Copy Cat

It's so cute to hear Nicole copying so many of the things we say.  She says them so cutely and so sweetly.  She tries so hard to say everything we tell her.  We ask her to count and we say "one" she says "two", we say "three" she says "four" we say "five" she says "six" then she copies seven, eight and nine, then she says "ten!"

Today she came in from playing outside with Brady with a new word: "Farthead"  Unfortunately she said it so clearly and it actually sounds quite cute... from a one year old.  Hmmm, I don't remember the other two saying things like this at her age, she must be advanced!

The New Guy

So they've finally hired our new Kindergarten teacher.  I guess all my hounding the principal really helped!  Friday at lunch Brady comes home with a note in his backpack saying that their new MALE Kindergarten teacher will be starting on Monday.  (emphasis mine)  I tell him and he says "Oh yeah, he was our helper today"  So I start... 

"How old is he?"  

"I dunno, he never told us"  

"Well old like Daddy or old like Grandpa, or younger?"  

"I dunno"  

OK, so then "What does he look like?"  

"He has black hair and he's tall"  

Then me: "Was he nice?"  

"Yeah"

"Was he loud?"

"No"

I wasn't getting much, I'd have to wait for the meet the teacher coffee and muffin time.  So I met him today and sure enough he is tall with black hair and nice and not loud.  I guess time will tell.  It is a male dominated class this year so I guess a male teacher can't be a bad thing.  S'all good.

One Week In

Well we've just finished one week of school.  Not such a bad start, we had a few issues to iron out, but overall not awful.  Jayme had an after lunch panic moment where she decided that she was unable to attend school due to the fact that we were all going to be at home without her.  Once the drama ended... we all felt better.  

Brady still has no teacher.  He started the year with a sub and it's rather day to day at this point.  We get to the doors each morning and wonder who will be greeting the class of, well still babies in my opinion, babies who need stability and firmness.  Although at this point I think that school is more about the buddies, the gym, and the new songs he gets to learn.  The teacher therefore is inconsequential.  Which is good, maybe it's just me who is stressing about this subject. Too bad I get dirty looks and curt answers when I ask (daily) if they've hired someone.  Maybe Mark was right, I should have put my resume in!

I have enjoyed my mornings with Nicole, she has had quite the social life!  She has had coffee out 3 times and had one friend over for coffee.  Well OK maybe for Cheerios, but she has quite enjoyed all this time alone with Mommy and has decided to become extra cute!  

Brady's Next Birthday Party

It's only September, and Brady's birthday is in March, but we often will talk about what the next party theme will be.  OK so I'm a teacher, so yes we do theme parties (I'm not the only mom out there who does)  We've done princess (Jayme's 3rd - before we knew that she's not a "princess girl"), we've done Clifford, quadding, barn theme, just to name a few.  So the kids are always thinking about what the next theme will be, they get to pick (sort of) now that they're older.  Jayme wanted Spiderman, but I convinced her that a "Craft Party" would be much more fun, and girl appropriate.  So Brady had a great idea today for his next party.... it will be a Surprise Party.  He comes to me and says: "I want a surprise party for my next birthday.  You and I will go out and all my friends will come here while we're gone.  They have to get here before me.  Then Mrs. Moore will be in charge of them and we'll come home and the whole house will be dark, and you'll unlock the door and then turn on the lights and all my friends will yell "Surprise""  Well that's planning... and I thought I was the planner!  I guess I should ask him what day he would like his Surprise Party!

All About Nicole

             Mark said I should do a post all about Nicole and she is just so darn cute that of course I agreed.  Here are just a few of my favorite pictures of her.  She is such a funny little thing and she has so much personality.  She laughs so easily, screams so easily (especially when her brother bugs her) and she cries so easily too, although I think this is forced, she really knows how to play us!

She is talking so much now, today I think she repeated the last word or two of everything I said.  I guess it's time to ask Mark to start watching his language!

We really enjoy her so much, we are quite taken with her. 

Nicole enjoys playing outside, we put up a new backyard play structure this summer and the kids love it! It has a tall slide for big kids, a baby slide for babies (Nicole has lots of friends) It has swings (Coley's favorite) and the "piece de resistance" is a Letkeman Sized tire swing, is a semi-truck tire and it authentically Jade. It easily fits 3-6 bums, depending on the size. Nicole's favorite thing to do on the swing it to run into it and swing back on her tummy, she lifts her little legs and swings a few times, then runs into it again and swings again. Hours of fun, I tell you.
   Nicoley, as we often call her, or Coco, or really any other pet name, including, but not limited to Boo, BooBoo, Dolly, Poopey (which is German for Dolly... not the other thing) , Coley, Rolie Polie Nicoley and CoCo LaRoque (her stripper name?).  This one came for a couple on Brady's soccer team, the dad  liked the name Coco while they were expecting, but the mom insisted that with the last name LaRoque, it would sound too much like a stripper, so I think they picked Julianna.  Nicoley likes to talk on the phone, she picks up any toy phone, real phone, cell phone, or even remote control and "answers" it "Hello" Then she babbles and tilts her head back and laughs and says yah, yah yah, and then usually the caller wants to talk to me, to which I have a short sweet conversation and then tell her that it's for her again, and then the process repeats until I tell her to say Bye Bye.
Nicole is such a Daddy's girl, more so than the other 2 were at this age (of course Brady is a little Mark now, but he still always has loved his Mommy) Nicole LIGHTS up when Mark comes in the room, it's almost pure excitement. She giggles and runs to him, he of course is smitten. If I try to take her from his arms, she adamantly shakes her head NO, and slaps my hands away, then cuddles down into his shoulder. It's really quite cute, and sometimes we do it just for fun, to see her reaction.
This was a picture from Nicole's First Birthday, she absolutely loved her cake, so much that she was licking her plate clean, she was lucky to have 3 little parties for her birthday, that's a lot of cake testing for a one year old, not that she complained!

More Summer Fun

We had so much fun at the lake this summer.  We were blessed to have good friends out to visit with.  Mark did a lot of quadding and took Brady with him a lot.  Brady is quite the little man, he would ride all day and he doesn't complain at all.  He figures he is on a first name basis with Mark's quadding buddies, he says things like "There's Harv's quad" or "Harold has the fastest quad"  We do teach him to say Mr So and So, but he really thinks he is one of the boys.  

Both of the kids took swimming lessons at the lake pool, they did great and passed their levels.

September Start Up (Boy Child)

It's Brady's turn to start school.  Today was his first day of Kindergarten.  He was so excited, he was up just after 7 am and came bounding down the stairs with a big smile on his face, although this is pretty normal wake up routine for him, he is a morning person... like his dad (NOT his mom).  We

 walked to school and he kissed me (3x's), kissed Nicole (4x's) and gave Jayme a hug (only one).  He went in, looked back and waved and that was that!  That was when MY tears started, I knew he was ready, I knew he was excited and I knew he would be absolutely fine, but for some reason I still cried.  I didn't think I would miss him, because truthfully I am kind of looking forward to some time with just Nicole and well, he is busy and I could use that break from him!  But still, it's a change and my sweet little guy is entering into the whole new world of public schools and it will be different now forever.  OK I'm welling up again now.  When I got him at lunch time, I got the biggest hug and the tightest squeeze, and that made me feel so good.  He had a great morning... they went on a tour of the school, got to run around the gym two times, got to go to Music (the teacher is pretty - score) , listened to 3 stories and sang O Canada, just like at a hockey game.  He sang a few lines just to tell what the voice sounded like on the intercom... "O Canada, our home is made of land..."  He looked so handsome and grown up today, I am so proud of him.  I was so happy he was home, we even did 4 puzzles, played 3 games and had a "nap" on his bed, complete with snuggles.  Boy do I wish Kindergarten would last forever (OK, tears again)

Summer Fun

Here are some cute pics that really just say summer.   My sister (the amazing talented Cate, of Cate Photography) did a photo shoot of the kids eating fruit, this was a job to put up artwork at Fresh Cafe on Corydon.  So yes, the Letke-babes are "art".  Go check it out and check out Cate's website too: catephotography.com

Nicoley loves fruit and was more interested in eating it than smiling for the pictures, good thing Mark was around, because this daddy's girl smiled for him.   

September Start Up (Firstborn Child)

Well here it goes, I'm going to try my hand at this blogging thing.  Those who are looking at this probably know us, so I'll just ramble on about the kids and put up a couple pictures and that will be that!

Jayme started Grade Two today... I can't believe it!  She is getting so big.  It was a really early morning today and the adreneline  rush only lasts so and so long, so yes, there were tears.  "I forgot my snack inside at recess and now I'm starving"  Normally there wouldn't be tears about snacks, but today with all those emotions and feelings, we had tears.  I'm 25 (ok maybe not) and I sometimes have a hard time handling my feelings, I can't blame a 7 year old who is starting a new school year, in a new class, with some new students, and a new teacher and in grade 2 there's a new door to enter.  These are big things... not to mention the end of a relaxing summer where our day plans didn't ever even begin until 9 am. So I need to remind my self that these tears and the "sassy/grumpy" talking (and calling Brady "worm boy")  are the result of an over tired, over newness, under slept little girl and not the results of Grade Two Attitude... let's pray that that doesn't come later.