First Auburn Game!!

I have found a little extra time to blog this morning. Unfortunately, this time comes with a price. My little Frannie is home with me today because she has a "sick tummy". Rush is hanging with us, too, although I think he is ok and possibly had this little bug earlier in the week. I just didn't know it because I started giving him Fiber Gummies as a part of his morning regimen. Just thought they were REALLY working... Oh well.

I have been wanting to post about our trip to the Auburn game last weekend, so this morning as I sit here with my coffee and Max and Ruby in the background, I have the time to put it all down in words.

Miss Fran was so excited when I told her that we would be heading to the game together. One of the most exciting parts? We would be riding a bus. She nearly exploded when I told her we would get to ride a bus to the game. My kids have always loved buses. I used to love it when they were first learning to talk, and they would call out "BUS!!!!" on the way to work/daycare in the mornings every time we passed a yellow school bus. So you can imagine the excitement of realizing she would actually ride on a bus. It wasn't a school bus, and I am afraid this air-conditioned, cushion-seated, uncrowded bus may have set her standards for her first school bus ride way too high. {The transit system that drops you off on campus on game days is AWESOME if you just want to go for the game and are not planning to tailgate.}

So, we enjoyed our little bus ride to campus. I let her have the window seat. :-) After we got to campus, we stopped to watch a few AU Cheerleaders that were cheering near out bus drop off spot. We saw my one of my former lab students that worked in my classroom with me a few semesters ago. She is a cheerleader, so Fran got her picture made with Abby. Unfortunately, SF had also seen the Chick-fil-a cow nearby. That dang cow. She H-A-T-E-S that cow. She calls all costumed creatures "pretend animals". And she doesn't like them... not one bit. So, she frowned through her picture taking session with Abby. :-) Then, she said, "I am ready to get out of here, Mama. What is that cow doing here?" It turns out, she was also slightly bothered by the AU decal on Abby's cheek. Later she kept asking me why in the world she had that on her cheek. :-)

After we walked across the street, we got to see the band doing a short exhibition. The majorettes and flags were there, so we got to watch them playing War Eagle and Glory. Brought back some fun memories for me! Yep, I was in the band for three of my four years at Auburn. Go piccolos!! :-)

Next, we walked down to Haley Center. This is where I spent most of my time in classes at AU. We went to the book store and picked up shakers, spirit buttons, and fans.

It was time to head into the stadium to watch the band march around the field. We got to see two of my former fourth graders that are a part of the AU flagline now. So proud of Allie and Rachel!

A frozen lemonade then helped to pass the time until pregame started. I must say, there is so much fanfare before the games now that it is hard not to get fired up for the game. Even if the football team is just doing ok. They sure do make you feel like you are about to be a part of something big and really special. They even have clips of the band that make it look so cool. I mean the band is cool and I know that, but let's face it, more often than not, we band-folks were called "nerds". According to that clip on the jumbo-tron, though, the band is SUPER cool. I LOVED it! Fran loved it, too! She shook her shaker and sang "War Eagle". I showed her how to put her hand over her heart during the Star Spangled Banner. She watched Nova fly over the stadium and land in the middle of the field. I watched her. She was precious and so excited.

We had hot dogs (she didn't eat hers)and drinks. She got her own bottle of water which feels like a treat to her. We watched the first half of the game and the band at halftime. Then, she was ready to go. We hopped on the air-conditioned, not a school bus and headed back to our car. I couldn't have asked for a better day. On the bus on the way back, I asked her about her favorite part of the day. She looked down and smiled her shy-smile. "Seeing Abby", she said. Hahaha! Can't you tell from the picture above? Now, she wants to be an Auburn cheerleader. Go for it, girl! :-)


And in case you thought I forgot about my cute little Alabama fan, his Dad has agreed to let him attend a game with me another time. He will get to experience the big-game feel and excitement of it all... even if he won't have on orange and blue. :-)

Catch Up!

We have been busy! Busy with work... busy with play! I haven't found much time to blog. It is always like this at the beginning of a school year. I can't seem to keep my head above water, and then all of a sudden, everything is OK. Right now, I am still in the drowning phase and hoping it ends soon. The kids have had lots going on, too!

Over the last couple of weeks, they both had their four year checkups. Rush was first and went to see Dr. Glaze. I asked him about several things that had been nagging at me about Rush. The biggest thing was his CRAZY sleep patterns. They have both always been pretty good sleepers. Since Rush potty-trained over a year ago, though, he has had the strangest sleeping habits. (I personally think, he wakes up to use the bathroom and can't get himself back to sleep very easily in the early morning hours.) He won't go to sleep at night until nearly 10 pm most nights... even though he is put into his bed a little before 8. He also wakes up before 6 am most mornings. Ummmm.... this is not fun. I was also really concerned that he wasn't getting enough sleep. Guess what? The doctor said it is probably just a phase that he will outgrow. He said as long as his behavior is ok, and he seems happy, then things are ok. Sooooooo... we continue. He did say that if it seems to be affecting his behavior or if it continues after he starts "real school" and doesn't get naps anymore, to let him know. He said they can do sleep studies on children to see if there is something more serious going on. So for now, I will just have to get used to that fuzzy little head popping up beside me on the bed in the early morning hours. Thank goodness he's cute!

The stats at four years old:
Rush:
Height: 39 inches
Weight: 32.5 pounds (Has gained 3.5 pounds since January!!! Woot!)
He is still a little guy, but he is growing!!!

Rush's favorites at four:
Toys:He loves all toys, but he is currently loving his Star Wars figures that his Uncle Chris brought him. They are straight from 1977. He also loves to build things out of blocks. He also plays with his trains and cars a lot. He LOVES toys. He will play by himself in his room and is very content to be in charge of his own entertainment.
Foods: strawberries and pancakes
Books: He loves books about trains and cars.
Learning: He is currently drawing stick people and will occasionally practice writing his letters. He likes to do things on his terms and doesn't often want to show off what he has learned. Rush remembers information about things he is interested in. He can talk about lots of different things, and he remembers information that is pretty complicated for a four year old as long as it is about a topic that interests him.

Bike riding is going better!

Sydney Frances went for her appointment this past week, and unfortunately, she had already gotten the full scoop on the shots she would be getting right down to where the nurse would be pinching her arms and legs. (Note to self... always schedule her first because Rush is the more laid back child. Fran can't handle the anticipation and stress.) I did not tell her about the appointment until the morning of because I didn't want her to have lots of time to get worked up about it. I also didn't want to spring it on her that afternoon because Gigi was picking up Rush from daycare. We didn't remind her of how she had just the week before shouted with glee on Rush's appointment day, "Everybody has to get checkups sometimes, Rush. My GIGI is coming to get me!!! Rush, you are going for your checkup, and I am going to my Gigi's. Rush, checkups keep you healthy, so you need to go. While I go to my Gigi's!!!!!!!!!" Little did she know that her appointment was scheduled for the next week. :-) Dr. Glaze came into the appointment and asked me if I had my list of questions ready. Haha! My list about Rush obviously stood out in his mind, but he was surprised to hear that I only had a couple for Fran. Didn't even have to write them down...
(Yes, I know I worry about Rush too much even though he is really perfectly fine. I am working through this.) Miss Priss checked out just fine, too. Still on the small side, but perfectly healthy! Unfortunately, when you are a Drama Queen, getting shots requires you to limp and drag your leg behind you once you arrive at home. Thankfully, she has moved on... kinda.

Four year old stats:
Sydney Frances:
Height: 37.5 inches (first time she has ever been shorter than Rush... they are usually even)
Weight: 33 pounds

SF's favorites at four:
Food: chicken nuggets with ranch
Toys: Barbies and Barbie car
Books: Pete the Cat books
Learning: She is writing lots of letters, and she does like to show off what she has learned. She is drawing stick people, but she doesn't love to color things. She will often scribble over things that need to be colored so that she can practice writing. She also loves to sing songs and memorizes them quickly.

Since the kiddos were born prematurely, they have to have a vision screening at age 4. Dr. Glaze said he thinks their vision is great based on the screening they do at the pediatric clinic, but he said we should see a opthamologist to rule out a condition called retinopathy of prematurity. They had a screening at 3 months old. They told us at that appointment to follow up when they were four years old. I seriously could not imagine as my Mama and I sat in that appointment four years ago that they would ever be four. At the time, I was pretty sure I was never going to sleep a full night again, so it was hard to imagine four year olds. Yet here we are. I still think I am going to take my Mama to the appointment with us, though. The last one was somewhat unpleasant, and even though we no longer need the second set of hands to hold a baby, I think I need the moral support.

I also wanted to post a few pictures of my Frannie in an outfit that belonged to me as a little girl. My Mama Jo made it for me, and I remember it. I LOVED this outfit. It is white with little ties on the shoulders and has a little "dutch girl" embroidered on the front. It just fits Frannie this year, and even though I haven't let her wear it out of the house, I did put it on her and let her play around it in. If I can think of a place we could go where she wouldn't get it dirty, I will let her wear it before it gets too cold.

P.S. The hands on the hips thing is a new addition to Fran's picture-posing. She is something else.

Coming soon... Frannie went to her first Auburn game. It was fun, and it deserves a post of its own!

A preview:

It's That Time of Year!!!

We're ready for some football around here. Yes, I know Rush has on his Alabama jersey, and it makes my heart sting just a little each time I see it. But my Frannie is an Auburn girl. Phil has been talking so much "trash" around here lately that I am even fired up about football season.(Please let our quarterback be decent. It is really the only position I fully understand.) We were all singing our respective fight songs at dinner a few nights ago. This "house divided" thing is getting interesting now that the kids are starting to get in on the fun. So there is only one thing left to say!!!! WAAARRRRRRR EAGLE!!


P.S. Don't think that I have given up on Rush entirely. We fired up the AU Marching Band CD on the way to daycare yesterday. You can't help but feel the Auburn Spirit when you hear them play "WAR EAGLE!" (He secretly loves it but is afraid to let his dad know.)

Birthday Surprises!!

The twins' "real" birthday was on this past Monday, so we had a little family celebration that night at home. The morning of their birthday, they woke up to doors that had been decorated with streamers. Fran thinks streamers and party hats are a must for birthdays. I didn't have time to decorate with streamers for the party, so I decided to decorate their doors while they were sleeping the night before their birthday. They liked swishing through the steamers to go in and out.

And just in case you think it's always fun, giggles, and hugs around here at Just the Two of Us, here are some real life, duking it out, fighting pictures in the hallway over the last red balloon from the party. Fran ended up with a punctured leg and bruise from the nightlight she crashed into, but everyone survived.

I had already told the kids there would be a big surprise when we got home from daycare and work that day. They were pretty excited to say the least. We had to do the big reveal as soon as Phil walked in the door from work. If we had waited, I don't think they would have eaten a bite of dinner.

The kids got their very first bicycles this year! A Lightning McQueen bicycle for Rush... complete with a Cars helmet and a Disney Princess bike for her... along with a helmet. They both totally hate the helmets. To be honest, I hate them, too, and we totally survived riding ALL OVER our neighborhood sans helmet on our blue and purple bikes when we were kids, but alas, the times have changed. Helmets will be worn.

We mainly captured the bicycle moment on video, so I only have the picture from "before". I don't have a link to post videos anymore, so I will have to try to figure that out. We put blindfolds on the kids and then brought them out to see the bikes. They were pretty excited. I think I was the most excited. Ha! Fran wanted to ride hers,so we went outside to do that. Rush didn't want to have to wear the helmet, so he refused a bike ride. I was a little disappointed, but he has taken a shine to his bike as the week has gone along. It will take a while to get them really going on it, so we will keep riding!

We finished out the night with homemade pizza (lovingly prepared by Fran...with a little help from me). Then, we had leftover cupcakes from the b-day party! Fun day!

Birthday Fun!!

I have had a hard time finding the time to get to the computer at night since starting back to work. This past week was the first week with the students. A new math program and starting some new things in reading have kept me hopping this week.

I wanted to be sure to post some pictures from the birthday party we had last weekend. This was the first year that the kids have invited a few of their friends to the party. Of course, our sweet Kate was there to celebrate with us! J.R. and Bailey, two friends from daycare were there. We also got to celebrate with Reese and Avery. I teach with their moms, so we get to hang out together during the Summer days that we are all off work. I think being surrounded by family and friends that love you and your kiddos makes every day special, but it is especially fun on a party day!

At the beginning of the party, the kids opened all of their FUN presents from their friends and family. EXCITED is an understatement..especially after the party when they could really get a good look at all of the new toys. The house really did look like Christmas morning! We don't buy lots of toys during the year other than for birthdays and Christmas, so this was major fun!

The kids picked out the color they wanted their cupcakes to be. Rush chose "gween" and Frannie chose "light pink". They were good and SO much easier than cutting a cake. Rush chose to let his friends eat on Toy Story plates (again this year), and SF chose to have princess plates this year.

We decided to have a water party in our backyard. I worried about weather all week. We are having weird August weather. It has been rainy and on some days, we have had Fall-like coolness. The party was at the end of RAINY week. I was nervous because our inside plan was.... well... there wasn't an inside plan. I don't really have enough room to entertain seven little ones inside. So, I was thankful when the rain stayed away. It was overcast which ended up being a good thing. The adults could sit outside without having to sweat uncontrollably which would have been the normal August plan. (I need to give a shout out to Aunt Ivy here. Not only did she bring all of her 'water stuff' from her house to add to the party fun, but she came over early and helped get the backyard set up for the party. We could NOT have pulled it off without her. She really kinda saved the day. I love my sister! My friend Kristen and my Mama were also the photographer and videographer for the party. It was fun to have someone else in charge of that so we could just enjoy! Thanks to all of you!)

We had a Slip and Slide, two pools, a water pad (Thanks, Aunt Ivy), a water table, and water balloons. We also had water guns, water blasters, and bubbles. The kids ran around and seemed to have a great time. They even decided to get after the adults with the water guns and a few splashes here and there!

I think it was lots of fun!!

Frannie opened her presents first...

Then, Rush opened his presents...

Then, we "Happy Birthday-ed" both of them. I had to help both of them blow out their candles. I think we need to work on lung strength! Ha!

Eating and playing before we went outside...

OUTSIDE FUN!!!

So much fun!! I will be back tomorrow with a post from their "real" birthday! We had big surprises for them on that day!

Happy 4th Birthday!!

Happy FOURTH Birthday to my sweet "babies"! I can't believe they are FOUR years old today! I will be back soon with a full post on all of the fun birthday festivities!

Random Sunday Evening Cuteness

I don't have much to say tonight except I have to work tomorrow.. and I'm still getting used to the idea. So, I am posting random pictures from the last couple of weeks. I logged on to the blog to add my friend, Amy, to the blogs I read list. She just started up, and I don't want to miss reading about her little cutie pie, Will! :-)

Fran likes to get out her Fisher Price Doctor Kit and work on anyone that will sit still long enough to be prodded and poked. She frequently consults her "Book of Home Remedies" as all good doctors will do from time to time. I think most of them wear Disney Princess gardening gloves as they do their jobs, too.

Fran said, "We are playing cars together nicely, Mama. Don't you want to take our picture?" Ummmm... someone has grown up with a camera in her face, but I won't name names. :-)