School Boys

Joshie and I are both in school now. This is my third year in school (I know, pick yourself off the floor). I attended a prep class at 2 years old and I am now in my second year of preschool. This year is lots of fun because in the afternoons I get to go spend 3 hours with the pre-K/kindergarten class and I love it! I am learning to write my name and numbers and even do some basic addition. Mom and dad think they are going to keep me at my same school for next year and have me attend the kindergarten there instead of the public school. We just love the kindergarten teacher and mom and dad feel it is a wonderful environment for me. I agree!!

Joshie is attending his first year of prep and he is FINALLY enjoying school. Mom says she thought that he would just assimilate to school very quickly since he was so used to going there to pick me up - I mean he basically knew everyone there already. But no such luck - it took poor Josh about 2 solid months to get used to being away from mommy. He would cry and cry and act pitifully (the teachers said that he stopped as soon as mommy left the parking lot) but it did make him sad and he missed mommy terribly. The past few weeks he has really begun to love school and he is happy and smiling when mommy takes him into school. The teachers say he is as wonderful as me and is now a happy little guy all day at school.

Josh and I love our school and so do mommy and daddy. We feel very grateful to have found a place that we are so comfortable with and love so dearly. The teachers are great about taking pictures and sharing them. Here are a few of the best ones. Enjoy! Don't we look so grown up?

My photographs - Marvel at my talents!

As promised, here a few of the pictures of Josh, Mom and Dad that I took with my very own camera. Granted, the quality is not so great and mom and dad, in particular look sort of "zombie-like", but this is my first ever camera, so give me a little break. Mom took the picture of me at the bottom and you can see I am being very scary in this picture.

Additionally, you may notice that Mom and I changed the background and layout of the blog a little bit. We have decided that we would like to at least try to be a little more creative with this site. Tell us what you think of this template. We also added a blinkie and changed the colors around. We are still learning and it is a definite work in process. We will update here and there for the seasons and holiday.

Merry Christmas!

I love all holidays but Christmas is my favorite time of year. Decorating the Christmas tree and putting up the lights are at the top of my list. Just ask my mom, I am an excellent helper. Don't even get me started talking about wrapping presents, because if you know me at all, you know I have a very, very intense appreciation for scotch tape. I just love the stuff and I love to put it anywhere and everywhere. Mom says at least that I can put my obsession to good use at Christmas time when it is time to wrap presents (rather than wrapping the tape around door knobs or on counters or my little brother).

This Christmas was the best yet, as Joshie is older now and could really participate and have fun with me. We would lay down together next to the tree on our tummies and discuss what might be in the wrapped packages. Grandma Anne and Grandpa Jack sent a package that would giggle when you touched it and it drove all of us literally nuts. We would sit and marvel at the lights and ornaments. It was just all so exciting.

This year we made cupcakes for Santa instead of cookies. I think he really liked them as we left two for him and he ate both of them.

My most favorite gift that I received was from mom and dad and it was my very own Fisher Price digital camera. I absolutely love it and have taken about a million pictures. I am really getting good at taking pictures and will post some at a later date. I have taken pictures of the toilet, the ketchup bottle, our Christmas dinner and my brother and my parents. I can't wait to show my pictures to you soon! Merry Christmas!

Josh's Big Boy Bed (December 15, 2009)

One night in early December, mommy received a call from Dad on her cell phone. She had just finished her final exam in her psychology class and was shopping at Safeway on her way home to pick up some groceries. Upon answering her cell phone, Daddy said "We have a little problem!" Bracing herself for some news, Daddy reported that Josh had figured out to get out of his crib and was getting out of his crib over and over and over and over.......

Now, if you know Josh well, or even if you had just met him, you would be able to determine that he is a tricky little guy. He is very adamant that he likes his way. He should have "My way or the highway" tattooed on his little arm. Anyway, once he figured out how to get out of his crib there was no going back. In fact, mommy said that his future probably lay in gymnastics as the way he flipped himself out of that crib was an absolute gymnastic feat worthy of a gold medal.

Needless to say, that particular evening and the one that followed were difficult nights for the Fletcher family. Both nights, Josh basically ended up sleeping in his rocking chair. He refused to stay in his bed, but upon getting out of the bed, he couldn't get back in. When he would fall asleep in the rocker, daddy would go put him in the crib...that is, until he woke up again, got out of the crib, etc.. You see the pattern, no?

Anyway, the following day mom and dad went to the store and purchased a toddler bed for Josh. It had a "Cars" headboard and a matching "Cars" blanket, sheets and pillowcase. Josh was thrilled over his big boy bed and sleeps there every night. Well, that is after conversations with me at the gates to our room and generally a little unhappiness at bedtime. But we are getting there and things are getting better. The little guy is definitely growing up!

Mom and dad gave me a little gift for being such a helpful big brother throughout the process. For example, one of the first nights Josh was crying at his gate and mom and dad were getting frustrated. Of course, I just said, "Josh, it's okay baby, just calm down and go get in your bed and go to sleep". Of course, Josh replied "OK, Matthew, good night" at which point he lay down and went to sleep. Ha, ha!

Snow Day! (December 7, 2009)

Josh and I have seen all kinds of movies and shows about snow. One of our favorite stories is "Frosty the Snowman"; however, we don't really know what snow is or feels like. It is just some kind of magical thing that everyone talks about has yet to appear or exist in our world, that is until December 7. It actually SNOWED at our house - can you believe that? Mommy and Daddy were shocked to see it outside and couldn't believe it. Mom says that she read that the last time it snowed down below 500 feet here was over 20 years ago or something liked that. Anyway, I rushed downstairs to look out the window and was absolutely in a state of excitement. Upon seeing the snow, I yelled "Yeah, no school today!" Mom just laughed and laughed and I didn't understand why, but apparently our particular "SNOWFALL" didn't qualify as the kind of snowfall that shuts everything down. Argh! Upon asking if I could make a snowman, I was again shut down. What a drag.

Anyway, we got to go outside and see it but it was all gone by early afternoon. Mom and dad said that we are going to go up to Lake Tahoe this winter to see real snow. It should be lots of fun!

Her biggest fan (December 6, 2009)

I am my mom's biggest fan. She is a happier person when she can run and therefore, that makes me happy too (heck, it makes us all a lot happier). Upon returning to home from her marathon in early December, I made a big congratulations sign for her, gave her a huge kiss and then, of course, said, "What did you bring me back as a surprise?" Ha. Ha.

Love ya mommy. Here she is with my dad at the end of the race! Go Mom!

Getting too big for my britches! (November, 2009)

Just a fun post. I have a very funny little sense of humor and sometimes I do the silliest things. On this particular day in late November, I thought it would be funny to try on Daddy's pants. Mom is always telling me how big I am getting so I thought I would see if I could borrow some of Dad's clothes. Hey, at least it might save her a trip to the store to buy me yet another size in jeans.

Here I am in Dad's jeans! Maybe if I eat just a bit more dessert they will fit me by next year.