The mini Richard Simmons

Peter only goes to preschool from 9-11:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but Charlotte is gone every weekday from 7:45 to 3:25.  That has been a huge shock to Peter, because now his bestest "fwend" is not always around.  He has been playing a bunch with his beloved buddy, Ben, but today was a rare day that we had nothing to do and no playdates planned.  What to do?  Well, Peter decided he needed to exercise.

When we decided he needs to get fit, he raids Charlotte's headband collection and picks out what he considers to be workout clothes.  His favorite workout is scaling his version of a climbing wall -- the outside of the staircase.

"Mom, dis is how you do EXERCISE."

It's like watching a mini Sir Edmund Hillary at work.

"Wook, Mom!  I'm up so HIGH!"

I tried taking pictures of his aerobics routine in the entryway, but I didn't use a flash and everything turned out a little too fuzzy.  Here he is, taking a break.

Oops, he's begging for another TV show again.  It's a constant battle we fight with him, and I'm just about ready to throw the darn TV out the window at this point.  We had some fun with sorting buttons and then stuffing them into superhero vehicles a little earlier, but now I'm going to have to do something drastic to keep him from incessantly whining for TV.  Ack.

Playing catch up

We have done so much in the past few months, but I have been doing way too much sewing and not nearly enough blogging on our family blog.  Here is some photographic evidence that we have not disappeared off the face of the earth, along with a quick rundown of some of our adventures.

We went camping over Labor Day weekend with a bunch of our friends who also have kids.  The kids ran around in one big dirty pack and had a blast.

Charlotte started riding the bus to school and she loves it -- especially because she gets to ride with her buddy, Mia (a second grader).

She just looks so teeny getting on that bus every morning, but she acts like she has been doing it for years.

At first, Peter insisted on wearing his backpack to the bus stop each day when we walked Charlotte there or dropped her off.  Now, he's totally uninterested in even walking with me to the bus stop and I usually leave him behind (it's only three houses away).

I sewed Charlotte a cute little nightie out of her daddy's favorite 20-year-old t-shirt.

We went to Michigan State for a September Birthdays tailgate party.  Charlotte helped NanaB open her gifts.

Corey helped Granny open hers.

Peter made strange faces with his beloved Ellie.

Both kids got to meet Sparty, but we only got a good shot (well, a cell phone shot, at least) of Charlotte with him.

Charlotte ran in the school's fun run fundraiser and actually ran for 15 minutes straight!  She was a little dynamo.

I volunteered at Petey's school and loved watching him in Charlotte's old stomping grounds,

The cats slept a lot.  Sparty did not approve.

I made friends with a stinky llama at a farm we visited with the Davies.

More catching up to come!!

Petey's first day of three-year-old preschool

Watch out, "big boy preschool", here comes Peter!

We are calling it "big boy preschool" because it is one where the students have to be potty-trained to go there.  Petey is doing such a great job with the potty!

I had a hard time picking just a couple of photos to post.  He was in a really goofy mood and actually smiled for the camera!

I couldn't get him to leave those straps alone.  He's convinced they are the "utility belt" part of his Batman backpack, and he's always asking me to tie them together.

Ready to fly off to preschool!

Whoops -- I forgot I needed to make some sort of cool nametag to hang from Petey's backpack, so we had to make do with painter's tape and a Sharpie.

Blast off!

"Quick, take the picture so I can go in and start having fun!"

Found his assigned hook with the turkey picture by it so he could hang up his jacket.  Kind of an appropriate animal, don't you think?

I told him to pose like a preschooler, and this is what I got.  The other little girl who jumped in the shot cracks me up.  She was very vocal during preschool visitation and announced to everyone that they found a snake in their pool skimmer that week.

It was sweet how Mrs. Mann got down on the floor to welcome each kid into the classroom.  She always stood up for the older four-year-old class that Charlotte was in last year.  It's funny to see all the different procedures she has for the three-year-old class (like how the first two weeks of school feature only 1.5-hour classes instead of the full 2.5 hours to help ease in the kids who haven't ever been to school before).

When we picked the kids up, Mrs. Mann reported that everyone had a great day and no one cried.  That has to be some kind of miraculous record, I bet.  Petey was happy and chatty when we got out of class. Let's hope we continue to have great drop-offs like today -- last year was really difficult when he screamed like he was being murdered every time I dropped him off at school.  I'm crossing my fingers!

MSU Tailgating and Birthday Party

Yesterday, we celebrated the "September Birthdays" in East Lansing.  For the uninitiated, about half of the Stringer side of our family was born in September.  We have Granny Great (September 5), Ellie (September 13), NanaB, Uncle Doug, and me (September 17), and GrandDad (September 19).  It's like Christmas-lite.  I have no idea how my poor sister (born in May) survived that.  Anyway, we decided to tailgate the Youngstown State game at MSU for our birthday party.

NanaB, GrandDad, Granny-Great, Grandpa-Great, Uncle Dave, Aunt Lisa, Ellie, two of Ellie's friends, and the Oak Tree Stringers all set up outside the Union.  Unfortunately, the Sandersons and the Pennsylvania Taylors couldn't make it.  We missed them.  NanaB made Charlotte this little MSU hat for this autumn.

Peter is a big fan of his cousin Ellie!  He is also a HUGE fan of his Granny-Great.  We do not have any pictures, but Granny-Great and Peter spent a lot of time tossing a football back and forth.

 We opened presents throughout the morning.  Charlotte was happy to help!

Here is the Happy Birthday Bunting that Niki made NanaB for her birthday.

NanaB and GrandDad also gave Peter this book about Spartan Football.  I think Peter made just about every grownup there read it to him at some point. 

Charlotte trying out NanaB's new teacup (a gift from Granny Great and Grandpa Great).

Midway through the festivities, a sky-writer appeared above campus.  What is he writing?

GOB?  Why would someone write GOB?  Is someone at MSU an Arrested Development fan?

Wait a minute.  Why is our resident Wolverine smiling?

DRAT!  Great prank by UM.  This thing just hung in the sky over campus for the longest time . . .

We had a wonderful lunch.  Charlotte spent some girl time with Ellie and her friends.

We opened more presents.

And then it was time to watch the Spartan Marching Band march to the stadium!  Charlotte saddled up GrandDad.  (I really like the light reflecting off the iPhone's camera lens in this picture.)

Peter saddled up me . . .  and off we went.

 Charlotte and GrandDad found Sparty!  For 5 years, Charlotte has wanted to meet Sparty . . .

Peter and I spotted Sparty as he was lining up with the band.

 
And then Sparty came over to give Peter a high five!

Ellie got a great shot!

After the band passed by, we all marched along behind to the stadium.  You can see Grandpa Great in between me and GrandDad.

Wonderful fun!  Go State!  Happy birthday to all those with September Birthdays!!