Week 2

First full week of full-day school for Ethan and he did great.  I think it might have even wore him out a bit.  Last week he only attended 2 days of school and then we took my mom back to Utah so this was his first full week of school and already has learned so many new things.  Each day he comes home to tell me all kinds of fun things they did and learned, including the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language.  Ethan and Daddy seem to be adjusting well to their morning routine, with Daddy even taking Riley to work with him one day as Ethan told him that Riley would be lonely at home all by himself. 

Each day at school the kids start out with a green card and as long as they have good behavior they get to keep the green card all day, however, there are other card colors as well and there is also a time-out chair.  Wednesday of last week and Monday of this week Ethan got a couple other color cards and had to sit on the time-out chair for being too loud and talking too much (big surprise there..haha).  When I picked him up on Monday I asked him how his day went and noticed that he hadn't eaten all of his lunch.  He proceeded to tell me that he wasn't able to eat all of his lunch because he was talking and then lunch was over.  I suggested that maybe he could talk less and that way he would be able to eat all of his lunch and he probably would get to keep his green card all day.  He said, "that's a good idea mom, I think I will try that."  Silly kid.  On Tuesday when I picked him up he came running out saying, "Mom, you were right, I didn't have to sit in time-out today and I got to keep my green card all day."  And he did the same the rest of the week.  I think he is on to something there...heehee.  They have also started learning to read and he and I have been reading several books each night having him read certain words in the story to me and adding a new word each night. 



Last weekend when we took my mom home, we stopped in SLC to drop Jeff off to hang out with his brothers and help with a bike race for his brother Steven, hang out with my brother, Doug, pick up Jeff's sister, Lori, to ride down to Hurricane with us, got to finally meet our newest niece and nephew, Falon and Corban (I don't have a picture of Falon), and we also had breakfast with my Grandma.  It was the fastest trip to Utah we have ever made and Ethan did awesome.  We have made that trek many times with Ethan and it is an awfully long (18 hours) ride but he made the best out of it and only got a little restless just before we were getting ready to get out of the car for the day.  It was fun to see our family, even if it was for only the day.  We made the most of our time and took Ethan and cousin Avery up to Zion National Park to ride my dad's shuttle bus as I only got to see him for a few hours.  We also played at Hurricane's new splash pad and then Ethan and I had to run through the Las Vegas airport to make it to our plane (new experience, haven't ever had to run before).

 

My Grandma Caldwell and Ethan

 Ethan and Avery riding Papa Steve's shuttle

 Aunt Lori, Grammie Hadley and Taylee

 Ethan laughing as he moons the waterpark every time the bucket of water falls on him.

   Taylee cuddling with Papa.

We dropped Jeff off in SLC and he, along with his brothers, George and Brian, and their wives, Brittney and Lexie, surprised his brother Steven, coming to be his race support for his 5th LATOJA bike race, Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  They were the Angry Birds crew handing him food and drink supplies while he rode his race with a personal best time of 9 hrs 24 mins.   

And finally...Our lifesaver friends, Kit, Melinda and Thomas, have helped us out once again with Ethan getting a new bike.  He now has a 16" lightening McQueen bike, which he tells me is the "fastest bike ever."