Volleyball

We signed Ivy up to play volleyball with PLAY in Prior Lake. She's been once so far and had a great time!

The 1st/2nd grade team doesn't really play games or divide into teams. All 38 girls do drills and learn about the game. Ivy was excited that a girl from swimming lessons was there.

 All ready to go

Starting Preschool

Jamey is starting 4-year-old preschool at Shepherd's Flock this fall. It's affiliated with Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church here in Prior Lake.

Parent Orientation
Jeremy & I went over to SOLLC for Parent Orientation the other day. The director read through the handbook, and we filled out a bunch of paperwork. He got a t-shirt and will get a Spark Story Bible with his name on it.

On the way out, we happened to meet one of Jamey's teachers, Ms. Kay. She seems super nice and hilarious.

We had forgotten a check to pay for field trips, etc., so the kids and I ran over there to drop it off this morning. The director is also super nice, and all the teachers seem so peppy. We met his other teacher, Ms. Kerry. Again, very friendly, nice, and energetic.


Meet the Teacher
Jamey, Livy and I went over to Shepherd's Flock Friday morning to meet his teacher and drop off his school supplies. I was expecting a really low-key kind of "do nothing" event, but it was scheduled for an hour, and the whole hour was full of fun activity. The preschoolers had a little "scavenger hunt." They did an art project, read a book, found their favorite color on the Circle Time rug, ate a snack, and played with toys. Jamey was excited to find his cubby and backpack hook.

Miss Kay

Coloring and cutting out a leaf for the Fall bulletin board

Miss Kerry

Snack Time!

BTW: Livy is dying to go to school. 

Pretending to work like Daddy

"It's my chair!"

Reading a story about loving preschool

First Day
Jamey's first day was today. He's so super excited! I think he was up before 6 this morning--got dressed and made his bed before 7.

This was shortly after he combed his hair. 

All ready!

Livy asked for her "pitchy" too.

Some Highlights: 

• He walked into the room by himself and didn't even look back for a "Goodbye" or kisses.
• He asked if he could go every day.
• Three Circle Times! and three stories!
• They got to play on the playground. 
• He got sent home with two "Special Notes" that he had a lot of fun with his new friend Blake and he worked very hard on his art project. (Funny thing: he told me they didn't do art today.)

He got to pick lunch at any restaurant. At first he chose the Pizza Ranch, but he changed his mind because Ivy was still in school and would be sad that she didn't get to play basketball. 

All healed up

It's been three weeks since Jamey's surgery. That first week, we tried to keep him down as much as possible. I arranged play dates for Ivy so she wouldn't be here begging Jamey to play, but even without her here, we were hard-pressed to keep him in front of the TV for long. He didn't want to watch movies, play cars, read books--he wanted to ride bike and run around outside.

He did have a couple rough nights. He woke up crying, so we gave him more medicine, let him suck on ice, and even put an ice pack on his throat. But that was only two nights (not even two nights in a row).

He started eating really well in the hospital, so he ate scrambled eggs and PediaSure for a few days. He was eager to eat real food though.

He's all healed up and doing well!

First Day of First Grade

Ivy started First Grade at Grainwood Elementary today.

MEET THE TEACHER (last Wednesday)
We walked over to meet Ivy's teacher, Mrs. Houck, and to drop off her school supplies. Mrs. Houck seems super nice and has been really interested in learning more about Ivy.

Ivy & Mrs. Houck

Ivy after filling up her desk. She'll sit in a cluster of six desks. There aren't any kids in her class from kindergarten, even though a few kids from her K class are at Grainwood. She said today, "I don't have any First Grade Friends yet." 

A little ice cream after meeting her teacher.

FIRST DAY 

School starts at 8:30, and as a "walker," she doesn't have to leave until 8:20 or so. Jeremy stayed home to walk with us over there.

Getting ready to leave

Walking down the block

Hot Sunny morning

We got to the school, and Ivy asked me to walk back to her class with her. She said, "Mom, I'm a little scared." So I signed in and walked her back there. But then she gave me a kiss and didn't want me to go into the classroom. I did help her get her locker open. 

I told her that the kids and I would be waiting for her in the driveway when she walked home in the afternoon. She was excited to walk alone.

While Ivy was in class, I "snuck" in and decorated her locker for her. Honestly, it hadn't occurred to me before this morning. Our friend gave her some picture-frame magnets, but I can't find pictures that fit in them. 

And she's home! We were waiting for her outside--Jamey was playing with the hose. But then, he wanted to walk up to the school to meet Ivy. So we did. When Ivy came out of the gym, she said, "I thought I was going to walk alone." Later she said she was excited to see us, but wanted to walk alone, too. She's going to meet up with a neighbor friend (a 5th grader!) tomorrow morning to walk together. 

Some Highlights: 

• She ate almost a whole hot dog on a bun and an apple and chocolate milk for lunch. And Cheez-Its for snack. At lunch, she has to sit at Table 10, 11, or 12. She said she sat by a boy--she didn't know his name--maybe he's in her class.
• They toured the school looking for Clifford. 
• The library "was very quiet" and has computers.
• At first she said she was the only girl in her class, but then laughed and said there are 12.
• Three bathroom breaks. 
• In the morning, they "learned all about what they're going to do in school" and had Circle Meeting.
• Recess was inside because it was too hot to play outside.
• The only thing she didn't like was "all the loud noises and beeps." From her description, it sounds like an PA system and maybe some doors have alarms on them. 
• Her overall assessment: "It was AWESOME!!"  

We celebrated her first day with dinner out wherever she wanted: Chipotle! 

Jamey got his tonsils out

After consulting with the Pediatric ENT (Dr. Todd Anderson at Park Nicollet in Shakopee), we decided to have Jamey's tonsils and adenoids out. Surgery was up at Methodist Hospital on Thursday morning.

We got up a little earlier than normal (6 am) to avoid every single highway in the Twin Cities area--everything is under construction, and it's nearly impossible to get North of the River.

Just leaving our street. He was pretty nervous, so I hopped in the back with him.

Walking into the hospital

We checked in to the Surgery Center, got a pager and lots of instructions, and then went up to the 2nd floor to get ready and talk with the doctors. 

Getting changed. Jamey was super excited about the slippers. 

Showing off his gown or "jammie dress"

A nurse brought him in about 20 Toy Story and Spiderman stickers.

A fun balloon to take into surgery

Sitting in the chair with a warm blanket, chatting it up with everyone who came in

Even his puppy got a wrist band

A little while before the nurses took him back for surgery, they gave him a sedative. He was HILARIOUS! He couldn't walk to the bathroom, and then he was singing and kind of rolling around. And he had no idea we couldn't understand anything he was saying. 

After surgery, we talked to the doctor. Everything went well--easy peasy. We went back to the waiting room while he woke up. Then we met him up in the hospital room.

As he was getting rolled into the room.

All the nurses said he was super sweet. When he asked for popsicles the first time, he asked for two so he could give one to Ivy. 

His first food--yellow jello and orange sherbet

Hanging out

Walking the IV pole on his own. 

I went home mid-afternoon to get Jeremy's bike stuff ready for the morning and to take the girls to swimming lessons. My mom stayed with them and then stayed later on Friday to help out. 

I missed out on all the fun visits--and we lucked out because the puppy and the clown visits are on Thursdays.

Jamey loved Charlie!!

The first thing after I got back to the hospital on Friday morning, Jamey walked me down to the Play Room to pick out a few toys to play with. 

Watching Monsters Inc while we wait for breakfast

We got to go home much earlier than I expected. The doctor came in while we were waiting for breakfast and said we could go home anytime. He was so bored and was very excited to go home.

He took a long bath when we got home and after lunch we walked over to the park. He rode in the stroller and was supposed to stay on the swing or on the bench, but he really had a hard time staying still. 

Resting a little.

He is doing really well. Eating some food and drinking lots of juice and sucking lots and lots of popsicles. He was super happy to get out of the house and to have his little neighbor friends visit him. He did practically fall asleep during dinner, so we got jammies on and he was sleeping by 6:15. It's going to be hard to keep him down for a few days to heal and rest up.