2012-05-19T22:55:39Z Travis & Jonda (we both write from time to time) Copyright 2012, Travis & Jonda (we both write from time to time) SPHPBLOG
After lunch, we came back to the house for cake and presents. Caden was not really into opening the presents, but his sister was glad to help him out. He got some much needed new outfits and PJs, a set of blocks, a silver dollar with his birth-year on it, and his very own chair for the living room. He loves the chair and climbs up and down it all the time. Carissa proudly helped to decorate his ‘smash-cake’, and Caden made the obligatory mess and posed for pictures. We also blew-up the Mickey Mouse clubhouse for the party, and Caden likes it just as much as Carissa does!

Caden is such an absolute delight! He is a very happy little boy and has the best smile and laugh. He adores his sister and tries to follow her everywhere and do everything she does. He loves to watch her play with her friends. Carissa loves him right back. She always tries to help him out, and she plays really well with him (when she’s in the mood). As their mom, I really enjoy seeing them interact, especially when they smile and laugh together. I’m sure this brother/sisterly love won’t last too much longer as they grow, if my and Trav’s sibling relationships are any precursor!

Caden has been described as “all-boy” by anyone who meets him. He will not sit still for any portion of time. Even when eating, his arms are constantly waving around. He has already had a black eye and all the bumps and bruises that come with learning to walk way too fast. Climbing, playing with balls, eating, and being outside are his favorite things to do. I think my dad has lost ten pounds since Caden became really mobile!

He jibber-jabbers so much, and his favorite words are ‘moh’ (more), da-da, bye-bye, uhhh (usually means he wants a snack), ‘mihhhh’ (mine). He loves to take the dish-soap out of the cabinet and the aloe bottle out of the refrigerator, leaving everything else alone. His favorite foods are ritz crackers, Gerber cheese puffs, bananas, applesauce, and french frys. He also likes to take a sip of water from his cup and spit it out at his dad (Trav doesn’t care for that trick too much!) Caden also likes to dance with that little baby-bounce step. It is too cute!

Happy Birthday Caden! We love you very much and cannot wait to see you grow!]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120126-152047 2012-01-26T00:00:00Z 2012-01-26T00:00:00Z
We kicked off the family festivities in Livingston this year with the Campbell side of the family. Pat and Odie rented a great lake house for the whole family to enjoy for the weekend. The older kids all received Karaoke machines from Grammy and Pawpaw so quite the performance was put on! It was a really nice weekend with plenty of playtime outside for the kids, roasting marshmallows by the fire, jalapeno-stuffed olives, a trip to Trade Days, and walks around the neighborhood.

Christmas Eve we spent at my mom and dad’s house. We did breakfast with the Wilkerson-side of the family complete with a Hot Chocolate bar set-up by my Aunt Diane. We then exchanged gifts with Ryan, Valerie, Owen, Mom, and Dad. Travis was really excited about the counter-sized office chair! He has been using a regular desk chair propped up with pillows in the office for months! Carissa got some roller skates that stayed on for most of the evening and also some spy goggles that Ryan picked out for her. Caden really liked a new jumper toy from Owen and a set of Lincoln Logs from Grandma and Pa. I got some moo-lah for some kitchen cabinet accessories. I just need to go pick them out and sweet-talk my hubster into installing them!

Christmas Day the kids surprised by sleeping in! Travis and I were up watching TV in our bedroom wondering when the kids would ever get up! They finally did and WOW do we spoil our kids. Carissa started out asking Santa for a pottery wheel, a two-wheel scooter for Pa’s house, and a three-wheel scooter for Pa’s house. Then, she got to play with Alex and Hunter’s DS and PSP and suddenly that made it to the list too. The problem with this is that Travis and I already bought her one for her birthday and had bought the mobo bike for her ‘big’ Christmas present. We down-played the DS for weeks (“it really is a six-year-old toy”), but she kept insisting that Santa knew she could handle it.

Christmas Eve night while we were setting out all the goods, I begged Travis to go ahead and let her have it. We waffled back and forth until I pulled the “this might be the last year she REALLY, truly believes in Santa”…. Santa came through for her. She was so excited on Christmas morning!

Caden got a Red Racer Car from us to ride in for our walks. He loved it. It was pretty rainy and nasty over the holiday, so we kept the car inside for him to play with. He would open the door, get in it, honk the horn, turn the blinker on, stand up in the seat, get out, circle around, and do the whole thing over and over again.

Of course they both also got a truck-load full of other toys. Like they need a thing, seriously. But, I love spoiling my kids – it was one of the reasons I have a good job!

We normally would have gone down to the Cherry’s for Christmas, but they went to Phoenix this year. We missed our tradition, but it was really nice just getting to hang out around our house and enjoy each other. We had bacon and eggs for brunch and stayed in our PJs for most of the day.

We did go down to Angleton the following Wednesday for Christmas with Pops and Grandma Ronnie. Caden and Carissa both got some awesome books that were personalized with their names. Carissa also got a toy shot-gun from Parker that she loves along with some art projects. Caden got a dump-truck full of blocks that he of course likes to dump out as soon as we pick them up, a dog that sings and talks to you, and a toy train.

New Year’s we spent up in Ace with the Wood Family and another great time, making memories was had. We played dominos, ate all day, watched football, shot guns, shot fireworks, and had Secret Santa. Austin’s girlfriend Krista was my Santa and she got me a new board game called Quelf. We played several rounds of that hilarious game! Let’s just say it involved: Pops talking like Ahmed the Terrorist, Grandma Wood being thumb master and saying ‘Whatever’, David chewing on a shoe, Travis wrapped up like a mummy, Adam acting like a movie-making-Frankenstein, Carissa saying ‘Captain Poopy Pants’ when a player lost a space, me talking like a pirate, Krista singing 99 bottles of beer, Austin being a ninja, and Veronica laughing at everything!

Now all the fun is over, and we’re all back in the routine of work and school. BUT… we do have a certain little boy’s birthday to celebrate in just a couple of days! I don't understand how some days seem so long because the years just keep flying right by us! ]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120105-143111 2012-01-05T00:00:00Z 2012-01-05T00:00:00Z
... is so looking forward to Christmas. She just can’t stand the waiting. Travis and I made the mistake of wrapping a bunch of presents to the kids from us and putting them under the tree. Every day she asks, “Can I please open just one? Puh-lease? Just ONE!”

We’re doing the little Christmas-countdown house again this year. (Carissa was already asking about it at Halloween!) Travis made out a standard diagram of our house so we wouldn’t have to draw out treasure maps all month long. It has worked out wonderfully! The treasure is usually a cheap little toy, or a pack of pencils and a note-pad with dogs on it, or a craft (think dollar-store quality items – she doesn’t get 25 ‘real’ toys!). We also did the Gingerbread house as a treasure and I plan to put activities in a few doors like ‘Make some cookies’ or ‘Go look at Christmas lights’. Travis says she is going to hate those days, but that is ok, I will like them.

This past Saturday, we had a breakfast with Santa at my grandpa’s church. They did a pancake and sausage spread for breakfast and then they had at least eight tables set up with different crafts for the kids which you know is right up Carissa’s alley! She made some little ornaments, did a hand-stamp that was made out into a Rudolph (Caden did one too!), decorated a cookie, etc.

Her favorite Christmas song is “The Little Drummer Boy” except she calls it “The Pum-Pum-Pum” song. She also gets very upset when the radio versions do not match the version that Grammy has in her car.

Carissa is still doing great at school. She is doing wonderfully with reading and even tries to read on her own without us even prompting. She likes making little crafts and notes to take up to her teacher, Mrs. Vail. Spelling words is a little difficult for her, but then it is difficult for me to explain too – like why sometimes a C makes a “kuh” sound and other times it sounds like an S. Or why sometimes a word that starts with a “kuh” sound is actually a K and not a C or why the K is silent… Sigh, I always hated language arts. Math is so much easier…

CADEN MICHAEL:

… is WALKING! Not all the time, but he can string together enough steps to get from the trash can to the fridge or from the stairs to the backdoor! It is really funny to see him try to ‘run’. His little legs just try to move so fast (usually to try and catch his sister), that he just changes his mind about walking and crawls as fast as he can to catch up!

Caden is giving ‘five’ upon request and he also does the finger-crunch wave and says ‘bye-bye’. He also will say ‘Dada’ and he said ‘Pa’ as clear as day this morning. (Of course, his very first word was ‘Momma’. Though I was the only one to hear it and he hasn’t said it since! But, I swear it happened! LOL!)

Caden loves to eat. If he’s in a bad mood, just give him a little something for his tummy and he’s a happy camper again. He gets that from me. He loves to be outside and go for walks in the stroller. He loves when the front door is open (we have a glass porch-door too) and he’ll stand up to the glass and will holler out at anyone who is walking by.

He is also turning out to be a climbing little monkey. He loves to try and get up on the couch or climb up any chair. Which wouldn’t be all that bad, but he is also accident-prone and likes to get off of stuff head-first. He doesn’t really like the word ‘no’ and tends to ignore you. Carissa could have cared less about the cabinets – Caden loves to open and close them. (Speaking of, I need to remember to talk to Travis about getting those little latches…)
]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111205-134922 2011-12-05T00:00:00Z 2011-12-05T00:00:00Z
Carissa also had a Pumpkin Party at school. In order to wear costumes and participate in the costume parade, they had to tie their costume in with a book. Luckily, Travis quickly found a book on Amazon about a knight! I was able to go up to school for the party where the kids all had treats galore and they played a couple games of bingo. After school, we went up to Kohl’s and Target - yes, with Carissa in her costume! She thought that was pretty cool.

The day before Halloween, we had Owen over so we could try and take some pictures of Carissa the Knight and the two Dragons she planned to train (or slay). I made some mummy-dogs and spider-web dip along with queso and grilled burgers by Travis. The pictures didn’t turn out too well, but that’s ok. We had a fun time with family.

After dinner, we went up to Stevenson Park for the Friendswood Trick-or-Treat trail. And, omg, was it crowded! I think next year, we’ll plan on sandwiches at the park so we can find a place to park! Odie jumped a curb in Pat’s explorer and parked in the grass; Travis was not so brave and we parked across 518! It was a good time though – lots of booths set up for candy and it was fun to see all the kids in their costumes.

On Halloween, Carissa paced around for hours asking over and over if it was time yet for trick-or-treating. Whoever decided to move the ‘Fall-back’ time change obviously does not have kids. We finally saw a group heading down the street, and she was able to get her costume on. Travis took the kids around the cul-de-sac and then he and Caden stayed home to pass out candy while Carissa and I went farther into the neighborhood.

There was a house down the street that had been setting up Halloween décor in their yard for several weeks. Carissa was really excited to go down to it. They had a dark, blow up tunnel with a strobe light leading to their front door, and I asked Carissa again if she was sure she wanted to go up. She was so brave and walked slowly through the tunnel up to the house… but they had some sort of skeleton and a life-size monster-looking thing that moved and made noises when she got to the porch. She screamed out ‘NEVERMIND’ and ran back over to me with her lip trembling and tears welling up in her eyes! We quickly walked away, but I just felt so bad for her! She really wanted to be the big kid that went up to the haunted house. I told her how brave she was and it is all just pretend, and that she got farther than I would have. She laughed at that… but was still very nervous even when we got home. Maybe next year… though I think she’s likely to stay away from that house for a few more years.

Now, we’re onto Thanksgiving and fall! The weather has cooled off, at least cool for Texas! We went up to Dewberry Farm last Saturday which was a lot of fun, especially for Carissa. Caden enjoyed his time outside as well. The kids were invited to a neighbor’s birthday party last Sunday, and we have Aubry’s First Birthday this Saturday and Carissa has a school-friend’s birthday on Sunday. Joey, Loni, and Parker come into town the following weekend and then it is Thanksgiving week! Busy busy, but with fun stuff!

I can’t believe Caden is already ten months old! This year has just flown by! ]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111109-080115 2011-11-09T00:00:00Z 2011-11-09T00:00:00Z
But, she is truly doing a great job. Her papers and projects come home very neat and complete, and she has had an excellent conduct report every single day. We’re expecting her very first report card on Friday! We are very proud of her. She was rewarded for her nine-weeks of perfect conduct with a trip to the Mad Potter this past weekend.

Caden is also going to school two days a week and is enjoying his time. Pa says that when he drops him off, he crawls right over to the other little kids and they start ‘talking’ to each other and playing. Too cute. Speaking of crawling – I think I’ve said this before, but this little dude gets into EVERYTHING! Oh my goodness, he is so different from his sister.

Both kids have Halloween Parties at school this week. Caden is going as a dragon and Carissa is a dragon-slayer knight. Sunday we have a festival in Friendswood and then Monday we’ll trick-or-treat in the neighborhood. (Tangent – I hate that they moved daylight-savings-time! It makes Halloween so much harder when it doesn’t get dark until close to 8:00. Come on people, move DST back to the Sunday before Halloween so we can go get candy around 6:30 and still keep our bedtime schedules. Thank you for your attention.)

Carissa and Caden love to play with each other. Their favorite game is ‘walker’ where Caden will get into the walker and Carissa will zoom around on one of those little push-trucks that are meant for a two year old. They’ll bang into each other and laugh and laugh. Music.

Travis and I took a long weekend anniversary trip to Washington DC. We had a very busy time trying to hit all the sites and definitely plan on going back again when the kids get older. We saw the Eastern Market, Capitol Building, Botanical Gardens, Smithsonian Castle, Air and Space Museum, Holocaust Museum, Natural History Museum, American History Museum, Jefferson, MLK, FDR, Korean War, Vietnam War, Einstein, WWII, and Lincoln Memorials, Arlington Cemetery, Arlington House, Washington Monument and the White House from afar, and the Bureau of Engraving where we saw more money being printed then we’ll probably even make in our lifetimes.

From Washington DC 2011 - 8th Anniversary

I loved the museums and also seeing Arlington House and learning about Robert E Lee’s wife Mary and her history and ties to George Washington. I also liked seeing the Monuments and Memorials, but there is so much walking! My legs were still hurting three days after we got back! Travis found us a fabulous town house rental to stay at in the historic district that was literally steps from the Supreme Court. And, it happened to be house #8 so it was very appropriate for our eighth anniversary. We had some great food too while we were there! Can’t wait to start planning the next vacay!

]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111027-062704 2011-10-27T00:00:00Z 2011-10-27T00:00:00Z
Caden and Carissa both had their well-child check-ups in the last month. Both measure on the high-end of the curve for height and on the low-end of the curve for weight. Though, I think Caden might be evening himself out with all the food he intakes lately! Both are happy and healthy and doing just fine.

I must say I was very impressed with Carissa at the appointment. She was worried about shots, and I told her that she wouldn’t have to have another round until she was eleven or twelve. Well, wouldn’t you know it, the AAP has a new vaccine that she needed. I told the doctor that we would need to schedule another appointment for that because um, yeah, I’m not going to want to deal with that drama at this time. But, Carissa spoke up and said, “No, Mom, I’ll go ahead and have the shot today.” My jaw must have dropped to the floor. And then she said “Because then I can visit the treasure box.” Yeah, my child will have A SHOT to get to dive into a treasure box that is filled with crap like you get in those party favor bags (plastic rings, kazoos, little slinkys, things like that).

My birthday month kicked off too! The Sunday before my actual birthday, my parents kept my kids and Travis and I had a massage and went to see the last HP movie. We had pizza for dinner and played Agricola. Travis won the game which he pretended to feel guilty about when I reminded him it was my birthday!

When my parents asked what I wanted for my birthday, it was to sleep in and watch my soaps on my DVR. The kids had a sleepover Sunday night and I got just that. I had coffee in bed and stayed in my PJs watching Million Dollar Decorator until 2:00. It was heavenly. I should have a birthday every month like my dad does!

I told Travis that I wanted to get new doorknobs for the upstairs rooms for my birthday. I was being perfectly serious too. Instead, he went out and bought me the new 2011 Ford Explorer. Yes, he did. And, the car is GORGEOUS! I went from being completely surprised, to flabbergasted, to mad, to happy, to ecstatic. Did I mention that the car is GORGEOUS! It has any bell and whistle you could ever want. Carissa helped Travis pick it out and she managed to keep this secret from me. Even teasing me about it. I couldn’t get her to cave!

Big things are happening next week… STAY TUNED! ]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110815-102001 2011-08-15T00:00:00Z 2011-08-15T00:00:00Z
She has grown so much this past year. I was looking at pictures from her first day of preschool last year and she looks so little. This big sister gig has really done something for her.

Caden will also start school soon too. He is going to be in the ‘baby class’ at Carissa’s old preschool starting in September. He is such a cutie pie, I just think about him and smile! He has this hair that is like a little duckling or maybe a baby hedgehog. It just super-fine and sticks straight up all over his head. So funny. He is eating the fruit and vegetable mush along with his cereal. Bottle time is still the favorite though. (Mine too!) He doesn’t have any teeth yet, and we’ve been expecting the bottom one to pop out “any day now” for the past two months.

Caden already gets into EVERYTHING. With Carissa, we never really had to worry about her getting into the cabinets or anything like that. Her brother is going to be the exact opposite. He is using the walker now and will zoom straight over to anything and everything that he isn’t supposed to get into. The dirt from the plants, the leaves, the curtains, the books on the shelf, anything that he can reach. And, even if you think he can’t reach it – that little boy can figure out a way. He is not crawling yet, but he does everything but that. You can’t leave him alone for anytime at all.

Similar thing with the changing table. Carissa – you could leave her there and she literally would not move while you gathered up what you needed, watched the Food Network, vacuumed the floor. Caden – you need two people just to hold him still long enough to change his diaper.

He has such a sweet disposition. Especially when he firsts wakes up. His smile just lights you up inside, you can’t help but smile back at that gummy grin no matter how bad your day is or how much you wanted to sleep in.

Yes, my kids are the greatest. You might think yours are, but you would be wrong. I'm not biased in the least - HA!]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110721-122659 2011-07-21T00:00:00Z 2011-07-21T00:00:00Z
Caden is such a stinker. He is rolling over but hates to be on his tummy and can’t seem to remember all the time how to get back over on his back. When he does get on his tummy, rather do a normal baby scoot or army-crawl, he tucks his head under and pushes really hard with his feet. He looks like he is going to get rug-burn on his forehead!

He has started eating the mush of rice cereal and does pretty well with it. His favorite is still his bottle though. He KNOWS the sound it makes when you are shaking it up and looks all around for it with his big, brown eyes. If you don’t get it to him fast enough, look out because he can throw a fit big enough for a three year old! He definitely has his dad’s patience.

Caden has the best smile, but he is pretty shy about it. He’ll grin right at you for a quick second, but then duck his head really quick. He also has very ticklish feet – it is supercute when he curls them up when you are trying to tickle a smile out of him.

Caden LOVES his big sister. His eyes literally twinkle when he is looking at her. He loves it when she talks to him – he almost seems to talk right back with his sweet coo’s and ahh’s. When Carissa is not a home, you can tell he is looking for her. LOVE IT!

Travis gets the kids ready in the morning and they wait in our bed watching cartoons together until it is time to go. Carissa was laying down and Caden was propped up next to her in his boppy. Carissa was holding his little hand and they were both fixated on Mickey Mouse. It was so innocent and loving and precious. I love my life.

… with Carissa…

Carissa has grown up so much the past few months. It is almost surreal. I might have mentioned this already, but she is really into dinosaurs right now. She knows all about them – what they ate, how fast they run, how big they are. And not just the usual cast of characters like T-rex or Stegosaurus or Triceratops. No, her favorites are the Euoplocephalus and Stygimoloch and Diplodocus. Try reading a book with those names in it and then having your five year old correct you! Woo-wee!

Speaking of books, Carissa has discovered the library. I’ve taken her before, but she has always preferred the “library” where you don’t have to talk soft and you can keep the books (Barnes and Noble). I enrolled her in a summer book club to log her reading/listening and she is so excited to write her books down and get her coupons and toys. The library in Friendswood has a great kids section that is separate from the adult section so she doesn’t have to talk too softly. She likes going to the computers, typing what she wants, and then we’ll go find it. She has her own library card that she is very proud of.

You also probably saw on mypics that Carissa has started to play soccer! She is really digging it and is actually pretty darn good too. Her first game was this past weekend. She played a great goalie and got a couple of stops. She also played as midfielder, kept her position as instructed, and got some good kicks in too. Travis is helping out with the coaching. I think they are both enjoying sharing this activity together.

Carissa has also already done a little mini-Girl Scout day camp this summer and is taking swim lessons. She really liked the Girl Scout camp and is already talking about selling cookies! Hopefully the swim lessons will increase her confidence and we can finally take off those silly water-wings that she has become so dependent on.

… with me and Travis….

There always seems to be something going on with our new house. The pool is leaking again, the attic ladder-door doesn’t shut all the way, the downstairs AC doesn’t cool as well as the upstairs, the driveway is settling again after we just paid to have it raised, the yard is so dry because it hasn’t rained in months (literally), Caden doesn’t have any of his pictures or shelves hung in his room, there is always laundry to do, cooking often two different meals because a certain little girl is picky, picking up toys, picking up shoes, picking up clothes, picking up crayons, picking up dishes…

We did just book ourselves a little anniversary vacation in October though! I love vacations! We’re going to Washington DC. I’ve been a few times, but not in years, and Travis has never been! You know me – type-A vacation planner is coming out! This isn’t going to be a relaxing vacation that is for sure! I most looking forward to touring the Smithsonian museums, seeing the Washington and Lincoln monuments again, and going to the Arlington Cemetery.

I read a quote the other day that said something about days being long, but years being so short. How true that is. I celebrated my ten-year anniversary with my company earlier this month. Ten years just truly flew by, I can’t believe it. You wouldn’t know that I’ve been with the same company considered all the email-domain changes! Reminds me of another little saying – If I knew then, what I know now…. ]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110622-124946 2011-06-22T00:00:00Z 2011-06-22T00:00:00Z
We took off early on a Friday morning, made an obligatory stop off at Buccees, and arrived at Sea World at about 11am. We managed to take in the Beluga whale show, the sea lion comedy show, tour the shark aquarium, feed the dolphins, and spend a few hours at the revamped Bay of Play water and rope-climb area. We were both pretty tired at about 5pm and Carissa was ready to go find the hotel.

I booked us at an Embassy Suites on the way to San Marcos. We checked in and changed into our swimsuits for a dip in the indoor pool. Carissa thought that was the coolest thing – I was just glad we didn’t have to worry about more sunscreen!

After swimming, we went to the manager’s reception for a cocktail for me and a Shirley Temple for Carissa. The Embassy Suites is set up like a big, open atrium and it has glass elevators. I explain this because while we were having our snacks, Carissa wanted to go up to the room and get something. I asked her if she’d like to go up and get it by herself. Her eyes got really big and she asked “Really? All by myself?” Before you think I’ve lost my marbles, I could see her the entire way. We were sitting near the elevator entry, the elevator was glass, our room was only on the second floor, and the hallway to the room was completely open to the atrium. She made it up and down just fine and thought she was quite the stuff! Of course, she wanted to go get something else from the room about three more times after that.

When we arrived at the hotel earlier, I noticed a miniature-golf type place in the adjacent parking lot. Carissa and I decided that would be a fun place to complete our day. We played a round of putt-putt together and then spent another $10 playing in their game-room. We cashed in our tickets and walked away with two plastic dinosaurs and a ring-pop. Rather than have pizza over there, Carissa decided she would prefer having dinner at the hotel. We went down to the restaurant and what does she order? Pizza.

The next day, we went down for the hotel’s hot breakfast. Carissa had fruit loops, a banana, and yogurt. I had a freshly made omelet! We packed up our stuff and headed over to the San Marcos outlets. Travis is really lucky that his daughter isn’t much of a shopper because I could have spent all day there! We hit a couple of stores looking for jeans for my tall, skinny girl, but walked away with none. Not to say that we walked away empty handed though! Not by a long-run!

We headed on home at about 3ish. We had to make three stops on the way home. Twice for potty-breaks that were really candy-bar breaks, and once for a happy meal and coffee. We finally made it home to the boys in time for dinner. We really had a great time together. Definitely something that I want to do again with my sweet girl.
]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110609-142341 2011-06-09T00:00:00Z 2011-06-09T00:00:00Z
She started attending this school right before she turned one, when my dad decided to retire in order to be a full-time Grandpa. It is a part-time program (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-2pm) run from the Presbyterian Church in Pasadena and only in session during the regular school year. Because of this (I had wanted some more flexibility with the hours in case we needed a random full day and I also didn’t want to stop during the summer), I initially signed up there fully intending to move Carissa to another program down the street at the Methodist Church.

We did move her that first summer when a spot became available, but Carissa cried and clinged so much when her Pa dropped her off there, that dad called me at work after the second week and said that he and Carissa decided that the part-time program during the school year would be just fine. Remember that she is only just over one year old now and clearly already had Pa wrapped around her finger.

Anyway, so the point is that Carissa has gone to this school for as long as she can remember. And, it truly did work out for the best. I think the Methodist Church was more of a day-care type facility, and the Presbyterian is a much smaller organization that highlighted the Christian aspect with learning and playtime. Her teachers have been Mrs. Nancy, Mrs. Sandra and Mrs. Renee, Mrs. Kathy, Mrs. Tina for music, and finally Mrs. Woods.

Carissa has (in my completely unbiased opinion) excelled in the school. She can sound and write all of her letters. She can read some basic sight words and also developed some general math skills. They had a little bit of science (like weather and space and dinosaurs) and social studies (like the pledge). Overall though, Carissa gained confidence with general learning and also developed social skills that she will need in elementary school.

At the graduation, Carissa had quite the attendees – me, Travis, Caden, Grandma, Pa, Grammy, PawPaw, Grandma Ronnie, Pops, Uncle Ryan, and Aunt Valerie. She was so proud to see everyone there for her! The kids came down the center aisle at the church and sat in the first few pews. The school had arranged a slideshow of pictures that highlighted each child. (Yes, I got a little teary eyed at that point.) After the slideshow, the kids lined up at the front and sang several songs with choreography to go with it. Carissa was really getting into it, I was surprised! Then, their diplomas were passed out and we had cookies and punch in the fellowship hall.

You might roll your eyes at the thought of fifteen kids parading in little blue graduation capes and hats, but it was such a special evening and I am so glad that Carissa’s school did this for the kids.
]]> http://www.travisandjonda.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110516-094450 2011-05-16T00:00:00Z 2011-05-16T00:00:00Z