Let's Meet Her

The teacher that is. The one who will take care of my baby while she's at school. The one who will teach her the ropes, and hopefully, challenge her educationally. E was a little nervous about being inside the school and meeting her teacher.

She was so excited to find her classroom, as well as her name all over the place. She loved sitting in her spot at her table. This was the first spot. It has since changed about 6 times. From what I gather, E has been placed several times next to others who do not behave very well. She doesn't like it. I don't either, but I understand why the teacher does it. I just hope E finds good friends.

E with her teacher, Mrs. B. She's a spunky woman and her wonderful reputation is well known throughout the entire city. Seriously.
After the classroom, we toured the school. I made sure E knew her way around. We saw the cafeteria, the gym, the media center, the bathrooms, the art room, the music room, and the computer lab. We even visited a second grade and a fifth grade classroom. Just to make sure she knew where to go, I spun her around in an atrium full of people and asked her to find her classroom. There was no hesitation. She knew right away by looking at specific signs. Phew!
The boys were interested and wanted to stray, but I made them stay next to me. It was so crowded there! I had O in an umbrella stroller, which was a little small for him, but I thought I'd have better success with O confined and W walking next to me. For the most part, I did; however, he wandered a bit and O struggled almost the whole time to get out and move. At one point, he was literally walking with the stroller strapped to his back! I wish I took a picture of it!
We all survived the evening. E felt much more at ease about starting school...and so did I.

Getting Ready

Along with the school supplies, the classroom supplies, the backpack, lunchbox, a few new pieces of clothing, new shoes, socks and cute little underwear with butterflies and polk-a-dots, we also got E ready for school by playing on the PreK- 1st Grade playground at her school.

 I mean, she needs to feel comfortable on the playground, right? This is where she'll be fancy free. It is at recess that she'll be able to run, dance, and pretend the world is hers to entertain. It's E time.

The boys enjoyed the play time too. E showed them everything on the playground with great excitement. She also instructed them on what to do...how to climb up the ladder, how to slide down the slide, how to swing on the monkey bars.

Even I got in the spirit as I remembered the old days of swinging away on the bars in elementary school. My friends and I would play on them just about every day. We knew all kinds of tricks, upside down hand claps, and even THE Cherry Drop, which my older sister broke her arm doing, but I never did. But I quickly learned that a pregnant mom of three shouldn't act upon her childhood memories of monkey bar swinging. I think I pulled a muscle. It just wasn't as fun.

W peeking through the tunnel.

O peeking through.

Can You Make More Bread?

My Grandma stayed with my parents for about a week or so. I headed over to visit, as well as my sister. It was nice to see her and devour her classic Pone Bread. A Southern bread. A bread that used to be cooked in fireplaces, iron pots, or on coals. A bread that my Grandma has never measured ingredients for and she mixes the batter by hand.

I should have taken pictures of each step, but I was a little slow to think of it.

I got a few shots though and watched her make it. I atleast know that a dark pan is necessary for browning.

The dough is slightly runny and easy to spread in the pan.

Ready to bake.

When the bread comes out of the hot oven, my Grandma cuts each piece and slathers butter all over it. Some may like jam and some enjoy tomato slices.

It really isn't the healthiest bread for you, but she made a pan almost every day and it was devoured in minutes by all of us. The kids loved it for sure.

Round Two

Update on the roundness, otherwise known as the abdomen, belly, tummy, breadbasket, potbelly, gut, or solar plexus.

24 weeks - Picture taken by E

Great shot of boys. W in underwear with keys. O squirming away. Another pic by E.

Me and E. She's a doll.

She is so excited about the baby. My tummy gets a lot of attention from her.

24 weeks

25 weeks

Beginning to shake when I laugh like a bowl full of jelly (like Santa).

Behold, the arched abdomen.

26 weeks

27 weeks

Booyah!

I'm in my 3rd trimester now and it's going by fast. This little one will be here in a few months and I don't think I'm ready for her yet. I haven't hit any type of nesting stage, although A would really like to see that happen.

I'm a Big Boy

We decided to take the railing off of W's crib to make the toddler bed. Afterall, he broke the railing a while ago. He was very excited to have a big boy bed.

Notice the small side rail on the bed. It didn't last too long.

 He broke it...of course.

This is the sight when coming into the bedroom the next morning. If they had a screwdriver, they would've had the entire thing dismantled.

Quiet time in E's room. A most astonishing sight to see W actually napping. I think this has happening only twice this year! After dismantling the bed and that phone, I guess he was just plain tuckered out.

It Was a Great Show...I Think

E presents a 'show' often and sometimes she insists on performing in the dark. It's difficult to take pictures in the dark. I mean, we are entertained by the singing, dancing, and the kids running into each other, but we'd also like to see the craziness unfold.

Welcome to THE SHOW!

E's into dressing herself, and yes, those are E's old pj's on W.

It's great fun to dance in the dark, especially when your musical guitar lights up.

Lots of twirling and falling.

Lots of "Look at me"...even though we can't see anything.

W's a pro at the Charleston dance.

Collision!

Another collision? Dancing? Taking a bow? They can't see what their doing!
Another evening of entertainment.