First Day of School...Again

  

Today we had our third first day of school since mid-August around here.  This time it was Caleb heading off to Mother's Day Out for the first time in his life.  He was so excited.  I'm sure I have said this before on here but Caleb lives his life not wishing he was a "big kid" but he really thinks he is a big boy, no different from his older siblings.  In Caleb's mind he is a 5 year old trapped in a 3 year old's body.  I cannot wait to see what this year holds for him at school and watch him soar on his own wings doing his own thing.  He is such a funny, excitable character.  He is 100% boy...very tough, a little bit sloppy, loud (oh wait that is not the boy in him but the Hatchett in him), and loves his mama.  He had not even the slightest hesitation about running in there and getting in the mix.  He has been asking me since last May when his first day of school would be; I am very thankful that Ms. Jennie and Ms. Mikelyn did not disappoint.

He was excited to see me pick him up, show me his room, his craft and tell me about his day.  He was also very excited to tell me about the boy in the blue shirt who did not obey today.  He told me that he was going back next time so he could go on the bear hunt with his class!  He also loved dominating the table conversation this evening sharing with us about his day which is something he has never been able to do.  He has always been the listener when it came to school  He beamed from ear to ear as he told us his experiences...he sat by a girl at lunch; he had to potty during lunch so he could not eat all of his food; he played at the playground two times but not outside because of the rain; he sang several songs - some new, some old; and most importantly he made his craft - a pair of bear ears - by himself!  He also told us that he tried to play by himself but kept getting interrupted by his new friends.

I told the children that we were having popsicle after dinner tonight to celebrate Caleb's great first day of school.  After Dean's popsicle he tried to thank me for dinner and his popsicle to which Caleb said, "No, Dean, thank me!"  We got a good laugh out of that.  I don't think his first day could have been any better!   

Here he is before we left this morning; absolutely ready...a fresh cut thanks to Ms. Danna, new shoes, new lunch box and a big grin:

 

  

New Shoes!

 

 

It was time for new shoes the other day and what an adventure we had.  Our feet are ready for whatever the fall/winter bring our way!  Everyone except Hudson picked out their pair of tennis shoes...I picked out the church shoes (Well Anna Grace was able to chose between several options but not ready to unleash her in Sikes especially after seeing her "loud" tennis shoe choice!)  I will say they picked things that I think testify to their personalities.  Anna Grace chose a collision of brightness; Dean went with grey and mustard (his favorite condiment); and Caleb chose chocolate and orange.

Thank you so much, Honey and Big Daddy!  In case you did not notice the past few days we are very proud of our new shoes.  Anna Grace talked the boys into hiding them around the house for Neal to find when he came home from work that night.  She said she wanted to have an Easter Egg Hunt but with shoes!

Dean Organizes Numbers

I gave Dean some numbers (1-9) out of order and said "Put these in order from smallest to biggest."  This is what he did:

I had to look at a few times before I figured out that he had followed the instructions.  I guess in the future I need to be a little more specific.

I asked him after I looked at it three times and had finally understood it why he put them in that order.  He said, "Because I wanted to."  I said something about smallest to biggest and he said, "Yes, 1/9, 2/8, 3/7, 4/6, 5."  And walked away.  I'm not sure I will every really understand that boy.  He is funny and smart; and often times years ahead of me and he's only 5.  (He cracked me up at lunch the other day but that is its own post for a different day)

I will wait until he is much older to tell him what Neal's quote was when I showed him the picture (direct from our GoogleChat so he can't deny it)

Husband: i don't get what dean did, i think it's too genius for me 

They are back (Hurricane Isaac part 3)

My mom drove Wayne back as far as she could get in the truck this morning and from there he waded in to the house.

Washington Avenue was as far as they could get this morning at 10.

  Yes you read that correctly.  Mom drove Wayne's truck to this intersection and he waded back to the house in his waders.  She said that his boots came just above his knees and the water hit the bottom of his knees.  I guess that means he barely made it.  She was able to drive his truck in this afternoon so they are officially back (water is still too high for her car).  She did say that as she rounded the corner onto their little street she opened the truck door just to see where the water was...It was up to the door.  She said she shut the door as gingerly as she could and reminded herself that Wayne said to drive in and not stop.  Her comment was, "I have never  driven through water that deep but Wayne told me to come on!"

The water line always tells the story.  Even though the street is still high and the front yard looks like the first picture I put on here, it only got about 18" high under the house and about 3 1/2" high in the pump house.  They are extremely thankful.  

Mom said that as she stood outside by the truck watching Wayne wade in (what a sight to imagine!) just to make sure he was going to make it through a man approached her and asked to video her (or take her picture); he was filming for an episode of Hurricane Hunters for the Weather Channel.  I never knew this show existed but I guess I am going to watch it.  I am guessing that he wanted to video Wayne trying to get back home while Mom looked on.  She said they made her sign a waver and all sorts of crazy stuff.  The best part though was this (and those who know the man well will be able to picture this perfectly) "I'm standing there watching him wade in; he was wearing his waders and his uniform. [I knew exactly what she meant but she paused a second and then said just to make sure] White t-shirt, [I interject "cut off jeans"] Einstein hair, waders, holding his shoes."  Even typing it I laugh and can picture the sight perfectly.  I asked why she did not take that picture from this hurricane saga and she doesn't have a good answer unless it is that the tv man got her distracted (that is my thought not hers).  I told her that I really hoped the tv man was able to get a good shot of the crazy man wading back to his home!  

I have an childhood memory; I am guessing I was about five, of Wayne and Mr. Striffe (I have no idea how to spell their last name but that should be close enough), our neighbor at the time, wading me and I guess my mom and sister out of the house before a hurricane or I guess possibly after to that very Blow Fly Inn sign.  Only difference was they were wading and pulling us behind in the metal row boat to get us out to the car.  So strange yet so normal in my mind.

Thank you for all your prayers.  They are so thankful to be back home and from what I hear well on their way to having things all bleached out and pressure washed.  They just need the sun to shine so they can move the stuff back. 

Water's still on the move (Hurricane Isaac part 2)

Here are pictures of my parent's house/yard taken from the neighbor's house around 10:00 this morning.  The neighbor's chose to stay - they had to project their pool.  Which having the Berry's stuck in has been a great blessing and wealth of knowledge for my parents who have been stuck out.

Front view water up on the downstairs's slab.

The Berry's pool but the lone rooftop out there is the end of my parent's pier.

Back view again water on the downstairs slab.

Dean was very concerned about my mom's flower garden - or should I say the spot where her flower garden should be by the fence in the back yard.  Anna Grace was pretty convinced that she saw an alligator in the back yard.  But she could not show me the exact spot but thinks it is there.  Anna Grace was also very concerned that the pier, a great source of enjoyment for all children, is going to break in the water.  Possible I told her but not probable.

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Here are pictures from around 2:30 this afternoon.  Water had continued to rise some throughout the day but they think it has now started to recede some.

Again front view. Water up a few steps.

Back view.  Water appears to be about a foot or so higher on  the fence.

After seeing these pictures Anna Grace is asking for 100% confirmation that the house is not going to be knocked down by all this water.  I have told her that I cannot be 100% sure (only God can) but I would be very, very surprised if the house got knocked down at this point.

My mom said she was starting to understand what Noah and his wife felt like.  Before you say she is grossly exaggerating think about this...they are in my grandmother's 2 bedroom cottage (aka small) house with her and she has Alzheimer's.  Last night she got upset and wanted to know what all the food was doing on her counter and who was having a party at her house and who was coming and what were they serving and why was she not included in the plans...My mom had made dinner for them to eat with my grandmother along with my aunt and uncle who live down the street!  My family chooses to laugh at these type occurences; so it is okay to laugh at this.  Mom, I bet right about now you wish y'all had not made her downsize!

After listening to Anna Grace on the phone with my parents getting all of her questions answered it is very apparent that one of her main concerns is an alligator getting into their house!  They have prayed the sweetest and funniest prayers in the past 24 hours about water and alligators and safety...and my dad changing his mind and deciding to rebuild if the house does get knocked down in the water.

Catechism from a 3 Year Old

We begin our school day at the breakfast table eating and working on our memory verse and Catechism questions.

Question #18: Of what were our first parents made?

"God made Adam's body out of the ground and Eve's body out of a ribbon." ~ Caleb

That has been his answer two days in a row...he's consistent!

Water on the Rise

This is not a familiar site to most people and certainly not a welcomed site to those involved but here is the view of my parents front yard today thanks to Issac.  This picture was taken at 9:45 this morning and the storm is still not on land.  The water will continue to rise....

To quote Anna Grace when she saw the picture, "God, help the hurricane go 15 up so it can hurry down.  Amen."  The un-cryptic version of the prayer is, "Lord, help the storm pick up speed to at least 15 mph so there is not so much flooding and destruction in its path."

My parents have evacuated...only to my Grandmother's house a few miles away but her house is more protected from the water.  They will not know until the storm is completely past and the water has receded what they will come home too.  Crazy.  Neal says we will never live down there for this very reason...hurricanes.  (Editor's Note: I don't think I said this.)  He generally thinks my family is very normal except for their willingness to put up with hurricane season (specifically every June 1st until November 30th).  What else can I say...It's home.

Oh, yeah, there is one other reason he is not willing (without Divine intervention) to move to Gulfport, Mississippi....It is too far from Auburn!

A Blue Ballerina

Anna Grace is finally old enough to be a "blue" ballerina.  She is so excited.  I'm am not sure if her excitement level for her first class of the new year was more over graduating to a blue leotard finally or having her favorite teacher, Ms. Claudia.

"curious" used in a sentence by Anna Grace

Neal was explaining to Caleb what the word curious meant at bedtime last night.  Anna Grace (who was not at all involved in the conversation) sasses out of her room and says....

"I'm curious how Caleb painted that bird so good when all he does is scribble scrabble!"

It is well documented around here that we are all in awe of how a young three year old can paint an almost perfect picture in art camp...A month later we are still talking about it.

our 2nd first day of school

Dean...ready for K4

This morning Dean's summer vacation ended as he began K4.  He was very hesitant to start - odd for him because he loves to learn but great for me because I was able to get Anna Grace well underway - but then he jumped in and flew through his work with passion and pride.  When he had finished his last task and moved on to play I walked over and whispered in his ear that he had done well on his first day.  He beamed from ear to ear.

For the past year when you ask Dean what he wants to learn all his says is:
  To read

As you can see his curriculum choices are a little different from Anna Grace.  However don't think for one second that he doesn't want to shoot a gun and plant a garden (make-up and the like he is not interested) but I think he separates those type things as things all boys/children need to do and not a part of school.

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Caleb...smartest preschooler in the house

Caleb started "preschool" today as well.  The initial conversation this morning went something like this (I started out very concerned)...
me: Time to get out the table, guys, and start doing our school work.
Caleb: Me too?  NO!  I don't want to do school work.
me: (while getting a puzzle out for him) Caleb, want to do these puzzles?
Caleb: YES!!!
From that point on he flew through his work with excitement talking about how he was doing school.  At one point he looked at Dean who was still playing with the Bat Cave and said, "Dean, come over here and do your school work! I'm doing mine and getting smart and you are not!"

Caleb's "preschool" is really just stuff to keep him from feeling left out while Anna Grace and Dean do their work.  Don't get me wrong, he will learn things but we are not taking his work too serious.  In my mind Mother's Day Out is his "real" school but it doesn't start for another 2 weeks and is only 2 days a week so we need a few activities each week to keep him occupied.

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Hudson...no child left behind here

Hudson apparently will not be left out of this adventure either.  He managed to stress out Caleb as he tried to help Caleb do his puzzles.  And then he sat on the floor and read Brown Bear over and over for the whole family to see.

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A quick recap from Anna Grace's first full week last week  Things really went well.  She is having so much fun being at home and doing our normal stuff with us as well as school.  Her longest day was still short.  She has had moments where she complained but they have been scarce.  I am very thankful.  I told someone today that from my end it was a little hard but I felt completely free because I know this is God's best for us...for right now.  I have less time than I did with my commitments at probably an all-time high but I feel free and blessed and a little tired!

  

***And, yes, I am aware that the boys need haircuts.***