Team Sanborn

Team Sanborn

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Goodbye Preschool

So this post is a little premature as we still have school until the Tuesday after Memorial Day, but I have to share this video!  I would like to point out that last year at this time, Andrew turned his back on the audience and then threw a screaming fit when it was ice cream time.  So this year was an AMAZING improvement!  Needless to say, I bawled my eyes out at the back the whole time.  My babies are heading to kindergarten!



If you are looking for an AMAZING preschool, Chandler has a great program and I have had the opportunity to work with several preschool teachers in my role as a kindergarten teacher and I can say they are truly the cream of the crop!  Now excuse me while I brag on the specific teachers who have touched my kids lives this year.

A GIANT thank you to Miss Elissa- you have been the best teacher to both of my kids!  You have no idea the amount of tears I shed leaving Andrew with you that first day two years ago.  He had never been anywhere without his sister, and he was barely able to communicate.  You have helped him become an independent guy, ready to conquer the world.  Annabelle waited for a whole year with GREAT anticipation to enter your class and you did not disappoint!   Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication.

Miss Karen- thank you for loving my Andrew even when it was hard.  You two have a special bond and you have always seen him for the amazing kid he can be even when he isn't acting like it.  Thank you for helping him learn so much.

Miss Carolina- We miss you dearly!  You spent so much time pampering Annabelle, the "beauty shop center" will never be the same without you.  Thank you for helping her adjust to a new group of students and making her year so fun!

Miss Tami- What do I say? You have only been with us for a short while, but you have no idea how relaxed my whole body became when I say you standing in the room as Miss Carolina replacement.  You were dear to me when you were just "Austin's Mom and even more now that we have switched roles:).  Thank you for humoring both of my sweet kiddos-they adore you!

Miss Lisa- I jumped for joy when I found out you would be Andrew's speech teacher this year.  I loved having you as a parent, you were so supportive and that is one of the things that makes you such a good therapist.  Andrew has come so far this year, and we owe much of it to you!

We have had the best year!  Thank you for preparing us for kindergarten!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

First Baby Sitter

Last night we went out to eat with my college roommate and her husband.  They live in Colorado, so we don't get to see them very often.  The last time we saw them, we dropped the kids at Bill's parents house for a sleepover and stayed out WAAAAAAY to late.  I seem to remember driving home with another couple, the husbands sound asleep in the back seat.  Well, in case we were wondering, we aren't 18 any more!  So this time we opted for a more civilized meeting at one restaurant (instead of bar hopping, which is what got us into trouble last time).  Since it was a week night, we knew we would be calling it early, and all the family we usually have baby sit were busy.

 So we hired a sitter.  The most amazing 8th grade boy in America- he just happens to live across the street (lucky us).  Seriously, he gives me hope for all mankind.  He always waves and says hi, even when he is with his buddies.  He is so polite and responsible.  No, I will not be giving his name out as we would like to hoard him for ourselves.

Ten minutes into our big date night, our sitter (or really, his mom Laura) calls and tells us everything is fine....  I immediately flash to hundreds of different scenarios all of which end in the police at our house and caution tape on our front door.  Good thing Bill answered as he may be a TAD more calm in the "babysitters calling to say everything is fine" department.  Andrew was zealously pressing play on the DVD player (Netflix and Hulu were both out, told you this baby sitter was amazing-entertaining the kids without technology as you will see as the story progresses), he tripped and smashed his front teeth on the Mama Roo (the Mama Roo is fine by the way- Thank the Lord!!!).  His lip and mouth were bloody and he was wailing up a storm.  This is why the baby sitter opted to call his mom, can you blame him?  Andrew calmed down after a Popsicle (no, we did not rush home, Mother of the Year acceptance speech in another post).  And the baby sitter played board games with them until they went to bed.

So that was our first baby sitter...  Thank you Clayton Hinners (and Laura too)- you are the best!  Please don't let this craziness keep you from accepting jobs from us again...

And stay tuned for pictures of Andrew's newly loose tooth...  EWWWWW!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Pre-School Wisdom

Keep in mind they are both in the same class...

Me-What did you guys learn today at school?
Andrew- Miss Elissa says we should never smart everyone.
Me- Um, what is smart?
Andrew- You know, when you take your hand and smart someone who is bothering you.
Me- No, honey, I don't know, show me (what was I thinking?)
Andrew proceeds to take Annabelle's arm and give it a nice loud open hand slap.
So are we clear?  Smart=Slap

Me- What about you Annabelley?
Annabelle- I learned about different kinds of animals.  Mammals are animals that have live babies, you know, we are mammals.  Then there are animals who have babies who hatch out of eggs and they are called security systems.
To re-cap: mammals have live babies, security systems have babies who hatch out of eggs.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Amazing, Right?!

Tomorrow- May 2nd is my mom's 62nd birthday!  We had dinner together tonight with some of her fav's (Parmesan chicken and green beans, and her grand babies).  We have so much fun anytime we are around her.  If you know my mom, you know how little this post is going to cover.  If you don't know my mom, that's too bad!  She is amazing!  My mom married my dad almost 36 years ago and it was love at first sight.  Remember my dad had a congenital heart defect that cause all kinds of issues?  When they met, he was healthy, but she knew about his history and what might be to come.  She married him anyway.  Amazing, right?!  I am glad she did because a year later, they welcomed the most beautiful baby girl into their family.  Four years later a slightly less cute baby boy (ask my brother about this).  During this time my dad traveled a lot on business and my mom was a stay at home mom.  She would write him love notes every time he left. Amazing, right?! My dad kept them all.    When I was little my dad got sick.  He was in Tucson, and we of course lived in Phoenix.  My mom would spend the day with us, drive to Tucson to be with my dad and then home again so we wouldn't miss her.  She did have to stay a few nights and she still says she was in agony choosing "my dad over us"- Hello?!  That is how important it was that she was truly "there for us". Amazing, right?!   When my dad came home, it was apparent my mom would need a job.  We were in school full time, so she could have done anything.  She chose to work retail so she could be home when we got home from school, and get us ready for school without rushing in the morning.  She worked at night and on the weekends to help make ends meet.  This way she could be around if we needed her and the time that should have been "her own" after we went to bed was filled with customers and standing on her feet for 8 hours at a time.  Amazing, right?!  She cheered us on at sporting events, helped in our classrooms, thew the most amazing birthday parties and led our AWANA teams, high school d-groups and choir tours with the rest of her "free time".  She always made her family the top priority in a time when moms were being urged to put themselves first.  Oh and by the way, she told us every night how much she loved us and that we were a gift from the Lord.  Amazing, right?!  She hosted all of my roommates (and Bill's too) for every holiday so they wouldn't miss their families so badly.  She fed the high school football team every night before the games-CORN CHOWDER ANYONE?!  Amazing, right?!  She took money out of her retirement to pay for my wedding because she wanted everything to be just as I had always dreamed.  Amazing, right?! She battled breast cancer, never complained, and only missed one day of work after each round of chemo.  Amazing, right?!  When my dad was dying, she was with him from "shift change to shift change" to make sure he felt safe and comfortable.  She let anyone visit because that's what my dad wanted.  She never looked at the time she spent with him as "just her time".  Amazing, right?!  When he passed away she gave each of his siblings an amazing gift, a "part" of daddy when she made teddy bears out of his clothes.  She didn't keep his clothes to hold on, or donate them to let go.  She used them to make precious keep sakes and ran out of time to make one for herself.  She still hasn't had tome to finish that project.  Amazing, right?!  She has channelled her grief into helping others understand what it must be like at the end of life and how to handle the impossible.  Amazing, right?  Now that I am a mom I appreciate all of her hard work and sacrifice more than ever.  When she picked us up from the airport when Benjamin was born, she ran through baggage claim bawling, "he's just so beautiful" to everyone she saw.  She has no shame when it comes to her grand kids because she loves them so much.  Amazing, right?!  She is over the top gentle hearted, she cries at cough medicine commercials (that is where I get it) and has an overwhelming need to be sure everyone else is okay, that is how she "becomes" okay.  She is a tireless servant, one of the strongest women I know, and I am so proud to call her my mom.  Amazing, right?!
Love you Mom- Happy Birthday!