March 2015
Lukas starts preschool
The marquee event of the month was Lukas starting preschool. He was thrilled and excited to be going to “school like Annika,” and had his specially-chosen Spider-Man water bottle and lunch box (aka “wunchbocky,” his goofy term for lunchbox). He liked it a lot, and made friends quickly — they all greet him in the morning (“Hi, Lukas! Lukas is here!!”), and by the end of the month he had started naming some of the kids he would play with that day. Sometimes he’s a little clingy when I’m trying to leave, but it hasn’t been too bad. He LOVES Gymsters, which is on Mondays, and is really proud of the little art projects he’s produced. Of course, preschools being basically huge vats of germs, he got sick right away — he spent the first weekend after he started, all pukey and feverish, and missed a day, and as soon as he was better from that, he got a feverish cough and general yuck that turned into pneumonia (mild, treatable, but kept him out of school for a week). Poor kid — but he got better quickly, and here’s hoping he doesn’t pick up something else! In the meantime, the new era has begun, and it seems to be working really well for him.
The marquee event of the month was Lukas starting preschool. He was thrilled and excited to be going to “school like Annika,” and had his specially-chosen Spider-Man water bottle and lunch box (aka “wunchbocky,” his goofy term for lunchbox). He liked it a lot, and made friends quickly — they all greet him in the morning (“Hi, Lukas! Lukas is here!!”), and by the end of the month he had started naming some of the kids he would play with that day. Sometimes he’s a little clingy when I’m trying to leave, but it hasn’t been too bad. He LOVES Gymsters, which is on Mondays, and is really proud of the little art projects he’s produced. Of course, preschools being basically huge vats of germs, he got sick right away — he spent the first weekend after he started, all pukey and feverish, and missed a day, and as soon as he was better from that, he got a feverish cough and general yuck that turned into pneumonia (mild, treatable, but kept him out of school for a week). Poor kid — but he got better quickly, and here’s hoping he doesn’t pick up something else! In the meantime, the new era has begun, and it seems to be working really well for him.
Annika’s amblings
—Science-O-Rama: Their school does a voluntary science fair each spring, and Annika announced right away that she wanted to do it, and even had a project in mind: Finding out what liquid would clean a penny the best. So we filled out the forms, got a trifold board, followed the scientific method, and got it done nearly two weeks early. She drove the whole thing, btw — I provided logistical support and materials, with the occasional assist from R., but this really was Annika’s from start to finish. We were so proud of her! At one point, she declared rapturously, "I LOVE Science-O-Rama!” Heh. Anyway, so the night of the event, we went to school, and she had to answer questions from a judge about her project by herself (we parents all had to wait outside as the judges roamed around the cafeteria interviewing the kids); she knocked it outta the park!
—Wildflower Run: Our plan to do the Wildflower Run together — me doing the 5K and her doing the kids’ 2K — hit a snag when I broke my toe (the right pinkie) the weekend before. I was ready to bag the whole trip, but Annika really really wanted to do it and earn her medal, so R. stayed home with a sick Lukas and she and I road-tripped to Morgan Hill ourselves. She ran the first two and a half laps without stopping, and really pushed the rest of the run as well — it was a real thrill to see how hard she worked and how well she did. So she got her medal — and hopefully we’ll both be race-ready next year!
—Science-O-Rama: Their school does a voluntary science fair each spring, and Annika announced right away that she wanted to do it, and even had a project in mind: Finding out what liquid would clean a penny the best. So we filled out the forms, got a trifold board, followed the scientific method, and got it done nearly two weeks early. She drove the whole thing, btw — I provided logistical support and materials, with the occasional assist from R., but this really was Annika’s from start to finish. We were so proud of her! At one point, she declared rapturously, "I LOVE Science-O-Rama!” Heh. Anyway, so the night of the event, we went to school, and she had to answer questions from a judge about her project by herself (we parents all had to wait outside as the judges roamed around the cafeteria interviewing the kids); she knocked it outta the park!
—Wildflower Run: Our plan to do the Wildflower Run together — me doing the 5K and her doing the kids’ 2K — hit a snag when I broke my toe (the right pinkie) the weekend before. I was ready to bag the whole trip, but Annika really really wanted to do it and earn her medal, so R. stayed home with a sick Lukas and she and I road-tripped to Morgan Hill ourselves. She ran the first two and a half laps without stopping, and really pushed the rest of the run as well — it was a real thrill to see how hard she worked and how well she did. So she got her medal — and hopefully we’ll both be race-ready next year!
Things Life Whatnot
—Annual Guinness party at the Marshalls: Mid-month, we went to the belated St. Patrick’s Day party at Annika’s friend Niamh’s house. R. and I had a good time drinking Guinness and talking with grownups, and the kids — after a rocky start, when Annika felt Niamh wasn’t paying her enough attention and Lukas had a rough time in the bouncy house — enjoyed themselves as well.
—Spies playdate: Annika and her friends are into All Things Spy-Related these days, so when her school had a couple of minimum days (out at 1:00) for spring PT conferences, we invited the Alana and Vilma families over for a Spies playdate. The girls had to take a quiz Annika had written out (sample Q: Where do spies live?), then they all bombed around the house sneaking and writing cryptic notes and peeking around corners and whatnot. Good times!
—Pop torture: This is my fault, but unfortunately, the kids both love Taylor Swift (argh). It’s all because of that ONE SONG I kind of liked, which they both loved, and now they ask me all the time to find TS and her various noodlings on the radio … [headdesk]
—Homestyle gymnastics: Annika has been heavily into perfecting her cartwheel, both at home and on the playground, and what she does, Lukas must also do — so they use our room for gymnastics practice: cartwheels for her, somersaults for him, on the carpet. It’s hilarious, if occasionally hazardous …
—Annual Guinness party at the Marshalls: Mid-month, we went to the belated St. Patrick’s Day party at Annika’s friend Niamh’s house. R. and I had a good time drinking Guinness and talking with grownups, and the kids — after a rocky start, when Annika felt Niamh wasn’t paying her enough attention and Lukas had a rough time in the bouncy house — enjoyed themselves as well.
—Spies playdate: Annika and her friends are into All Things Spy-Related these days, so when her school had a couple of minimum days (out at 1:00) for spring PT conferences, we invited the Alana and Vilma families over for a Spies playdate. The girls had to take a quiz Annika had written out (sample Q: Where do spies live?), then they all bombed around the house sneaking and writing cryptic notes and peeking around corners and whatnot. Good times!
—Pop torture: This is my fault, but unfortunately, the kids both love Taylor Swift (argh). It’s all because of that ONE SONG I kind of liked, which they both loved, and now they ask me all the time to find TS and her various noodlings on the radio … [headdesk]
—Homestyle gymnastics: Annika has been heavily into perfecting her cartwheel, both at home and on the playground, and what she does, Lukas must also do — so they use our room for gymnastics practice: cartwheels for her, somersaults for him, on the carpet. It’s hilarious, if occasionally hazardous …
Quotable Kids
—Lukas, in re: tornados: “canados”
—Annika, rushing to interpret what he was trying to say about a Little Charmers character: “Hold on - I know Lukas talk!"
—Lukas, watching her doing magic in his room one morning: "Dat's coool! How'd you DO dat??"
—Lukas, warning innocent bystanders before he somersaults: “Wook out be-kwow!"
—Annika, doing a little informal history research: “What was your favorite app when you were a kid?"
—Lukas, starting the next game: “How bout we pway ... [dramatic silence] [dramatic whisper as he opens a cabinet door with a flourish] … wegohhhhhhs!”
—Lukas, about an intriguing musical instrument: the "recordian" (accordion)
—Lukas, in re: tornados: “canados”
—Annika, rushing to interpret what he was trying to say about a Little Charmers character: “Hold on - I know Lukas talk!"
—Lukas, watching her doing magic in his room one morning: "Dat's coool! How'd you DO dat??"
—Lukas, warning innocent bystanders before he somersaults: “Wook out be-kwow!"
—Annika, doing a little informal history research: “What was your favorite app when you were a kid?"
—Lukas, starting the next game: “How bout we pway ... [dramatic silence] [dramatic whisper as he opens a cabinet door with a flourish] … wegohhhhhhs!”
—Lukas, about an intriguing musical instrument: the "recordian" (accordion)
posted by One of the Grownups @ 1:57 PM
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