Kindergarten

September 2 - First day of school

  It's been a week since Cass started school, and Friday we received our first note home from the teacher. It reads, "Cassandra had a good week. She has been busy making her friends laugh! She seems to be adjusting well to our full day of kindergarten!" Fabulous. Really? I mean, isn't that what every mother what's to hear - polite words saying, "your kid's the CLASS CLOWN!" Jeez.

Hope the Mr. enjoyed his email updating him on our daughter's first week in school, and her "status".

Mom, can you pour the milk?

This morning Cassandra decided to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Now, I'm sure your thinking that looks like a large bowl with A LOT of cereal inside. Why does this mother allow her child to have so much? Well, the answer to that is, "I don't!". However, I was asked to come pour the milk on a pre-made bowl of cereal because the jug was too full. As I got to the counter I saw such a heaping bowl, confused as to why 1. my child would use that bowl. (we have small ones we always use), 2. the amount in the bowl.

So, I ask. "Why is there so much cereal in your bowl?"

"Because I want to eat the Toy Story cereal in the pantry."

-Note: The other day Papa said she couldn't open a new box of cereal until she finished what she had left. This is basically what she has left.-

"Whaaaat? *laughing* So your going to eat ALL of this?"

"Yes! *sneaky grin*

"No, your not! I'm going to take a photo for your Papa, then I'm going to put most back into the container."

"Ok, Mom"


Living with a clever child is quite humorous - she always keeps me laughing and on my toes!

Conversations with Cass

"Mom, *pulling up a chair to the desk* Can we look up jobs?"

"Jobs!?"

"I need to find a job for when I grow up."

"Ok. It's too soon to look for a job for when you grow up. But what kind of job are you looking for?"

"I'm going to ... you know, be someone who makes cakes! Like, you know the man Buddy from Cake Boss."

"Whaaaat! You are??"

"Yes." *big smile*


If you don't know already, Cass and I love watching Cake Boss! Note #3 on my "29 things to do before I turn 30" blog is make a fondant cake - inspired by watching too many episodes of Cake Boss. Last night was the 3rd season premiere - great episode!

Breathe...Breathe...Just Breathe...

All you can do is breathe...no thinking, just breathe...it's the only way I made it through the first part of my day!

I was up late chatting with the Mr. (who's in Pearl Harbor), and I still managed to get up on time this morning. Fixed a bottle for Kaleb, helped Cass get some breakfast, then off to shower! Just as I was about to dry my hair, I realized the plug wasn't working - a sinking uh-oh feeling over came me. This has happened before, so I pretty much knew what to do. The outdoor garage freezer, and the 3 bathrooms are on the same breaker. If too many things are plugged in, the breaker trips. Easy fix, you just reset it. So, back to my morning....

By this time I have my hair pined up, make up on, dressed in my shirt and jeans - no socks. I open the garage door to go reset the breaker, and I find the freezer door wide open. Instantly you hear, "CASSANDRA ISABEL, Garage now!". I'm completely raging with anger, and checking to see just how thawed the food is. In complete disgust, I close the freezer door - nothing survived! By now she's standing at the door, a few feet from me, saying over and over, "I'm sorry Mommy." Just as I'm about to take a step towards the door, I look down and there sits a small gray mouse - within inches of my feet! All you hear by now is screeching, screaming and me leaping to the top of the freezer! (No joking here, I was literally on top of the freezer.) I'm in full on panic mode, so overwhelmed I'm crying... Sitting on top of the freezer, trying to breathe and screaming to my daughter to get into the house, there's a mouse! There stands my daughter laughing...laughing hysterically at her Mother saying, "it's just a mouse, it isn't going to hurt you". Really? It's a mouse! I almost stepped on a mouse!! Throughout this entire ordeal the mouse hasn't moved (I think he was sick). It doesn't matter though, there's a mouse between me and the door and the only thing to do is leap, and close the door. All I needed was a safe place to sit and calm down...

There was no more venturing into the garage to reset the tripped breaker. No time, no patience, no strength...I was too overwhelmed. I headed back upstairs to find a new place to dry my hair, the hallway!

By now, thanks to the mouse...I'm running late, but still in good time. I decided to take the truck today since it has GPS, and I always find myself lost. After the day/week I've had, I wasn't interested in getting lost. I haven't driven, or even moved the Tahoe since Charlie left, so who knew I was going to hop inside and find the battery dead! I've jumped my car before, but I was pretty nervous about the truck since I'm not familiar with it, and it's so tall too! I heard the neighbor boys outside, so I darted next door asking our neighbor Bill if he would come help me out. Thankfully, I live next door to the kindest neighbors!! He helped me get it started, and while he was over...I couldn't help but ask him how he felt about mice. My angle worked out perfectly, and in no time he grabbed a rag and picked up the mouse (which still hadn't moved). I can't even express how amazing this made me feel...the relief to come home to a garage without a dead/sick mouse!
What on earth is with guys who have no fear of rodents?? He just picked it up in a rag, Ewwww! Then he asked if I wanted to see it?! Double Ewwww. I'm going to already have nightmares from nearly stepping on one, you think I want to look at it?? Oh no thank you! But thanks for removing him, he's all yours!

Note to self: Wear shoes boots when entering the garage!


Finally, we are in the truck and on our way! The sun is shining, a bit on the warm side... Cass looking out the window, "look Mom, the cows". Driving, kids are quite...all is well. A frapp sounds good about now, but no time...I'm officially running late! Then......crap! It pops in my head, I didn't pack a bottle. I'm thinking...how do you forget to pack the bottle? Seriously, all things packed, but the bottle! Ugh......time to turn around.

I arrived 1 hour and 35 minutes late, starving and thirsty! Just as I pulled into the driveway, the garage opens and out comes Grandma. Puzzled as to what on earth happened, and why I was so late. It was a quick, hi..hello..how are you? Where do you want to eat?? We were all starving - except Kaleb. He was doing pretty good.
She introduced me to this amazing little restaurant in Tacoma, called Tijuana Taco. If you love Mexican food, I highly recommend this place! I don't eat out much, and it's a good thing this place is an hour away. If not, I would visit all too often.  

Considering my crazy morning, I'm not surprised I forgot the camera! I also don't know why my damn Blackberry takes such crappy photos too! I've seen cheaper phones take much better photos...bummer! But, here's us today. Excuse the poor quality camera phone photos...

First Mother's Day with my little man!

Sixth Mother's Day with my beautiful daughter!

serious little man who needs a haircut.

I'm so proud of Kaleb! He mastered crawling up that step in the background of the photo above.



Ok! Now before I end this incredibly long blog, what would a visit to Tacoma be without donuts from Krispy Kreme?! Due to extreme bumper to bumper traffic, we had no other choice than to stop for a 1/2 dozen! Yummm. Now this is how you end and interesting, yet wonderful Mother's Day with my sweet kiddos and Grandma Jenkins! I hope you all had a fabulous day.

Donuts from Krispy Kreme! 

-chocolate iced w/ sprinkles, chocolate fudge cake, s'mores, glazed raspberry filled, glazed chocolate cake x2-

Mother's Day Tea

It's been a busy week with the Mr. out to sea, but yesterday I enjoyed a Mother's Day tea at Cass' preschool. Since this is her first year in school, it was our first Mother's Day tea.

Kaleb, Cass and I at our first tea!

We brought our own tea cups, so it was kinda fun to finally use the tea cups with our china set! We've only had it set since the Mr. and I got married...so, 6 years! As all the parents showed up, each child came to get their parent and escort them in, cute! I was so excited to see Cass so lit up with excitement.

As I sat down I saw this beautiful drawing, a flower pin, a plate of cookies, and a wrapped gift.

I'm the one standing by the rainbow! :)

They had water for the kids, but I was shocked to see so many kids drinking tea - including mine! However, she admits she doesn't like tea at all! haha.


Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!

The Eyebrow!

For the longest time I've been able to raise just my right eyebrow. I tend to do it if I'm trying to keep from crying, or even showing emotion. It's also one expression the husband does not like - I believe this is due to pure jealously! He's in the "other" population of people, you know.. the "uncool" crowd. At our wedding, during the ceremony, I remember doing this during the part when we listened to a song we picked. For that moment, it helped a little to cool the mood as I was about to cry - with happiness of course!  

Over the years it just sort of developed into a thing of mine. If I really want to annoy him, or sometimes get a smile out of him, I'll raise my eyebrow with a sweet smile. It works like a charm, I always get a response!

my right brow raised - the look that drives him crazy.

Cassandra must take after her Papa, because this girl can not raise one eyebrow! She tries quite often too.

This week the Mr. is working the dreaded night shift. I find it so difficult to be starting my day as he's ending his...it always reminds me of when I use to work the night shift as a CNA! Oh how our lives were so different then.... 

I try to keep the house as quiet as possible - considering there's a teether under 1 and a 5 year old, I need all the luck I can get! This morning as I was getting ready, I decided to use Cass' bathroom so I wouldn't disturb him as he slept. As I was almost done straightening my hair, in walks Miss. Cass. I'm trying to keep her voice down - as she's unhappy to see me using her bathroom. After a bit of whispered arguing, she agrees to share. She brushed her hair, and gets out the lip gloss. I can't even explain how adorable she is when putting on lip gloss. But I have photos to share!

the lip gloss!

checking out her smile with lip gloss.

Okay, now I'm finishing up my make up. We're all giggles at this point - quite giggles. She now transforms into the Cass I know and love, the silly side! Making faces, dancing around, and testing to see if she can finally raise just one eyebrow! Behold, I give you the video of Miss. Cass and her eyebrow raising!!

 

Notice how towards the end she covers one eyebrow. This is her newest trick - I freakin' love it!! Usually to achieve the one eyebrow raise, she'll use her hand and hold one eyebrow in place, then scream, "look, I can do it!". It makes me laugh every time.


Here are some added photos of my quiet, yet entertaining morning with Cassandra. -Note: You can click on these to enlarge them.

cheese!

sweet girl.

as I tell her don't move - she froze! 

ninja girl.

the fish.

I kept snapping photos as she made faces, and as she was silly...these are my favorite. After this last one she says, "I'm hungry now".

It's A Tooth! It's A Tooth!

Mom!!!!! It's a tooth!  I hear as I'm sitting at the computer checking out the new site updates at KitchenMonki.  I was a bit confused because none of her teeth are loose.  When she approached me with her hand wide open, "It's a tooth!", I finally understood she was only confused.  I began laughing when I realized what it was - a white nerd found on the floor nearby where she and brother were playing.

Can you believe she was upset when I told her it wasn't a tooth??  She was bummed because she wanted to put brother's tooth under HER pillow for the tooth-fairy!

*Update! Brother doesn't even have teeth yet...

The Bully in the Red Shirt

Last week Cass and I went into Safeway to get a couple last minutes for dinner.  It goes along with my Facebook post - "almost slapped a kid for being rude to mine! Instead I just sorta yelled at him on his manners."


While shopping, just as I'm turning around waiting for her to catch up, I spot her looking at a couple of older boys kicking there shoes at the ground and talking.  She wasn't staring rudely, but just curious as to what they were doing - standing in the middle of the isle kicking at the floor.  Just as she's passing them, one of the kids in a red shirt steps forward, comes down towards her level and said, "what are you looking at? keep moving!"  I don't think she fully understood him at first, she just asked why he was so mean.  This was not about to fly with me, I was angry as all hell!  These kids must have been about 12, so why on earth pick on a small 5 year old girl walking by?  Bullies!  I was angry, I don't remember what all I said...I gave him a piece of my mind though!

Now a week later this picture appears on the fridge.

Conversations with Cass

While sitting at the computer reading a blog and on my phone Blackberry messaging with a friend, out of the corner of my eye I see Cass walk in the room grabbing her phone - which is really my old phone (not in service.)

She has this habit of finding her phone whenever she sees me on mine.  She'll say something like, I have calls to make, or I need to listen to music on my phone (music ring tones I once downloaded).


"Mom, I need a NEW phone cuz mines so old! I want a cool phone like yours." *Insert sad face here*

"Cass, I was 28 years old when I got the cool phone.  You have a ways to go my dear!"

"Well, I'm 5 years old and I only have an OLD phone."

"I didn't even have a phone at your age."

"You DIDN'T??"

"Nope. We didn't have cell phones back then."

"You DIDN'T?? That's cuz your old Mommy!"

ahem! Thanks Cass!