Swim Lessons...Jacob started his swim lessons this morning. He was very nervous when he got there and cried because the pool looked SO big. But as soon as his teacher got him and they got in the pool, he was fine. There are only 3 kids in his class right now so it was a really nice size group. He had a GREAT time! He said it was so much fun and he can't wait to go back next week. So, I am very relieved. And I could watch the lesson from the bleachers. Or, the rest of the pool is open swim so I could even swim with Julia IF I was so inclined...sure...

Ending On A High Note...Well, after a rocky start Julia is ending the week with flying colors. This was her first week where she went to Pre-K two afternoons a week at our church and then she has Toddler Time for an hour on Friday mornings at the library. For the first time EVER, we got through an entire Toddler Time without ANY fits! Hallelujah!!! I was so excited and did major rewards to reinforce the good behavior. Cross your fingers that we can keep up the good work.

Jacob starts swim lessons tomorrow morning. He'll go every Saturday morning for 10 weeks. It'll be fun for him. However, I have heard from several people that the rec center pool is the COLDEST around. Doesn't sound good too me but kids have a much higher tolerance level.

Julia's Birthday Party...Well, last night we celebrated Julia's 3rd birthday here at home. Mom made the cake, Jacob was in charge of decorations, and the rest was a blur of present opening and cake eating. We may have a blossoming country-n-western singer on our hands.

Biker Chick...Even Biker Chicks get thirsty!

Big 3!!!...Our baby girl, Miss Julia, is 3 yrs old today. I can't believe it! Jacob and I will be making her cake later today and we will celebrate tomorrow when Dad gets back in town. It is a momentous day. Today Julia will start going to a Pre-K 3 yr old program at our church 2 afternoons a week. There are 9 kids in her class and 2 teachers. We visited yesterday and she loved it so this will be a good opportunity for her to learn to play with others in a structured environment. Will keep you posted on the progress...ha!

I'll Say It Again...God is GREAT! Went to church this morning and had fabulous music and an organization called Teen Challenge there this morning speaking and giving testimony. Apparently, there are 200 Teen Challenge facilities across the country. They are Christian facilities that help to rehabilitate teens and young adults who have been addicted to drugs, alcohol, etc. and many who have led lives of crime and also help them to know Jesus. They have a men's choir that came and sang and 3-4 of the men gave their testimony. God works so many miracles in people's lives. The preacher was talking about how our battles are really God's battles if we let him in our hearts and that things that seem impossible to overcome can be with God as our Savior. The music and message were so moving. It was really wonderful to hear.

Had my second day of work last night. Really enjoying my job and the people. Hopefully I will get to work again soon when John's schedule works for me to do so.

Mighty Superheros...If you can't guess, we have 2 children disguised as superheros. Jacob is Batman Power Ranger. We play A LOT of superheros around here and Julia is always on the hunt to "watch out for bad guys". They are hilarious!!!

I started my part time job last night at Sutton Place. It was a lot of fun. The atmosphere is nice, the people were very friendly, and they had great (mostly 80's) music playing all night long. So even it you have a lull, you are entertained. So, I think once I get the job down pat, it'll be a fun place to go to work.

Julia and Daddy Go for a Ride...Here are a few pictures of Julia and John getting ready to go for a ride in the rickshaw. She loves to go, go, go!!!

Parent's Night...Last night was Parent's Night at Jacob's school. We all went. They had a presentation and then you got to go to your child's classroom for a presentation from their teacher. They had a whole bag of stuff for us to take home with things to do and know throughout the year. There was also a precious picture of Jacob in a picture frame that they had made on the first day of school. You can see his feelings written all over his face. He was a little nervous that day and working hard to be brave. What a boy!

A Girl and Her Daddy...Julia and John headed to the park yesterday for a little fun. Boy, does that girl love to SWING!!!

I GOT A JOB!!!...Good for me! I am going to be hostessing at a nice restaurant/bar here in Long Beach called Sutton Place. They even have a website but I can't remember what it is right now. My next door neighbor, Brona, and our babysitter, Katie, both work there. I went in today to interview with the manager, Deb. I start training Friday night. I will only be working part time on days that John is off work or filling in if they have someone call in sick when John is on reserve if he isn't working that day. It'll be nice to bring extra income into the house but also be out of the house from time to time talking to other ADULTS...ha!

www.spgrille.com

Spirit-filled 3 Days...I have been very fortunate to have 3 Holy Spirit filled days in a row. Sunday the kids and I went to church and were blessed by wonderful music and a great message. Monday night, I had my first Women's Ministry Prayer Meeting at our church. It was really interesting. The speaker was witnessing about having been born a Jew and then becoming a Christian. It was very moving and touch on all the different roles in her life and how all her blessings as mother, wife, worker, etc. all came full circle back to God. It was very moving. Then, this morning I had my first women's bible study with other women from church in my area. It was so great because I could bring Julia and there were other children there. It was a child friendly home where I could enjoy the fellowship and not be worrying all the time about what Julia was getting into. This group meets each Tuesday morning at 10am. It was so great to be meeting some other women to become friends with that are going through the same things I do. One thing I have learned at every meeting...men and women communicate very different...ha! Bet you didn't know that, huh?!?

Quiet Sunday...John left for Paris yesterday and the kids and I went to church this morning. Had a couple a ladies who run the children's programs ask if I could help out in the nursery once a month. Thinking about it since Julia goes each week and it is hard for them to have consistent people working the nursery. Then the kids and I came home for a quiet afternoon at home.

Went down to the garage and pulled out storage bins of winter wear to start getting everything clean and ready to wear. I'm not sure how early it gets cold here where you need a coat or a hat or whatever so I figured it is time to start switching some stuff around.

Tonight, we made homemade pizza. The rest of the evening will be bath time and a little bit of homework.

I am researching part time jobs that I could do from home so if anyone has any ideas, let me know. You should see me trying to update my resume after 5+ yrs of being at home...ha! Luckily, the big details come back to you but the little ones...not so much! Ha!

Toddler Time...Julia and I started back to Toddler Time at the library today. It is such a great program and FREE! We are going to have an adjustment period, I can tell...Julia does just fine if we are dancing, singing, doing arts and crafts. But she throws an embarrassing hissy fit when it is time to be still on the floor for activities like ready or sorting shapes onto a lace shoestring. Luckily, Miss Donna is very patient with her and recognizes that this is how she will learn to be better at this activity.

Then Julia and I headed to Costco for rations. Just love it! I can get so many of our everyday items for so much cheaper than the grocery. But I have to be careful not to buy things I don't have room to store or that it would take me months to use. Some things are just better to buy at the regular grocery store with my discount card or Target/Walmart.

Have had 2 rainy days in a row with temperatures around 68-70 degrees. It has been really pleasant and the rain has not been hard enough to really be a pain in the toucus. Today I did drive Jacob to school for the first time, though, just so I wouldn't have to push the stroller and hold the umbrella at the same time like yesterday. It is do-able but a little awkward...ha!

Happy Birthday, John!

Second Lost Tooth...Well, another momentous day! Yesterday was John's birthday and first thing in the morning, Jacob lost his second from baby tooth. He was so excited the tooth fairy was coming back to bring more money...ha...a true entrepreneur...ha! Then yesterday afternoon he helped me make and decorate John's birthday cake. Then he made homemade games for us to play at the party. It was very cute! Unfortunately, John didn't feel well yesterday so we didn't get to do much but Jacob's not worried since it is all just waiting to play with later...lucky us...ha!

Week #2...Well, Jacob has started week 2 of kindergarten and is still loving it. The highlight of today was that the teacher changed their seats around and he is now sitting beside Snowy (the girl that he said last week was too pretty to talk to). He said that was his favorite part of the day. He said she was very nice with brown hair but pierced ears like me. What a hoot!

We got our first fundraising packet of the year today. So far, he really likes homework but most of the work is actually for me. Is that the same for everyone?

Swim Lessons...Well, this morning Jacob, Julia and I showed up at 8:30am to the rec ctr to get him signed up for swim lessons. There were only 36 slots for his age group but we were number 38 in line. Registration started at 9am and you should have seen the line down the block. But Jacob got a slot and starts swim lessons on Sept 30 for 10 weeks. Yea! Very relieved since we live so close to the beach.

Day Two...Once again, Jacob had a great day at school. He is really enjoying himself. They already have a field trip scheduled for Meadows Farm in October. One of us will try to go if John is off work. We are already settling in to a sort of routine around here. Won't quite get it all together until Julia starts her activities next week. The hardest part is getting everything done by 9pm so Jacob can get in bed in time to get a good nights sleep so he won't be tired the next day. Tomorrow he is going to take money with him to school to buy his lunch in the cafeteria since it is "pizza friday". Gosh, don't you remember that?!?! It was the best meal of the week when I was a kid. The schools are way more health conscious than when I was in school. The offer all kinds of healthy meals every day. I'm just not sure Jacob would actually pick the healthy options if I gave hime money every day.

Night Time Walk with Dad...Julia and John went to pick up a few things for me last night and decided to take a walk (run) on the beach last night. They came back happy and sandy. Ha!

Picking Jacob up from School...We were all really excited to pick Jacob up from schoo. It had seemed like a long day. It was a madhouse with all the kids. But the teachers were very thorough in making sure the right kids were going to the right people/buses.

Jacob's First Day of Kindergarten...WOW!!! What a day! And what an emotional roller coaster! Jacob had such a great time and is looking forward to going back tomorrow. He met several new friends. He loved going to the library and playing on the fire engine playground most of all. He came home with a handprint and an arts/crafts homework assignment. He liked homework and wanted to know if there was some more to do. He saved half of his lunch and brought it home to share with his dad...what a sweet boy. He also liked it that his teacher could play the piano and played a game called echo where they would repeat back to her what she did or said on the piano. He was really happy to see us at the end of the day but anxious to go back. He wanted to know when he could ride the school bus but we explained we are "walkers". Cannot imagine being strong enough to send my baby off by himself in a school bus across town. I would wind up following them in the car to make sure everything was ok. Yikes!

Got Julia signed up for Toddler Time again at the library. That starts back up next week. John has a trip to Rome tomorrow afternoon so he is taking Jacob to school in the morning and I'll pick him up. I can't believe my child is in school. It doesn't seem real. Julia had a blast today here at home by herself and didn't really seem to notice her brother was gone. But she loved it when it was time to go to school to get him. Just waiting for the fit when she wants to stay with him.

Rickshaw Rides...Went on a really nice family bike ride last night after dinner. The kids both chant "rickshaw" which is what we call the cart that goes behind John's bike that we pull them in. It is really cool! The kids love it when John and I race each other on the bikes. They yell FASTER, FASTER! Anyway, we went for a nice long ride along the boardwalk. It was such a beautiful night and then we stopped for ice cream. Julia ate her ice cream faster than I have ever seen any person eat ice cream. I can believe she didn't cry from a brain freeze. Then she moved on to daddy's pistacio ice cream cone.

When we got home, Jacob was hurrying us all along that he needed to get to bed and we better make tuck-in time quick since the tooth fairy was coming. He was trying to negotiate with John about why he couldn't see the tooth fairy when she came. Maybe he could just shut one eye. John explained that that isn't how it works and she won't even come if you are awake and waiting for her. She'll pass you by and come back when you are asleep. Such a negotiator.

Julia is so social. Everywhere we got she announces her arrival and then sometime during her visit, she usually finds some random stranger (adult or kid...doesn't matter) to befriend. She then takes them by the hand to lead them to whatever she wants to do or be. Yesterday at the beach, she befriended an older lady just standing in the surf by herself. Next thing you knew, she grabbed the lady's hand and brought her back to the sand tunnels we were making to let the water flood down a ditch into a big hole. The lady joined in and we all celebrated when the tide got high enough to start filling the hole. I told John that Julia would be our child who brought home all stray animals and people when she got bigger. He agreed. Looks like we'll have a full dinner table as she gets older...oh well, God is good.

First Lost Tooth...Jacob lost his first baby tooth this afternoon. He is SO excited! We had been at the beach all afternoon with our friends, Wayne and Jennifer and their kids, and after we came back the kids were eating snacks. I went to go get my shower and John and Jacob came running in to show me is lost tooth. WOW! He is psyched about the tooth fairy coming. Three firsts in one week...Julia's big girl bed, Jacob's lost tooth, and Jacob starting school this Wednesday. WOW!!!

Goodbye Crib, Hello Big Girl Bed...Well, Julia has spent the last 2 days in her big girl bed and LOVES it! So, last night John took apart her crib and put it in the garage. It was kind of sad since it means our baby girl isn't a baby anymore. It felt really weird. It has always been up since Jacob was born so it is the first time there isn't a crib in the house...it was an odd feeling.

Quote of the Day by Jacob Elliott during bath time with his sister: "Sissy, you have little bitty baby boobys and mommy has great big grownup boobys." (followed by a lot of laughter from mom and dad)

Hallelujah!!!...Well, big news at the Elliott's...Julia spent the first night last night in her big girl bed!!! It took a while to get to sleep since she was SO excited but she slept all night long. And I had to go in and wake her up at 9am to go to church. She was still sleeping. She never banged on the door or anything. Now, when we first turned out the lights we had to kind of go back in and reassure her but then she was fine. We are so thrilled. Hopefully, she will continue to do so well after all her things are back in her room.

This morning at church I got invited to attend a women's bible study on Tuesday mornings that is starting back up in a week. I am really excited since it is a group that lives in my area and I've already met a couple of the women. And the kicker is, since it is I can bring Julia since there are other stay at home moms with kids! Hallelujah! That way, it won't matter if John is working or not. I am so excited! God is so GREAT! And just keeps putting us right where he wants us. I love that.

Dave and Buster's Arcade

Northeaster or Monsoon, You Decide...It has BLOWN and RAINED like I have not seen in a LONG time today. It is all a result of the lingering effects of Tropical Storm Ernesto. It has blown from the east all day so it seems like the front of the house just has these HUGE gusts of wind. To get out of the house and also accomplish stuff, John and Jacob took off to the Dave and Buster's arcade to play games, eat nachos, and watch football. But Jacob got a brand new rain slicker out of the deal and Julia got a canopy for her new big girl bed. Yea!

Manhattanites Come to Long Beach for the Monsoon...Ha! We are having one heck of a windy, cool, rainy day! Our friends, Jayme and Chris, came out from the city with their kids to visit and eat pizza after they had gone to look at a car out here. Had a really nice visit! Although, with 4 kids in the house 5 yrs and under, there is always someone who wants a parent's attention...ha! But everyone gets along really well so that is nice.

Loose Tooth...Well, we're on loose tooth patrol. Jacob is getting very close to losing his first baby tooth. It is one of the teeth on the bottom front. He is very excited AND nervous. He doesn't want it to hurt but is thrilled that the tooth fairy will be coming. He doesn't know how she knows when every child loses a tooth and why she has to come at night while he is sleeping (same reason as Santa, we think) but nonetheless is excited for the cash payout....ha! Oh well...the next thing in a whole line of firsts.