Grace's Pre-School Pictures

I love how they were able to get her natural smile to shine through! Grace has come a long way with getting pictures taken. Maybe a little too far actually, she loves the attention.

So this is her first official school picture. I can't wait to watch her grow and change through the years. I remember when I was younger how big of a deal I felt like school pictures were. I just love looking back at mine and seeing all the funky clothes my mom put me in, or my crooked bangs. Grace will most likely experience some of those same things. I will try to minimize that.

Anywho, just wanted to share these pics. This girl gets nothing but love from me!

~ Em

My little girl is getting so big

We went to my first parent teacher conference today. And man I can not believe I already have a child old enough for one of those. I realize that in all reality a lot of people are thinking, why is she acting like this is a big deal, or so what? For us, in our little family it is one of our "firsts".

Grace only started going to this preschool the beginning of February. Before that she was in an at home daycare/preschool. At first she had trouble with the change and was scared when we left her. It only took her a few days though and she was asking us when does she get to go see her new friends at her new school. She is such a social butterfly that girl.

A couple of things have happened since she had been there that have just melted my heart. First thing was, she had school pictures taken. She cracked me up because she hadn't actually been to the preschool yet (The pictures were the Thursday before she started), so when she took her class picture she didn't really know any of the kids. When she was standing in the formation to have the picture taken she was in the back with one big cheesy smile glued to her face. All of the other kids were moving from where the photographer had placed them and talking to their other classmates. She was the only one, like a frozen statue, waiting for him to take the picture. And he was still situating everybody. It was hilarious. I wanted to get my camera out and snap a picture myself real quick. I guess now that I am writing it, it doesn't sound as funny. Maybe it was one of those things where you had to be there to fully appreciate the hilarity of it. We get the pictures back March 9th I believe. I will post a picture for sure. 

Next was, Grace made me a little bracelet. So cute! Unfortunately  the "bracelet" was made for a newborn so I can not wear it. But it does have yarn attached to it so I am going to hang it from my rear view mirror. My first little school present made by Grace. I love it! And next was the one that I thought was so cool. The school asked me to provide a stamped envelope because they were mailing out a letter. They didn't give me any more details. Then on Valentines Grace received a letter in the mail. It was from her little classmate. It was handwritten by the other little girl, and it said, "Dear Grace, I am glad you are my friend." And then she signed her name. That is most definitely going in her baby book. And this is just the beginning of Grace's "school days".

The parent teacher conference went well of course. The teacher did not have as much time to evaluate Grace as she did the other kids but she still was able to tell us where Grace is developmentally. And she said she is ready for kindergarten! That made me happy to hear because since she was going to an at home preschool I was concerned she might not be where she needed to be. They said her social skills are really good, like listening to the teacher when she is giving directions. Also, when other kids are distracting, Grace will still focus on her work. The teacher did say Grace does get down on herself easily and is always comparing her work to the other kids but once the teacher reassures her she is doing fine then Grace will accept that. She is like this with most things, and it is something we have been working on for awhile now. Overall she said she is on track and has made a smooth transition into the class. That makes me very happy to hear. I was hoping that would be the case, and it was.

I just can't believe in six months she will be in kindergarten! Unreal! I think there will be a lot of changes between now and then for her. And I am sure I will be sharing those changes with all of you!

~ Em

I like Owls these days

As you can see I have changed my Blog Template. I just wanted something different. I won't be changing my blog too often I don't think but just when I find a new blog that makes me smile. I have Terran to thank for giving me the motivation to look for a new one. So thank you Terran!
And I have a preschool parent/teacher conference for Grace on Friday so I am sure I will be updating my blog then to share with everyone how Grace is doing. I realized that a lot of my blogs have been about Will and not so much about Grace. That girl has a lot going on in her life too so I need to keep everyone current.
Thanks for keeping up with us through my blog.

~ Em

Will's Birthday party with his friends

As always we had Will's birthday party at The Sellwood Community Center. My sister works there and it is a great place to have a low key birthday party. First of all, there is no cost to me, how could you turn that down? And then, we get the entire building to ourselves. There is a gym upstairs where the kiddos can play basketball, or drive the toy cars. Kids love open gym. A ton of open space for them to run around and get all of their energy out. And there is a mat room. Now, that is the room where you see the kids really let loose. 

We were so happy to see everyone that came. Will does not get to see his peeps as often as he would like so this birthday was a great opportunity to do that. Now we just have to make a point of having play dates more often.  

The gifts Will received were spot on. Even though he wanted his birthday themed Spongebob, everyone must have known that his true love is Thomas the Train. One neighbor gave him a Thomas zip up sweatshirt hoodie. And another gave him a Thomas pillow pet. Holy cow, that was a big hit. He also got a pair of Nike sandals that he immediately put on.

Will is one lucky little man to have such good little friends. Thanks to everyone that came. We really enjoyed everyone's company!

~ Em

Celebrating Will's 3rd Birthday

Three years ago today God said, "Get ready, cuz here he comes." William entered our world with just as much love as he gives back. The happiness he has brought to our lives is only just beginning. We knew having a boy would be different than having Grace, but nothing could prepare us for this one. Anyone that knows Will knows he hits the ground running everyday. He almost always has a smile on his face, and laughs for no apparent reason. Grace is his best friend and worst enemy, all at the same time.

We look forward to his third year of life. He will without a doubt challenge us almost everyday with his new obsession of the word NO. And with all of that, our love for him can only grow, right?

You may or may not know this, but William was named after his two grandfathers. William comes from Chris' dad, who went by Bill. We could not be more proud of the name we chose to call our son. Anyone who knew Bill absolutely loved him, and truly misses his presence in their life. Will may not have had the honor of knowing his grandfather, however Chris and I make a point of talking about his grandfather as often as possible so he feels a connection to him. William's middle name, Spencer, was my maiden name. My father passed away when Grace was just 7 months old, and lived in Hawaii at the time. So for William, when he was born, both of his grandfathers were unbelievably no longer with us. My dad, would have adored my children and given them so much love. It was and is important to Chris and I that we convey that love to our children.

William is more than just William, or Will, or Buddy. He is living with his grandfather Bill and Dennis' spirit very much alive inside him. When we celebrate his 3 years of life today we also celebrate the lives of our father's and the impact they had on our lives.

We love you Buddy! (aka Will)

Our Family Tree

I enjoy browsing the Etsy web page, and have made three or four purchases from it. And every time I have been pleased with my purchase. Of course this time is no exception. I love wall decals and the drastic change they can make to a room. As you can see, this one does just that. There were quite a few different tree decals to choose from but I kept coming back to this one. Something about the whimsicalness of it, and the life that it seemed to portray through the picture caught my eye and made my decision to purchase it easy.
I was completely impatient once I purchased it and found myself checking the mail everyday specifically hoping it was there. Of course when it did arrive I was not home and came to find out that it required a signature for delivery. Instead of waiting until they attempted to delivery it again I drove out to Tigard where the delivery company returns it to temporarily house it. I actually was even laughing at myself a little that I was so anxious to just have the decal in my hands. But I felt so good about my new addition to my living space that I couldn't stop myself.
That night I pulled it out of the box and was a little perplexed at first. I don't know why I had it in my head this way, but I thought it would just come as one big sticker and I would just place it on the wall. Not so much. Each piece of the tree came on a separate sheet and had to be pieced together. My excitement dwindled down and turned into a little anxiety. Those kind of things that are intricate can be overwhelming for me. Luckily, Chris does not react in the same way and a little reluctantly,but still, agreed to help me sort through the pieces and get it put together. And, let me just add, the reason Chris was a little reluctant was because I tend to find a lot of house projects to do and it usually ends up with Chris completing them for me. Bless his heart, he loves me I guess!
He did a great job, placing each piece very strategically and did it a lot smoother than I ever would have. I just love where we placed it, and the change it brought to the wall.
Next step was placing the pictures. So far we have just our little family, however I do plan on adding more family pictures.(With our without their consent!)
I am so completely impressed with the life it brings to the house, and the fact that it will continually change and grow with the more family I add.

I recommend this Etsy Shop: WallDecalDepot. And the entire Etsy.com webpage. Happy Shopping!

~ Em

P.S. (You had to know this was coming) Will's curiousness couldn't help himself and grabbed Dad's freshly brewed coffee pot from the holder. Of course it was too heavy and he could not lift it completely. The glass pot busted and coffee spilled all over the counter and cupboards and floor. He thank goodness was fine and not burned. Once again, I was not home. Just sayin'.

Changes for Will & Grace

This last year there have been a lot of changes for our family as a whole. It started out with Chris making the big decision to change careers. Frito Lay was a good paying job but as I am sure many people can relate, it comes at a cost. The pay was keeping him there because it was helping support our family. But as the years dragged on he came to realize there was not much possibility for growth and the early hours required were taking away from his quality of life, as well as our families. When his days off came, or it was family gathering time it was known he would be a zombie and not want to do much of anything other than relax on the couch. Who could blame him? He tried so hard to fight against the tiredness but when you know everyday that you will be starting your day at 2am it never feels like you can be completely rested.
Chris took a big leap of faith and obtained his insurance license. And let me remind you he did this while still working at Frito Lay. It was not easy at first, however knowing the outcome would take him to a better place it got him through it. He opened his Allstate Agency, the Chris Osburn Agency, LLC in July and is still giving it 110%. Just one parent changing careers plays a large role in the family dynamics.
Once he became his own boss he had set office hours and finally got to have the good ol' 9-5. It's actually 6pm but still. So instead of me taking the kids to daycare in the morning and him picking them up it turned into him getting up with them and taking them to daycare and me picking them up. It was an adjustment for them because pretty much their entire lives I have been the one to wake up with them and get them going in the morning. They were very excited to be with dad in the morning but still were sad that I wasn't there. And Chris really enjoyed his time with them in the morning.
That only lasted about 4 months, which was when I decided to join Chris in the insurance world. It was a risky move on our part for sure. And believe me we had a lot of our family and friends trying to talk us out of it, or at least tell us to wait until he was more established. The timing just seemed right for us. So now with Chris and I on essentially the same work schedule we had to figure out who would do what. Now, I get up with the kids, get them ready in the morning and take them to daycare. Chris goes straight into the office and I am right behind him. Lucky me, having a great boss that knows how much I love my children let's me leave work around 4:30pm and pick them up. Chris has been working longer hours with the new business, and even though it is hard for the kids to understand it all we are getting to be with the kids more.
This week brings a close to the childcare world they have known almost all their lives. As you can see we like change. Cross your fingers this is the last change for quite awhile. We are fortunate enough to have family that love to be around our children and help us however they can. My sister in law Jamie is going to start watching the kids. And I can't say thank you to her enough. There are so many positives for this (in no particular order), I don't have to drive to Milwaukie twice a day (opposite direction I need to go to work), the kids can wake up whenever they feel like it, they get to stay at their home and be in comfortable surroundings, they get to be with their Aunt Jamie and Cousin Liam 5 days a week ( Can you say bonding time?), and of course we don't have to pay nearly as much as we have been paying. Also, Grace is in an at home preschool right now, so with her Aunt Jamie watching her Grace will be able to go to an actual structured preschool.
Grace has visited the preschool a couple of times and is thrilled at the idea of being in a "big girl" school. And for meeting new kids and making friends. The first visit was difficult for Grace. She was very emotional and nervous. This made me nervous, and question our decision but I knew in the long run it would be the best thing for her. Chris took Grace for her second visit and it went a lot more smoothly. Now it is all she talks about and she is counting down the days.
All of these changes and decisions in the last year have been made to provide a better life for our children and a more satisfying life Chris and I. We have been fortunate enough to be able to make these decisions and minimally impact our financial life. We are very greatly for everything we have and a day doesn't go by that we don't count our blessings.
I of course will keep everyone updated on how the transition goes. Grace gets to take part in the school picture's too! I can't believe she is old enough for that! These are the times in a parents life when you couldn't be prouder of the little person your child is. And the small stuff is the big stuff!

P.S. Will's curiosity and inability to not touch everything in site has struck again. My camera's memory card is currently MIA. I do half blame myself for this because I was the absent minded one who left it sticking out of the computer. Still, Will just has a knack for finding the smallest of things and finding a new home for them!

~ Em