Bath Time

"Hey guys, look at Mommy!!"

 "Over here!  Woo hoo!!!  Yayyyyy!!! Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"

"Ella!?  Where are you looking exactly?"

 *Mommy playing hide and seek with the door.*

 "Oh no, no no guys, no we're falling apart here!!  

Look at Mommy!"

 "Hello?  Lilly?  Ella?  Yoo hoo! Lukey!  Gabe!?"

Bath time is fun.

Goodbye Summer

Goodbye summer, we will miss you!!

 Lilly's in school.  The days are cooling off.  I'll be able to hide behind my sweatshirt soon enough (woo hoo!!).  We're trying to suck the last drop of summer out of every day. 

We're adjusting to our new schedule of school drop-off, shifting naps, babies-on-the-move, school pick-up, and all the other fun stuff that comes with having kiddos.  I love everything about fall and can't wait until that first cool day arrives!

First Day of Kindergarten

Lilly went to kindergarten!!

It was a very rainy morning which made things a bit hairy but it all turned out fine. 

Last night we gave Lilly the book The Night Before Kindergarten and we read it in bed.  She was excited!!

 Jackie and Thomas showed up in her bedroom with a little notebook, stickers, and a cheerleader pen which she loved.

 We picked out a cute pink dress for Lilly to wear with her new tie dye sandals.  She woke up and declared it was her first day of Kindergarten and she'd rather wear this...

 Seriously, I just couldn't fight it.  Now, looking at the pictures, I can't believe I allowed her to leave like this.  

Oh well, the kid is cute regardless.

She also decided to carry her old backpack instead of the new one we bought.

 Andy went into work late so he could see Lilly off on her first day.  When we arrived at school we had to park down the street, we couldn't find an umbrella, it was pouring down rain, and everyone was soaked so Andy and the boys turned around and went back to the car while Lilly, Ella, and I went to the school.  Not the plan but silly to forge ahead under the circumstances.

Lilly walked right up to her classroom and went inside.  There was no hesitation on her part which we expected.

Summer is over!  Lilly's in school like a big kid.  Luke is down to one nap, Gabe says, "Thank you" and is still taking two naps.  Ella's along for the ride.  Life is good.

Mister Softee

We survived hurricane Irene without incident though I'm pretty sure it was one of the scarier weather related incidents I've experienced.  I was fine with the impending arrival of the hurricane but my heart was beating out of my chest as I watched the tornadoes popping up all around us while our children slept peacefully in four different bedrooms.  Andy ended up staying up all night since the hurricane was due to arrive around 4 a.m. and tornado warnings were all over the TV at 11 p.m.  In the end, we were very lucky and the storm was not significant in our immediate area.  Somehow, we also kept our power.  We lose power every time a minor storm or wind hits our neighborhood.  Last night was no different except there was no wind and rain.  The power just went out.  

To make things easier, the minute the power went out Mister Softee arrived right in front of our house...

 Yummy!!

 Can you guess who ordered this?

We're Ready and Waiting Irene!!!

Big Girl

Today Lilly met her kindergarten teacher!  

Andy, Lilly, and I went to Bret Harte to see her classroom and meet Mrs. Francolino. 

She is so excited about starting school!

Freedom

I was on the phone with my girlfriend Stephanie this morning discussing our constant struggle for home perfection.  Staying home to raise our kids is an amazing gift and we are so grateful, yet finding a balance can be so difficult.  As we were chatting about the battle we fight to keep our homes clean and children entertained and happy I heard the familiar clanking of dishes in the background.  My friend was unloading her dishwasher and I was cleaning up breakfast dishes.  

The weather outside is perfect.  There is no humidity, not a cloud in the sky and it is 70 degrees.  It's a nice break from the record breaking temperatures or rain we've had lately.  Suddenly I thought of a blog I read where the mom wrote about being present.  We're all torn these days with computers, cell phones, schedules, work, housework, appointments, kids ...  It's hard to be 100% present and takes a very conscious effort.  At that moment we decided we would step over the laundry and crafts scattered across our floors and meet at the park for a picnic with our kids.  

 And that's just what we did.  This is how I left our house...

 We headed to the park with lunch.  It felt really great.  I felt free.  No more laundry.  No cell phone.  No computer.  No fighting.  No toys.  Just a beautiful day and kids running and having fun.  Ahhhh....

Ella seems so big to me lately.  Tall.  Grown up.  Big girl.

The babies had a blast.  I have more pictures of Luke since he is more mobile and I held Gabe a lot since he is injured.

 I think it was the first time the boys were in swings!

The crew.  Steph has 5 kids so it's always fun when we get them all together.  I wish Ella was looking!!

 After the park Steph had an idea to go for a bike ride.  I was a bit nervous since I had never ridden the bike with our new seat for Ella but we did it and we were so proud!!

 Finished with our ride.  The kids were wiped.

 

We had a great day.  In my mind I wish every day could be this great. I know it's not reality with the other obligations to keep the house running smoothly but for today I will relish in the feeling of sweet success.