Celebrating a Great First Week at School

All three little Burdick children had a first great week of school.  We were so proud of all three of them.

Josie: Loved every second of it.  Someone came and read to them and she just thought that was so neat.  She had happy faces every day.  She did have a big adventure on the first day  of school.  In the mornings Joe or I will drop her off at school, and in the afternoons she rides the bus to MCDP where Joel and Jolie are at.  Well on her first day of school somone put her on the wrong bus.  When Joe went to MCDP to pick all 3 of them up, Josie wasn't there.  She wasn't the only one put on the wrong bus, and after much traveling back and forth between Coosada Elementary and MCDP, he finally had Josie safe and sound.  It never scared her and the funniest thing was that she was amazed that some kids actually got to get off the bus at their houses, ha :)  She did wake up Friday morning with a stomach bug.  She got sick several times Friday morning so she went to work with me. 

Jolie:  Was so excited to start back to her classes.  She learned her phone number before her first day so she was able to tell Ms. Jessie that she knew it.  She was even helping Ms. Jessie with the other kids at her table.  They were practicing their writing and she was telling one boy that he was doing a good job, but that wasn't quite it.  She told him to keep trying and Ms. Jessie would show them the right way.  Ms. Jessie said she was soo cute.

Joel: Is getting adjusted to being somewhere new.  He was with Ms. Debbie since he was 6 weeks old, so it has been a little difficult for him when I drop him off.  By the time I take Jolie to her classroom and walk back out he has stopped crying.  They  have bragged and bragged on him on how smart he is and how he is such a bigger helper.  He has started telling them when he has dirtied his diaper so they are hoping that potty training will be easy. 

With Josie being sick we spent a quiet night in last night (Friday night).  We had rice for dinner and watched TV.  This morning we continued our lazy streak and didn't get out of our pjs until 1:00 p.m.  After Joel woke up from his nap and we had lunch we headed to use Jolie's wonderful birthday present from last year, our Zoo membership.  We were so happy it was finally cool enough to use it again. 

Paitently waiting to board the train:

Boarded & ready to go:

Joel giving Mommy some "awwee" while we wait on the train to start.

This bird had the most beautiful feathers:

The monkey was sharing with the ducks. We could have watched for hours:

My favorite bird: Peacocks:



After the Zoo we headed to the Mall.  We ate dinner and then we took the kids to the carasoul and Build-A-Bear.  Josie made a smurf and named him "Joseph," Jolie made a horse and named him "Bear," and Joel made a dog and named him "Puppy."



 After that we headed home.  We gave the kids baths and what pjs did they put on -- why their Hyundai shirts in support of Daddy and Aunt Sheila.  (Thursday night Other Mama, MeMaw, Paw-Paw, Uncle Quint and I took a tour of the Hyundai plant.  It was really neat to know more about where Joe and Sheila work.  They had a gift shop and I got the kids shirts for $4.00 a piece.  You can't beat that.):

Joel loves his Browning: 

Next they took pictures with their new stuffed animals:

 

Last but not least it was silly face time:



First day of Preschool, K-5, and 1st Grade

It's the first day of school for all three of our babies.  Can you believe it, I know I can't. 

Last Thursday we had open house for all three.  First Joe, Josie, and I went to Josie's school and we met Josie's first grade teacher, Ms. Graham.  She gave a good first impression, but let us know first grade is nothing like what we went to.  After the second week of school Josie will have spelling, math, and language tests every week.  She will also have reading tests in the library.  This she does at her own pace.  She will read books and do a test on the computer for comprehension.  She will actually receive a letter grade in language, math, and spelling this year.  Social studies and science they do together as a class and she will recieve an S (satisfactory), U (unsatisfactory) or N (for needs improvement).  She will also be doing choir at school this year and will have a few field trips where they sing at nursing homes and a few concerts for the parents.  They will practice during school hours.  After meeting with Ms. Graham we stopped over at the kindergarten hall and visited Ms. Jackson, Josie's teacher from last year.

Joe and Josie then went home while I went to MCDP to meet with Jolie and Joel's teachers.  Ms. Jessie's is Jolie's teacher again this year.  She said Lol is a visual learner and is the fastest thinking child on her feet that she has ever met.  She also said she is a great helper and even helps with some of the students that tend to give Ms. Jessie's problems.  She said Lol makes her laugh every day and she doesn't know what she is going to do with not having a Burdick in her classroom next year :)

Next I met with Joel's teacher.  They will be teaching among other things: body parts, colors, shapes, numbers, letters, potty training, sharing, and helping get rid of his paci.  Ms. Linda was very excited about the curriculum which made me excited too.  Joel already knows some of his colors: blue, yellow, green, pink, and sometimes he may say/know red, white, purple, and orange.  He knows his eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and toes.  He tries to sing his ABCs.  He will repeat just about anything you say to him.  Warning TMI: He has also poo-pooed in the potty twice for Joe and me.  I still can't believe he is not even 2 yet and can do all this.

Yesterday after church we took it easy getting ready for today.  We painted nails, we picked out our clothes for today, and we talked about rules and expectations. 

This morning the girls were up bright and early ready for the day.  They got dressed and ate with absolutely no fights.  I was feeding Joel and I heard them in the living room, Josie was bragging to Jolie that she would have "math testeses."  I just had to laugh, then I corrected her.  She is so my child though, excited about tests.

I took some pictures before we left the house:

Sweet sisters (for the moment, ha ha):

 She wanted a picture of her finger nails:

 Joel with his backpack.  I snapped just as he set it down:

 No worries, Jolie isn't really sad she just can't help but make faces when you want to take a picture of her:

 First I dropped off Joel and Jolie.  We got out and I prayed over each of them and took my picture with them:

 Joel cried for a minute or two but then he was good.  I peeked back in after I took Jolie to her classroom and he was playing and having fun. 

Here is Jolie sitting at her new desk:

Last but not least it was time to take Josie to CES (Coosada Elementary School).  We had to search for parking because of everyone dropping off their babies and then I had forgotten to write some things down in her folder and so by the  time we got out I compltely forgot to pray over her, but I did pray the whole way to work, not only for her but for all 3.  As we walked in Josie saw a friend from MCDP.  They walked in hand-in-hand.

Josie & Mo-Mo:

 Standing outside her classroom:

Josie & Ms. Graham: 

I did great.  I never cried.  I did cry yesterday though.  We visited Millbook Methodist Church and during the service they had all the children going into school to go up front and the youth leaders, pastor, and anyone who was a teacher laid hands on them and prayed.  Those of us sitting in the congregation were supposed to reach out our hands and as we prayed. I cried and cried.  Then the teachers knelt and the kids stood up around them and laid hands on them and we prayed again.  It was very moving.  I can't explain how much it means to me to know that my children are so surrounded in prayers. 

I will report back tomorrow on how everyone's day went.  Feel free to call tonight if you want to talk to them yourselves.  They go to bed at 7:00 p.m. so call before then.

Summer Fun

I'm not quite sure how I keep going so long inbetween my posts.  To catch everyone up on our lives, I know, I know you can hardly to wait to know what all has been going on, right??

Well Joe worked anywhere from 10 to 12 hour days from July 16th through August 3.  He even worked the Saturdays.  Bless his heart, but now he is on the 6:00 a.m. to 2 something shift, so this month should be a good month for us.

I have been recouping from a fall I had in a hole in our yard one night.  Ben (my brother) and I were messing around with Joe's car that had broken down and it was dark and I was running and ran into a hole.  He took me to Pri-Med while the Burdicks came over to sit with the kids (who were all asleep).  I didn't break it, thank goodness, but I sprained it pretty bad.  I was on crutches for the first five days and an air cast for two weeks.  It is doing much better.  It is still swollen and tender, but it doesn't hurt to walk. I only hurts if I turn it wrong.  Everyone was so helpful and sweet to me and I even had some people come over to help with the kids.  I am so blessed to have the family and friends that I have.  The kids were awesome.  They have been very careful with my foot and the girls have been extra helpful.

I have taken the girls school clothes shopping and Josie and I went school supply shopping Saturday night.  All I lack are 3 items on the supply list.  Sweet girl, she has been counting down the days until she starts 1st grade in Ms. Graham's class.  She starts on August 20th.  We have open house on August 16th where we get to go see her classroom and meet Ms. Graham.

Joel will start MCDP with Jolie on August 20th.  Jolie is so excited that he will be at the same school as her.

We had a July birthday party at MeMaw and Paw-Paw's house one Saturday to celebrate Aunt Sheila's, Uncle Quint's, Paw-Paw's, Gigi's, and my birthday.  It was a good day.

I did turn 30 on July 31st.  It was a good day.  Joe brought me breakfast in bed, Other Mama took me out to lunch, and that night Sheila and Caden took me and the kids out since Joe was at work.   I guess you could say I was a little spoiled on my birthday.  Again, I am so blessed to have the family that I have. 

The most exciting thing was this weekend.  First, we had Joe home!!  He got up just in time from getting in from work at 4:00 a.m. to go to Tanner's (my nephew's 3rd) birthday.

 Tanner opening our present:



After the party we went and picked up Caden (our other nephew) and we all went to Bass Pro Shop.

Joe & Joel driving a boat:

Josie, Caden, & Jolie sitting in front of the fish tank: 

 Joel, Jolie, Josie, & Caden sitting on a four-wheeler out front:

Last year I started a tradition of using my birthday money for us to do a last hoorah before school starts back.  Last year Joe was working the weekend in Greenville so we stayed at a hotel in Greenville, and swam in the pool, rode around on the golf course, and just had a good weekend. This year, I used my birthday money to take us to the Splash Adventure in Bessemer, AL.  So Sunday morning we got up and had a home cooked breakfast by Chef Joe and then we meet up with Quint, Sheila and Ansleigh and headed to the water park.  The kids had an amazing time.  To begin with Joe and Quint stayed in the little kid's area with Ansleigh and Joel while Sheila and I took Josie, Caden, and Jolie to the bigger kids area.  They even had slides in the bigger kids area and this huge water bucket that fills up with water and then dumps down on every one.  They made it really cool but having ropes the kids could climb up to get to the slides and levers you could turn to make water come out.  Then Sheila and I took turns taking Josie & Caden on one of the adult slides.   Josie loved it!!!!  We sat in a two seater intertube and down we went.  I just kept yelling for her to make sure she held on, lol.  Next we all hit the lazy river and then lunch. Then we swapped and Sheila and I took Joel and Ansleigh to the little pool while Joe and Quint took the bigger kids to the wave pool, the bigger kid area, and down the big slide.  After that we all went back to the bigger kid area so that Ansleigh and Joel could slide.  They both loved it!!  I really could not tell you who had more fun.  Sheila and I took Caden and Josie down the big slide one more time, and we ended our trip with another lap or two or three on the lazy river.  It was an awesome day and a wonderful way to spend my birthday money.  We didn't take any pictures because we were all too busy having fun, but here are some from the website showing the attractions:

This is the bigger kid's area.  The white slides are the ones all the kids could go down.   The orange thing on top of the play ground/slide is the big bucket that would fill up with water and splash down on everyone.  I could not find any pictures of the little kids area.



 These are pictures of the big slide we took Caden and Josie down.  It is not the steep blue one, but the black one on the left.  It is a tunnel slide for most of the ride.

I'll close with a picture of the girls.  They had climbed in bed with me to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and they both fell asleep.  They were so cute before that, well I say cute, but I actually mean annoying b/c they kept asking what country each group was.  I kept saying if you would be quiet you could hear them say what country.  It was quite late, and they finally gave in to sleep: