September - how to pass a month while waiting for preschool to begin

As mentioned previously, Emma was REALLY excited to start her pre-k year, but since school didn't start until October, we needed to find some fun activities to fill the days. She was really jealous that every day Spencer got to go to school, and she had to stay home. So...

We went to the zoo with lots of cousins, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Nathan, Aunt Katy, and Uncle Aaron. (Side note: this made Spencer jealous. He was wondering why we got to have all this fun while he was at school. It's a no-win situation, I'm afraid.)

While at the zoo, we ran into Stephen Haskin and his cute family. Stephen was a Resident Assistant at Deseret Towers while I was Hall Advisor there. Spencer was a baby last time I saw Stephen, so it was really fun to catch up on the goings on of the last 5 years. (Wow, that has flown by!)


We spent lots and lots of time with Trina, sometimes at our house, sometimes at her house. Aunt Julie was out visiting for a week to scan pictures, so we camped out during most days at Grammy's to help in the sorting process. Trina is also coming over weekly to babysit the kiddos while I teach violin. My kids look forward to "Trina day" all week, and now the neighborhood girls do too. They like the imaginative stories that she creates for playtime. I've been really impressed with how Trina has stepped up and managed John in his post-nap state too. He wakes up wanting Mommy many afternoons, but that doesn't work so well while I'm teaching. Trina has figured out how to involve him in playtime, and it has made violin teaching SO much easier. I love this girl.


Emma and I taught John how to paint.


We went to the Heritage Farm Museum with a boatload of friends. If you make reservations and have at least $30 in entrance fees, they will open the museum half an hour early for a group and then provide cookies, water, and a story time. It was a fantastic day.


We had dentist appointments. Spencer has been a champion example when it comes to getting his teeth cleaned.


Emma has been several times as an observer, but this time she got to sit in the chair and have her teeth counted and cleaned. She was fearless.


We also spent a lot of time going to the nearby park with these cute neighborhood friends, K and R. I was watching one of the girls the first few weeks of school until her kindergarten schedule got figured out. We had a great many morning play dates as a result.


Even after K started her all-day school schedule, we still kept up daily play dates with R and her nanny, Nahid, who has become my good friend.


I felt like every day in the month of September was full of fun. Still, in the few moments of down time, Emma would complain of boredom. Maybe it was just exhaustion. She ended many days like this, dressed in her next day's clothes so she wouldn't miss escorting Spencer to his morning bus time (which is way too early at 7:20am).


September was a good month, but we were all really, really happy when it was finally time for school to begin. Can you tell?

Our kids go to school

...and it's time the world had some proof of it! Hard to believe my last post was back in May. We had a really great summer, and at some point it will be chronicled here. That's a resolution. We'll see how the follow-through goes. For now, here are my two back-to-school kids.


Here's our 1st Grader!
The night before school, Spencer couldn't sleep because he was SO excited. I'm sure there were some first day butterflies mixed in there, but he was amazingly confident heading into his first year of all-day school. Another item of note - the day before Spence started 1st grade, he lost his 1st tooth. It had been wiggling for a while, and while Adam was at a home teaching appointment, he wanted me to take a look at it (couldn't wait for Dad to get home). I gave it a tug, and out it came. Spencer was thrilled!


Here's our Pre-K Girl!
Emma is attending a preschool that is held at one of the local high schools, where the HS students act as student teachers. She was SO happy when she got into this preschool after being on the wait list. It's the same school Spencer went to for pre-k, and while I would have to give occasional incentives to Spence to get him to GO to preschool, I would have to bribe Emma at age 2 to LEAVE after dropping off big brother. We did a co-op preschool last year for Emma, which she loved, but she was ready for her own classroom. Emma's school started about 4 weeks after Spencer's, and that was a LONG wait for our little Lovie. We filled it with fun, but she was ecstatic when the first day of school finally arrived. That morning, Adam asked Emma if she was excited or nervous? "A LOT excited and a little bit nervous" came her reply. You'd never know there was a hint of nervousness; when I dropped her off, she followed her student teacher to her cubby, hung up her back-pack, bade me farewell and was off for free play without looking back. It's a good thing I had Johnny with me, or I might have been the one feeling abandoned.

Speaking of Johnny, here's a photo of that little piece of cuteness to round out the post.
This is John at what I'm embarrassed to admit is his first story time experience at the library. I've been somewhat remiss in that department with baby #3. Time to step it up, especially since this little man doesn't look much like a baby anymore. *Sigh.

Scarlet Pimpernel

My awesome sister Celeste wrote about the show that became a family event for the Cummings clan at large. You can read her recap here. Good times, great memories...also good to have a little down time in the wake of all that fun.

My baby turns 1

Still in denial about this one, but tomorrow (Cinco de Mayo), my baby John turns into a one-year-old boy. He is the most delightful little guy. Seriously. This baby is nothing if not good-natured. He's a smart fellow, too. Lately, there have been several demonstrations that show me he understands everything that is being said. He follows verbal instruction to chase after a brother or sister (favorite activity), and yesterday he took great offense when he offered a goldfish to a friend of mine, and she replied in a very sweet, upbeat tone that she didn't like goldfish even as she accepted the offering. He was totally distraught, so he must have understood the words.

John is a great stander. He excels at getting to a standing position without the aid of any furniture to pull up on. It still thrills me to watch. He likes to say "uh-oh", is a SUPERB morning snuggler, loves his mom, loves his dad, loves his big brother, loves his big sister, enjoys a good chase, thrills at a round of wrestling, crawls around with a container of spices in each hand that he swipes from the pantry while I make dinner, enjoys going on walks or runs in the stroller, only complains if he is tired or hungry, grunts emphatically (instead of screaming) when he wants more or needs help because he has stranded himself on an upper floor by climbing up the stairs, and really likes unloading the dishwasher one utensil at a time. Oh, and he likes to eat dirt (or so we assume since he is often found getting into the potted plants).

To celebrate this little man, we started tonight. The missionaries came over for dinner, helped us sing to John-John, and cheered with us when he blew out his tank candle all by himself. We were feeling a little caked-out after our string of birthdays, so we got a little creative with dessert. Keeping in mind John's affinity for eating dirt, we had mud (chocolate pudding) and dirt (crushed oreos) with gummy worms as our treat.

John thought this worked quite nicely as a birthday treat, as evidenced by the photos...




After dinner and a bubble bath in the kitchen sink, he was back to making a mess of the real dirt.



With this third baby, those messes that used to be so stressful now strike me as being funny. Might have something to do with the grin this little lad can muster. We love you, Johnny!


And...the sink bath photo, requested and provided by Adam...just so John knows who to blame later in life when he reads this post. :0)

Emma is 4!

Birthday season continues at our house. We celebrated Emma's arrival to the life of a 4-year-old on April 18th. It began, as has become tradition, with a birthday breakfast. We believe in having as many opportunities to blow out candles and make birthday wishes as possible. It seemed that on birthday morning, folks were sleeping in, so the parents were hanging out with John-John (who had risen early), trying not to make too much noise, and taking their time getting down to the kitchen to start cooking. Spencer came in with a disapproving tone. "What are you guys doing? You're supposed to be making Emma's birthday breakfast." Well, we snapped to it after that! Your brother sure loves you, Em. Both brothers do, in fact. John lights up with a big smile every time he sees you.

Some things I love about 4-year-old Emma: You have a best friend named R___, and having a best friend has taught you so much how to be a kind, loving and generous person. You are a fashionista, demanding skirts and dresses as daily wear, unless it is time to play soccer. You are one SMART little lovie; at your birthday party, you impressed the parents by "reading" the names of your guests based on the first letter of their names because you know the sounds the letters make. You are responsible, spreading your blankets many mornings without a reminder. You are musical and love going to concerts and plays, especially in what you have dubbed your "concert dress" (right now, that one is the polka dot dress with the floofy skirt). You still love to snuggle, will entertain John to help Mom, enjoy making "recipes" (ones I am working on or those of your own creation), like to hang out on Dad's lap while he works at the computer, and are Spencer's ready playmate and friend. We are so glad to have our very own Emma.

Emma at birthday breakfast time


Emma and BFF R___


Emma decorating her own cake. Spencer had the good idea of using oreos as the center of flowers, and Emma took it from there using pink frosting for petals and lots of sparkly sprinkles. The perfect cake for our beautiful lovie.


Birthday celebrations: preschool snack time, birthday breakfast, family party, and friend birthday party

Spencer is 6

Hard to believe how quickly the time has flown. Spencer Glen Wride, my firstborn, is SIX years old today. We've had a string of celebrations: a big family dinner last night, complete with presents, cake and ice cream; breakfast in "bed" with the whole family this morning (more candle-blowing); cake and candles with Emma's preschool friends; more cake shared with the neighborhood friends at school bus time; family presents and choco-mint-chip ice cream, just like you requested (kid after my own heart). We skipped the evening installment of cake, but couldn't miss out on the ice cream.

I never want to forget how you didn't go to sleep last night until nearly 11pm because you were SO excited about your birthday. Then, in the morning, you awoke a full hour earlier than necessary and passed the time putting together a Lego Star Wars creation until we arrived with your breakfast cinnamon rolls for a family breakfast in your bedroom. Tonight, you claimed once more that you couldn't get to sleep, so you hung out on my lap reading me stories while I worked through a few "to do" items on the computer. When I asked you if you'd had a good birthday, you responded "A GREAT birthday, and not because of the presents. Because of people like you, Mom." Not to say you didn't LOVE every Star Wars or LEGO-related gift you received. The plastic sword you unwrapped today was met with immediate approval as well and was put to immediate use with Emma countering on the light saber you got from yesterday's present-opening. (Thanks Uncle Joel!)

When I was asking Sunday night what we should eat for the family dinner, you were throwing a baseball up and catching it and responded, "You pick, Mom. I just don't want you to have to spend too much time cooking."

You've always been like that, Spence. Super sweet, considerate of others, and mature in so many ways beyond your 6 years. You still break into belly laughter if anyone says the word "underpants," but what kindergartner doesn't succumb to such silliness? It's part of the charm, really. And it is truly charming to be your mother, Spencer. You're growing into such a fine, handsome young man. We love you!

Baby Spencer


Big Boy Spencer

April Fool's

I was never really much for April Fool's Day celebrations growing up. I suppose I was too preoccupied with birthday anticipation to care much about the first day of April. Clearly the THIRD of April was much more momentous. However, I have been persuaded to get in on some of the fun; I have a boy who LOVES the tricks and jokes that accompany April Fool's Day. While I still stay away from any mess-making jokes (saran wrap on the toilet seat...just gross), we have had some good laughs. So far:

-Adam froze the kids' cheerios and milk overnight. (Spencer remembered that one from last year and requested it).
-We gave the kids real breakfast, but I hid a little plastic figurine in each bowl. Surprise!
-Spencer had the idea to call Dad, Grandma, and Grammy and, when they answered, ROAR really loudly then say "April Fool's!" If you have our number on your caller id and no message, that's why. Emma thought it was a pretty good idea, so Grandma got 2 phone calls. (Thanks for being such a good sport.)
-Spencer made a sandwich for Adam (at about 9:30am because he couldn't wait any longer) and left the wax paper from the cheese slices inside. Tricky, tricky!
-I got a raisin in my toothpaste cap, courtesy of Spencer, and then constant reminders to brush my teeth, plus an audience as I did so. Sneaky Spence.
-We dressed John up in a dress, which little man thought was hiLARious, big brother and sister got a good chuckle, but Adam only found mildly humorous. Don't worry - it was more of a Scottish kilt, really. A great plaid.
-The kids have been sneaking around trying to spy on my next April Fool's joke. Here's what Spence will discover when he opens his kindergarten snack today - HAMBURGERS!

Or ARE they? It's actually Nilla Wafers, Grasshopper cookies, and colored frosting. Yum! That's my kind of April Fool's.