The First Day of First Grade

Anyone out there ever seen the VeggieTales Jonah movie? You know the "Billy Joe McGuffrey" song they sing in the van on the way to the Twippo concert? I have been singing that song ALL week. Only we made up our own words and verses about "Elias Daniel Jordan" and the first days of first grade. It's been a GREAT week!

First of all, I recognize how blessed we are to be able to send Elias to a Christian school. It warms my heart to hear staff from last year speak highly of him and know that they have been praying for these kids all summer.

I love that this morning, as Mrs. Baker taught one of their summer books "The Three Little Pigs", she explained to them that this wasn't just a story about pigs. It is a story about us. About how well we listen to instruction from God (In this version, the mom pig tells her 3 sons to build their houses out of strong materials but only one pig does so. The other 2 actually get eaten, which I thought was a little harsh until I heard her tie it all in.) About how if you build your "house" out of things that won't last, the wind that will eventually come will blow it down. Wow- I am 32 and sometimes need that reminder! How great to hear at 6!

I love that, every morning, Mrs. Baker takes prayer requests from the kids and begins the day asking God to guide their little minds. I did have to stifle several laughs as I listened to some of their requests while I did some filing in the classroom yesterday. :)

I love that Mrs. Baker didn't just tell them where to put their backpacks, water bottles, and lunchboxes on the first day. She explained to them that God is a God of order (just read the Genesis account of creation and try to argue that one!).

I love that when Elias was given the opportunity to participate in the gifted and talented program, we were able to go to the leadership of the school and ask them to join us in prayer about God providing the funds to make that happen. And that I knew they would actually pray! And that today, less than 24 hours later, someone came to find me to say that a gift had come in to the school specifically to help a GT student. I have seen God move people's hearts so many times that it is ironic that this would surprise me, but it still did! I wish I could write that family a letter telling them of the journey we have been on- praying for God to provide a way or to fill our hearts to overflowing with contentedness with what we have. I really can't express the appreciation I feel that such a thing was done for my child. Makes me wonder how God must feel when we do nice things for His children.

So here are some pics from the first day. It was a great, great day. Elias' first favorite things about first grade were that he is in Kelii's class (and they actually sit right next to each other- brave woman that teacher is!) and that Mrs. Baker likes to say "BINGO!" when someone gives a correct answer. :)

Here We Go Again!

The first day of first grade is tomorrow! I can't even begin to explain how excited I am about Elias' class- his teacher, his classmates, the parents! I absolutely LOVE our school and feel so blessed to be able to be a part of the community there.

Quick, funny story: A little birdie told me which class Elias was going to be in for first grade, but I didn't pass the information on to him knowing that there was a chance he could be moved between classes. As the summer progressed, we decided to start praying about his first grade class. One night, at the dinner table, we had the following conversation:
Elias: "I know which class I am going to be in. I am going to be in Ms. King's class because they had their Camp Watermelon tents setup before any of the other classes."
Mom: "Hmm. Actually, Ms. King won't be teaching first grade next year."
Elias: "Oh. Well, I know I am going to be in Ms. Gates class."
Mom: "Remember last year when we prayed and asked God to put you in just the right Kindergarten class? He did a GREAT job with that, didn't he? God already knows who your teacher is and we don't have to try to figure it out, but we can pray for whoever it is going to be and that it would be just the right one for you."
Elias: "Ok." *places his hands over his heart and looks up at the ceiling for about a minute. maybe two.* *laughs* "I was wrong!!! It's Mrs. Baker! I am in Mrs. Baker's class!"
Mom: *totally looking confused* "WHAT?!"
Elias: "I just asked God, and He told me it is Mrs. Baker!"

Well, God and Mrs. Baker, we can't wait for the year you have in store for us!!!

Alarming

Monday night was an exciting time here at the Jordan house. We had hosted our first night of Backyard Bible Club, so the kids were up a little later than normal. Adaryll and I were wound up from the evening and stayed up until around 11:30. Needless to say, we were dead tired by the end of the night!

I was awakened at 12:30 to something beeping. As I sat up in a stupor, trying to figure out what that sound was, I realized there was also a child screaming in terror- "Moooooommmmmmmmmyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!" I got out of bed and walked out of our room to quickly realize that beeping was in Elias' room, and the child screaming was Elias. As I opened his door and turned on his light, the beeping suddenly stopped. Still not fully awake, I went over to his alarm clock to check and see if it could have accidentally been set to go off in the middle of the night. Even though I fully knew that was NOT the sound his alarm clock makes. Nope- still set for 8am. I then began to awaken and asked my crying curled-up-into-a-little-ball child, "Was that your smoke alarm???" He didn't know. But that HAD to be what it was, right? What else would possibly be so friggin' loud and obnoxious??! So I told him I needed to check the house. (meanwhile, Adaryll is still fast asleep)

I walked the entire house, sniffing deeply for any sign of smoke. I had a hard time discerning between real smoke and the bacon smell that was left over from dinner, but I didn't see any fire anywhere. When I went back to his room and sat in his chair to think, the alarm started again. Seriously, these things are like the loudest, highest pitch, ear-piecing sound I have ever heard. Elias begins to scream and cry again- I think he thinks the house must be burning down??? After a couple of minutes, it stops again. I realize I am not equipped to handle this on my own (ceilings are too high!), so I go get Adaryll.

We go together to Elias' room with a step ladder and proceed to try to disassemble/destroy the alarm. Meanwhile, it continues to alarm off and on as it darn well pleases. Finally, I give up and go downstairs to call the fire department and ask them how the heck to make it STOP!!!! Noone answers. (Obviously, I did NOT dial the emergency number!) So I call the police non-emergency number and tell them what's up, and they transfer me to the fire department. Pretty quickly, the guy on the phone asks me how many people are in the house and tells me that we all need to evacuate immediately. He says there is already a truck on the way. WHAT?! "No, no, no", I say. There is no fire! He then explains that there can be fire in the attic or inside a wall, and we would not even know it. So, I hand the phone to Adaryll and go wake Elena up to take everyone outside.

Minutes later, a GIANT fire truck, 4 fully decked-out firemen, and all their gear/tools arrive. They go into the house with heat detectors, axes, etc. And then ANOTHER GIANT firetruck arrives. They turned off the sirens at the neighborhood entrance, but the lights are enough to wake the dead. Needless to say, neighbors began to emerge to see what was going on. We told them it was nothing. And 15 minutes or so later, that was confirmed. A faulty alarm, they said. Still, the kids thought it was the coolest thing ever.

We came back in (an hour has passed now since the alarm first started), and we put the kids back to bed. Elias gets a pallet on our floor because I seriously think he may have a heart attack if this alarm wakes him again. Adaryll and I vacuum out that smoke alarm in case it has dust inside (which it thinks is smoke) making it go off. Finally, we head back to bed. Which is where I lay awake for the next TWO HOURS. ARGH!!!

Then- you will not believe this- the alarm in OUR room begins to "chirp". Are you kidding me?!?!?! I throw back the covers and wake up Adaryll to tell him our alarm needs a new battery. Seriously, is this really happening?! I go get the big ladder from the garage (our ceilings are even higher than Elias'), march it up the stairs, get a battery, and switch it out. (note: Elias slept through this whole drama)

We decided to take cookies to the firemen who came to our house, since we probably woke them up too. And I can't even fathom the amount of needless paperwork we created for them. Poor guys. So we went to Costco and bought cookies (because those of you who know me well know that had I actually baked cookies, there might have really been a need for the fire department). The kids carried the box of cookies in together, and they were invited in to see the trucks, tools, kitchen, bedrooms, etc. It was such a neat experience for them, and I am grateful for how friendly the firemen were. Overall, the while ordeal turned out to be a very positive thing for the kids. They got to experience real-life fire response in a completely safe environment. They got to see the guys in all their gear, which can look pretty scary, and realize that they are here to help us. Plus they got to do something nice for their local firemen. :)

1, 2, 3, Goooooo Redwings!

Elena decided she wanted to play t-ball this summer (like brother, like sister!). She is playing on a 3-year-old team through the YMCA, and she is the only girl on her team. Since she didn't actually turn 3 until the 2nd or 3rd week of the season, she is also the littlest one out there. Does she know that? Doubtful. She LOVES playing with "my boys", and she also loves being the representative-of-pink of the team. In fact, when we talked about signing her up, we dug out Elias' first glove for her to use. She quickly pushed it away and said confidently, "Ummmm, I think I need a PINK one. And a PINK hat." After a quick trip to Academy, she was set to go. (aren't you proud, Kirsten?!)

Her team is the Redwings, which is pretty cool considering her fascination with birds! Here are some pics from the most recent game...

Saying the YMCA pledge

Bow-head

"Hi Mommy!"

C'mon, ball!

Got milk?

All the moms thought it was great that she gave me a little pose before her swing.

BAM!

This is FUN!

Running to 1st base

Made it to 2nd base!

Waiting on 3rd

Run HOME!

Are You Transformed?

This week kicks of The Great Adventure 2009. The Great Adventure is a month-long summer focus on loving and serving people all over the world. We start tonight with the Concert of Prayer, where we will pray for all the teams traveling on GO (global outreach) Trips, the work they will do, the people they will get to meet and work alongside, the Backyard Bible Clubs that will be happening all over Austin this week, the families who will attend them, the Extreme Adventure camp for 5th-7th graders, the Summerfest street party this Friday, etc. At the end of The Great Adventure (5 weeks from now), we will close the season with the Concert of Praise, thanking God for all the work He has done, for how He has grown us closer to Him, and for the lives He has changed.
The theme this year is "Transformed- More than Meets the Eye". And, yes, if you hear my cellphone ring in the next month, you will hear that my ringer has been changed to the theme song from Transformers. Elias thinks I am the coolest mom alive. :)
To illustrate how we can be transformed by God, Elias was given one of these at Sunday school today...




It's a mealworm. Thankfully, the nice teachers gave it oatmeal and a slice of potato, so there is nothing else we have to do for it. We don't even have to open the jar. Ever. :) Elias decided it is a girl, and he named it "Sarah". Not to be confused with "Sara", who is a friend from Kindergarten. Over the next 5 weeks, this is what it will become...



Yep, it's a beetle. Gross? Yes! Am I gonna touch it? No way! Is something gross transforming into something grosser (I know- not a word) going to help teach my son about the way God works in our lives? Absolutely!!! Am I excited about it? YAH-HOO!!!!

Mommy, What year were you born in?

Conversation in the kitchen as I prepared dinner yesterday:
Elias: *runs in out of breath* Mom! I was born in 2002! What year were you born in?
Me: 1976. (that never sounded like a LONG time ago until i JUST said it)
Elias: WOW!!!! That was a looooooooooong time ago!!!!!!
Me: MmHmm.
Elias: What did they have back then?
Me: (thinking- "back then??? really???")
Elias: Did they have houses?
Me: *laughing hysterically now* YES WE HAD HOUSES!
Elias: What else did you have?
Me: Well, we had t.v. But no DVD. We got VCR's when I was a little girl though. (didn't even try to explain BETA vs VHS)
Elias: Did you have a phone?
Me: (how old does this kid think I am????) YES WE HAD PHONES!!!! Only for the house though. We didn't have phones for the car. Actually, we got one when I was a little girl and it was bigger than this house phone.
Elias: What about video games?
Me: We did have a video game. I was probably about your age when we got it. It was an Atari. And then we got a Nintendo a few years later.
Elias: Nintendo DS or Nintendo Wii?
Me: Nope. Just Nintendo. The ORIGINAL.
Elias: Hmm. What games did you play on it?
Me: Super Mario Brothers.
Elias: Oh yeah! Like Mario Cart?
Me: Nope. Just Super Mario Brothers.
Elias: What did the controls look like?
Me: OLD.

My Model

I don't think I could have found a better model for my bows. And to think that all this one charges is food, shelter, love, and snuggles. A small price to pay for all the bows she sells. :)

Don't you want to go buy some bows now? :) http://www.unbelievabow.com/

Happy 3rd Birthday, Elena!

3 years ago today we welcomed sweet Elena into our family. I couldn't have possibly anticipated what a wonderful addition she would be! She is so super fun, sweet, and loving. Tonight, as we were having our rocking chair time, I told her some things I love about her. One of those things is how incredibly maternal she is. She "mothers" anything and everything that crosses her path. I love watching her bounce a baby doll up and down and whisper "Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh. It's ok, Mommy's here." I love her laugh- the deep belly one that comes out when she is being tickled. I love when her voice gets REALLY deep and she says something hilarious in a growl. And then she breaks out that laugh I mentioned. I love how she converses about EVERYTHING. (ok, I don't always appreciate this in the moment, but we are talking about overall here!) She doesn't just watch TV, she watches and tells you all about it, play-by-play, as it is happening. She talks non-stop in the car about everything and nothing at all. Her favorite knock-knock joke is "Knock knock", "Who's there?", "A LITTLE GIRL THAT CAN'T REACH THE DOORBELL!!!!!!!" I love her singing voice. And that she knows the songs on my ipod as well as I do. And that, when in doubt of a lyric, she will just make one up. It may not even be a real word. She doesn't care. I love that she messes up her pronouns. ("Her is sad, Mommy." or "I are done, Mommy") I love that she still fits in my lap. That when I rock her, she can still bend her legs and wrap her knees around my waist and lay her head on my shoulder. And that she still licks her wrist when she is going to sleep. I love that she asks, before bed, "Daddy, will you pray me?"
This list could go on and on. There is just so much to love about this sweet girl. Instead, I present you with fun pictures from our family birthday party. We had dinner at Chuck-E-Cheese. (which is where she insisted on going, but with the agreement that Chuck-E would not actually come near her. "He is staying in his nest" is what she kept repeating. The "nest" is a little round stage where a curtain opens and the mechanical Chuck-E sings songs. In case you were wondering, she still has a bird obsession.) We had cake at home, thanks to a dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free cake mix from Whole Foods.

The guests at her party: Baby Jordan, Baby Bunny, and Lasagna
"Happy Birthday, Sister!"

Elena playing the bee game

Riding the bicycle helicopter

Giddy-up, caterpillar!

"Cheese!"

"I got TICKETS!!"

Elena-safe cake

Happy Birthday to ME!

Summertime!

I never really had an appreciation for summer until this year, but I am LOVING this summer break! The kids and I are doing really fun things and I am getting to spend some good time out in the sun. It's like being a kid again! Add to that the bonus that I am getting to hang out with some great girl friends on a pretty regular basis, which is always nice!

We left the day after kindergarten graduation to go to San Antonio for 3 days. We did SeaWorld, the Riverwalk, the Alamo, the pool at the hotel, etc. It was such a good family vacation. The kids had a blast, and I think they are now at the age where they will look back on these vacations as adults and remember the fun we had.

After San Antonio, we came home for a couple of days and then headed north. We spend a night in Dallas with my sister, a night in Oklahoma City at a fancy-schmancy hotel downtown with some friends from Indiana, and then another night in Dallas with Adaryll's dad and his wife. Again, great memories made for all of us. We got to see several sets of people who have been very influential in our lives and who we haven't seen in several years. So, so great!

Once we got home, I decided I better make a plan for the rest of the summer. (some of you are laughing. stop it.) So I mapped out our weeks and thought out which day we would do swim lessons, sprinkler parks, neighborhood pool, etc. (are you seeing a pattern here? it's 108 degrees for Pete's sake!!!) It feels good to have some structure and routine, but still have the complete freedom to do what we want if what's on the calendar doesn't sound appealing that day.

The kids are loving their swim school. (http://www.nitroswim.com/) Elias has been terrified to go under water all his life, mainly because he ends up inhaling a gallon of water up his nose everytime he tries. But these people had him complete submerging himself, without holding his nose!!!, by midway through the second lesson. I am so excited for him!

I feel renewed and refreshed and energized by all the fun we've had already, and we are really only going into our 3rd week of summer! I've so enjoyed getting to watch Elias and Elena play and laugh together, and I have loved standing outside a room and listening to their conversations. I just love these kids! I'm sure I will embrace the structure and routine of school when August comes, but I am going to eat this up while it lasts! :)

Soaking up the Texas sun

My sweeties! Their friendship has blossomed so much this summer as they spend all day playing together. Elias recently told me he was going to marry Elena when they grow up. :)

Elias, Elena, and their cousins Jacob and Wyatt

Run from the BOYS!!!

Go Tech!!

My cousin CRACKS ME UP!

Let's go swimming!!!

Onward and Upward

Disclaimer: This post is way overdue.

Elias has graduated from kindergarten! Yay, Elias! Boo-hoo-hoo, Mommy. Not that I'm not excited for first grade- I really am looking forward to it! And it isn't really the kind of sadness coming from "awe, my little baby boy is growing up" either. It was just SUCH a good year. And it's over. I feel like it will be hard to top.

Elias had the most wonderful teacher for kinder, and she has become a pretty close family friend. She and I get along really well, she's obviously great with the kids, and she tolerates Adaryll's made-for-shock-value comments surprisingly well. I just kind-of feel like she is irreplaceable.

So, in that way, I just feel like it is the "end of an era". And it makes me sad.

On the other hand, I am completely looking forward to first grade and the teacher Elias is going to have. I know it will be different, but I also know it will be God's best. Another season to be excited about.

Here are some pics and videos from the Kindergarten graduation as well as the Knight of Celebration the week before when each child was honored with an academic and character award. Elias received the Bible Memory award (I think he has more verses memorized at 6 than I do at 32. No, I know he does.) and the Dependability award. I am so proud of him!

Elias, Ms. Horvath, and Kelii (who also is Ms. Horvath's nephew)

Elias getting ready for the ceremony

"Cheese!"

The Three Musketeers: Holloway, Elias, and Calloway

"I am a Possibility"

Yes, son. Yes you are!