Thursday, September 25, 2014

New Adventures


After a lot of unpacking and adjusting, we are finally settling into our new home and schools!  Most importantly, both kids are doing well with all the changes and seem to be happy in their new routines.  They both really enjoy their new rooms and are sleeping well (whew, says Mom and Dad)! 

Natalie has adjusted well to her new daycare and has bonded with her teacher.  She really seems to thrive on the routine and is making new friends.  Amy loves that she can visit her during the day since she is right downstairs from her office.  They are having fun in the car together everyday too!

Natalie is learning so much, so fast! Her language skills continue to grow, constantly surprising us with new words.  She is able to follow directions, and seems to enjoy cleaning up after herself.  She demands to wipe off her own hands and face after eating, and is starting to put her toys away when she is done playing.  We like the way this is trending!  And, she has officially discovered Elmo.  Sigh.  She LOVES him and is pretty sure that our phones exist only for her to watch Elmo's World.  She will bring them to us and ask Elmo, Elmo??? 

Harrison is thriving at his new school.  It has the same basic curriculum as his old school, which has helped a lot with the transition.  But there are a lot of fun differences too.  Now, the "school" part is over mid-afternoon, and he likes that he gets to stay for "afternoon fun-time."  They have a few pet animals too, which he enjoys taking care of.  Unsurprisingly, Harrison is well-liked by both his new friends and his teachers.  He can count to 100 now, and continues to memorize books and work on his phonics.

As usual, Harrison succeeds in providing us with great lines that we need to archive for future reference.  Recently, Amy was trying to talk to him about setting an example for his sister, so she can learn how to be a big kid.  His response: "Mommy, she has years before she will need to know that."  What do you even say?

Now that we are unpacked and a bit more settled, we are starting to be able to enjoy our new neighborhood, and a little bit of extra time spent not commuting.  You will notice pictures of playtime, park time, birthday parties, and lots of quality time with the cousins.  It has been fabulous to be so close to them!