Schneider Family Weekly Update

This week has been, um, eventful.

To start, DADDY HAD A BIRTHDAY!!!!

We celebrated with a Bengals & Reds themed surprise party for him after work on Monday then headed for Indian Food for Dinner.  His birthday wishes came true and he got his cool-guy shaving kit, a Subway gift card and some new cords.  He also got a super awesome Captain America birthday card from his three favorite girls that we knew was "the one" as soon as we saw it in the store.  And we made banana splits - which promptly led to lounging on the couch, as pictured below.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!

And, as I mentioned previously, we also got the fish tank this week. It was a long time coming, and finally we got it all set up. I still had most of the gear from my second grade classroom tank.  (Josie if you're reading this...skip this part...so yea, 2 of our 4 fish already met their maker, but they have expertly been replaced with Molly #2 and Purple #2 with two little gals none the wiser. Whew!)

Here's some of the anticipation leading up the big tank day!

And what would a week be without a peak into the craziness that is life in the Four Schneider household.

Where we break out last year's Halloween costumes in the wee hours of the morning.

And babies roller skate around the kitchen in diapers.

And a certain five year old makes her own doll zipline.

And Daddy gives the baby a train tatt on her tummy.

And Josie insists on practicing yoga before school.

And Beba insists on calling Elmo.

And masterpieces emerge.

And messes get made.

And sweetness reigns supreme!

(Love.Our.Lives.)

Four fishies (sorta)

We finally fulfilled Josie's last birthday wish: her own fish tank! Sweet girl had the idea that we could each choose and name one. Lou & Bea picked guppies in their favorite colors. I chose a Dalmation Molly. And Josie ended up with a frog. So far, so good.
Introducing: WhoDey, Purple, Molly & Hopper

The Big K! (First day 2012)

ON TO AUTUMN...

The school year is well under way now of course. And Josie is officially a kindergartener! And even though she didn't take the big yellow bus, or walk into new unfamiliar classroom territory, it was a big day. School. All day. Every day.  It's official. We're officially the parents of a school-aged child.

Here are some photos from her first day of kindergarten. You'll notice that her first day was actually from our old house. Interestingly, her first day of kindergarten was actually our last day in East Walnut Hills before moving.  (How's that for an insane amount of transition at once. EEK!)

So, here's Josie, for the last time, posing on the first day of school in front of what used to be Our "Peace Tree."  (Uh-oh, feeling a little nostalgic for the old house, but more on that in another post.)

Seriously Mom? Another pic? 

And, she's off!

Just for fun, Take a look back at her first year in pre-school and second year in pre-school.

I should mention, there are some special things about Josie's Kindergarten experience. For one, she's with the same two teachers and in the same classroom that she's been in for the past two years. She's finishing her three year montessori cycle in the "Pre-Primary" classroom, where she is now a part of the important eldest group of the classroom community.  In the morning she's with the whole 3-6 classroom and in the afternoons, it's just Josie and her teachers and the Kindergarten students. Here is her class (her whole class) making a cake entirely out of fruit the first week (courtesy of her teacher).

That's right. There are only sixth of them! 

Here's the work she brought home from the first day of school!

And the big hug from one of her favorite adults on the planet - the extended day teacher Donna!

We are unbelievably grateful for Josie's Kindergarten experience, and the two years leading up to it. A lot of the kind, loving person that she is can be attributed to the classroom values and montessori philosophy. Already she is exhibiting such a boom in independence, and while it's hard to let go of some of the things she's always need us for, it's absolutely amazing to watch her blossom.

The Nests

This is just too "something" (amazing? coincidental? cosmic? unbelievable? crazy?) not to share.

On our first day in our house in East Walnut Hills, we found this nest.  We took it to be a good omen, a symbol of "our new nest," and we photographed it and hung it in our home as a reminder of all that it symbolized. Much later, when Bea was born, the nest took on more significance.

On our last day in our new house, Josie found this nest.  How cool is that?  We still haven't unwrapped the meaning in this moment, but I think it was definitely just a nice way for us to close our last moments in that house.

See more on bird symbolism for us here and here.

Sayonara Summer (For Real This Time)

So I'm officially caught up on the Summer blog posts. And to officially send Summer on its way, we had a little photoshoot in the yard last Sunny Sunday.  Enjoy!