Birthdays Halloween....

silly face!

When school started a couple of months ago, I was truly worried that Eli was going to have a hard time.  The amount they expect them to know by the time they finish kindergarten is unreal.  I thought there was no way.  Mainly because Evi was light years ahead of where he is when she went to kindergarten.  But he has done well.  He is reading and sounding out words like a champ. According to his teacher, he is VERY quiet at school. Which explains why he talks nonstop when we pick him up.  He gets to go to the treasure chest or get a starburst candy for his good behavior on an almost daily basis.  That's my little rule follower. :-) 

jack-o-lanterns

Evi is doing GREAT!  She scores well on a regular basis and is evidently in an accelerated group with in her class.  Which to me says 'more work for the parents'.  But she does her extra projects during class time.  And she loves it!  And I love that she is so excited about learning and that she wrote a report without any help from me (and let's be honest, it's really about me doing as little as possible!) 


Big day in the Bernauer household...both kids now eat hard shell tacos! I can't tell you how excited I am about that.

The kids are once again enjoying soccer and volleyball.   Evidently Evi is a dominator at school with tetherball.  She went through the whole class beating them all.  Scott is so proud.

Eli enjoys the running skipping hopping of soccer and the occasional picking weeds.  Just kidding, he does a good job running with the group and smiles the whole time.  He's not very aggressive but seems to be having a lot of fun. 
He has also conquered riding a bike on 2 wheels.  It took him no time at all and he was zooming down the street alone. 

Halloween was a success.  Eli was a construction worker and Evi was...well, I don't know what she was.  A spider bride? She liked it.  I'm just excited she wasn't a princess!

When working on site words with flash cards, I tell Eli I can hear his brain growing! He seems to like that visual and keeps trying hard.  So the other night after I told him that I could hear it growing, he said,

all legs!

"BOOM!  My brain exploded...the words are broken!"

the party

Evi had her 9th birthday party. A swim party. One of the benefits of living in Florida.  It's still warm enough in October to swim.  And yes, that is my child in the teeny tiny bikini!  

School's in session!

School has started and both kids are officially in school ALL DAY!!! It's a whole new world! And I,for one, am soooo excited! (and to be honest, just a little sad too).

future's to bright

The first day went off without a hitch. In typical Eli fashion, he took everything in stride.  His teacher is Ms. Barnes.  She is young (although not as young as Evi's teacher last year).  I will assume he was excited.  Like everything else, he kept his game face on.  When you bring your own lunch into school, when you get to the cafeteria, you go straight to your table to sit down.  Well, Eli brought his lunch, but decided he wanted to see what all the hullabaloo was about and went through  the lunch line for shits and giggles.  He said the only thing they had that he liked was salad, and chocolate milk.  Then, since they only get 30 minutes for lunch, by the time he sat down, he didn't have time to finish.

Maya, Delaney, Evi & Bella

So the second day rolls around and when he comes home from school all that is gone from his lunch are his grapes and pineapples. He ate absolutely nothing else. All we were able to figure was that he talked too much to actually eat!  Evi had to learn this too.  We were able to walk him to his class the first 3 days.  So the 4th day it was up to him, (and his sister) to get there.  Well, we drive up to the front of neighborhood (they walk from there, the school is at the front of our neighborhood) and Eli jumps out of the car and is through the gate and with his buddy and could care less if I have kept up with him.  Meanwhile Evi is still standing right next to me and giving me a kiss before they cross to the school.  Night and Day!

kindergartner!

Evi started 3rd grade and is very excited about it.  Ms. Shimer is her teacher this year.  Evi was excited that she played music in the classroom (the Beatles)the first day. They get to use electronic devices of their own in the classroom this year.  So she finally got to spend her allowance money she was saving up and bought herself a used Kindle.  I was glad she finally was able to spend it.  She has been dying to buy something but has been picky about what to spend her money on (plus her mother reminds her that she won't play with most things after the first day anyway).  But an electronic device.  We know she'll get her moneys worth out of that.  She was very proud of her purchasing decision.

Now what are mommy & daddy up to now that the house is empty for  6 hours a day?  I'll tell you....enjoying it! Well, this week at least.  I've done lunch and sunbathing with the ladies, and Scott has gone fishing.  But now I plan on getting organized again.  I told our neighbor with 3 older children this and she laughed.  Said it won't happen!  We'll see!

Frisco, CO

We had our almost annual trip to Frisco, CO with Scott's family.  We realized that this was our 7th year to visit.  Evidently we really hate it there.
Eli spent his 5th birthday on a plane to get there, but didn't seem to mind.  It just meant he got his presents a few days early.  Then received more once he got there.  Lots of Legos.  And his dad and uncle Randy had more fun with those than he did I think. He also went on his annual birthday train ride.  He was a happy boy.
It was lovely as usual. And the kids had lots of cousin time with Grace & Mya.  Sometimes I am amazed that they don't want to strangle each other by the time it's done.  We hike and play and this year we went to a new mountain park.

they REALLY enjoyed watching Bebe roll down a hill

Glenwood Springs Caverns.  It was pretty neat doing the caves.  Eli especially liked it.  Evi got to play tour guide on one.  She had to hold a flash light and tell everyone in our group as they passed that the light was focused on the 'heart of the cave'.  (a formation that truly looked like a large human heart)
Eli had his first taste of playing baseball.  They kids and adults play it in the yard behind the house Bebe so kindly rents for us. And he is hilarious.  He was wiggling his butt to get ready to bat. The hand eye coordination isn't quite there yet, but he'll get there.  Now Evi, that girl impresses me when she hits a ball. 

Movin' on up

OMG!!

School is out for summer and Eli has 'graduated' from pre-k!  I can't believe my sweet baby will be going to school next year! His graduation ceremony was very cute. And he kept his game face on the entire time.  Seriously, the child would NOT smile. 

He also performed in his first (and probably ONLY) recital, along with the girl, of course.  It was too damn cute.  Again, he kept his game face on. But he had lots of fun. And of course ALL the girls knew his name. "Oh Eli!"
"Hi Eli!" "Look, there's Eli!" His father says there is just more of that to come, of course.  Evi was like a little ballerina.  I was so proud of her.  It is everything I have to not burst with pride, and tears, watching her on the stage. Well, watching her do anything really.  I just get so excited.  And she always looks to make sure I'm watching, especially in volleyball.  I just love watching her really try at something.  She has so much determination. (now if she'll just keep that!)

I know that there is so much more that happened that I should share, but I keep falling behind and forgetting everything I wanted to say.  I'm fired...


Eli-ism:
"ummm, we have a sexuation!"

And this blog is full of pictures.  I had to share them all!!!

seriously! nothing else to say!

i love it!!!

with Miss Aimee

with his buddy Avi

Sports?!?!

We have started sports for both the kids, low key, at the Y. 

Evi is trying volleyball and really really likes it.  She goes after the ball, and she's one of the few that does because most the other girls tend to act like their feet are stuck in mud and don't try to get it.  But Evi does!  She's not afraid of the ball (unlike her mother, she doesn't bury her head when a ball is coming at her!!).  She even said she felt bad for running to get the ball, that she's stealing it from the other girls.  I am totally surprised that she's that into it.  But that was my goal.  I want her to not be afraid of sports, like me.

Evi serving

kickin' it in

Eli has started soccer, with Scott as the coach.  He LOVES practice, but hates the games!  Granted he's really only played one game (against a group of super star 4 year olds who scored constantly!).  It seems Eli's team is full of the least aggressive kids in the whole program.  They just don't have the heart to take the ball from someone else.
And Eli is going through a stage right now where he gets very frustrated when he can't do something.  And playing in a game where he couldn't really get the ball and score frustrated him.  So he mostly pouted and sat out.  But he still loved going to the next practice.  And he's just like his mother, he giggles the entire time he plays.

The dance recital is only one month away.  I asked Eli if he wanted to take dance next year, and his response, without missing a beat, an emphatic "NO!".  It was rather funny.  But all I wanted was one recital, and I'm getting it, so I guess I'll be happy with that.  Evidently he wants to go back to gymnastics.  But how do I do that without disappointing Evi since I would rather she didn't go back?  It's just too intense and expensive for her.

wearing one of Aunt Tuti's childhood dresses

We have started allowances.  This will be the first month.  We'll see how it goes.  My mom believes we have the rest of our lives to have to do chores as adults, which I agree.  But I want my kids to be a part of making the house function. I'm trying to find a good balance. So we're giving small chores a try.  Basically they both have to care for their cats.  Eli is in charge of checking their food and water daily. And Evi takes care of the food on the other end...the litter boxes daily!  Evi also wipes down the bathroom countertops and removes bathroom trash cans once a week.  Eli will earn $2 a week, and Evi $4.  She is very excited about having an income.  But it's funny how picky she is when it comes to spending her own money.  

Spring is here, all winter long

Sunset Selfie @ Key West

I have been horrible at updating this lately! One day bleeds into another and I keep running out of time.  Not sure what I am doing exactly because I feel like nothing really gets done, but yet I don't sit down when I'm at home.
Spring break was in March and we made a road trip to the Florida Keys.  And here is my opinion...I've been, and never feel the need to go again.  First of all, most of what you drive by at least, is pretty run down.  There are no beaches, just rocks.  And Scott and I are not 'bar' people.  Bars take too much effort.  We are much more lay by the pool and have someone refill our glass people.  Plus we took the kids.  But even if they hadn't been with us, we still wouldn't have done the bar scene.

 The sunset was beautiful and Eli really liked that part.  He keeps asking when we get to watch the sun set again.

BUTTERFLY!!!

The kids really liked the butterfly garden on Key West.  Butterflies landed on all of us BUT Evi, and of course she's the one who wanted it most!  So we went through a second time and she wore my brightly colored hoodie since the butterflies really seemed to like me the first time and she stood in one spot for at least 10 minutes waiting, and waiting, and FINALLY one landed on her head!  It couldn't have picked a better spot for a photo op!  It was perfect!
Other than that, the kids swam in the pool at the hotel like they don't have their own at home.






Another spring break event that Eli was dying to go do was strawberry picking.  He brought it up daily for about a month before all on his own.  So we went once as a family and picked about 6 lbs.  Then a few days later Eli & I went back and picked 16 more!  OK, he picked 2 and I picked 14, but he made a good runner, fetching empty containers and returning the full ones to our bag.  I made homemade jam and easy strawberry newports.

The cats have gotten really big!  Hopefully they are done growing.  It is too sweet at night.  They each go to the kids' rooms when the kids go to bed and cuddle up with them to sleep.  Diamond wants to be right on Eli.  And will usually lay almost on his chest to go to sleep.  The kids love it.  And then when we get up in the morning Diamond is in there laps rubbing their faces with hers.  Rosie on the other hand just wants to suckle a blanket to sleep and first thing in the morning.  Evi carries a purple blanket around for her and calls it her 'nursing blanket'.  It is pretty ridiculous, and possibly disturbing.

A late Christmas post

The holidays have come and gone, and boy was it a flurry of activity!!  The kids hit jackpot as usual. This year we even had a phone call and letter from Santa along with a certificate for being on the nice list.  Although there were several times I expected the Nice List Certificate to burst into flames.  We took the North Pole Express to North Pole City even, which was the highlight of Eli's holidays.   Evi kept asking if we were really going to the North Pole.  She said it was too far away.  I asked "if there are fairies and magic, why can't there be a magic train?"  which you saw a light come on after that.  But once we were actually there, she was skeptical when it was still a balmy 80* with mosquitoes.  Oh well!Santa brought a Wii U, because that's just what we needed was another game station, but is has been a HUGE hit.  Along with many other gifts from some very loving family members! Thanks to all for making it such a great Christmas for our kids!

North Pole Express - in shorts

Eli has decided he prefers being a home body and would rather just stay home than go to school, dance, or pretty much anywhere else.  Why bother when you have train tracks spread across the living room and your bedroom, and a wii, kindle fire and 3ds at your disposal? I have created a monster!!!! He was recently reevaluated at school and did MUCH better this time around.  Evidently, all the preschoolers were pretty underrated on the first testing.  Which is good.  I was beginning to worry that I might actually have to figure out how to do homework again for him to even make it through kindergarten.  Good thing Evi knows what's going on, she'll be able to help him!
Evi officially has a front tooth!  The first one in 11 months!  But now she's lost both the small ones around the front ones, so she still has a LARGE gap and still can't enjoy corn on the cob.  The last one she lost without realizing it while eating breakfast.  Guess the tooth fairy might have to find that one in poop her own self!

winter beaching

One of the MANY things Evi received for Xmas was a tether ball set. (thanks Dude)  Had I known what a huge hit it would be, I would have gotten it myself for all the credit!!  We can't hardly get her in the house.  No matter the weather (seriously) that child is out there playing tether ball.  And all the other kids greatly enjoy it too.  Eli has realized that his height has got him at a distinct disadvantage and refuses to have anything to do with it.  It is pretty much his nemesis.  When the other kids are here to play it, they all say "I want to verse so-n-so" which drives Scott nuts.  He tried to get them to say "I want to 'play' so-n-so ", but they pretty much didn't care what he wanted, it's still 'verse'

wave jumping - Venice, FL

One of my goals this year is 'road trips'.  Instead of going to the theme parks all the time in order to get our money's worth out of them, I want to try to do day trips to see what Florida has to offer.  In January we made our first trip to Venice, Fl.  This area is known for shark teeth hunting.  What we didn't find out from ANY of the sites I looked at before we went was that you would need to stop and buy the mesh shovels at a Walmart BEFORE you got to the beach.  So we showed up with nothing, expecting to be able to get it there.  The kids were like scavengers, waiting for people to abandon their piles, then they would raid and come up with shark tooth scraps.  But they loved it, and we came home with some shark teeth.

Eli-isms:
E-venture = adventure
comote = remote