Howdy!

All smiles with his teeny tiny grasshopper he caught...

The scientist and his fearless assistant, checking out a frog that he caught. (Is there a common theme around here? Geez!)

Dangling frog...and no, Zoe did not get it as a treat. ;)

Who doesn't love a frog on their shorts?

Hi there! Well, the last week has been filled with school, swimming, and as you can see, many creature collections! Bear Cub is doing pretty well in school. We discovered that leaving him for "rest time" might not be the greatest idea...the boy can hardly rest at home, so it's a bit more distracting for him to be in a room with 15 kids! Ha! But that's ok, I'm just now getting him after lunch. :) Maybe as the year goes on, we'll work our way into rest time. Maybe...

My work has been busy, busy. I'm still trying to get it all organized. I'm doing the job,and all parts of it, but I feel like there has got to be a better way to juggle it all. There are lots of phone calls to make, many students calling me for help, and a constant inbox of assignments to grade. Phew! I'm learning to close it all down for a few hours each afternoon to give myself a break, and to give BC some fun Mommy time. We're still going to the library, the pool, and to the park, so life hasn't changed too much for him! :) I'm just EXTRA tired at night now!

This past weekend we celebrated Daddy's birthday! It was a pretty quiet day, although he and I did get away for a dinner just to ourselves. I think I have found the perfect babysitter for BC...he loves this girl! He even told her as she walked away, "I love you! I will miss you when you're gone!" :) It was nice to have a relaxing meal and know that he was having a good time, too.

Have a fantastic day! I'll try to update again...sooner than later this next time! :)

First Day of School!

Ready to go to school! No big backpack this year (ha! Remember last year?)

No matter how old he gets..he will ALWAYS be my baby! :)

Off we go!

Outside of his school...

Jumping in for some Playdoh fun at school! :)

Yesterday was Bearcub's first day of big 4-year-old preschool! OH MY! We'd been hyping it up for him...the new school, a different playground, cool centers, and drumroll, please....the chance to eat snack in a real cafeteria! Oh yes, we have hit the big time! :)

He did really well and I was so proud of him! As we were leaving, he had to run upstairs to bring faithful Biscuit with us in the car. He hugged him all the way there and then got him all settled in the car so Biscuit would be comfy while he waited for him to return. BC held my hand all the way in and was ready to get in and start playing right away! I really think he was trying to be a brave boy. I think he was feeling a little nervous (who doesn't on the first day?) and I know he's been thinking about making friends. He has told me several times lately, "Sometimes it's hard to make new friends," and it's been a great lead-in to a little talk about the fact that it does take some time to make new friends, but yes, it does happen!

I don't think he really made any new friends yesterday. He pretty much sticks to himself, I think. He did say he liked both of his new teachers, he liked the snack of blueberry muffins and milk, and he was VERY excited by the fact that he caught a grasshopper out on the playground. :) Today is a longer day for him. He'll stay for lunch and then "rest time." Oh boy. With how active he is, I seriously doubt he'll rest, but we can hope!

I'm really happy with his new school - his lead teacher seems so sweet and gentle. I think that is what he needs! So, here's wishing for another successful day at school! :) Have a happy day!

Bear Cub's adventures the past couple of weeks!

All smiles at Busch Gardens last Saturday...just a Mommy and BC outing...I love these outings of ours! ;)

Driving his car in the kiddie area. He rode this one twice!

Ever been hugged by a firefighting sea turtle? Nope, me either! This is at the Clearwater Aquarium...a fun place that we went to 2 weekends ago with Mimi Bear. It's also home of "Winter" the tail-less dolphin. She made news around here several years ago when she was rescued on Florida's east coast. She now has a prosthetic fin, but can also swim without it. Pretty amazing! We heard that they are making a Hollywood film about Winter...with possibly Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd. Pretty cool!

Can't resist those boy buns...just a peek! ;)

Holy, moly...another week gone by!?!?

Geez, have I turned into a once-a-week blogger? Oh noooooooo! ;)

We have had another FULL week. I haven't had any sitters this week for BC, but actually, it has been alright. I think he's beginning to understand when it's time for me to work (talk on the phone!) and when it's time to play. I also decided that he is much more content when I bring my work computer out to the family room, instead of working away in the den. I'm happy to do that if that makes him happier! :)

Work is going well...I'm getting into a groove, but still things take me a lot of time. I am enjoying it...it really feels good to be working again and making some money! Things will only get easier once Bear Cub starts school...a week from Tuesday!

Speaking of school, we went to his Open House tonight. This is a new preschool for him and I am feeling so good about it! It's church-based and they have a weekly Bible theme tied into their curriculum. He'll also attend chapel weekly. :) His teacher seems so very nice and has been a pre-k teacher for 25 years!! Talk about experience! :) He liked his room, was a disappointed that there weren't any "wheeled toys" as he put it, but was happy to check the whole room out and find his name on his cubby and the birthday chart. And to my happiness, they had his name spelled correctly on all of it! (At his school last year, they did not... :( )

Next week I am back for the second part of my new job training. I'll stay overnight, as it's a 2-day training. BC will be with Mimi (thank you, Mimi Bear!) for that night. I'm looking forward to this training since it'll be about a month out of the first one and I don't think it will be nearly as overwhelming as the first. I'm getting there!

Some funny Bear Cub-isms:

BC and Daddy went to the pool and as they were getting out, BC asked, "Do you smell that Daddy?"

Daddy: What?

BC: Pine needles...

Daddy: Yea, I do smell that, actually.

BC: I like the way that smells!

(His sniffer works!)

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Tonight at his Open House, he was working on making a butterfly with the assistant teacher. He was told he could pick one pipe cleaner for the antennae, but he was adamant about choosing two. He finally told his teacher, "But butterflies have TWO antennae!" They got a kick out of that, and sure enough...he got his 2 pipe cleaners. :)

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When talking about his new school the other night, BC had these 3 questions for me:

1. Will I go to school everyday, Mommy? --- Yes

2. Will I still be able to have breakfast at home? --- Yes

...and my FAVORITE... "Will I still have time to snuggle with you, Mommy?" YES, YES, YES!

My sweet, sweet boy...he has a spicy streak in him, but at the core, he's as sweet as sugar. :)

Pictures to come soon, I promise!

It's me...the lady with her standing on end! :)

We parked next to what BC calls a two-toned car last weekend at the zoo. He loves this look! Ha! He always points cars like this out when we're on the road. I think he thinks they are something quite fancy or something! Hmmm....

You know he loves the goats! :)

BC and Mommy hard at work. He likes to "work" on the other computer while I get work done on mine.

Concentrating!

A man on the run! :)

Hi everyone! Wow, what a week! Hope yours has been a good one.

Well, Happy August to you! I can't believe we're this far into summer. Where did July go?? We are all doing great around here...it just continues to be very busy with my work and keeping Bear Cub happy and busy. But we're getting it worked out! This week, thankfully, I had a wonderful teen sitter come and stay with BC while I went to Panera and got TONS of work done. Yay! This job is definitely one that the work just never ends...so it's up to me to know WHEN to quit for the day. I think it will all become easier and I'll get to be quicker, but as for now, things are taking lots and lots of time. I think I'm up to about 50-some students. I can honestly say that I am really enjoying talking to these teens! Some are so cute and friendly on the phone and some (mostly the boys) act like it's the world's biggest inconvenience to be talking to their TEACHER (ewwww....) on the phone. It's all pretty amusing to me! It's all about time management and I really think that once BC gets into school (the week of the 23rd), my life will get a bit easier. That will at least give me 3 solid hours each day to have a quiet house to work in. I can always shoo Zoe outside if she gets into one of her barking frenzies! Not so easy with Bear Cub... ;)

Some days I feel like, "YES! I'm getting this!" and other days, I feel like my hair is standing on end and the world is spiraling out of control. Ha! Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic. We have managed to include our usual fun activities into the week...trips to the pool, library, bug walks, and the latest and greatest adventure for BC...playing in our town square's splash park. He loves it! And he runs and runs...it's awesome for him!

This week he had his 4-year-old check up. I was sooooooo proud of what a big boy he was. He cooperated with most everything...even the vision and hearing tests! WOW! :) I really like his doctor -- she's very kid-friendly. Good thing for a pediatrician to be! ;) He is growing, but he's still fairly small. He's in the 10th percentile for both height and weight. But, he's growing appropriately along the curve, so all is good. But, poor guy...he had to get 2 shots that were pretty painful for him. (and me, to watch!) He even hobbled around the entire next day, his poor thighs were so sore. He's just fine now and back to full speed. But even with the shots, he stayed brave. Before the nurse came in, he kept taking deep breaths and saying, "I'm just so nervous about the shots!" :( Ohhh...that is so NOT fun. We all survived and had a good check-up. That's all that matters!

He said a funny thing this week to Daddy. Speaking of Daddy, he has been a HUGE help for me in the late afternoons and evenings. He has taken BC out for some guy adventures, to give me time to make phone calls and work. They went to PetSmart, have been on bug walks, to the gym together, and even looking for tadpoles. I guess on one of their outings, Daddy told BC that Mommy had to get some work done. It was about 7 p.m. (late in the eyes of Bear Cub), and BC said, "Is Mommy a little bit nocturnal now??" Ha, ha! I thought that was just too cute and funny!

We're heading to Mimi's for a couple of nights, so we're looking forward to that! I'm hoping to get to the beach for a day, if possible. It's time! :) Next week, Bear Cub has his school open house and will get to see his new classroom and meet his teacher. Oh, I hope he just LOVES it! I've been trying to hype up his new school and the fact that he'll be in the big-kid, 4 year old class. We'll see!

Have a great weekend and enjoy my few pictures. I've been bad with the camera lately, but I'll get back to it soon!! :)