Karate

John has been taking Karate class every Saturday for the past two months. This class has been helping with his focus. And he has been doing very well. 

Today they had a Promotion Test. Poor John was the last kid called to join the last group. He had a very hard time focusing and sitting still while everyone else was having their test.

But he did very well while he was tested. Here are some videos of his performance:

 

 

Penguin visit

Today the penguins from Jenkinson's Aquarium visited Gillian's school.  They visit every year.  Check out some of my previous posts about the penguin visit:  1) 2011 Penguins & Toothbrushes, 2) 2011 Yoshi & Checkers and 3) 2013 Penguins. 

I picked up Gillian from school today. In her cubby was an adorable picture of a penguin. When I saw her I said "I love your penguin! He's so cute!" She said "It's a girl. And a real penguin came to school today! He didn't like his cage. And and....and..." And her teacher interrupted, and said "He was new. He doesn't like his cage and he followed the trainer around the room. He was so cute." 

In the car on our way to get John, Gillian told me more. "They use their beaks when their hair gets crazy! But they don't gots no hair!" I asked "Did you get to pet him?" She said "No! Cause he would bite me!" I asked "So what else to penguins eat besides little girls?" She laughed at me and said "He doesn't eat people! Thems eat fish. And some other stuff. But the boy only likes fish! And him's didn't like his cage. He would put his wings up when he had to go in!" 

When we got home, she posed with her penguin. She decided "Hers a girl. And her name is Sparkle!"

The accident

Gillian found Buddy, our elf on the shelf, in her room this morning. He was riding one of her toy horses. 

I guess Buddy wasn't holding on too tightly. After bath tonight, Gillian slammed her drawer shut and Buddy fell. He feel to the floor just missing hitting Gillian on his way down. Gillian was shocked. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't pick him up (because he would lose his magic) and she couldn't step forward. She immediately started crying. She didn't know what to do. Daddy was there to rescue her. He called me in to help. She kept saying "Don't touch him! But we can't leave him there. I don't want him squished!" I ran downstairs and grabbed some tongs and I picked him up and put him back on the dresser. She was very happy to have him back where he belonged. She apologized, "Sorry Buddy!" Poor girl was traumatized.  

A wink and a smile

On Friday, I picked up both kids from their schools and we stopped at Rite Aid. I needed two things, a card and my prescription. We found a card and then headed to the back of the store to the pharmacy. There was a short line and it was moving very slowly. I told the kids to sit down while I waited in line. The line was moving slowly because the clerk wasn't using the register at the counter. She was ringing everyone up by register at the drive thru window. Finally it was my turn, John joined me at the counter. I gave the clerk my name (to get my prescription), the card and my debit card, so that she only had to walk to the back register once. When she came back I had to sign a receipt, John took that opportunity to wink and smile at her. She laughed and said "Thanks. That smile just gave me a second wind!" My sweet boy. 

I asked him later if he knew what he did. He said "Yea. I just smiled at her." I explained "You made her day better." He smiled and said "Yea. I know." 

Crazy hair

This morning John was awake super early. Since he was up early I asked him to wake up Gillian. I heard him wake her up. He was sweet and the two of them headed to my room to find Buddy, our elf. John stopped Gillian and said "Um, Gill. Your hair." And he patted her hair. But the piece didn't move. He started to tell her again, but I just looked at him. He said "What? I was just trying to help!" Poor Gilly, awake for less than a minute and her brother was hassling her over her crazy hair. 

The duck

I picked up Gillian from school today. In the car on our way to get John, Gillian wanted to play I Spy again. But I didn't want to play. I guess she got frustrated with me, so she started to quack. Instead of calling her out on making the noise, every time she would quack I said "Gillian did you hear that?" And she would laugh and then do it again. I asked "Gillian, is there a duck back there?" She laughed and said "No!" She laughed some more at me and then quacked again. I said "Gillian, there it is again? Did you hear it?" She said "No!" It didn't stop her. She continued to quack. I lowered the volume on the radio and said "Listen, can you hear it now?" She giggled and said "I don't hear it." And then she quacked again. "Gilly, did you hear that? I think there's a duck in here!" She laughed and laughed. We got all the way to John's school by giggling at the silly duck stuck in our car. 

The meatball

I made meatballs and pasta for dinner tonight. I served everyone their dinner and we proceeded with talking about our day. I watched John help himself to seconds and I saw him make sure he got two extra meatballs. Gillian asked me "Mama, can I have another meatball?" I said "Sorry, Johnny got the rest of them. There's no more left." She pouted. John meanwhile, cut up his meatballs. He took half and said "Here Gill!" She was so excited. Daddy and I were so proud. Such a good big brother.