This week...

Has been so much better than last week! The kids are being so much better behaved. Last week was awful. Gabriel is going through a nasty phase...and it needs to come to an end. All he likes to do right now is cause trouble. He bites, spits, hits, back talks like it's going out of style...you name it, he does it. And Elliott then follows suit. It's great. By the time Jon gets home I am ready to ship both kids off to Siberia. Because they are both being such ornery little cusses, I can't enjoy them. And I hate that feeling. I hate feeling guilty for yelling at them so much, and I hate disliking them. Don't' get me wrong...I love my kids. Adore them. But there are times when I just don't like them. Especially right after I've been spit on.

So that was last week. Nothing short of hell.

But this week is a whole different story! The kids have behaved (well, mostly) so well. Gabriel loves his preschool, and he's thriving. He comes home chattering up a storm about the girls in his class and the crafts they have done. Elliott loves it when he's gone (she gets to play with EVERYTHING), and she's super excited when he gets back. Janna is so sweet and happy that we are able to do just about anything with her. But she's had a great week, too. All 3 kids have been napping and sleeping well, too. Not that we've ever had a problem with Gabriel or Elliott's night-time sleeping, but they very often object to their naps. Janna is sleeping for 10+ hours each night, and she's napping longer in the afternoon. So I get a break while the kids are napping, and I find that I am much more relaxed. And happy Mommy means happy kids!

We still have a few outing this week (MNO for me and Apple Picking for the kids), but I know those will be great. I like going out with my Mommy friends with no kids (what SAHM wouldn't??), and the apple picking is lots of fun. The orchard is full of dwarf trees, so everyone can pick the fruit. It will be a perfect ending to a pretty darned good week (I'm trying not to swear as much...you should be proud that I used the word "darned" in there).

Ahoy ye bilge-rats!

Avast, me hearties! It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Pretty silly, if you ask me. But it's a chance to ask such questions like:

What's a pirate's favorite letter? R!!! (Thanks for telling Gabriel this joke, Dad!)

How much does it cost a pirate to have his ears pierced? A buccaneer!!

And my personal favorite...

A kid with a speech impediment dresses up as a pirate and goes trick or treating. He knocks on the door of a house and a man answers. "Oh, I see you're dressed up as a pirate," he says. "But where are your buccaneers?" The kid gets angry and replies, "On the sides of my buckin' head!"

My Favorite and Best Boy!

Gabriel started preschool today! He had such a good time. He started the day at 6:45 (when Janna decided to wake everyone up), and as soon as his feet hit the floor he started talking about school. He had the breakfast of his choice (peanut butter toast, bacon, and banana), then when for a "serious run" with Daddy and Elliott. When he got back it was time for a quick clothing change and a few pictures.

It's amazing to me that Gabriel has already entered the educational atmosphere. It just doesn't seem possible that he's pushing 4. He's such a big boy, too. He got weighed and measured this morning at the church. He's 41 and 3/4 inches tall and he weighs 37.5 pounds. He's pretty huge if you ask me!

So my baby boy is officially a preschooler. It's a slightly bittersweet moment for me. I am a little saddened at the idea that he is growing up so fast. But I am also so glad that he will be out of my hair for 5 hours a week!

Woohoo!!!

I posted my first stuff, and voila!! It worked! So now I am a blogging fool...or something like that.

Anywho...tomorrow is a big day in our house. Gabriel starts preschool! I am so excited. I need to have him out of my house for a bit. He's terribly busy and far too smart for his own good. He's also sooooooo excited for school to start. Tonight while he was getting ready for bed he told me that he needed his hair sprayed with Elliott's spray (detangler) so he would look good for tomorrow. So, I humored him and made him look all pretty. He checked himself out in the mirror and declared himself handsome, then told me he was only going to take a short nap because he was too excited. So I asked what he was excited for. "For school, Mommy!!" Then he thanked me profusely for spraying his hair and his blankie (it inadvertently got wet when I made Gabe beautiful). He's so sweet when he wants to be!

So while Gabriel and I go to school (I have to go with him for his first day), Elliott and Janna will have a nice morning with Daddy. Everyone should have a great day!

Testing, testing...

Ok, so dork that I am, I decided that I needed a blog. My friend, Erin has one (and it's super-cool), so I have shamelessly mimicked her very impressive site and am trying blogging for myself. We'll see how it goes...