Category Archives: Kids
Mama, come cuddle with me.Â
Katie’s pumpkin field trip
Of course, we just went to Burke Pumpkin Playground and that’s where Katie’s class took their field trip. I was really torn—the mommy blogger part of me felt I had to go but the actual mommy part of me said We were just there and this would be an extra half day for her to be at school… A friend was going so she promised to take a few pics for me…so that lessened the guilt.
Heading into school.
She had a blast!
A visit to Owen’s classroom.
Since I had to take Katie in for her field trip in the morning, I also took Owen. Since we still had some time before school started (and kids can’t be in the classrooms without a teacher or parent), I stayed in his room with him. I took the time to look around and take some more room pictures.
Owen wanted me to see if I could pick out his drawing without looking for his name.
I guessed it on my second try! My first guess was the bottom row, second picture (white) and his response was “Mom, it’s missing arms. I never forget the arms.” 🙂 It’s him helping Katie (notice the yellow pony tails?).
Two panoramics of his classroom.
The weekly reading chart. It’s so complex it needs a key!
This is the original chart.
Just a few glue sticks. 🙂
These signs are in the hallways and stairwells.
Owen might be on a swim team!
Before Owen’s lesson, his instructor came and told us he was going to be testing Owen to see how he’d do on a swim team. He’s trying to get a local team together and he thought Owen was ready. As far as Owen knew, he was just practicing. 🙂
After, the instructor told us he thought he was definitely ready…so he’ll let us know if and when he gets a team together. (They have a team right now but it’s 30-45 minutes away from home so we’re not about to do that.)
We told Owen the news on the way home and his was his reaction:
Kidisms 33
Katie: Mom! Look! This is like Owen!

(I’m surprised she remembered that picture—it was months ago.)
Katie: And Uncle Rob has earrings. And pirates have earrings.
Me: Is Uncle Rob a pirate?
Katie: Yes! And he probably has a pirate costume, too.
Tom: You’ll always be Katie’s big brother.
Owen: Of course.
My first trip to DC with the family!
The deal was they were Pokémoning and I was taking pictures!
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Washington Monument
World War II Memorial
Back at MLK.
Walking to the Jefferson Memorial.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Eleanor Roosevelt at the FDR Memorial
A long line of ducks.
At Katie’s castle, otherwise known as the Jefferson Memorial!
We stopped to take over a gym!
He had to stop reading to put my sunglasses on.Â
It’s time for extra blankets.Â
I didn’t help her once.Â
How Katie did chalk today
Cold and windy soccer morning
This morning was a horrible morning weather-wise for soccer—it looked gorgeous but the wind was gusting at probably 20-30mph and with temps in the high 40s/low 50s it was cold. I felt so bad for all the kids…but they didn’t really seem to be bothered too much by it. However, I had on a 32° undershirt, a heavy sweatshirt, my winter coat, gloves, and was covered in TWO blankets…and was still freezing. It was even so cold my phone’s battery died so I only got a few pics.
Waiting for Owee.Â
Surprise lunch with daddy!
Summer driveway cheers
Three and four years ago
Ready for Christmas Eve!
Pókemon Tee Twins…Again
Goofy dressed girl
Budding chalk makeup artists.
Katie’s first day of pre-k, year 2!
Of course, she hasn’t been sick in AGES, so the night before her first day she started to get a runny nose and cough. It might be allergies but who knows. She didn’t have a temp, though, so it was off to school!
And daddy hugs since he came home early!
This year she is going two days a week. We had thought it would be three days a week again, but apparently the classes are a bit bigger this year so they don’t have as much room for peer models (?) but they know we’re ready and willing to go to three (or four! or five!) days if they need her!
Sun spot kitty
Someone doesn’t appreciate Charlie’s puzzle help.
Katie drew this for our friends.Â
Owen’s teacher says he’s all-around awesome.
This morning was the first P/T conference of the year. We were a bit early so I took advantage and got some pics.
Overall, Owen is doing awesome. She said he’s advanced in reading, ahead in math, and is probably the most respectful kid in class! She also has no concerns with his spelling—he got 95/100 on sight words (the ones he missed were words like WHERE and WHICH [forgot the h] which are very common)—and he behaves in class. What blew me away is his writing assignment—it was done over a few days, but the handwriting was excellent and the story was involved (it was about one of his xbox games)…and he wrote SIX PAGES! It doesn’t all make perfect sense, of course, and there are some errors but WOW. JUST…WOW.
And then a few pics from around the classroom:
And as I was taking pictures I was telling the teacher why (because I make a Shutterfly book each year) so she told me to hang on and she’d stage the Class Jobs list for me (it needed to be done before class anyway). 🙂
And then I took Katie to the playground for a few minutes since she always begs to go there but we’re usually there during school hours. She says “Mama? You remember the last time we were here and Gramma Jean was swinging with me?” 🙂









































































































