Today is Abby's 100th day of kindergarten! To commemorate the occassion, she brought in 100 mini-marshmallows (not sure what the purpose is, hopefully will find out after school today) and I made her a few 100-days snacks (a mini Twix bar and two Thin Mints for snack, the number 100 written on her peanut butter sandwich in Nutella). It's hard to believe she is already (and only) 100 days into her elementary school education!
Abby's flourishing in writing, spelling, drawing and reading. She loves learning sign language, taking the bus, eating in the cafeteria and of course, recess. Time will tell how she is doing in math and science, but if she's anything like her mama, those won't be her strong points, which is ok by me!
She still has so much more to learn and a lot more growing to do. But I am so proud of her accomplishments and development over the last 100 school days. She started out the school year not even knowing how to spell Abigail (which she prefers to be called in school) and now she's writing sentences and reading and sounding out words. It's thrilling to see and watch her as she completes a sentence or page in a book. I can only imagine what will come over the next 100, 200, 300 days...
Abigail Jordan - we are so proud of you! Happy 100th Day!!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Three Months Later
It seems as though the holidays - and all of the craziness that goes along with them - has taken a toll on this mama. I thought for sure I had updated The Abby (and Zach) Adventures more recently than NOVEMBER!! But alas, I see it's been almost 3 months! And what a busy 3 months at that:
November:
- Post-hurricane donations
- Dog surgery (she's ok!)
- Trip to Chicago for Thanksgiving (flight going was just mom and both kids for the first time ever!)
- Grammy in NYC to compete in the Scotch Most Gifted Wrapper contest (she didn't win)
December:
- Abby's trip to the Nutcracker, sleepover in the city with Grammy at a hotel
- Abby's first trip to the American Girl store in NYC
- Abby's first Broadway show - Annie!
- Abby's first time ice skating
- Hanukkah! (Zach's Hanukkah theme was trains, cars and legos; Abby's Hanukkah theme was Annie & American Girl doll)
- Potty Training!
January:
- New Year - 2013!
- Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show
- First preschool Shabbat for Zach
- A bunch of sick Strongins (colds, flu) :(
- Celebrating our baby nephew's first birthday
- A great report card & first kindergarten parent-teacher conference
So here we are, 3 months later with a lot accomplished, including potty training Zach in just 3 days. Yep, the little guy did great and is diaper-free (other than Pull-Ups at night) and we could not be more proud! It was a rough few days but we plugged along and made it happen. And at his first preschool parent/teacher conference, Zach's teacher told me that he his "the happiest kid in the whole school, always willing to do anything and is so good-natured." Also a proud moment, but his teacher isn't at home when he throws a fit because I won't put "Woody" (Toy Story) on or give him ice cream if he doesn't eat his dinner! But that's the Terrible Twos I fear - and I suppose we are lucky that it took him 8 months to get there.
I also could not be more proud of Abby, whose teacher wrote: “Abigail is a happy, outgoing, energetic student. She loves doing arts and crafts and drawing pictures. It is clear that Abigail is trying hard to follow the rules and be a good friend to her classmates. She often positions herself in front of the teacher during group lessons, and this usually helps her focus on the speaker. Abigail has become a fluent writer, she sits down, writes independently and also helps her peers when asked."
We, too, have seen huge progress from her in her writing, spelling and reading just in the past few months. It's exciting and encouraging when your kindergartener writes "I like Jijibredman bcoz the butis" (I like (the) gingerbread man because (of) the buttons) or "I love mom, dad, Zach and Sadie." Her teacher said she is reading at the level she should be at in June, which is promising to hear. And for a minute during her parent/teacher conference when I saw she received a 4 (for meeting with excellence) in "algebra," it turns out that kindergarten algebra is really pattern formation and recognition. Oh well, guess she won't be in MENSA :).
We have a busy few weeks ahead of us, with trips to Maryland and Florida planned as well as February vacation (for them, not me) and lots going on at home. Hopefully mama will take some time to update their adventures more frequently so that I don't forget the fun and exciting things they do!
November:
- Post-hurricane donations
- Dog surgery (she's ok!)
- Trip to Chicago for Thanksgiving (flight going was just mom and both kids for the first time ever!)
- Grammy in NYC to compete in the Scotch Most Gifted Wrapper contest (she didn't win)
December:
- Abby's trip to the Nutcracker, sleepover in the city with Grammy at a hotel
- Abby's first trip to the American Girl store in NYC
- Abby's first Broadway show - Annie!
- Abby's first time ice skating
- Hanukkah! (Zach's Hanukkah theme was trains, cars and legos; Abby's Hanukkah theme was Annie & American Girl doll)
- Potty Training!
January:
- New Year - 2013!
- Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show
- First preschool Shabbat for Zach
- A bunch of sick Strongins (colds, flu) :(
- Celebrating our baby nephew's first birthday
- A great report card & first kindergarten parent-teacher conference
So here we are, 3 months later with a lot accomplished, including potty training Zach in just 3 days. Yep, the little guy did great and is diaper-free (other than Pull-Ups at night) and we could not be more proud! It was a rough few days but we plugged along and made it happen. And at his first preschool parent/teacher conference, Zach's teacher told me that he his "the happiest kid in the whole school, always willing to do anything and is so good-natured." Also a proud moment, but his teacher isn't at home when he throws a fit because I won't put "Woody" (Toy Story) on or give him ice cream if he doesn't eat his dinner! But that's the Terrible Twos I fear - and I suppose we are lucky that it took him 8 months to get there.
I also could not be more proud of Abby, whose teacher wrote: “Abigail is a happy, outgoing, energetic student. She loves doing arts and crafts and drawing pictures. It is clear that Abigail is trying hard to follow the rules and be a good friend to her classmates. She often positions herself in front of the teacher during group lessons, and this usually helps her focus on the speaker. Abigail has become a fluent writer, she sits down, writes independently and also helps her peers when asked."
We, too, have seen huge progress from her in her writing, spelling and reading just in the past few months. It's exciting and encouraging when your kindergartener writes "I like Jijibredman bcoz the butis" (I like (the) gingerbread man because (of) the buttons) or "I love mom, dad, Zach and Sadie." Her teacher said she is reading at the level she should be at in June, which is promising to hear. And for a minute during her parent/teacher conference when I saw she received a 4 (for meeting with excellence) in "algebra," it turns out that kindergarten algebra is really pattern formation and recognition. Oh well, guess she won't be in MENSA :).
We have a busy few weeks ahead of us, with trips to Maryland and Florida planned as well as February vacation (for them, not me) and lots going on at home. Hopefully mama will take some time to update their adventures more frequently so that I don't forget the fun and exciting things they do!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Wind, Rain, Snow and Candy
It seems that I made it home from Dallas just in the nick of time. I landed Thursday night and by Sunday morning, we were under a severe hurricane warning for the entire east coast. To prepare ourselves for a likely power outage, we stocked up on batteries, water and non-perishables (anyone need Ritz crackers or Granola bars, per chance??). And then we waited. And waited. And we baked enough sugary treats to last through a cold war and waited some more. And by the grace of God, we didn't lose power, even though many of our friends and millions of our NJ/NY neighbors lost power and much, much more.
Our community is very blessed to have underground power lines and by the time the storm was over and we went outside to assess the damage, we felt so lucky. After seeing the horrific damage that Hurricane Sandy caused on the NY and NJ coastlines, as well as hearing from our family, friends and coworkers that they had no power, hot water or eeek! internet, we took it all in, made some donations and prayed for the people who were not as lucky.
We were also able to celebrate Halloween actually ON Halloween, which many people did not. Dressed as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story, Zach and Abby were thrilled to get out of the house and run around to our neighbors to get candy. As our little 2.5-yr old trick-or-treater asked at many houses - "more candy please?" it was easy to see why we ended up with enough candy for a year.
As the kids got back to school late in the week and mommy was still working from home due to a power outage at work, we reflected on the week's events and were ever so grateful for Mother Nature sparing us.
And now as we face the first snowfall of the season quite early, we are still just as thankful for our electricity and heat as ever. We'll also be collecting some donations of clothes, toys and supplies for those who were not as lucky as we were, and hopefully our kids will learn a great lesson in helping others.
In the meantime, we have renewed hope for the country in Obama being reelected yesterday, and a lot of great things to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Our community is very blessed to have underground power lines and by the time the storm was over and we went outside to assess the damage, we felt so lucky. After seeing the horrific damage that Hurricane Sandy caused on the NY and NJ coastlines, as well as hearing from our family, friends and coworkers that they had no power, hot water or eeek! internet, we took it all in, made some donations and prayed for the people who were not as lucky.
We were also able to celebrate Halloween actually ON Halloween, which many people did not. Dressed as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story, Zach and Abby were thrilled to get out of the house and run around to our neighbors to get candy. As our little 2.5-yr old trick-or-treater asked at many houses - "more candy please?" it was easy to see why we ended up with enough candy for a year.
As the kids got back to school late in the week and mommy was still working from home due to a power outage at work, we reflected on the week's events and were ever so grateful for Mother Nature sparing us.
And now as we face the first snowfall of the season quite early, we are still just as thankful for our electricity and heat as ever. We'll also be collecting some donations of clothes, toys and supplies for those who were not as lucky as we were, and hopefully our kids will learn a great lesson in helping others.
In the meantime, we have renewed hope for the country in Obama being reelected yesterday, and a lot of great things to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Friday, October 19, 2012
While Mommy's Away
To A&Z: As you may (or may not) realized, Mommy is away for a week on a work trip to Dallas. This week won't be easy on any of us: Daddy, who has to take care of you both each night and over the weekend; Cora, who has to make your meals and get you dressed and ready for school each day; Sadie, who always misses her mommy; both of you and of course, me!
While I know you both have had your moments of sadness (Abby, crying the night before I left; Zach, crying when you woke up from a nap and I wasn't there), you can rest assure that I'm pretty darn sad, too. I miss being able to see your happy faces in the morning and kissing you goodnight before bed. I miss your huge hugs and smiles when I walk in the door from work. I miss seeing your pictures that you colored and the notes home from school. Above all, I miss YOU both terribly!
Traveling for work, especially for a really long trip like this one, is not my idea of fun. Yes, I stay in a nice hotel and sleep in bed without a dog laying on me and I get to eat every meal in peace and quiet without having to clean up after anyone. But what I miss the most when I'm away on a trip like this one is just being able to kiss you both and give you big hugs every day. I work to help provide a better life for you and I hope you know that I do this to give you the best that life can offer, even if there are some rough times in-between.
I will try my best to remember how much I miss you when I'm back at home and yelling to make you stop running around the house or screaming, but in the meantime, please keep missing me and know that I am missing you right back. And be good for daddy - he could use a little help :).
While I know you both have had your moments of sadness (Abby, crying the night before I left; Zach, crying when you woke up from a nap and I wasn't there), you can rest assure that I'm pretty darn sad, too. I miss being able to see your happy faces in the morning and kissing you goodnight before bed. I miss your huge hugs and smiles when I walk in the door from work. I miss seeing your pictures that you colored and the notes home from school. Above all, I miss YOU both terribly!
Traveling for work, especially for a really long trip like this one, is not my idea of fun. Yes, I stay in a nice hotel and sleep in bed without a dog laying on me and I get to eat every meal in peace and quiet without having to clean up after anyone. But what I miss the most when I'm away on a trip like this one is just being able to kiss you both and give you big hugs every day. I work to help provide a better life for you and I hope you know that I do this to give you the best that life can offer, even if there are some rough times in-between.
I will try my best to remember how much I miss you when I'm back at home and yelling to make you stop running around the house or screaming, but in the meantime, please keep missing me and know that I am missing you right back. And be good for daddy - he could use a little help :).
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Fall is Here!
October is off and running! We're only 10 days in but already I feel like November is an arm's throw away. With the start of autumn, there have been the requisite trips to go apple picking and pumpkin picking, plenty of fall festivals and more activities (and apples!) than I can count!
Abby happily started "big girl" gymnastics a few weeks ago - this time, she's with 5 & 6-year old girls so it's the big leagues! She seems to be enjoying it quite a bit, though it's a very long day for her when she goes right from school to gym and isn't home until after 5 pm. But since it's only once a week, she seems to be doing well, and she goes to bed quite early those days!
Zach has a schedule that seems to better fit a 12-year old than a 2-year old! He goes to school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In-between on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he enjoys a gym class and a music class - two of his favorites! But recently, we signed him up for a soccer class on Friday afternoons which he LOVES so far, and seems to fit him well since he loves to run. He is doing the class with some of his "older" friends (3-year olds) and is doing great. And of course, he still naps for 2+ hours a day so he's quite a busy little bee.
The rest of this month will no doubt fly by, with me being at a work event in NYC this weekend for 3 days (including on my birthday) and then I'm off to Dallas for a week for work. Soon after I return, we'll have plenty of Halloween celebrations, from a Halloween-themed birthday party to two parades and of course, trick-or-treating. I won't give away what the kids will be dressed up as yet, but suffice it to say that they will be adorable and can't wait to get some candy!
Happy Fall!
Abby happily started "big girl" gymnastics a few weeks ago - this time, she's with 5 & 6-year old girls so it's the big leagues! She seems to be enjoying it quite a bit, though it's a very long day for her when she goes right from school to gym and isn't home until after 5 pm. But since it's only once a week, she seems to be doing well, and she goes to bed quite early those days!
Zach has a schedule that seems to better fit a 12-year old than a 2-year old! He goes to school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In-between on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he enjoys a gym class and a music class - two of his favorites! But recently, we signed him up for a soccer class on Friday afternoons which he LOVES so far, and seems to fit him well since he loves to run. He is doing the class with some of his "older" friends (3-year olds) and is doing great. And of course, he still naps for 2+ hours a day so he's quite a busy little bee.
The rest of this month will no doubt fly by, with me being at a work event in NYC this weekend for 3 days (including on my birthday) and then I'm off to Dallas for a week for work. Soon after I return, we'll have plenty of Halloween celebrations, from a Halloween-themed birthday party to two parades and of course, trick-or-treating. I won't give away what the kids will be dressed up as yet, but suffice it to say that they will be adorable and can't wait to get some candy!
Happy Fall!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Three Weeks In
It's officially 3 weeks ago today that Abby started kindergarten! On the big first day, she practically skipped onto the bus, sat down with her friend Jared and never looked back. Which is a good thing, considering mommy was crying! While the details have been few and far between, I do know that she is happy and excited to go each day, which can only be a good sign that she is liking it.
Today I had the opportunity to visit her classroom for the parents breakfast. It was a chance to see/meet the other kids and their parents, and see where Abby spends 6.5 hours of her day. The teacher seems great so far and the classroom is cute. The class is diverse and Abby is meeting new friends and she is lucky to have her very good friend Jared as well. She is also enrolled in kindergarten Hebrew school, where she'll hopefully continue to build on the Jewish foundations that she learned in preschool.
And as for the little guy (who, yes, is still quite little), he started preschool just about 2 weeks ago! Since he is attending the same school where he went to camp, he had no problem transitioning and is having a great time so far. He has some camp friends and some neighbor friends in his class, and so far, the word on the street is that he's enjoying his first school experience.
Here's to a new (Jewish) year and new opportunities for all!
Today I had the opportunity to visit her classroom for the parents breakfast. It was a chance to see/meet the other kids and their parents, and see where Abby spends 6.5 hours of her day. The teacher seems great so far and the classroom is cute. The class is diverse and Abby is meeting new friends and she is lucky to have her very good friend Jared as well. She is also enrolled in kindergarten Hebrew school, where she'll hopefully continue to build on the Jewish foundations that she learned in preschool.
And as for the little guy (who, yes, is still quite little), he started preschool just about 2 weeks ago! Since he is attending the same school where he went to camp, he had no problem transitioning and is having a great time so far. He has some camp friends and some neighbor friends in his class, and so far, the word on the street is that he's enjoying his first school experience.
Here's to a new (Jewish) year and new opportunities for all!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The 2-Week Countdown
The countdown to kindergarten has begun! Two weeks from today, my first born will step foot into her first "real" school classroom. I'm not sure who is more nervous - me or her! There is so much to be nervous and excited for: the bus ride, making new friends, learning new things, eating in a cafeteria, recess, homework, new teachers and more. And if I know my daughter, Abby will make the most of it by showing her sparkling smile and bubbly personality, and the teachers and kids will adore her (I hope).
So in the spirit of this significant occasion, I have compiled a little list of my hopes, dreams and desires for her, to achieve during her first year of school. In no particular order, they are to:
1. Learn all of your classmates names and get to know everyone individually
2. Enjoy the comfort in having your best friend in your class, but be sure to spend time with other kids at lunch, on the playground and on the bus
3. Tell me one great thing and one not so great thing about school each day
4. Learn to read
5. Not be bullied or be a bully, and say something if you see bullying happening
6. Befriend someone in the class who doesn’t know anyone
7. Learn a little math, a little spelling and a little science
8. Bring home a new library book once a week
9. Try something new from the cafeteria each week
10. Be yourself
11. Do your school assignments carefully and ask for help when it’s needed
12. Be kind to everyone: the custodians, librarians, bus driver, teachers and other kids
13. Remember to wait your turn, raise your hand and overall, be a good student and friend
14. Learn from your mistakes
I know that come September 6th, my big girl will board the bus with excitement and trepidation and I’ll watch with tears in my eyes and wonder how she grew up so quickly. Good luck, Abby – I am so proud of you and wish you much success at the start of this huge journey in your life.
So in the spirit of this significant occasion, I have compiled a little list of my hopes, dreams and desires for her, to achieve during her first year of school. In no particular order, they are to:
1. Learn all of your classmates names and get to know everyone individually
2. Enjoy the comfort in having your best friend in your class, but be sure to spend time with other kids at lunch, on the playground and on the bus
3. Tell me one great thing and one not so great thing about school each day
4. Learn to read
5. Not be bullied or be a bully, and say something if you see bullying happening
6. Befriend someone in the class who doesn’t know anyone
7. Learn a little math, a little spelling and a little science
8. Bring home a new library book once a week
9. Try something new from the cafeteria each week
10. Be yourself
11. Do your school assignments carefully and ask for help when it’s needed
12. Be kind to everyone: the custodians, librarians, bus driver, teachers and other kids
13. Remember to wait your turn, raise your hand and overall, be a good student and friend
14. Learn from your mistakes
I know that come September 6th, my big girl will board the bus with excitement and trepidation and I’ll watch with tears in my eyes and wonder how she grew up so quickly. Good luck, Abby – I am so proud of you and wish you much success at the start of this huge journey in your life.
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