Don't Forget the Lyrics

For those of you (all of us) that do not know the words to the Yellow song, here they are! Reagan was thoughtful enough to write them down for you. (excuse my voice--I'm a teacher, not an American Idol)

He kind of did some short hand and just drew the pictures of the "early morning sun", "daffodils and baby ducks", "lemonade and scrambled eggs", "smiley face", and "happy fellow". But I think you get the idea.

Here's the story: Reagan's class learns a color of the week, and there is a song for every color. The first week of school was the week for yellow. He actually first learned these songs during his second year of TPK when he was 2 and 3, but he wasn't writing then.

When he was outside this morning he found his yellow sidewalk chalk. I told him to write "yellow" for me--he had done this at school last week for his teacher, Mrs. Burch. I wasn't expecting him to write out the whole song!!!

I'm just a tiny bit proud. :)

A Cold Snap

Instead of the high temperature being 112 today, I think it was more like 92 or so. Reagan felt the difference, and dressed like this. To go to Fry's. Really.

I don't know what got into him, but all of a sudden he had to wear his winter hat because "it is cold outside, and I don't want my head to get cold." Um, ok.

But why the backpack for a shopping trip to an electronics store?

He did take his wallet (which is in his hand), but there was no money in the wallet. Just a nerf dart from a dart gun.

I don't know how much that'll buy him.

I don't think I need to explain the video. But someone needs to explain to me what the fascination is with dirt in your face.

A New Adventure

In September of 2006, when Reagan was almost 2 years old, he started going to Treasure Patch Kids (TPK) which is a mother's day out program at a local church here in Round Rock. I cried when I dropped him off...for his whole FOUR HOURS of time away from me two days a week. He loved his teacher Ms. Patti, and he was excited to go back the next year.

In 2007 he entered Ms. Kelli's class at TPK, and he made great friends (Cash is his buddy). He learned a lot through that year, and I was excited about the next year because two of his life-long friends (yeah, I know he's only 3 at this point) were going to be going to TPK the next year.

Last year, 2008, was a big change. Reagan continued going to TPK and was in Ms. Brenda's class. Cash was still in his class, as well as Kennedy and Kendall...although I really think the boys played with the boys, and the girls played with the girls. On the three days that Reagan was not at TPK he was at preschool at Rainbow Station. He started preschool because I went back to work teaching in Cedar Park. Reagan has really learned many things from his teacher Ms. Aatif at Rainbow Station--he writes his name, draws pictures, traces and copies pictures, writes his friends' names, counts to 124 (random, I know), sings nursery rhymes, etc. And he liked going to Rainbow Station...most of the time.

Well, tomorrow starts a new school year for me. And for Reagan. Reagan has been fortunate enough to get into the ELE Friends program at the elementary school where I teach. This is an amazing program!! It is a literacy based program that pretty much follows the pre-K Leander ISD curriculum. The neat thing about ELE Friends is that it is made up of faculty member's kiddos--3-5 year olds--but they work with little kids from the district that have developmental disabilities. (ELE is the program for the district kids...the Friends are the faculty kids.) Not only will he be learning a fabulous pre-K program, but he will also be learning empathy, patience, tolerance, etc. Another great thing about it is that we'll be saving about $600/month in tuition!

He will be on my schedule. So if I have a staff development day, he still has school. He will be waking up early tomorrow for his first day. I'm looking forward to spending the mornings with him on the way to work, and I am thrilled to be in the same building with him all day! This is such a huge advantage that teacher-moms have. I imagine peeking in on him or seeing him at lunch, and I think that will just make my days even better.

All of this is a tad bitter-sweet. I'm sad that Reagan will no longer be going to TPK. I loved the Bible based curriculum, and he has made some wonderful friends. I was hoping that he'd "graduate" from there this year...

This is a huge change for our entire family. Since I have to be at work at 7:15, so does Reagan! He usually wakes up at 8am, and now he'll be getting up around 6am! I'm assuming this means that bedtime will be around 7pm...which is usually when David gets home from work. So David's schedule will also be changing.

Our new adventure begins tomorrow...

It is a Good Morning...

...when you have new shoes.

This is what I woke up to this morning:

We got him new shoes for school last night. He picked them out. They are not my idea of "style", but this is something he can choose himself. He put them right next to his bed last night. And I guess the first thing he did was put them on this morning!

I haven't asked him nor his daddy on why he isn't wearing any clothes and is just hanging out in his undies. I may not want to know the answer.

Swim School Part 1

Reagan has been taking swimming lessons since early June at Nitro Swim. He is doing really well. There are 10 stations that he will work through, and the goal is to swim five feet on his own. The classes are at a ratio of 1 teacher to 3 kids, and the teachers are amazing! They know exactly what each kid needs to work on--whether it is a kid's first time in that station or their 8th time.

Reagan is currently in station 4 which is "back floats". He can swim on his back all by himself, but he just doesn't have the confidence to do so. Once he knows the teacher has let go of him he freaks out.

He may be in station 4 for a loooooong time.

Here are a few pictures from his first two lessons...in early, early June.

On his first day...he and David look quite a bit alike in this picture.

He has bright yellow goggles which makes it very easy to spot him in the pool.

Swimming!!!

Oh Brother

Reagan says he's going to have a sister. He told me, "When I'm five, she'll be four. And when I'm six, my sister will be five."

I told him that he doesn't have a sister. He said, "No. Not yet, Mommy. But when I'm five, she'll be four."

He'll be five in two months.

I wonder where he's hiding her...