-Friday-

I don't think I have been this happy for a Friday in a very very long time.  I have classes Mon-Thursday and there was just SO much information to learn.  When I was in high school and at York College - I never had to study like this.  It will be worth it in the end but I feel like my brain might explode in the mean time.  We just learned the basics this week - how to take a temp, pulse, blood pressure, etc.  It is harder to take a blood pressure than I thought.  This is one of those times I miss living in NJ because if I were closer I would go visit my Grandmother and make her "patient".  I know I could take her blood pressure and pulse 100 times and she would just keep on being patient with me.  :)
While I am trying to update the blog more often I may not get to do it as often as I wish... we will see!
The kids are doing amazing in school and can not wait to go everyday.  I had an almost panic attack yesterday while I was driving to school because I did not have them with me - it was such a weird feeling to not have them by my side when I have been at home with them for so long.  I am so so fortunate. 
I took a picture of each kid yesterday and asked them a couple of questions.

My kids are so darn lucky.   While Jason was waiting for the kids to come home off the bus on Wednesday he built them a bench to sit on while they waited for the bus in the morning.

First Day of Kindergarten!

Yesterday was a big day in the Druck home.  The kids started kindergarten.

We are lucky that the bus picks up at the end of our driveway.  I was in school all day yesterday so Jason put them on the bus and followed them to school.  A couple of years ago I laughed at my sister in law when she followed the bus on the first day of my nephew but I was very relieved when Jason was going to do it - apparently most parents do it the first day.  Anyway as Bella got off the bus she yelled to Jason, "DADDY!  I made a friend".  At that is Bella nowadays - she will just go up to people and ask to be friends and then goes and plays - she is SO outgoing.  I would have never thought that.  Jack is a bit more shy but his best buddy from his t-ball team is in his class and he was talking to other boys while we were at back to school night.  
Yesterday gym was their "special" period and today it is art so you have my two kindergartners summed up right there - all is right in their world if Jack has gym and Bella has art.... also bacon.... add bacon into anything like Jason did for their breakfast yesterday and we just knew they would have a perfect day :)
I will write more about my school tomorrow but I better run for now to finish getting them ready!

5 months until my Birthday...

Random thought popped into my head the other day.  I have often had off of school for my birthday (Martin Luther King Day) and the kids will often have off on their birthday (Labor Day).  Something little and cool we share.  The kids turn 6 in just under 2 weeks.  Their birthday was the cut off date for starting school so they will be some of the older kids in their grade.  We had back to school night last night and we got to meet their teacher.  She actually grew up two houses down from here and knew of the kids.  Her uncle still lives on the other side of my in-laws (where she grew up) so I guess she was Jason's neighbor at some point in time. 
I will be in clinicals tomorrow so I tried to get a picture of the kids last night and this was the best that I could get.  Can you sense their excitement?  No - me neither - they were excited, just tired. 

What else is new?
The kids have started swim lessons.  We waited until they were not so afraid of the water and they were loving the pool this year.  So lessons started and it is too darn cold to get in our pool - hopefully they will remember some of this next year

Bella was sick earlier this Summer - fever, lethargy, not eating - basically just not herself.  We never really found out what was wrong with her but they treated her for Lymes Disease because it is possible to get a false negative.  She  just finished her second round of antibiotics and was SO happy that we danced as she threw the bottle of meds in the garbage.  So far so good and she is pretty much back to herself.   Point of this is that when she was first sick she had a really high fever and just felt crappy and Jack tried cheering her up by performing magic.

He got a magic kit at his birthday party and he was originally "Jack the Magnificent" but changed his name to "Jack the Magician" because he could not say magnificent.  They are getting to the age where they have their own friends and they told their bus driver that they do not want to sit next to each other on the bus but I don't doubt for a second that they love each other and have each others back.  They really are amazing kids!
One last picture of teamwork!

They were playing a video game and they could not reach the pedal.  They took turns steering and pressing the gas (they never actually used the brake so there was a lot of crashing).  Isabella was there with them and when she was steering Bella sat behind her just to "support" her while Jack did the gas.  That really was awesome teamwork.

I am going to try to update more often.  I figure if I do a tid bit here and there it won't take long.  So check back on Thursday and I will update about their first day of school!

Summer is over.....

Well it is over for me at least.  I start school today.  I have a nursing theory course on Mon and Thursday, Math on Tues and I start clinicals on Wed.  In two weeks I will have actual patients - real live people that I will have to interact with .... I am a bit excited and nervous all at the same time.  The kids start school on Wednesday and I am super bummed that it my clinical day because I will leave the house at 6 - long before the kids even get up.  Luckily Jason will be home to put them on the bus.  The kids are so excited for school to start and we get to go meet their teachers tonight.  They will be in the same class.  

Bella lost her third tooth last night (all on the bottom).  It was quite loose for awhile so Jason said he would get pliers and help her and she was excited.  Jack on the other hand freaked out that we were going to hurt Bella and he went and hid his head.... Great brother there ;)  (Please don't mind the mess).  Jason did not get it out and after a long night Jason's mom tied dental floss to it and she pulled it out.  The tooth fairy almost forgot to come but thankfully she remembered and Bella was super excited to wake up to her $1.
This was the last week that I watched Isabella.  I have watched her for almost 4 years so it was sad to realize it was her last day.  We had a really fun week though and I know we will see her again.  She is going to a different kindergarten than Jack and Bella.

 Bella and Isabella with their matching Friends Forever Tees

A couple of quick pictures of camping:  It was the cardboard boat race and Jason went out with Bella in their boat

 I just liked this picture.  It is the back of the kids.  Friends of mine with twins who are just a couple months older than Jack and Bella came to visit and our nephew Connor was up as well.

 Jack's job was to make OJ each morning :)

Summer is almost over???

Jack woke up the other morning and realized it was August and both the kids started jumping up and down because they realized that August = Kindergarten.  They were not thrilled when I told them they had to wait until the 20th.  It was a wake-up call for me though to realize how quickly time is flying. 
I have one class over the summer and am taking the final on Wednesday.  YAYYY!  I will be happy to be done with it.  I then have a week off and classes start full time for me on the 18th.  This semester is exciting and nerve-wracking because I will actually be working with patients.  
The summer has been a lot of fun.  We had the kids' birthday parties early this year.  Jack wanted to have it at the local minor league baseball team.  It was amazing.  He threw out the first (well actually it was like the 6th pitch- there were a couple others who threw one out too)

 and the whole stadium sung happy birthday to him (along with the two other birthday boys) on top of the dugout.

 Bella had a "Girly Tea Party"

I have to run for now but I will post some more pictures soon - I can not wait to have some down time when this class is over. 

My Grandmother is AMAZING

I know everyone says that but she seriously is.  On Palm Sunday the kids and I drove to NJ to go to her church and to a dedication in her honor.

 Isn't she beautiful?
 I have been blessed with the most wonderful Grandmothers.  When Bella was born I could not decide on who to name her after (middle name - we had already decided on Isabella for the first) so I made one up.  Her middle name is Elice ~ a combo of both of my Grandmothers' middle names Ruth Ellen and Miriam Alice ~ pronounced "Ellis".  If we had two boys the second boy would have had the middle name Allen - again a combo of their middle names Alice and Ellen.  I was covered either way :)

 We went to the Boardwalk afterward and saw the Easter Bunny

Grandmom then treated them to some games 

 These were the ones that you play until you win.  Best $5 - it took Bella probably about 30 tries to get it but she was so excited when she did

Bella's Haul

I think they were tired out!

Why I could not answer your call...

Yesterday was a day I have been dreading, I think just as much as Jack.  He had a cavity and needed to go get a filling.  He does well going to the dentist overall but he was SCARED at the thought of a cavity.  He has been crying off and on and telling me how scared he was, etc.  I don't typically bribe the kids but I told him that if he was brave that he could have "Jack Day" where he chose what we got to do.  That helped..... a little. 
Anyway so the appointment was yesterday and he did FABULOUS!  They used nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and he was happy as a clam.  They came to get me when he was done and he was sitting in his chair smiling.  The dentist and the assistant were fawning over him and he was just eating it up.  He got THREE PRIZES!  And "not everyone can get THREE PRIZES!!"  He was very excited over his prizes.  He has a small cavity on the other side and they did not want to numb up both sides so he goes back next month.  He is excited and told me "cavities are fun!".
He got vampire teeth, a sticky hand, and a sticker.

 We then went to the movies and out to dinner - he chose both.  When we got home it was raining and the kids have been asking to play in the rain so I asked them if they wanted to.  They ran in the house and stripped down to their undies so fast!

I told them to go down the slide in the backyard and they loved that because they went super fast.  I stayed in the house and watched them because I am not 5 and do not like to getting soaking wet.  They went over to the one dirt patch we have in our yard and decided it would be fun to paint themselves with mud. 

Haha!  They had a blast but I told them they were going to have to get washed off with the hose and that made them get even dirtier!  The rain cleared up and out popped a rainbow to top off "Jack Day!"

I was exhausted at the end of Jack Day (Jason was working and then went golfing so I was on my own for scrubbing them down!) The kids had a ball though and laughed so happy giggles!  Point of the title is that Grandmom called me right when they were rolling in the mud so I was unable to answer your call!

P.S.  I have some pictures of Grandmom and her dedication that I need to go through but I will post them soon!