Ursula Helping With the Dishes

She Just LOVES to help me wash dishes... as you can see, she got a head start; guess she's trying to tell me its time to wash dishes, huh? LOL

Just so you know, she dressed herself in that outfit! LOL

Doggone It!

Calista's school is having Open House tonight and I can't find a way to go :( Jeremy's still at work until at least 7pm. Jen isn't answering her phone or door (I heard footsteps when I knocked... but, that could be McKenzie and Jen might be sleeping). Brandi was stuck in Lafayette traffic... crap, crap, crap. I really hate missing school events!

Sleepover @ the Grandparents'

Both Calista and Ursula, once again, went sleep over at Jeremy's parents' house. This is Ursula's 3rd time! Nathan came pick them up tonight. Ursula was excited... all she talked about all day was going sleep over at Papa's house. Not sure when they're coming home or even how. I imagine Jeremy'll pick them up on his way home tonight.

Calista's Testing

This week, all of the schoolkids had to get some sort of testing. First graders got tested for Dyslexia. The testing was supposed to take about 40 minutes. When we got there, we had to wait a good bit before it was Calista's turn. She finally gets in, is in there for maybe 20 minutes... prolly less time. She comes out with a sticker on her hand and her teacher tells me that she did really well and she can see that she's a good student. I talked to her teacher for a little bit. While we were chatting, Ursula found some blue wooden beads on this thick string. Well, she dropped them and I went to go pick them up and the teacher told me not to worry about it, that she'd get it. Well, Ursula picked them all up and started stringing them back onto the string. The teacher looked at me and told me what she was doing. That was one of the tests!!! And apparently, not ALL 6 y.o.'s can do it! Its a timed test. She said some drop them, some take a really long time to do it. Ursula had NO problem whatsoever putting them all back on (I think there was 5 beads) and she did it pretty fast. The teacher was impressed :D hehehe

The teacher told me she talked to Calista about her constant talking during class. It sounded like she might have gotten through to her... I have also talked to her about that as well... so maybe between the two of us, something got through to her... that she needs to be quiet at certain times... esp. in class.

Calista's in Trouble Already!

Here it is, the second day of school and already Calista has not only a sad face on her composition book but her teacher called me tonight!!! YES! I don't believe any of my teachers EVER called my parents about me! Apparently, there were mainly 7 kids involved... 2 of which got paddled!!! Don't know which two those were. I do know Kelsey and Khadijah(sp?) were part of the seven. Brandi gave me more info about all of that. Calista's teacher only told me that she was talking too much. Brandi said that they were walking around the room, talking, and not listening at all to the teacher... like she was talking to a brick wall. So, I am guessing Calista was as bad as the others... but still... I gave her a talking to and hopefully I got through to her. Its an adjustment time for them. Kindergarten was way different from first grade. Maybe the teacher needed a little more patience too.

Calista's First Day of 1st Grade

Today, my neighbor, Jen, her dd, McKenzie brought me and the 3 girls to the first day of school.

Calista's in Mrs. Richard's class. Looks like they have the same kids from last year's kindergarten class in this one as well as like 5 new kids. Its like 25 kids or so... sounds like they need more teachers.



Anyways, Calista came home all excited and happy telling me how much she enjoyed her first day, how fun it was, how fun her teacher is, etc.

This year, that $20 supplement fee is actually justifiable! There's actually like 5 workbooks (if not more) in each desk for each kid! The teachers even want us to buy a bag for the desk, to put behind them, to hold all the books!!! Another $10... Jeremy wants me to make one... I don't have the measurements plus it'll cost prolly $5 to make... in addition to me never making one before... I have no idea how to go about it... well, that's not entirely true, I'm sure I can figure it out... I think I'll just make him pay the $10! lol


Here's Calista's classroom, well, partial. I've named the kids I know from last year. Notice Ursula sitting with her sister! hehehe Yes, she's 'The Mimic' :D

The boy sitting in front of Calista is the little boy that was her 'boyfriend' last school year :D hehe When we first got to the classroom, we had to wait outside until the bells rung. Well, she saw Joshua and she immediately started chasing him! Apparently, his mom was his base... lol Well, being that Calista was chasing him, Soleil, Kelsey, and Ursula followed suit. It was funny :D Esp. with Ursula running around :)

A Couple of More Pics of Ursula

And wow! Another couple of good pictures of my pumpkin head, Ursula! Woohoo! Looks like she's getting over that grouchy, don't-point-the-camera-at-me stage! yay!

I just LOVE this outfit she's wearing. I couldn't resist buying it from Wal-Mart a couple of months back. Its a size 3! And, already, looks like the pants are shorter then they were when I first bought them! She loves this outfit too... she will always pick it out to wear.

School Starts Again

Calista goes back to school, 1st grade, this coming Thursday!!! Man, the summer really does pass by quickly! She's excited though because she gets to catch the bus with her new friend/neighbor, MaKenzie. She's going to 2nd grade; her first time at that school with Calista.

Of course, Ursula says she's going to school too... hehehe

Last night, we went buy her school supplies. We didn't have to buy a school bag since the one from last year is still in great shape. We did buy 2 more red shirts though since the ones from last year are too short. She can get away with wearing them whenever she wears her dresses/jumpers though. Plus, we'll be able to buy more whenever Jeremy gets paid this Friday.

Of course, I'll take pics of her for her first day and post them :D

Wow, A Good Picture Of Ursula!

Let me explain. This child, for the longest time, would NOT let me take a good picture of her.

Recently, she's actually been posing for me! woohoo! Yay! I'm so excited! I hadn't brought her to take pictures since she was 12 mths old because she wouldn't smile and it was a huge headache to get her to even sit there to take the picture.

So, maybe this is a good sign that, whenever I have the money, I can bring the girls in to take pics; maybe even family pics, before the baby is born.

BTW, this pic was taken in my Gram's house (the one who just passed away this past April... before I knew for sure I was pregnant; my last granparent). My sister, Angele and her dh, Shane are living in the house now.

Ursula's actions @ 2½

This is from an email update I sent to the Dec'02 group I'm in... figured I'd c&p it here as well :)
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Her vocabulary has skyrocketed! She's using 'and' to connect different thoughts and 'too' all the time. If there's 2 items that are alike, she says she has two of them. So far, that's the only number she knows and understands... lol But, honestly, I haven't worked with her on any of those things... not like I did for Calista.

Like Ursula is just now trying to sing her ABC's; Calista was saying them/singing them by the time she was 2 yrs old.

She says, "I want to" or "I don't want to" a whole lot now. Always asking "why", even after you answer, here comes another 'why'. She says, "in a minute" and "just a tiny tiny bit".

In the "I do it" stage... but there are many times when she acts like she can't do something... like pull up panties or get up off the floor... stuff like that.

She still is moody. When she wakes from her nap, takes her at least an hour before she's happy again.

She's potty-trained and night weaned! woohoo!

She likes to dance but doesn't want anyone to watch her while she does it.

Her 'trick' she likes to do on the floor is to put her hands and one foot on the floor and lift the other up in the air... lol Isn't that a yoga move, Mary? lol

She does flips off of the arm of the couch onto the sofa's pillows. Also just jumps off the arm, but before she does, she'll count, "1, 2, 2" and then say, "CANNONBALL!" which is more like, "CAN BALL!" then jump or fall onto her face on the sofa, come up laughing.

Always asking to go somewhere. Wants to sleep at her Mimi & Papa's house. Whenever someone leaves our house, she wants to go with them (does she just want to escape me? lol j/k).

She tells on Calista or on any other kid around. Blames any other kid for stuff too.

She jokes around with this little face she makes... kind of perches up her lips, lowers her eyebrows, and says stuff in a funny voice then walks away in a funny walk. Oh, and she usually ends it with saying something that sounds like, 'pinhead'... lol Now, I do call her pumpkin head (I Don't know why I do... it just comes out)... so, maybe that's what she's trying to say? lol

She just adores babies. Loves her little cousin, Sophia. Loves, loves, loves her. She actually picks her up and brings her to us... She says my baby is her baby, as in the baby in my body is hers... lol

She still mothers all the baby dolls over here, nurses them, bathes them, lotions them up, dresses and undresses them, tries to put diapers on them, etc.

Other kids her age, she's doing much better with them. She can go at least 30 hr without fighting with them now! woohoo! lol

And one of the best compliments that I've received, second-hand though, was from Jeremy's mom. She told J's sister, concerning Ursula sleeping over there with Calista, that 'you couldn't ask for a better child.'! WOW! I got all teary-eyed! Of course, she didn't tell me, J's sister told me she said that.

Oh, and she wants to go to school with Calista.