Ryan's First Day of Kindergarten

Amazing! I can't believe he's started kindergarten. I must admit it was hard to leave him. A plethora of parents & kindergartners stood outside the school and waited for the kindergarten teachers to come out and tell us what to do. We found out that everyday we line the kids up against the wall and wait for the teacher. She opens a gate and they walk right into the back of the classroom. So, today, with that plethora of parents, we were not allowed to go in. We just sent them with all their school supplies and backpacks in line and waved goodbye.

We've been talking about the first day of school for days now and he's been fine with it. But this morning he woke up and said, "Mommy, I'm a little nervous today." And as he walked into the gate he stopped and said, "Uh, mommy, will you come with me?"

I think that if he had not done a year of preschool this would have been much harder for me. But, as I walked away I told myself that it was ok, he's done this for a year already.

Well, success. When I picked him up he was a very happy kid. I've taken video of his response. One big milestone down. LOts more to come :-)

Crying Over Spilled Herbs

So, a few posts ago I wrote about Miracle Herbs. Well, I suppose it was bound to happen with my rambunctious kids. I heard Krista scream, like she had been hurt. Well, after I saw what happened I think she was scared, not hurt. She didn't know there were herbs inside that little pillow! Now, they didn't stay sad for long. As soon as the vacuum came out they were laughing. This is during "witching hour" (As many moms know comes towards the end of the day before dinner. They get kind of hyper and crazy and cry more easily) Doesn't it just break your heart watching Krista ask for daddy and Ryan cry over his favorite pillow?! And could they be more melodramatic? It looks like I was the director of a staged video!

Sayings of the Month

Don't kids say the darndest things? Well, and the cutest things. I've been collecting a few of the ones that have stuck with me over the past month and hope to post these once a month regularly. Here goes:

1) Okay to start with one of my all time favorites (Krista had just turned 2 last, October)
The kids had done something....I was upset. For the life of me I don't know why I asked this question.
ME: WHO DID THIS?!!
ANSWER: SHE/HE DID (as they point fingers at one another)

Why did I ask this question again?

ME: WHO DID THIS!!
ANSWER: SHE/HE DID

This went on two more times. Finally, exasperated, I asked:
WHO'S LYING?

Simultaneously:
RYAN: KRISTA
KRISTA: MEEEEEE! (With her hand up in the air)
They both started laughing and immediately I had forgotten whatever it was that she had done.

2) Let's do a sign for daddy's first day at his new job. What should it say?
KRISTA: Ta Dah!



3) Krista and I were together at Costco. She was asking about going to school like Ryan. I said you need to be potty trained first!
KRISTA: (AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS IN COSTCO)
If I get potty trained I can go to school like Ryan? I can't wait to go to school when I grow up! Mommy, can I go to school when I grow up?!

4) We plant some tomato plants one day and after we are done, Krista sets up a chair right in front of it.
ME: What are you doing Krista?
KRISTA: I'm watching it grow.
ME: No, Krista, it takes a long time for it to grow.
KRISTA: Oh.
The next morning Krista wakes up she says,
KRISTA: Mommy! Mommy! Is it done growing? Let's go see it!
Ryan says his prayers every night and has added,
RYAN: Heavenly Father will you make the "potato" grow super fast so I can see what it will look like?



5) Grandma came to visit and watch the kids while we went to Hawaii. She discovered that everywhere the kids go (in a car) they have learned to spot the Fedex Trucks and Taxis (both because of Ryan....long story why he does this...Krista caught on, etc.) So, grandma, being the cute grandma she is, sent some diecast Fedex trucks by Fedex. (Wish I had a picture of the look on Ryan's face when that truck pulled up to our house) She also sent some Taxis. The Taxis came first.

RYAN: I'm so glad that I have these Fedex trucks because my Taxis really needed some friends!



6) MY FAVORITE THIS MONTH:
RYAN: Look, look its an ambulance! Are those nurses that work in there?

ME: No, those are E.M.T.s

RYAN: What do they do when you die?

I'm thinking, wow, where did he come up with that question and how should I answer it?
ME: They take you to the hospital.

RYAN: They take you in an ambulance?

ME: Yes. (as I shrug my shoulders....I can't very well explain all that to him, he doesn't even know what death is)

KRISTA: I've been in an "anbalence"

Ryan thinks very carefully for about a minute and then asks:

RYAN: Did Krista have to go in an ambulance when she was growed or when she was being made?

ME: No! :-)

RYAN: Krista, you didn't go in an ambulance.

KRISTA: Yeah, me either

Disneyland

We made a last hoorah trip to Disneyland last week before our passes didn't work until the end of summer. I rather like the fact that they don't work in the summer because it is too crowded! We thought about going on the new submarine Nemo ride but, decided not to do it. It was a 3+ hour wait. Blah! Anyway, they had a blast and still love Playhouse Disney. JoJo was standing right outside before the Playhouse Disney show.

Here is a video of Krista playing in the waterfall in California Adventure. She runs up to the camera and says, "I'm all wet...that was fun!"

Miracle Herbs

I was excited when we had our enrichment night to make an herbal pillow that is suppose to help the sinuses. I'd found a recipe on line for it and thought it would be fun to share with everyone. (we also made dream pillows that night)

Here is some of the history that intrigued me:
What does a sinus pillow do?
The refreshing aromatic fill of fresh Peppermint, Spearmint and Eucalyptus encourage the opening of the sinus passages and unencumbered breathing.
What is a dream pillow?
For hundreds of year people have used herb mixtures to effect their dreams. In the same way that certain fragrances (like baking bread or fresh roses) evoke a pleasant memory for you, herbs also evoke pleasant associations of memory. Our noses are said to be the most direct route to our minds and recollections. The subtle fragrances in the Dream Pillow blends are mixed to give you pleasant, interesting dreams and promote deeper sleep. Dream pillows have been around for many many years, it was common place for our grandmothers to stitch up a headache pillow to erase the pain of headaches or have a dream pillow on every bed filled with natures bountiful herbs and flowers. It was also common to see them in hospitals to help patients.

So although I was intrigued, did I really think it would work? Jacob has the worst sinus problems so, I was willing to try anything. We placed it next to him on a dresser at night while he slept. Day after day, Jacob would wake up and have no need to take all the medications he was given by the doctor. To me this was totally miraculous. (I mean how many doctors, how many medications...that weren't really working...and this simple thing helped?!) However, the reason for this post is because the story didn't stop there.

We only have one of these pillows. Ryan woke up several nights in a row, this week, and was screaming and crying. He wasn't totally awake but, he wasn't totally asleep either. This made it very difficult to talk and reason with him. After several nights and much cajoling, his chief complaints were: Eyes burning/itching, clear mucus stuck in his throat...causing choking, and not being able to breathe very well.

I was so upset watching him go through this that my first reaction was give him lots of Claritin, look into buying an air purifier, and take him to an allergist. I'm not saying that I have ruled all these things out (in fact we have a doctor's appointment) but, Jake suggested that I put the sinus pillow in his room for a couple of nights and see what happened.

Well, not only has he stopped waking up at night, he is sleeping more hours than he used to and seems generally happier during the day. Could this pillow really be helping? Well, my mind was still in doubt. However, while the pillow was out of our room at night I noticed that my nose was stuffy in the morning and I wasn't sleeping as deep for the entire time that the pillow was in Ryan's room. Is this just coincidence? Well, with a science background, I would say I have to allow for that possibillity but, does it feel like it could be helping? Yes! It feels like a miracle. I will be making more. If anyone makes them and has success please share and if anyone has had success with herbs in general let me know!

If anyone is interested in the recipes here they are:

NOTE: So that it was easier to do at enrichment night, clever girls came up with the idea of making the pillows longer so that you could fold the material down inside the bag and just tie the end shut. Also, to keep them fresh longer, keep them in a Ziploc bag when you are not using it. Also, because they were doing it for so many people they bought the ingredients online, in bulk, for very cheap. The pillows cost between $1 and $3 each.

HERBAL PILLOWS
By Karen Hegre

Sinus Headache Pillow

Cut two pieces of material 10 x 4 inches and sew together. Making a bag, leave one end open and stuff your bag with the following ingredients;

Mix together in a bowl;

1/2 cup of flax seeds
1 part crushed spearmint leaf
1 part crushed peppermint leaf
1 part lavender buds
1 part eucalyptus leaf
1 part rosemary leaf

Stuff the bag and sew the end!

Dream Pillow

Combine the following in a bowl;
1 cup mugwort
1/2 cup rose petals
1/2 cup german chamomile
1/2 cup sweet hops
1/3 cup lavender buds
1/3 cup crushed catnip
1/4 cup peppermint

Mix the ingredients together....make cloth bags from a 5 x 12 inch piece of material....fill the bag with your mixture....sew the top of the bag shut.

He Did It!

Ryan graduated from preschool today! He was so excited to see us in the front row that when he was suppose to pose for a picture with his teacher, Miss Sandy, he pointed to us and shouted his excitement to see us there.

They received a certificate, we watched a movie with pictures of all the kids throughout the year, and then they sang a song called Kindergarten Here We Come. Then there was a little party in their classroom afterwards. We learned that during chit chat club today, they came up with their own ideas about what rules would be good to have in kindergarten. The number one thing they thought of was "NO PUTTING YOUR FEET ON THE WALL" Cute :-)

I can't believe he starts kindergarten in exactly a month. We actually got to go to his kindergarten today for an assessment that they do to determine which teacher he will have and what students he will be with. (How cool is that?) He said he loved the new classrooms and had fun with the kindergartner teachers that he met. Way to go Ryan!

Congrats Godard Family!

We are so happy to hear that Ben has been accepted to Johns Hopkins for graduate school! This wiil further his career and they don't even have to move! Way to go! We're so excited for you. Happy Father's day Ben!

I Accept

Picture is of my grandfather who passed away in 1980. I wish I could have known him better. This is dedicated to him.

I will work on genealogy for the next 100 days and see how much I can do. It's hard to find time for such a time consuming thing, with two little ones at home, but I am happy for this push. My progress in this area had completely stalled.

And even though I picked an ongoing process I really think this will help because I have just started doing this work. My goal for the next 100 days is to continue organizing and documenting the information I have to make time for finding more relatives.
Thanks Amy for such an inspiring challenge.

See Amy's blog that started this and learn the story