Gracie is BRILLIANT

We had our first parent/teacher conference today at Gracie's school (FBS).  I was very excited about it.  Mrs. McClure showed us Gracie's progress with coloring, drawing shapes, recognizing numbers and letters and writing her name.  In short, the girl is BRILLIANT!

She mistakes 9's for P's and 6's for 9's, but that's OK.  She also can't draw a triangle, but we can fix that.  Everything else, she aced.

I was concerned about her interaction with the other kids.  Just seeing her interact with kids at the playground or the way she interacts here made me wonder how she is with others at her school.  Sometimes she can be shy or timid and just ignore other kids - away from school.  But Mrs. McClure said that she interacts very well with others.  In fact, she called Gracie a "leader."  That's right.

She said that Gracie has a great attention span.  She likes to sit and listen to books.  She likes her friend Alyssa, but will share with all the other kids when they are playing.  She talks loud, but this is something that she does here, too.

Next year, we are going to send her back to FBS for kindergarten.  Smaller classroom sizes.  She'll go all 5 days of the week from 8-12.  It will be good for her.  And if today's results are any indication of what we can expect next year, when she goes every day, I'm not very worried about how she'll handle the transition.

Kudos to Stephanie, too.  She's worked with Gracie all year, outside of school - both on school-type things and also on behavior and manners.  Mrs. McClure said Gracie was very well behaved, one of her best, she couldn't ask for any better. 

We're raising her right.

Kudos to Mrs. McClure, too.

Nick breaks arm

Yup, the first broken bone of childhood has happened in the Cearley household.  Nick fell off of a bar stool the other night and while it seemed like it hurt, it didn't seem like he broke his arm.  Then, the next day, he went to catch himself on a fall and it definitely got him.  Apparently, he was incredibly sweet getting X-rays and everything.  He kept saying "light."  Well, at least now he's got a club to protect himself from Max and Gracie.

Our fun time

To say that parenting over the last month has been challenging is an extreme understatement.  The kids are going through massive transition and the toll that it has taken on us feels massive.

Max is going through a lot right now.  He wants to be a grown up in the worst way.  He wants to sit at the table (not his chair), wants to drink out of a big cup (not his sippy cup), wants to dress himself (not be dressed), wants to walk (not be pushed in a stroller) - he thinks he is much bigger than he is.  We're trying to find a balance between giving him freedom and keeping him safe.  It is hard, though.

He has also taken up climbing as a favorite hobby.  He's always liked to climb, but now moreso than ever.  Because he's bigger and more grown up, he's a better climber.  Since he's a better climber, he's more adventurous.  This has caused great heartburn.  It all started last week when he began climbing out of his crib.  He did this thing where he would then crawl across the dresser, into Nick's crib and just by staring at him, make Nick cry.  The crib is Nick's happy place and as of last week, Max learned how to invade it.

This went on until Friday when I took off one side of Max's crib.  Then, he got out and would still climb on the dresser, into Nick's crib.  He did this until he busted his nose on Friday night.  Blood everywhere.  Screaming.

I think that was after he had been up all night the night before with a stomach bug.  Steph spent the night in his room with him, sleeping on the floor.  That was a fun night.

Over the weekend, I got smart and rearranged the room.  I thought that if he didn't have a dresser to crawl on, he wouldn't get out of his bed, certainly wouldn't climb into Nick's crib.  Well, I learned 2 things:  1) there was no way he was staying in that crib, all open like that and 2) the disassembled bed really messed him up.  He was terrified of the openness.  I finally broke down and re-assembled the crib this morning at 3:30 AM, after Nick had been sick all night.  That was another fun night.

Now, as I type this, Steph is sick.  Since Gracie was sick last Sunday, guess who's getting sick next?

Joy.

Vocabulary

Nick's vocabulary: 16 words

Door
Shoe
Sock
Car
Truck
Tractor
Ball
Football
Cowboys
Momma
Dadda
Sissy
Bubby
Max
Gigi
No

Max's vocabulary:  8

Door
Car
Truck
Tractor
Thank you
Momma
Dadda
No

Max mimics Gracie, which isn't the best thing.  And Nick mimics Max.  The chain has begun.

Happy 2 years!

Crazy that 2 years have gone by.  The boys are so big.  And we are all 2 years older?!?!

It was a low-key birthday.  We were all in Austin for SXSW (the thing that has consumed me since the beginning of the year - working for one of our clients) until Tuesday (3/16).  Steph and I came back to Dallas - mom kept the kids, thank you mom! - to spend a little bit of much needed time together.  Then, on Thursday, the actual day of the boys' birthday, my mom and Steph met each other in Waco.  Steph brought the boys back and spent the rest of the day getting settled into the house.  We decided that we would spent the evening together, just family, and wait for the weekend to have a little party.

On the way home from work, I stopped by the store and got balloons (they LOVE balloons) and an ice cream cake.  We were all so excited to see each other because it had just been too long.  I don't feel like I've been around much at all lately and especially being a part from each other for a couple of days - we were all wanting to be with each other.

The boys loved their cake.  They loved the balloons even more (I got Gracie one, too).  It was a great night together. 

We didn't end up doing anything over the weekend.  Nick woke up on Saturday morning with what looked to be pink eye so it has sequestered us to the house all weekend. 

It's been a great weekend, but I don't know that any of us can believe that they are already 2.  Sigh.

Superbowl Reality

I predicted, but didn't close the loop.  Final score - NO: 31 Indy: 17.

Daddy/Daughter Valentine's Day Tea Time

Yesterday, we had Daddy/Daughter Valentine's Day Tea Time at Gracie's school.  She had been talking about it for weeks - ever since her school gave her the flyer to bring home.  Everyone around here seems to be fighting a second round of sickness, but there was no sickness that was going to keep us away from this.

It was precious.  We got all dressed up, her in a dress and me in something I'd wear to church.  She watched me the whole time.  When we got to the church, we had to stand in line with all of the other daddys and daughters to get our pictures taken.  There were so many daddy/daughters there!  We took our picture on a little bench, Gracie in a boa.  I can't wait to see them.

Then, we went into the gymnasium and found two empty seats.  None of her good friends were around, so we sat at a table and met new people.  Then, one of her friends from her class, Kendall, showed up and sat across from us.  She was happy about that.  And I met Kendall's dad, John.  Nice guy.

Then, we played BINGO.  Gracie was one of the first to get BINGO, but instead of saying "Bingo," she had to say, "Daddy."  She got stickers for winning.  And then, we played until everyone won.  There were M&Ms and Sweet-tarts - she was in hog heaven.

After BINGO, they brought out tea and goodies to the tables.  The goodies were cookies, icing sandwiches and more cookies.  Gracie loaded up :)  We talked together, about the different candies, about her friends that weren't there, about Kendall, about the tea gloves that she didn't want to wear - it was really a great time.

Then, before we left, the teachers told everyone - "Daddy's look over at your daughter and tell her how much you love her and daughters, give your daddy a kiss and tell him how much you love him."  I hugged Gracie hard and told her how much I love her and that she is the light of my world.  She gave me a kiss and said, "I love you, Daddy."

What can be any better? 

Fun in the Snow

Snow, snow, lots of snow.  We woke up Thursday morning to snow on the ground and had all-day snowing.  I went into work that morning, but came home early so I could avoid the ice.  When I got home, we took the kids outside to play in the snow.  For the first time ever.  Well, I think Gracie played in the snow last year when there was maybe an inch on the ground.  This was enough to where we could make a snowman and snow balls to throw at each other. 

The kids loved it!  Gracie wanted to do everything that Steph was doing - snow angels, snow balls, throwing, running - everything.  Max and Nick loved it, even though they didn't know what to make of it at first.  Once they figured out that it wouldn't hurt them, they played and played.

Friday morning we woke up to more snow on the ground and icy conditions.  So, I stayed at home (which working from home for me and Steph both is not everything it's cracked up to be), and there was more playing-in-the-snow.  The kids and Steph went over to the Penn's and played and built.  Max liked to stomp around in the sludge.  Nick just liked to wade in the snow.  Gracie wanted to do snow angels most of all.

There were a few dejavu moments for me and Steph from New York.  Snow is great.  And I am so grateful that we had a chance to all exprience it together at such a young age for the kids.  I've got some video that I'll post soon!

SuperBowl Prediction

Super Sunday is here, but it doesn't feel like a Super Sunday.  Steph and I even watched a movie (Extract)?!?!  It was just OK, but now, I wish I would have watched more coverage.  I've thought a couple of times about our experience two years ago in the hospital room.  I will remember that Super Bowl forever.  I hope this one is good.  My prediction - NO 38 Indy 35.  Go Saints.

Movies = some semblance of adult life again

We have been movie watching fools lately.  It's such a good thing, because I remember not too long ago, when watching anything, much less a movie, for any length of time in one period was a challenge.  This is an indication that we have some semblance of an adult/together-time life back again.  The movies that we've watched since Christmas:

1.  The Hangover - hilarious.  Not to watch with your mom :)
2.  Julie & Julia - Yes, chick flick, but I really liked it.  Both Amy Adams and Meryl Streep were good.  Meryl Streep was great, actually.  Good, inspiring story for writers. 
3.  Duplicity - (Clive Owen & Julia Roberts) - just OK.
4.  Public Enemies - very good.  By the same director, Michael Mann, who made Heat.  This one had very much of a Heat-feel.  It's long, but I recommend.
5.  500 Days of Summer - good indie film.  We had recently watched "Away We Go", which has an indie-feel to it, too.  I compared the two, and because of that, it lessened my preference for 500 Days of Summer.
6.  The Heat Locker - intense.  Great insight into what war does to soldiers and their assimilation into 'real' life back home.  We can't thank the soldiers enough, for sacrificing in many more ways than we can comprehend, for us.  Very much recommend.
7.  Up - what you would expect from Pixar, as they evolve.  Good story.
8.  Inglorious Basterds - what you would expect from Quentin.  Good.  Pulp Fiction is better.
9.  The Illusionist - (Edward Norton) - good movie.

Today, we are going to watch "Extract" from Mike Judge.  Then, it is all about the SuperBowl.  With the Stovalls for the first half.  Go Saints.  :)