Matthias Preschool

Some moms here invited me to be in their co-op preschool and I am super excited! We do just once a week which is perfect and with 5 of us we only teach every five weeks. They started with school several weeks ago, but Matthias had his first class last week and loved it so much. All day he was talking about "my school". I'm really glad they invited as Matthias has been so lonely without James around. He's learning to play with Hannah a lot better though.

James in School

I've had really mixed feelings about this and now that he is actually attending a public school I feel about exactly the same as always. But he seems to be making some friends and learning a tiny bit.

He likes his teacher and enjoys recess. What kid doesn't? I think it's ridiculous that 5 year olds have to attend 7 hours of school and then do homework as well. But apparently that is just me.

He was super excited for his first day! We were thinking about keeping him home until we moved in November so he wouldn't have to switch, but we decided to just put him in. He was so excited they said he could come that morning I called so we hurried to get ready and run to the school.

And he has done wonderful waking up and getting ready mostly on his own, then heading out the door with Taylor. I really can't believe he is so grown up.

He says lots of things such as:

"That wasn't like kindergarten at all. I didn't learn anything."

"I can't wait until first grade."

"I don't think I will learn anything until second or third grade. I have read too many books."

"No one in my class speaks Spanish." (completely untrue), to which I said "I'm sure they do, just not in class since school is in English."

And the whole boiled egg incident...

When he got home I asked him why he hadn't eaten the egg and he just shrugged. About an hour later he said, "Mom, I didn't want to eat my boiled egg because no one has ever had a boiled egg before."

Me: I'm glad you would tell me how you are feeling. I'm sure lots of kids like boiled eggs.

James: No, I'm saying no one has ever had a boiled egg as school before. Ever.

Me: Maybe they just never thought of it and they will see your egg and ask their mom for one too.

James: Oh.

The following picture was courtesy of Matthias, who has been lonely.

Texas Harveys Have Returned

I've only been using this blog as a family journal lately, but I will take a minute to use it as an updating tool.

We currently live in Austin, TX. And we are so excited to be back to humidity, warmth, and fire ants. Hannah already had her first run in the second day we were here and now says "Bad ants. Bite you. Mouth."

Taylor has always been wanting to get a PhD and with the downturn in his company we decided to go for it. He applied last fall, so I have been keeping this secret for almost a year now. Well about six months then we started telling people last spring there just hasn't been anything official out so unless you heard it from me or the gossip line then you wouldn't know.

He is attending UT Austin (go Longhorns) and started a couple weeks ago. Getting used to school and getting up early and doing homework and all that fun stuff. Right now we are living in a house with a short term lease (2 months) while we find a home to hopefully buy and if not something to rent in an area we prefer.

James will be starting Kindergarten here at this school, but will switch when we move again. The kids are doing really well with the move. We are all just really glad to be back together right now and have our own beds...as comfortable as G-ma Harvey's beds are, Hannah is sleeping through the night again just like that. Don't know what was up the 3 weeks in Utah when she woke up screaming 4 times a night. Very exhausting.

In other news Hannah's hair is long enough for pigtails.

That's all folks.

We're All Together Again

Matthias near the end of our 24.5 hour car ride over 3 days...

"Driving in the car isn't any fun."

Hannah Really Misses Her Daddy

Hugging Uncle Scott

Talk

James: We saw the third most deadliest spider.


James: Who are the kids of this Grandma? (meaning Taylor's mom)
Me: Well Dad,
James: I know that.
Me: and Uncle Cameron,
James: I know.
Me: and Leigh,
James: I didn't know that.
Me: and Katelyn. She has four kids.
James: I thought she had Todd.
Me: Nope, Leigh. And she married Todd.
James: Where did she find him?


Today at church Hannah reached over and scratched Matthias across the face (he has a mark where she broke the skin). Matthias looked over at her and she said "Sorry Matt." Then Matthias hugged her. Glad everything was resolved so quickly.


While visiting friends the kids were playing happily most of the day. At one point Katelyn noticed a puncture in her bike seat.

Katelyn: Matt bit my bike.
Bec: I don't think he could bit like that, it's like a puncture.
Katelyn: Matt poked my bike with a pencil.
Bed: You don't know that, maybe it wasn't Matthias.
Katelyn; OF COURSE it was Matt!
Me: I agree with that sentiment.


Later Whitney came in crying that James had hit her so I went out to check on the three older kids.
Me: What's going on out here? James did you hit Whitney with a pencil?
Katelyn: Actually it was Matt.
James: Whitney is not being nice and usually she is nice.



While at my parents' house the boys were hanging off the lower branches of the tree, really small hanging pieces and stripping off the leaves. I came out to tell them not to ruin Grandpa's tree and all of a sudden about 6 feet from where they were standing a huge branch probably 5 feet long and pretty full fell from the tree.

James & Matthias: We didn't do that.
Me: I know, it just fell out probably from the wind storm the other day loosening it.
Matthias: We didn't do that. Because it was too high for us.

Father's and Son's Campout

This year was Matthias first year to go and he was ecstatic. I made the mistake of putting the new Spiderman backpack I bought him Thursday night at the foot of his bed. So he was up at 4 am playing with it. I don't know that he ever when back to sleep. By 7 he was dressed with his backpack packed and ready to go.

Then Taylor left for work to his great distress. "But is it a short day?" (Taylor got half days every Friday). So I assured him it was a short day and dad would be home soon.

He spent the rest of the day wearing his backpack around. I had him take a nap before he could go. A couple hours later he came downstairs with his backpack still on. (my mom got a picture of this, but sadly I didn't).

They finally left around 5 pm. The boys had an absolute blast. Their best friend Ryan came and the three of them went off exploring all night. The dads told them they could only go 3 trees away and off they went happy as little boys can be. The next morning they got to try out a zip line and loved that. They had a such a wonderful time hanging with Dad!







My family was in town, but I still made it to bed at 10pm, turned on my window fan for white noise and to actually have one night sleeping with a quilt rather than sweating to death. Flipped on Hannah's monitor and slept 9 amazing hours with no interruptions. Heaven.

I think we should have Father's and Son's a couple times a year...