So I found out yesterday (in a most roundabout way) that the twins were accepted into the local "Preschool for all" program. The positives: It's free (completely free, including transportation!), it's a great program that will especially be helpful for Elijah as he prepares to start Kindergarten next year, & I think a couple of their friends will be in their class.
The negatives: It's every day. This means that fun field trips during the week can no longer happen. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, they'll be gone from 9:30 am until 3:30 pm. I'm freaking out about this! I've been wanting more time, and now I'll have it, but I'm really going to miss them! Guess it's time to start really thinking about getting a part-time job!
Also, I finally signed Izzie up for her gymnastics class this fall, only to learn that the time I picked isn't going to work. I thought the madness of scheduling conflicts wouldn't hit me until at least elementary school! Sheesh!
Well, we survived an epically long month of what amounted to very minimal screen time. I realized pretty quickly that completely cutting out all screen time was a little bit too ambitious, so we adjusted the "rules" ever so slightly to make the most sense for both the flow of our every day lives, and also for the goals of the month's "project". Ultimately these are the rules we ended up following:
1. Only very specific searches for informational purposes on the internet. (i.e. looking up directions or specific recipes was okay. E-mail, facebook, blog reading and random internet browsing was not) 2. No television during the day. 3. Movies or shows watched as a family or during hair time were okay on a very limited basis. 4. Full disclosure: we did watch So You Think You Can Dance. '
So here's the update on our lives, in bullet points:
We went to the Mehaber in Minnesota and had an incredible time seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and falling even more deeply in love with the twin cities. I seriously wish a move there was in the cards. I'm just so impressed with so many things (and so many people) up there!
On our way home from the Mehaber, we blew a tire. it was a Sunday afternoon. It just so happened that there was an open tire place at the next stop. Karma!
The kids started an awesome summer camp that takes them on field trips to super cool places all over the city. They love it!
Isabel is still a gymnastics superstar. She moved up to a class with some older kids in it, and she's now working on handstands. It's not uncommon for me to find her doing headstands against the wall (or to find footprints on my walls...)
Elijah started O.T. and loves it. He still has trouble calming himself down when he gets too amped up, but he's doing a much better job recognizing how he's feeling and when he needs to do something to relax.
Jon and I had a fabulous date night while the kids had a slumber party at his parents' house. We went to a super fancy-pants restaurant and indulged in the most expensive meal we'd ever eaten, and got to spend more time together than we'd had since the kids came home.
We're waiting to hear whether the twins will be accepted into our local, free, preschool for all program. I have mixed feelings on this because while I know it would be an incredible opportunity for them, and the program would really help Elijah specifically, having a scheduled activity every single day is something I've consciously tried to avoid. My babies are growing up, and I'm apprehensive...
We took the twins bowling for the first time while we were in Minnesota. They loved it!
Izzie and Elijah's current favourite game is "Restaurant". They love to take orders, go to their kitchen, prepare your meal, serve you, and charge you exorbitant prices.
We've been on a huge pizza kick lately. We tried garlic mashed potato pizza from this place in MN, and finally braved the crazy lines to try the so called "best pizza in America" (according to both Alan Richman, food correspondent for GQ Magazine, and Rachael Ray). For the record, though Great Lake was delicious (particularly their sweet corn, fresh cream and fresh garlic pizza!) I prefer this place if you're ever looking for great non-Chicago style pizza in Chicago.
Jon has been working like crazy, and I've essentially become a widow to his job. Between the insane hours he keeps at work, and his spending his every free moment studying for the FE and PE exams that he'll take in late October, we realized that we're lucky to get 15 minutes a day to talk... We cannot wait until these tests are over!!!
My trusty computer, which served us well for over 7 years has finally kicked the bucket. We've made the plunge and ordered a refurbished macbook pro. I'm pretty excited.
I took a Spanish bootcamp class, and am feeling more confident than ever in my Spanish speaking skills. The kids are also learning a bit of Spanish, and seem really interested in languages in general.
We're hoping to put those skills to good use this December when we hope to go somewhere in South America for a much anticipated family vacation!
The kids have been putting on "shows" for us every night before they go to bed. These shows involve singing, dancing, and gymnastics, and are very, very adorable. This is their latest favourite song to sing together:
I have lots of pictures and some videos to upload, but can't do it until the new computer arrives. I think that's about it for us. I hope everyone else has been having a great summer too!
