Bryce - Tigers Soccer Team

Bryce played his first season of soccer with the Northwest Oaks Youth Soccer Club. He was on the Tigers - #24. Practice started the week before school started, which was wonderful since he met a few other kids starting Kindergarten at Riebli. None of the kids on his team ended up in his class, but at least it meant a few more familiar faces on the playground. a number of kids from his class are on other teams so he gets to play against them.

Bryce has really enjoyed his first experience playing on a real team. He's learned a lot about teamwork. He's learned that being the one to actually score the goal is not always what the game is about, but rather that passing the ball to a teammate that is in a better position to kick a goal is a good thing and playing defense is important too.

While he's not the absolute best player on the field, he definitely has shown that he has athletic ability. He lacks a little of the agression and drive at this point, but his skills have greatly improved. Most importantly, he's had a ton of fun!

Faith 2 Years 11 Months

Faith is starting to give up naps. She naps about 50% of the time. The issue now is that when she naps she wakes up grumpy. When she doesn't nap, she often has a night-terror and is grumpy in the evening. We are in that weird no win, transition stage. I'd love it if she keeps napping for a while so that I can continue to have one on one time with Bryce in the afternoons and/or get some of my own stuff done.

Now that she is settled into her own room, she has started sleeping through the night again She still comes into our room most morning between 6-6:30 wanting to cuddle, which we let her do.

I can't get her to wear anything other than a dress. She is even particular about what dresses she will wear. They have to have adequate twirl capabilities. If they don't twirl enough she won't wear them, as ballerinas must be able to twirl.

She is starting to be able to blend a few double consonant words, but most of the time she still says stuff like "nail" for "snail", "mall" for "small" etc.

Baby dolls are still her favorite things to play with. She is such a good mommy. Sometimes, as she is supposed to be going to sleep she will scream for me because she wants to make sure I'm taking care of her babies appropriately. She tells me to remember to lift up my shirt and feed them, rock them, not to be too loud if they are sleeping, or some other important instruction.

She is still attached to her binky and yai-yai, although we are being really firm about them staying in her bed. Some days she still fights us on this, but most of the time she cooperates without much fuss.

She is still as head strong as ever. Once she gets her mind settled on something, good or bad, there is no stopping her.

Bryce's First Day of Kindergarten

We didn't tell Bryce the night before Kindergarten started that it was the next day. We were afraid with how much he thinks and worries over things that he wouldn't get a good night sleep. So, that morning he came in to get me I told him that it was an exciting day because he got to start Kindergarten. He said, "Yippee, we better go quickly."

He got dressed and ate breakfast very fast, which is unusual for him. When we got to school he was excited to play on the playground. The parents were invited inside to meet the teacher, here a little bit about what their first day would be like, gather some papers, take a family picture, and finally say goodbye. Bryce gave us big hugs and kisses, including butterfly, Eskimo, and his latest ear kisses and said goodbye. I was so relieved that he was happy, but at the same time sad to see that he was growing up.

When I picked him up he said he had a great day. He did tell me that he was supposed to color a picture of himself, but he didn't do it because he didn't want to. He was happy to tell me all about his day, with a surprising amount of details.

The Friday of his first week of school, Mrs. Trager pulled me aside and let me know that he had an issue with stubbornness and refusing to do his work. She said when she pushed him to do something he pushed back. I reminded her that we warned her about that when we went to meet with her before school started. We teased that she might be sorry she had requested him to be in her class. I also explained that at his preschool all projects were optional. I told her we'd talk at length with Bryce over the weekend in hopes of getting him on the right track. I also asked if it would be okay if I checked in with her daily to see how he did. Bryce insists that the only day he was stubborn was the first day. He said Mrs. Trager never said, "Bryce you must do ________." I explained that there are 23 other kids in the class and that when she gives a project to the whole class that includes him and that he must do the work. I also let him know that she doesn't have time to tell each kid individually that they must do the project.

Over the weekend we devised a sticker chart with consequences and prizes for good behavior at school as well as at home. If he has an entire week with a good report than he gets to order hot lunch one day the following week. He has an opportunity to earn 28 stickers a week (4 each day, Morning, School Day/Lunch time, Afternoon, Evening and Bedtime) if he earns 25 stickers he gets a Lego kit. If he doesn't get a good report for school daily than when he gets home he doesn't get to watch Cat In The Hat, his new favorite show. We'll see how this goes.

Faith 2 Years 10 Months

Faith is getting very anxious to start a ballet class. We were hoping she could start in September, but just found out the school won't take her until she is 3. She is dancing around the house, in stores, or wherever we go move than ever. She keeps reminding me that when she turns three she gets to do her ballerina class.

She is also getting very excited to start preschool. Since Bryce began Kindergarten she asks daily if she gets to go. We were planning on her being at school just for the 9-12 Tues/Thurs preschool program, but she is insisting on staying for lunch until 1. Bryce didn't start staying until half way through his first year in the back class (3 year old class). I guess we are going to have to let her stay since she wants to so bad.

Faith recently discovered Olivia, a show on Nick Jr. about a little pig. It is a cute show and she keeps talking about it. Besides Veggie Tales this is the first show she has really enjoyed and asks to watch.

Faith continues to have a lot of fits. When you tell her that she will have a consequence if she continues a certain behavior she says something like, "well if you do that then I will hit, bite, climb on the counter and get my toy, etc." We always though Bryce was the strong-willed one, but she by far outdoes him in this regard. We continue to try and be firm with her, but sometimes nothing works. When she gets in a mood you have to let it play out because there is no talking her down.

She is smart as a whip. She knows her days of the week, can count to 20, knows her ABCs, knows she lives on Wilshire Dr. in Santa Rosa, and can write the letter F. Now that Bryce is in school and will have homework, I'm guessing she'll want homework too. If she does homework, keeps playing with Bryce's V-Reader, and watches the Letter Factory and the Word Factory she'll be reading when she is 4.

Faith 2 Years 9 Months

Faith has been more challenging than normal the past couple of weeks. She continues pushing the boundaries, trying to assert her power. Regardless of how consistent we are and the consequences we give her, the behavior doesn't seem to change. She gets herself so worked up that she will sometimes scream for 2 hours.

Until Faith was about 18 months old I said she was so much easier than Bryce. Now she is so much more difficult than Bryce ever was in terms of being head strong and throwing fits.

Her intelligence seems to match her stubbornness. She is so bright and her vocabulary continues to amaze me. The other day I asked her if she wanted to play a game with Bryce and I. She responded by saying, "not particularly." What 2 1/2 year old uses language like this?

Faith has really been enjoying using Bryce's new V-Reader that he got for his birthday. If she keeps playing with it she'll be reading by age 4.

She is still into her babies. She is also liking play-doh, coloring, being outside on the swing set and playing games (Zingo Bingo is her favorite).

Bryce 5 Years Old

For the past couple of weeks Bryce has had fabulous behavior. He is so excited to be turning 5.

I've always told him that when he turned 5 he could chew gum. When I gave him his first piece I told him not to swallow it. The poor guy didn't understand me and was saving up all the spit in his mouth, afraid to swallow until he finally asked me if it was okay to swallow just the spit.

He is still very into dinosaurs.

For his birthday, we went to see Cars 2 in 3D, out to Fresh Choice for dinner, to the Disney store, and finally home to open presents. It was a wonderful way to celebrate his big day.

At his 5 year check he was 44 inches, which is the 90-95% and 43 pounds. Dr. Wold said he is doing great.

Bryce's 5 year old pictures

My friend Elise took Bryce's 5 year old pictures. The pictures were taken at her house.