First Day of School 2012

I know it's been forever since I have posted something.  I have sat down several times and started to type and then I realize I didn't really have anything to say....

Well, now I do!  Jayna and Barrett started school today.  I will admit that uniforms aren't as fun, but they still look cute (I am biased, I know).  :)


I have started a tradition, that I hope to continue, of writing down their 'stats' as they enter and exit a grade level and I also ask them questions about what they like, etc.  I did it last year with Jayna and this year I expanded the line of questioning a little... I'm sure every year I will change it up some!  It will be interesting to check at the end of the year and see how the answers will change.

Here are Jayna's First Grade Entrance Stats:

• height: 4 feet 0 inches (77th percentile)
• weight: 61 lbs (92nd percentile)
• shoe size: 1
• dress/shirt size: 7/8 in some things, 10/12 in others (wishing there was actually a 9 on this planet, because that is probably the size that would fit her perfectly)
• has lost 4 baby teeth - top two, bottom two (both in the middle)
• Favorite food: Macaroni and Cheese
• Favorite Drink:  Sunny D - strawberry/orange (more commonly known as 'Red-Orange' at our house)
• Favorite Game: hide-and-seek
• Favorite thing to do: play on the computer and do art
• Favorite show/movie: My friend, my big, big friend
• Favorite color: pink
• Best friend - Levi (from school) - normally her answer is Emerson or Presley (cosuins), but I think she felt like she needed to give me a different answer than normal...  :)
• Favorite thing about school/looking forward to the most: doing art, cutting with scissors, and doing homework (my little nerd!)
• What she wants to be when she grows up: a teacher (after she works at my bank and makes enough money... not really sure why she thinks she has to do it in that order, but oh well)
• Personality Traits: Still very friendly to others, sensitive, but getting a little feisty.  When I was asking her these questions, she said, 'What else?' and 'Are you almost done?'
• Favorite summer memories: visiting grandma and grandpa for Cousin's camp, visiting Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, and swimming with Daddy at Nana and Papa's pool
• Some 'big girl' things she likes to do:  Jayna likes for me to paint her nails (pink of course).  She wants to help with chores around the house, like dusting, putting away her clothes, making her bed, and changing out the laundry (from the washer to the dryer).  She wants to do the dishes, but we aren't comfortable with that just yet...
• Some 'little girl' things she still likes:  She likes to cuddle with me in the rocking chair.  She wants me to sing her to sleep every night - her favorite song for me to sing is 'Baby Mine' from Dumbo.
• Other random things: she likes to talk on the phone to her family; she wants us to have more babies; she takes piano lessons once a week.  She also wants to live in this house forever - she calls this 'the perfect house'
• What does Jayna know: EVERYTHING!  haha!  Well, she thinks so.... She can write fairly well.  She can read some, but still has struggles.  She prefers math and art over reading and writing.  She can count to 100.  She can add and subtract at very good level for her age. 
• What was she most excited or nervous about starting school?: Most excited about learning new stuff and most nervous about different homework

Here are Barrett's Pre-K Entrance Stats:

• Height: 3 feet 5 inches (54th percentile)
• Weight: 40.5 lbs (78th percentile)
• Shoe size: 11
• Shirt size: some 4T and some 5T
• Shorts/Pants: 4T shorts and 3T pants (because of length)
• Has all baby teeth and doesn't want to turn 5, because he doesn't want to lose his teeth
•  Favorite food: Peanut Butter and Sandwich (normal people call it Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, but Barrett uses short-hand speech
• Favorite Drink: Sunny D - (more commonly known as 'Orange-Orange' at our house)
• Favorite Game: tigers and dogs (pretending like he is an animal and Jayna is his owner/trainer)
• Favorite thing to do: play on the computer games (Mickey Mouse and PBS kids), dress-up, building blocks
• Favorite show/movie: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
• Favorite color: green (sometimes he will answer: black, pink, or purple just to get a reaction out of us)
• Best friend - Cole (from the day care that he went to until May of last year)
• Favorite thing about school/looking forward to the most: ‘Nothing’ (he wants to go to ‘his school’ aka: day care)
• What he wants to be when he grows up: he said, ‘I don’t know… I want to be a kid forever’
• Personality Traits: Very sensitive and very much a Daddy’s boy; he loves his sister and relies on her leadership; he is very smart and inquisitive; shy at first, but friendly and outgoing when he gets to know someone; he has a great imagination
• Favorite summer memory: going to the zoo with Jayna and Daddy
• Some 'big boy' things he likes to do: Barrett likes to do his ‘homework’ (preschool workbooks); he can put away his clothes; pick up his room; almost make his bed; he can dress himself, brush his teeth (we still check them though), and he can bathe himself fairly successfully
• Some 'little boy' things he still likes: He also likes to cuddle; he likes to be sung to at night – ‘Barrett had a little lamb’ or ‘Fishing in the Dark’ (yeah, I taught him that song); he likes to wear our shoes and ask, ‘do I look like mommy/daddy?’; he likes to play ‘baby’ while Jayna plays ‘mommy’ to him; he still loves to take a blanket with him (not everywhere, but enough places that it is worth mentioning)
• Other random things: Barrett has a lisp and we have done away with sippy cups to help with that; he likes most fruits, but doesn’t like things that normal kids like to eat, like burritos, chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese (weirdo)
• What does Barrett know?:  Barrett can spell his name and write it (not consistent, but still…); Barrett can count to 29 very well and go further with help; he knows all of his sounds and letters by sight – he can name them off quickly; he can read some sight words and knows a ton of rhyming words; He also knows his right from his left; Barrett is predominantly right handed, but does some things with his left hand still (like throwing a ball)
• What was Barrett most excited about going to school?:  Nothing really... I had to ask him 3 times and then he said, 'a new school'... didn't really make since.  Oh well.

Here are some pictures of our babies on their first day of school:



Sweet girl posing for the camera - such a diva!

Hey guys... look over here!  over here... just forget it! 

CHEESE!!!

2 thumbs up for Pre-K!

The day wouldn't be complete without a whistling picture!  Silly kids...

both looking... both smiling = perfect!

Jayna Ray - First Grader

Sweet Barrett - Pre-K

cutie pie

It's really hard to get her to pose for pictures

Jayna with Mrs. Williams - I think this is going to be a fun year!
 (Barrett didn't want to take a picture with his teacher, Mrs. King)

When asked about their first day:
Jayna said that it was good and she had fun playing outside and finding acorns.  She also said that she didn't have enough to time to finish her lunch (I think it's because she was talking too much).  She also said that she couldn't exercise in the gym, because she had to look after her little brother (excuses).
Barrett said that he had a good day, but wanted to go to 'his' school tomorrow.  We asked him what he liked about school and he said, 'I don't know'.... maybe tomorrow.  

I know that this post is long, but I hope that you enjoyed it (if you are still reading...).