy 40th Birthday David!"  Then I posted on facebook and emailed everyone to have them call, email or txt a happy 40th to him.  So throughout the day he rec'd numerous calls, emails and txts some from people he wasn't even sure who some of them were. 

Yesterday afternoon, Lydia and TK made David a dessert called Robert Redford.  It is his favorite. 

We did a big party this weekend so I think we are going to do Red Robin tonight.  It's kid friendly and David and I both have free birthday burgers!  Can't beat that.

New T's, swim trunks and a ski coat

Calvin loves Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and picked out the Bob Marley shirt for him

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Going To The Zoo -  We have always loved this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Words and Music by Tom Paxton

Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow;
Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
We can stay all day.
[Cho:]
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too.
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

See the elephant with the long trunk swingin',
Great big ears and long trunk swingin',
Snuffin' up peanuts with the long trunk swingin';
We can stay all day.
[Cho:]
See all the monkeys scritch scritch scratchin',
Jumpin' all around and scritch scritch scratchin',
Hangin' by their long tails scritch scritch scratchin';
We can stay all day.
[Cho:]
Big black bear, all a huff huff a-puffin';
Coat's too heavy, he's huff huff a-puffin',
Don't get too near the huff huff a-puffin',
Or you won't stay all day.
[Cho:]
Seals in the pool all honk honk honkin',
Catchin' fish and honk honk honkin',
Little seals honk honk honkin'; (high pitched voice)
We can stay all day.
[Cho:]
(Slower tempo)
We stayed all day and we're gettin' sleepy,
Sittin' in the car gettin' sleep sleep sleepy,
Home already and we're sleep sleep sleepy,
We have stayed all day.
[Cho: (alternate)]
We've been to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
So have you, you, you.
You came too, too, too,
We're been to the zoo, zoo, zoo.
Momma's taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow;
Momma's taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
We can stay all day.
cho:

pregnant dolphin

Calvin clearly was not into being photographed today!!!!

TK in a build a bear wig

He came downstairs with this.  What a hoot!!

Calvin working on his career as an underwear model

I love Rock N Roll Moody Style

A Plus Party and Play Zone

This place is soooo fun.  We found it a few weeks ago and the kids are sweating after an hour.  We have been going on Thurs after school.