First Day

Today marked another big day for our very becoming BIG BOY! I often look at this sweet boy and sometimes it feels like yesterday I first held him in my arms, but then it sometimes feels like ages ago as well! How do I seriously almost have a 5 year old??!! I know people say that sort of thing all the time, but seriously I do!! And with that I also so can't imagine sending this baby boy to kindergarten! So you have to be 5 years by October 1st (we barely would make it having a Sept. 23rd birthday). What's really crazy is that if his birthday was just a week later he wouldn't make it??!! I recently read this book.........

so great for mothers of boys to read! If you have boys you should SO READ this book!! Dr. Sax is a pediatrician and has some excellent thoughts on raising boys in today's society---basically because of so many factors they are so not motivated in school and to learn and work, etc. But he is a big supporter of waiting another year for them to start school---so rather than 5, start at 6 (which is especially helpful for these late summer/very early fall birthdays). I may think different for my girls (but as we all know boys and girls in their learning and social skills are soooo different!). But I definitely feel we made the right decision for Reed to not do kindergarten this year. He is still attending the preschool he went to last year, and he's in a 4-year old class. There are lots of 5-year-old classes/programs, but most of them are 5 days a week 9-12........which I guess preps them for school, but honestly with 3 young children I think I'd just feel I was driving in the car all morning everyday! So we decided last year he could do the 3-year old class and this year do the PreK class. And I am testing the homeschool waters this fall as well. I have some simple curriculum I'm going to use and then do that with Reed on Mondays & Wednesdays. Now this is nothing he "needs" but since we have been thinking through what is best for our family I knew in order to really know how we would all do I needed to give it a practice round. So I've been planning and organizing like crazy around here! So we'll see how we all do and how it goes!

Off to orientation day

Now back to the first day! Last Thursday was an orientation first day (so they only go for an hour). He was so excited to go and be in his new class! I was kinda bummed that his one little friend he just loved from last year got put in the class next door; and our neighbor who he has played with some also got put in that same class next door---oh well, I should have thought about that more and requested them to be together. But they all go to the playground at the same time, so at least they'll still get some time together. And I think I really love the teachers he has as well......so I'm hoping we still have a great year and make some new sweet friends!

So excited in his new class!

So here is the first official day pictures from this morning! I know today he looks so big to me already! But I can only imagine when I compare this first day to the last day of school.......well, this sweet boy is so growing up! And mother of the year I am on this first day.....forgot to send his snack! And I didn't even realize it until at 12 I was getting the girls lunch and saw it sitting in the fridge! I felt so bad....I never once did that last year, but leave it to me on the first day this year to forget! Oh well, I had at least packed lots in his lunch so his teacher said they just used something in there. He said he had a great day and loves his new class! And he did play with those 2 friends on the playground!

One "BIG" Birthday!

Birthdays, they come and go.....some are big ones, others just blend in I suppose. Well, we have a fairly big one to celebrate today! My mom celebrates 60 years of life! 60 seems like so many years full of life, but yet I feel like she is many more years youthful than that--so it seems so weird to say 60.

I am so very thankful for my mom, thankful for her love, friendship, encouragement, compassion, faith, heart, and many many more attributes I could list about her. I know I am greatly blessed having her as apart of my life. She was at home with us when we were young--there to welcome us home after a long day at school, ready to listen and encourage school girl dramas and issues.

I am thankful for her model of loving us all when I'm sure there were days it was hard too, giving and sacrificing her days and life for all of us---which is often rare in our culture of mothering today. She was home, she was available, she was always there! And into high school and college she was there---always ready to listen and counsel, and such a prayer warrior for her children indeed! I'm thankful now to have her so dearly love and give of herself to my own children--she truly treasures her time with them, which again is a blessing as I know there are many grandparents out there who don't always delight in just being with their grandchildren, nor do they do it very willingly.

This past weekend we were all 4 (my mom and my sisters) able to celebrate her life together on a girl's only weekend! I did have one sick little baby girl on Friday (throwing up and fever does not make it easy for one mama to get away), but after that shot of phenegran and some clear liquids and rest I was able to get away first thing Saturday morning--as what appeared to be a 24 hour bug had passed thankfully. So I met up with the gals and we went to grab lunch and get pedicures........

then ran around to do some fun nashville shopping! especially lots of fun shops in downtown franklin---so so fun!

then grabbing a fairly quick dinner at calypso cafe (one of my favorites) before heading off to see "the help" (would you believe I just finished the last 30 or so pages early that morning before i left??!! I know I'm crazy......but with our past crazy few weeks I just couldn't get it all read before, and I knew we were going to see the movie and I definitely couldn't go without having finished the book!

Off to grab some dinner and go see "The Help"; and then some yummy sweet ceces!

We truly had a great weekend together! I'm thankful for all of our relationships and taking this time to bond together--sisters and mom! Mom we love you so so much, and we look forward to celebrating many many many more years of birthdays with you!!

Beach Photos

So we tried doing some family beach pictures while we were there last month. For the most part they turned out fairly well......considering! So here are a few from the massive amount I took!

July Travels-Part 3-Beach Week!

So our children weren't huge fans of the sand......we took them down there a few times (it kinda stunk as the beach was full of seaweed/algae all along the shore (which you can see if you look closely in the background of the picture above)--it actually looked pretty gross; as was the water which looked all green and gunky too). So they mostly threw sand on each other and cried as they had it all over themselves (and we needed one of those big tents to sit under, so I felt a little unprepared to have them down there). So needless to say the beach didn't last very long--we spent lots more time at the pool! They could have swam in there all day!

Our children loving every minute of the pool.......

So we got to spend a week at the beach in July. It was fun having us all together---was it restful, relaxing, no, but yes I think we all had some good family time together! No distractions or responsibilities like we have daily at home to tend to (besides caring for our 3 little people).

Eating a little homemade ice cream at a local shop---so yummy!

Date night for us---we did get a couple nights off by ourselves and an afternoon of shopping! This night we got to go to one of our favorite places called the Red Bar, in Grayton Beach, love, love, love that place!!