Monkey + Cat

JT wanted to put on the monkey suit (super cute, first time he's WANTED to dress up...) and proceeded to run outside to get the cat.

There was a monkey on the back deck yelling "beebee - keecah" (beezy, kitty cat). She LOVES JT so she came running... and he brought her back in.

Audrey laughed the entire time ;)

Audrey's 1st Day of Kindergarten

Such a big girl!!! She was SO excited, and found her name on her desk, then found her name on her cubby and put her stuff up (with just a little help!).

I was kind of nervous because she was acting SO reserved (I have NEVER seen Audrey quiet...), but when I peeked back in (I had to check on the bus for Monday and let the teacher know the route was correct) she was already playing with another little girly girl :)

Here's her pics... Isn't she the prettiest little "big girl" EVER?!?!

Last Call...

Today is my last day with a Pre-K Audrey. Tomorrow, my little girl starts 'big kid school' - aka Kindergarten.

She's at Weatherstone Elementary, which is super close (3 miles) from our house. She'll ride the bus (though not tomorrow) and everything.

In the morning, Audrey and I go to her classroom, where I get to 'Meet the Teacher' from 9-9:45am. I fill out paperwork (family info, etc) and talk to the teacher a bit about my baby girl. Then they kick us parents out, and my baby stays there until her regular dismissal time - 3:45pm.

She doesn't go back until Monday... This week is Kindergarten assessments, spread out over Wed., Thurs. and Fri. So 1/3 of the class comes in each day to kind of ease them in, and let the teachers get quality assessments and a good look at each individual child.

Dang, mommy is emotional!!! Totally didn't expect to be THIS sad! Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be over it... I'll definitely have to put on a brave face at least in front of the girl.

After today, she's in school for 13 long years, then college. :(

Monkey Joe's

Yesterday we decided to try out Monkey Joe's. Monkey Joe's is an indoor playground with nothing but inflatables. This place had 3 obstacle courses (one was two-story), one bounce house/slide, one HUGE slide, one plain bouncy castle and a toddler bounce for smaller kiddos.

The kids had SO MUCH FUN. JT eventually just shuffled to the door and pointed outside. Audrey was crying, but exhausted when we left. We spent 3 whole hours there, and they went from one to the other the whole time.

I was kind of surprised JT liked it. He is terrified of vaccuums, so I really thought the noise from the inflatable pumps would scare him. It did not! His favorite was the ginormous slide... and he wasn't scared at all. He even did the rock walls!!! (Audrey, of course, did everything just fine, and made a friend named Maya).

Here are the kids having a blast:

Audrey and the 'Ghost-es'

Well, we have officially entered the 'imagination going wild' phase. Audrey has a serious fear of going anywhere alone, especially upstairs. She says there are 'ghost-es' up there.

So, we're trying to be sympathetic without allowing rediculousness... Because all kids get scared, but we don't want to feed into it.

I did ask her why she thinks ghosts are upstairs, and she told me she hears things. I tried to explain this is just a different house with different noises. To which she replied, "And ghost-es".

Obviously women are impossible to argue with from a very early age :P

My Own Spot...

In an effort to keep this blog about the Duzan family as a whole... I am now posting my stuff (that is not relevant/important enough to the Duzan family update stuff) at a different place :)

Ecrit Maman

Anyway, read if you like... It'll be a little different than this one (probably a lot more of how I feel, rather than just 'this is happening').

Still posting important stuff here :)

Love!

Moving is Exhausting

Even JT thinks so!

Seriously, though... We've been moving and grooving... Down to about 15 boxes. It's amazing how much STUFF you accumulate!

I got awesome news today - JT is probably going to be in the full-day program here. It is very structured, and is for autistic children. They use the TEACCH approach - which is different from our preferred ABA.. But we've never tried TEACCH. It sounds great at least :)

The bad news is my gallbladder is apparently pissed off. I have been having pain in the upper part of my right abdomen for over a week, and I finally went to the doctor. He pushed on my belly, and it hurt like hell. I think it's called Murphy's Sign. I am off for an ultrasound Friday to see if I have gallstones or gallbladder problems. If so, he is referring me to a surgeon, and he said he wants me to have the surgery (if there are problems on the ultrasound). As I was flipping out (I believe I was a little overzealous in asking him why my body is falling apart, when would it stop, etc) he was very reassuring, and said there's still a small chance it could just resolve itself. Hanging on that thread right there...

So, I'm all over the place (and not just because I'm bipolar!). I'm happy - JT is going into a great program, they're really excited about him, and excited about helping me. Big difference from what I was thinking this would be like. Turns out meetings were causing the slowness, not lack of caring. Phew! Audrey's first day of Kindergarten is next Thursday, and we go for a meet and greet that morning. We got her teacher assignment and everything. School stuff is all taken care of - YAY!

So, maybe heading for surgery #4 in a year. Fun stuff. I told The Hubs if so, he's just gonna drop me off and pick me up. I'm a freaking pro. Take care of my kids, and get me when it's over. Blah!

New Audrey News

Audrey is officially a cheerleader... we have her at Elite Cheer and Dance in Raleigh. They are a competition cheerleading squad (yes, even at 5yo). They wear uniforms and actually compete... As much as I *don't get* cheerleading (don't get offended... I just have never been girly), it has to be the cutest freaking thing ever that they are going to choreograph a routine for 5yo's and put them in uniforms. Their first competition (showing?) is in September - so SOON!

Audrey did her first fashion show Saturday, too! She got to go on first (was it because she's the cutest? or because her daddy is the store manager? maybe both!). She apparently was fabulous, and did a lot of twirling and such. She also got to buy the outfits she wore (2) plus the shoes to go with them and the hairstuffs. So, she had a blast!

She officially starts kindergarten on August 27th. She will LOVE school, I'm positive. Such a little social butterfly/diva. She wears me out!!!

Anyway, Audrey Michelle is strutting her stuff all over the place :)

I'm a Cheerleader!

I had my very first cheerleading practice last Tuesday. Mommy is signing me up for real tomorrow. I am so excited!

I get to compete against other cheerleader teams. I get my own uniform. Mommy says I'm going to be adorable in the uniform!

Here's where I go to cheer:
Elite Cheer and Dance


About Elite:
All Star Cheerleading and Dance

Located in Raleigh and Mebane NC.

Elite Cheer and Dance is now in our 8th season.

Elite boasts one of the largest cheer and dance only facilities in the nation with over 16,000 sq. ft. and over 11,000 sq. ft. of Palmer Spring floor.

At Elite Cheer and Dance every kid counts. Whether you are an experienced All Star cheerleader or a complete beginner... we welcome you!

We hope you will consider joining our family tradition!

Audrey's First Splinter

We're soaking it... hopefully that will make it easier to get out!

Poor sissy!!

Fun On Deck!

The kids are enjoying the deck... Even though none of our things have made it yet (hopefully they're getting here in the next few minutes).

Audrey can SWIM!!!!

JT & Papa

Three Amigos

DSi Camera = Fun!

Audrey and I had a ton of fun with her DSi photo alter/camera. These pics are the (hilariously freaky) results.

We call them Gra-vie - or Audrey & Evie morphed!