Bradley and Eleanor Start Preschool

Bradley and Eleanor started preschool this past Tuesday!

Someone was slightly excited.

Someone else refused to have his picture taken until he was in his classroom with Mrs. Matthews.

And the toddler was eager to do whatever it was his big brother and sister were doing

Patrick, leading the charge into the first day of school.

Preschool tires a kid out, Bradley usually plays quietly in his room during nap time but he's been coming into my room and begging to get to stay for cuddles lately. Guess how that turns out.

And let it be known that Meg is equal opportunity when it comes to wedging herself between me whoever could possibly be stealing some of her cuddles.

Maybe I'm letting him start a bad habit ... but I LOVE naptime cuddles with my little boy and I don't know how I would ever say no to this.

I had to tell him no the other day because Patrick has been teething wreck lately and this happened. Can you guess where I am?

Yep. The crib. He wouldn't settle down on me in the recliner, taking him into a bed into another room would have been waaaaaay too exciting for sleep to happen, so I just hopped in the crib like a champion mother. I actually managed to get a power nap in myself, if it wasn't for coming out of the room to a crying Bradley who couldn't believe he didn't get Mommy naptime snuggles on this particular day it would have been a big success.

There are some perks to Patrick teething, he's been sticking to me like glue and it can be fairly precious.

He also doesn't want to sit on his own to eat during meals (like I said, he's a wreck) so he's been enjoying sitting on laps and stealing food from others.

Patrick copying his siblings even though he has no interest in watching a show while we wait for Bradley's eye appointment.

Preschool has been awesome although Eleanor has been tired at the end of the school day and *might* be crabbily opting out of circle time. But she loves her teacher and keeps saying she wants to go every day.

She shares a lot more about her day than Bradley ever did. I just found out that she got to sit on an elephant while she was crying one time and she used its trunk to wipe her nose. She also matter of factly told me about a fight she had with another child over her favorite kitchen toys. I don't need this much information.

In her defense, this is her every day reality with two brothers so a girl has to be ready to defend herself.

I asked her if she was going to play nicely with the boy with the kitchen toys and she sweetly said he didn't share and she was going to hit him (while making a dainty fist to emphasize her point).

Eleanor is emphatic about most things. I hope her teachers are ready for her. Let it be known, grandparents, when she comes to visit she has things to say about coming back home which is SO LAME. Our Washington visit to my parents' house certainly made an impression.

The other night after dinner, Bradley bounded up to me and said "Let's play scaredy birds (what he calls Angry Birds). You can be a pig and I'll be a bird! CAWWW!" Then the boy who was wearing nothing but his underwear ran over and jumped on my lap. This was repeated with much enthusiasm for the next 10 minutes.

A picture from the night in question. Recipe to happy children in the evening: let them strip down to their underwear and run around while yelling "naked time!"

Eleanor's version of make believe is a little more my style (as in I don't have to pretend to be a pig). She still insists on wearing her Rapunzel nightgown most nights and if she is wearing the nightgown then she IS Rapunzel. She tells me this makes me a queen, Daddy a king, Bradley a prince, and Patrick a knight.

Tonight she was playing Rapunzel with me and told me that in order for me to become a queen I needed to hug. I happily obliged with a nice big hug and snuggle for sweet little Rapunzel. She then wanted Bradley to transform into a prince but he hotly insisted that he did NOT wish to be a prince, he would rather be a dinosaur. He had to hug his way into becoming a T-Rex (I was more than okay with this transformation because I was the one he hugged) while Eleanor sadly said "then who will I hug and kiss and marry?" It's cute that the kids love each other so much. Although adding Patrick into the mix has caused some confusion and concern over who he will marry. Bradley's friend Addie said she was going to marry him on a recent playdate and he said yes and he was also going to marry Eleanor and Patrick. Bradley loves everyone.

Bradley and Eleanor with Addie. Cuddles for everyone.

We finally made it to Deanna Rose for Eleanor's three year old pony ride! It was also Bradley's first pony ride. The kids were adorable and were ready for many more pony rides. And for the record, Eleanor had her outfit for this pony ride picked out months ago. She is so my daughter.

Watching other kids ride ponies

And here are the rest of our pictures from the visit. I think the ponies were the only real animals we touched at the petting zoo. Mostly we like statues and playgrounds. Patrick would have happily smooched every goat there but luckily he had little say in the matter.

We also finally got in the backyard camping night that we had promised the kids months ago! The weather was nice and the kids were cute so we went for it. And by "we" I mean Nathan slept out back on the hard ground with two squirmy children while I slept inside on a king sized bed with lots of kitties. Camping is awesome.

Making s'mores may have been the most exciting aspect of the whole camping experience. Note that Bradley's marshmallow is fully on fire in the picture below. Nathan was showing the kids how to high to hold their marshmallows over the flame and Bradley confidently told him that was NOT how to roast a marshmallow and immediately put his directly in the flame. I'm told he happily blew out the marshmallow 8 different times after lighting it on fire repeatedly. 

The kids have been asking to go camping again and we said we weren't sure if we'd do it again so soon and then they said maybe we should just do s'mores instead. Can do, kids! 

Calling it a night - good luck, Daddy!

With the milder weather we've been going out to the park a lot more.

Good news, Patrick likes puddles as much as Bradley does. Eleanor chose to save safe and dry in Mommy's arms while the boys splashed. 

The kids have also been doing their best to help finish off our stash of popsicles before the cold weather hits.

Please note how Patrick looks like he's the same size as Eleanor in the photo below. We took them in for their well visits at the doctor's office and Patrick is currently 29 lbs and Eleanor is 31. He's 97th percentile for both height and weight and I think she's 60th percentile for height and maybe 40th percentile for weight. We're placing bets on when he passes her on weight.

We got Eleanor a new bike with training wheels and while she loves that it is Frozen themed and even has a place in the front for her to put her dolls, she does not like going down our nearly flat driveway and clings to my arm and yells instead of braking. She did crash her bike and fall over into the grass once due to momentum so I guess her fears are not entirely unjustified.

Patrick crashes his blue hot wheels tricycle into the grass - on purpose. He roll over, slowly push himself in, then look up at me with a little grin and say "UH OH!!" He does this as many times as I'll pull him out again.

And it's amazing just how much he pays attention and wants to be like his siblings. We were playing with chalk the other day and I traced around Bradley as he lay down in the driveway and immediately after I was done, Patrick lowered himself down carefully on his back and waited for me to trace him as well. He's not quite 17 months old but he is on it!

Doing bubbles with the big kids

Here are some videos of him copying the big kids jumping off the fireplace. Also, you're welcome for how much clothes everyone is wearing here. 

And another, this one with some most excellent counting by Eleanor.

And they are good for some positive peer pressure. Nathan taught Patrick how to say "please" with their help.

We go to people's houses and they always ask if Patrick is okay on stairs whenever we go down to the basement or something. Um, yeah, this kid knows his way around stairs just fine. He's been doing stairs like a pro for ages and now he walks down on his own!

Patrick is so fun, even though have I mentioned he's been a whiny teething mess lately? His basketball skills are kind of ridiculous. He'll back up to practice his long shot ... and he mostly makes it!

Immediately after this he started practicing seated trick shots.

Love for the cats has not abated. Sometimes I test him to see who he loves more: his parents or cats. Hint: it does not go well for the parents.

What Daddy? I see Meg!

He'll copy the loud annoying way I call for Meg and will run for correct drawer in the kitchen if I ask him if he wants to give her treats.

Layla loves

And Sookie loves! Such lucky cats.

 We got out some of the kitty toys a few weeks ago and Patrick about lost his mind he was so excited.

He's pretty direct in how he shows his love - crawls on top of you rolls around while making happy noises. Which is a little tough if you're basically the same size as him.

Easier if you're the very solid and much loved big brother.

Love taking my cute buddy pal boys to church together.

Once per month kids ages 4 and up get to sit through the regular service instead of going to Sunday school. Guess who is a big fan of this? Answer: Bradley and both Mommy and Daddy. We are a super cuddly bunch, it gets a little ridiculous.

 

Love of the spinny chair has not gone away. Please note the very poor decision of the cat who decided this would be her perch no matter what. 

Patrick is so helpful around the house. Nathan had a fantasy football draft the other weekend and Patrick offered some expert advice. 

He also has gotten very good at expressing his wants and needs. We are obviously trying to starve a boy, it's our secret plot and he's not letting us get away with it.

 I love how much these three enjoy being around each other.

Everyone helped Daddy lower the crib yet again so Patrick wouldn't be able to jump out of it just yet.

Eleanor in particular is quite amazing with Patrick. She's game for whatever he wants to do but she's a bit more gentle than Bradley is.

We got in one last trip to the pool before the end of summer! Eleanor has decided she doesn't like her puddlejumper which is great news for Patrick.

The sweet boy does not mind wearing Eleanor's hand me downs in the least ...

Her new headband. Patrick was obsessed with it and insisted on wearing it most of one morning.

 We're a fairly cozy bunch these days, albeit a bit tired.

Patrick is teething.

Eleanor is full in 3's mode and sometimes refuses to take naps which means she passes out during bedtime stories.

And sweet Bradley is our little adventurous champ who came down with his first fever last night (thanks preschool) and insisted that I sleep with him. He's still feeling pretty crummy so we're watching lots and lots of shows to make sure he gets rested up and feels all better soon. 

Wish me luck, I'm pretty sure he's going to try for Mommy cuddles tonight again. Mommy cuddles, popsicles for breakfast, nonstop shows - being sick has some big perks!