Jump Rope for Heart

81. Donate to an important charity or cause (Completed 15/05/14)

Alexis was the driving force behind this but it really was a family effort.  Jump Rope for Heart came to Lexi's school and she decided to aim big.  She wanted to raise $2500.  I was pessimistic, I won't lie.  I told her (and shame on me really) to aim lower.  So we aimed for $500.  And I'll again be honest, and didn't think even that would happen.  But with a lot of effort from the family as a whole and yes, that did include a donation from us (although that was nothing compared to some donations).

Via online donations mostly, and some cash donations - from people who we knew, to strangers, to A PLANE FULL OF PEOPLE, Lexi raised $4420.  

Some big moments included:
- Alexis and Memphis being in the newspaper
- the flight crew on our flight from Melbourne getting behind Lexi and taking up a collection ($200 in coins!)
- Jump Off Day
- Prizegiving and meeting Happy Heart.

This pic from the Albert & Logan News

Lexi's teacher helps her with some skipping

One of the easier activities at Jump Off Day

Go Lex!

Lexi's facepaint for the Tiger Airways crew that helped her out!

Prizegiving at school

Meeting Happy Heart!!!

Happy Heart and her prizes

Memphis having a hole in his heart was the driving force behind the whole thing.

Book Week 2014 - Little Red Riding Hood

Book Week - I love it!

Following a tutorial  I found posted here (thank you Pinterest) I was able to hand make Lexi's cape.
I used this skirt pattern for her skirt, although I left of the bow at the back and made it longer.
Her Big Bad Wolf and Grandma came from good old Ikea!
The basket was salvaged from the mess under her bed ;)

I was pretty happy with the end result and little miss received a prize for her efforts (a book).
I loved how the school really got in to it (so many more dressed up than I imagined), and the teachers really put in heaps of effort.  Lexi's teacher went as Willbee the Bumblebee, which Lexi was super chuffed about as that is one of the books she loves. I think the most heartwarming thing of the day though, was that there were around 3 or 4 kids in Lexi's class who weren't sent in costumes and her teacher had back ups on hand to dress them in so they weren't left out <3

Anywho... this one's all about the pics.  I won't share many, just her costume, as there are a lot of (other peoples) kids in them.

Awards!

Lexi got her first award at school during the second last week (Student of the Week), and in the last week she got an award for reading!

Prep W Student of the Week!

GREAT reason too, especially for Lex!

She loves her home readers, so this was exciting for her!

Lexi's first Easter Parade

Lexi got to participate in her very first Easter Parade!
Her class got up and sang Eggbert the Easter Egg... I was pretty proud of her, she was really in to it all! Not bad for a child who started the day telling me that no, she was NOT going to participate - she was going to stand on the side of the stage and cry.  Glad she got over that idea hahah.

Lexi is the purple egg in front of the teacher in the blue hat

Prep W perform Eggbert the Easter Egg

Little Miss LOVED being on stage

Lexi's first Easter Parade... no gawdy hat... a random apron and a chicken instead hahaha

A Little Bit of Lexi

Six weeks in to her schooling and Alexis is thriving in some ways, but not so much in others.
I can see so many wonderful changes in her.  She has always had quite a defeatist attitude ("I can't!") but she is definitely showing improvement and I can see that she is having more confidence in her ability to do things.

One of the biggest things I have noticed is her speech, her ability to pronounciate words and to articulate different letter sounds.  She is speaking a lot clearer, taking time with different words and letters she was previously stumbling over.  I noticed it really shine through when she was reciting her alphabet - clear and well.

Alexis comes home and does her home work each day - letter sounds, sight words, writing her name and a home reader.  The letter sounds (done with a song) she recites happily and easily with very few muddle ups.  The sight words, they're a pain in the bum.  She doesn't really try all too hard with those.  She has three of them memorised, and today she recognised another two... although, 5 minutes later she doesn't and then 5 more minutes later she does.  We will keep working on them.  The home readers she loves.  She has a good ability to memorise the story books just by looking at the pictures.  Then she makes up stories from it.  She is getting there.

The problem that my sweet girl is having, is that she struggles to pay attention.  She is intelligent, but she is so very easily distracted.  She goes off with the fairies, is pretty much constantly rolling around and losing sight of what she should be doing.  She is also very touchy feely and always putting things in her mouth.
We had a parent teacher interview with her teacher, who is lovely, and she suggested that we might need to look in to having a paediatric review and investigate whether or not she has a sensory issue going on.  She thinks that sure there are some behavioural issues, but that there could be something more.  I do trust her advice, she has 10 years special education up her sleeve.  

It is hard to go in to an interview like that when you've seen improvement, to be told something isn't right.  To be told your child needs additional help.  We will do what needs to be done, and in the mean time I'm grateful she has a teacher on her side who isn't just chalking everything up to being a badly behaved child.  (Don't get me wrong, she is no angel, but sometimes she truly has no idea...)

School aside...

She suddenly seems so grown up.  So much more confident and sure of herself. 

My little ballerina!

Recently she started ballet and she is really enjoying it.  The class is small, but that works well for her.  Lexi is a real performer so ballet is definitely her thing.  She often puts her ballet shoes on an and dances around the house. 

As well as ballet, Alexis has started Auskick.  Something that she is surprisingly enjoying!  Ty takes her once a week and she is learning ball skills and team work.  I don't see a future in footy, but it certainly can't hurt her!  She really enjoys it and asks to go every week.  So it has made an impact.

The beginning of school

First Day of Prep <3

Today was a big day, probably one of my biggest as a parent.  My big girl, my first born, started school.  And all I could think, all day long, was how did this day come so soon?  Where have the last 4.5 years gone?  How is it possible that the tiny baby I gave birth to not too long ago, is venturing through the school gates with a back pack on her back?

It seems so wrong that a child wearing size 2 clothing is already starting school!  Sure, she's tiny... but there's that part of me that wants to keep her little forever.

All of a sudden, my baby seems grown up!

Routine has been lacking since the birth of Memphis, and I really didn't do a very good job the last two weeks of getting her in to one.  I stressed that the morning would be chaos but it went a lot more smoothly than anticipated.  I can do this!  I can juggle 3 kids and a school run (hahah... I hope!)  Today I consider success - all children AND myself ate.  We were dressed and ready to go on time.  Heck, even Zavian managed to get his face washed.  Though he did save time by attempting to feed half his breakfast (toast) to the cat.  The hardest part of the morning was explaining to Zavian that no, he was not going with Lexi!

Poor boy wanted to go with his sissy... sorry mate, next year you can go to C&K!

She was SO happy to go to school.  She oozed with confidence and enthusiasm, happy to be taking that step in to the classroom - once we got there, that was.  Of course, the first morning of her school life and the car battery is dead flat.  Naturally!  Ty had thankfully stayed home for the special occasion and as such we were able to switch carseats around, jump in the other car and make it right on time.  And by right on time I mean, walking through the gates as the bell sounded.  All good though, as we weren't the last in!

 

I am so grateful for the experience of pre-prep last year.  Because of the 1 day a week she attended there, Alexis understands what is expected of her at school.  She understands the routines and expectations, and has learnt some basics before Prep even started.  I may have been that proud beaming mummy watching on as she found her name on the wall, and then went inside and got her name tag.  She sat down and engaged with other children and got in to some drawing.  And we just stood there... waiting for her to say bye.  We weren't even rating on her radar, though - there was way more interesting things to be doing!  She reluctantly dawdled on over when I asked her if she could please come and say bye!

Picking her up this afternoon she was still ecstatic about her biggest milestone to date.  Miss Lexi LOVED her first day at school, is already fond of her teacher and teacher aids, and in general was still buzzing!  She was so excited to come out and tell us about school, and she was chuffed to see Zavian - the two of them are inseparable so it was a long day for both of them to be apart.

The day is over, the hardest part done.  She's home, she's happy, she's excited to go tomorrow.  It gets easier with each child, right?!

Interview with a Preppie!

What is your name? Alexis Halley Jean Ware
How old are you? I'm 4!
What happened today? I went to school.
What school do you go to? Waterfords!
What class are you in? Prep W!
Who is your teacher?  Mrs Wilson.  I have 3, what are their names again? I saw them today.
What did you do at school?  Drawings.  And puzzles...... ummmm.... and more puzzles.
Who did you play with? Roses and Zali
Do you want to go back? Yeah!  Tomorrow please.
What did you have for lunch? Cupcake.  Crackers and cheese.  Bread.
What was your favourite part of the day? Playing.  And going to the toilet.
Who did you miss most today? Spuddy.  Did Leo miss me?


So there you have it.  That first day over, interview indicates that Mummy packs a crappy lunch and that she hasn't missed her loving parents!  Her concern was more that the cat may have missed her too much, and her greatest joy was that she got to use BIG toilets at school.  It's the small (or big?) things ;)

The Night Before School

Lexi: "Mummy... are you going to cry when I go to school?"
Me: "Yes..."
Lexi: "Could you do it at home?"

This child will break my heart!

Tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a new chapter.

My "baby" starts school.  Big school.  5 days a week, someone else will be responsible for her.   Someone else will be teaching her and guiding her... and putting up with her.

I'm sad, but I'm happy.

Sad because she is growing up right before my yes, so so fast.  Sad because as a mother it is hard to 'hand her over' to the care of someone else 5 days a week.  Sad because school will bring about change, and even more independence.

Happy though, because 12 months ago I wasn't sure if she'd be ready and she's grown and developed so much in that time.  I am so proud of my little girl.  She is funny, happy, confident, independent.  She is so sure of herself.

We had a meet and greet at her school on Friday afternoon - to meet her teacher (and teacher aid), see her classroom and meet some children in her class.  She walked in, introduced herself and informed her teacher where Memphis came from (thanks for that Lexi).  She sat on the mat happily and quietly, listened for her name and raised her hand when it was (finally) called (last one on the roll - good luck with that, Little Miss Impatient!)  The teachers were talking to the parents, mostly, as they told us what to expect, what to bring, where to find things.  Lexi raised her hand after hearing where the bags go (I will never, ever, get used to calling bag racks "Port Racks", bloody Queenslanders) and declared that her mummy and daddy had not bought her bag with her.  We didn't need to, but she didn't really understand that it wasn't actually a school day.  At least I know she was listening!!

A big day tomorrow for a big girl.
I hope she's ok.  I do know she will be.  But I'll always worry, and always hope.

The night before her first day of school