Tuesday: Parent Teacher Conferences

Isaac's parent-teacher conference went very well today.  He's doing great in math - something clicked for him.  We noticed it and the teacher noticed it.  Apparently he and another student asked when they were going to learn multiplication.

He is doing well with reading.  His reading is around 80th percentile, but he's still getting all the things he needs to get...sounding out words especially.  He's probably at about the spot he'll need to be leaving kindergarten, so everything is coming along well.

He could use a bit of improvement in writing, but his teacher isn't sure if he's slow because his writing is slow or he's thinking about what he wants to write.  In either case, she isn't worried as he has words on the paper.

Socially he seems to be doing just fine in class.  She's heard a few big laughs from Isaac lately, so he's feeling more comfortable in class.  He's also talking with most of the students, even though he doesn't have a 'best' friend.

There's a book fair at the school's library that they always sell well to the kids.  Isaac had put down some titles that he really wanted, and he mentioned a few times that he wanted to show Ben the list because there were minecraft books on it.  Well, one minecraft book was just a guide of how to play and the other was the third in a series.  So we got him a different Minecraft book that wasn't on the list.  When I got home, I told him we didn't get him any of the books on his list and he was about to cry.  I quickly showed him what we did get and he quickly got happy again.  Disaster averted.

Monday: winter break

Today and tomorrow are winter break.  I feel like I usually have big plans - things to clean, misc work to do, whatnot - but this time I don't.  So while I am doing a little bit of work, there isn't a ton getting done.  I am very ok with that.

Joshua got a Valentine's stuffed monkey from daycare.  He was promptly named Monkey.  Grey Bear and Monkey are getting along very well.  Grey Bear is helping Monkey stay up off the snow and they are shooting off to Mars together.  Below they are hugging.

Dad and Pat invited us for lunch at Panera, and that was nice.  It was nice to see them and Joshua had a good time telling them all about Grey Bear and Monkey.  After that was a tantrum (because Joshua didn't want rest time) and then rest time.  Joshua's been throwing a lot of tantrums lately, and they usually involve throwing something.  The not listening has gotten him in time out, while the throwing has gotten him additional time.  Anyway, he made some robots during rest time.  Well, that first one is a cake for Ben I think.

Sunday: bedtime

I put Joshua to bed and left the room.  A moment later I heard a, "Mom?"

I went into his bedroom.  "I love you Mom."

"I love you too."

Saturday: yesterday

Joshua has still been all about looking at the fire plane box.  But he seems to have no interest in making the last two dollars to actually get it.  (Two dollars is not that much work.  We are being rather generous.)

So yesterday Ben said that if Joshua doesn't start earning the money, we're going to put the box back in the closet.

Yesterday at lunch, Joshua announced that he hid the box from Ben.  I tried getting Joshua to tell me where he hid it, but he kept saying, "It's a secret."  (In hindsight, he might just not know where it was.)

Yesterday night we were all talking about it, and Isaac pipes up with, "He did hide it really well!  It's not in most of the rooms of the house!"  Ben and I cracked up.

It was found this morning by the rest of the Legos.  Joshua told Ben it was just a trick.

Friday: snow day

Isaac had another snow day today!  Today was an excellent day for a snow day, and we enjoyed it.

We decided to make graham cracker houses.  Isaac's wanted to make them since Christmas, when there just wasn't enough time.  We had to go the store first to get groceries and graham cracker house supplies.  Joshua was not having it.  This is the second huge tantrum we've had this week.  I ask him to get dressed and he doesn't want to.  He throws something and then runs away from me.  (Spoiler alert: I win.)

Anyway, we finally got started. I made Joshua's and mine; Isaac did most of his.

We let them sit for a few hours.  I've found that letting the frosting harden at least a little bit makes things easier.  After rest time we started with the candy.  Joshua did his own candy.  He got many of the candies on, but if they happened to fall off he quickly decided that they just wouldn't say on and they went in his mouth.  :)

Mine:

Joshua's:

Isaac's:

After this Isaac and Joshua played well with each other...it was some kind of pirate candy land game that involved a lot of running.  And a lot of pillows.  But they were happy and content, so they could take all the pillows they wanted.

Cruise - day 7: sea day, sort of

Today was our last day on the boat.   It started with breakfast, as always. They really were delicious breakfasts...a lovely assortment of food and yummy things.

It was a day back at Castaway Cay, but we decided to just stay on the boat instead.  We finished up the last of the three detective things.  This was one of Isaac's favorite parts.

Isaac would hold the card in front of a "painting" and it would make him do a little game (pop ballons, light rockets, use a flashlight to find a clue) and then he would find some of the lost items or a clue on who was the bad guy.  Pluto elevator

During one of them Joshua snuck Pluto into my purse strap and then said, "Mom!  I don't have Pluto!"  "Where is he?" I asked.  "On the elevator."  "WHAT?!?!?!"  I ran over to push the elevator button, but since there are always four elevators in a bank I didn't have much hope the right one would come.  Well, it came right away and Pluto wasn't on it.  Joshua had been carrying it around all the time, and I didn't really want him to lose it because buying him a new one would feel like a parenting fail.  Then Joshua told me Pluto was in my purse.  I was not amused.  (Although now that it is done I am.)

We took a nap.  Joshua was super cute.

We went to take a few more pictures before our last dinner.  This is the lobby from the second floor.

I had wanted to get at least one picture with Mickey.  Since it was so close to the end there was no official photographer, which in several ways was nice.

Our dinner was in Animator's Palace again, and it was a great place to end up.  This time we drew some figures and they were animated in a short show.

I tried to get a few pictures with a few of the scenes we were in, but I'm not sure it worked.

There was a puppy that showed up on the ground this time.

After dinner we went swimming for the last time.  Well, Ben and Isaac did.  Joshua and I ended up just sitting and watching whatever was on the screen.  They went down the water slide 10 times!  (There was no line.) Isaac was so excited to beat his old record.  By the end the cast member had Isaac repeating the rules instead of him.

That night we had rough seas.  Luggage that was outside was rolling all over the place.  Hangers were banging and safes were slamming.  It's a bit too bad that it was the last night as everything was packed up instead of being able to help quiet things down.  We survived, but Ben and I were awake for a few hours.

We had our last breakfast in Animator's Palace again and then had to leave.  :(  It was a wonderful vacation.

Thursday: Isaac doctor

Isaac went to the specialist today because of his cough.  Of course, Ben and I haven't heard the cough in the last week and a half.  I called and they said to still bring him in though.

An allergy test was done.  As expected, Isaac is not allergic to anything.  (This was expected because the allergy medicine didn't help.)

We're left with two options, both of which are hard to diagnose.  1) a habitual cough or 2) a periodic asthma induced cough.  This is different from normal asthma, as something will trigger it, the person will have a cough for a week or two, then it will stop until it is triggered again.

Anyway, we have an inhaler if the cough comes back to try.