The Houston's Home: September 2008

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Super Star!

Claire just earned her first 10 stars at school which meant she got to choose a prize out of her teacher's surprise box! Everyday Claire would come home from school and tell me how many stars she has and how many more until she would be able to choose her prize! Each child gets a star stamp on there name card if they have been good and listened to the teacher the whole day without having to be reminded. Claire got her 10 stars in 10 days! I'm very proud of her, and she is very proud of herself! She had been eyeing the surprise box everyday for awhile and had decided days ago that she really wanted a toy dinosaur, so that is what she brought home yesterday! Here she is with her stars and her dinosaur! Congratulations Claire Bear!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

The Best Book Ever (for the moment)

I just finished reading the best book ever! I'm so excited about it I have to share it with someone. Since Shawn is out of town, and I don't want to sound crazy calling someone this late I am just going to have to blog about it. The book is Austenland by Shannon Hale. Here are the prerequisites to reading this book: You have to be a Jane Austen fan, but even more than that you have to have watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice and be a Colin Firth fan - who wouldn't/couldn't be after watching him in it?!?!. This book is pure entertainment, but such great entertainment! I can't believe I've left this sitting untouched on my bookshelf for months. I will definitely read this book again! Is that pathetic? I would love to hear if anyone else has read this book and what they think? By the way, I LOVE her inscription to Colin Firth! It made me laugh for a day! Another question. Is Colin Firth really that attractive, or is it just his character Mr. Darcy? Hmmmm, well, he does a good job playing Mr. Darcy! Here's to Mr. Darcy and Colin Firth, and my husband of course (who has loved me enough to watch Pride and Prejudice with me)!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Entering the Big World of Public School

Claire's first day of Kindergarten was yesterday! I realized yesterday, as her bus was taking her away from me, that I was sad. I really didn't think I would be. She had gone to preschool, so I was used to her being gone for a couple hours each day, but seeing her on that bus just made her seem so grownup. As the bus pulled away I swear I saw her grow bigger. I'm at least glad she's only gone for half of the day. What am I going to do next year with 1st grade? I'm also glad that Claire was so excited. There was no hesitation as she climbed on the bus. She was so excited to ride the bus and go to school!
The parents also got to go to school that first day and take pictures of the kids in the class room, so as she left on the bus I zoomed to school and met her there for some photo ops. Claire is in the afternoon kindergarten and her teacher is Ms. Sablan. I was only in her class for 5 minutes, but it was fun to see her and all of the other kids together. Later that afternoon Will, Lilly and I walked up to the bus stop to get Claire. Her favorite thing she said was playing on the playground, and that the teacher has surprises for really good kids (kids that listen and do what they are told)! She can't wait to get a surprise! What a fun, tearful, joyful day! I couldn't ask for anything more than to be here watching and helping my kids grow to be the best they can be! Yesterday was, all in all, a great day!

Claire in her unicorn outfit!

Getting on the bus!

Claire in her Kindergarten room!

Monday, September 1, 2008

Before and After

We are pretty much done painting our home! I say pretty much because we keep thinking we are done and then we see something we missed. It was a LOT of work. Shawn did the majority of it, but I helped with the trim, and it was brutal. We are SO glad it is done. Shawn says he is done too. No more projects for this home. Here are some before and after pictures.

BEFORE

AFTER

Out Of The Mouth of My Kids

On Easter this year Will had his easter basket full of the little plastic eggs when he accidentally tripped and dropped his basket. When he dropped his basket the plastic egss broke open to reveal the candy inside. Will, in the most excited voice I've ever heard him use said "The eggs open!!!!!!" He couldn't believe there was candy inside- it was the coolest thing to him!
(Easter 2009)

I asked Will one day where the new baby was going to sleep. He said: " in a cage". I guess we now know what he thought of his crib.
(Winter 2009)

I was playing with Will one day. He was pretending to be a robot, so I decided to be a robot too, but he said:
"no you can't be a robot you are a princess"
I said:
"what do princesses do?"
He said:
"they just dance"
(Winter 2009)

We drove by a horse pasture the other day and Claire said:
"I really want a horse. If you don't get me a horse mom I will fire you... ... I mean I will fire Daddy!"
(Winter 2009)

We were talking about where we should go out for dinner one night and Shawn mentioned a new Terriakyi Sushi place. Claire got very excited and said, "Yes! Sushi! Shushi! Please! Please! Please! I love Sushi!" We soon found out she meant a Slushee (like a fruit drink) not Sushi. She does not like Sushi.

Claire: "Mom, I can't make my bed. Will is making me have too much fun." (July 2008)

Will's newest fixation is robots. Yes, we saw WALLE, and that's about when it started. Will can't quite say ROBOT though, so he says "Beebot" instead. It took us awhile to figure out what he meant, but now it's very cute - beebot! (Summer 2008)

William at age 2 still doesn't say too much, but some times he gets on a kick and repeats things over and over, and recently he has found bird poo very interesting. I don't know why, but when we go on walks lately he stops at every white spot on the side walk and says "bird poo- ewwww yuck" this happens over and over and over and over on our walks. I never realized there was so much bird poo in the world! (Summer 2008)

I recently walked in on Claire singing a song she made up to her brother. This is a rare occurance, so I thought I'd better write it here to remember that even though they fight they still love each other. Here is the gist of the song imagine in a very high drawn out soprano:
"I love youuuuuuuuu. You are my frieeeeend because you love to play with meeeeeee and you love to go outside with meeee. I love YOUUUUUU!"
She repeated this over and over and Will just sat there listening seeming to know the song was just for him. I will have to show her this when she is mad at her brother for playing with her "stuff". (Summer 2008)

Claire: "Mom, when I stretch my nose up my nostrils look like bunny ears." (Spring 2008)

Claire had a cough one morning. When she woke up she said:
"My voice is crooked" (Winter 2008)

Claire toes aren't just toes. They are "Weeny Toes" because they are so small compared to everything else. (Winter 2008)

Claire: "Mom, don't step on the cracks or you will get boy slime." (Spring 2008)

Claire (in disgust after we had a carpenter ant problem): "Why did Heavenly Father have to make ants on the Earth?" (Summer 2008)

Claire: "I want to be a cowgirl and a mama when I grow up, and I will have 6 babies and they will all be girls." (2008)

Claire (smiling): "Mom, I can't stand it, I'm so NERVOUS for Christmas" I asked why she was "nervous" and she explains how she can't wait to see what Santa brings for her. I finally figured out that she meant excited not nervous and couldn't wait for Chritmas . (Winter 2007)