Rainy Days

The girls spent a wonderful, rainy, Saturday playing out side in the rain yesterday.  My wonderful, sweet husband got them dressed in their boots and let them go out and splash around in the small stream that had formed in our side yard.  The girls had a blast.  Their neighbor friends joined them for some splishing and splashing. 

Lauren and Allison

Lauren getting her hair wet

Lauren splashing in the small stream beside the house

Allison and our neighbor Alexa

The rain was pouring on the girls

While the girls were playing in the rain, I got a chance to start painting their wooden letters that spell their names.  It's going to take a little longer than I anticipated to finish them.

My dear friend, Billie bought these cute little crocheted hats for the girls and I snapped some cute pictures of them modelling the hats.

School and Labor Day Weekend

Lauren completed a four day week of school last week.  She absolutely LOVED it.  We are very impressed with her teacher!  Lauren has learned so much in the 7 days she has been in class.  She knows all the values of coins from a penny to a dollar.  She can sing, or rap several songs to go along with that knowledge.  She has learned about periods, question marks, and exclamation marks.  She brings home a letter book for each letter they have  introduced complete with the high frequency words they are supposed to be working on this year.  She is really enjoying writing words and making rhyming word lists.  She talks about her morning message all the time and has picked up a lot of writing from that.  Is this really Kindergarten????  She has learned more words this week than my first graders learned  in a month back when I was teaching 1st grade.  I guess the new Kindergarten really is the old First Grade and so much more!  I have mixed feelings about that. 

Allison and I are adjusting to being teacher and student  on Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of Mommy and daughter.  It's a work in progress.  We had a really good day today!  I am also enjoying the alone time I get to spend with Allison while Lauren is in school.     

I feel very rushed in my job, though.   I have to beat the traffic at Lauren's school when I drop her off in order to get to my school on time.  Then I have to leave my school quickly to pick Lauren up at 1:00.  I don't have any time to prepare for my class at school and that is very frustrating.  Fortunately my co-teacher is empathetic to the situation.  I don't know how Mom's who work full time do it.  I have an even greater admiration for them now than I did before I started working my two little mornings a week.

We enjoyed a great Labor Day weekend.  We went to Mom and Dad's for the weekend.  Here are a few pictures we took at the park on Saturday.  The weather was absolutely fabulous that day. 

We came back to Knoxville Sunday afternoon and got Allison's room primed and ready for repainting.  We were able to get two coats of paint on Monday to finish up her room.  Today Bill put the curtain rod up and we hung her new curtains.  I love the new pink paint and her curtains look great.  I didn't get any pictures of her room tonight, but I'll post some soon. 

Happy Birthday, Lauren!!

I have always told you that God picked just the right angel from heaven to send to Mommy and Daddy to be our little girl.  It's hard to believe that it was five years ago today that He blessed our lives with you.  Today was a little sad because I had to work today and did not get to spend your special day with you.  Fortunately, Granny was here to watch you and take you out for a birthday lunch at Chick-fil-a.  With you beginning school this year, it will be the first of many birthdays I won't be able to spend with you.  I am definitely sad that our special time at home together is ending with the beginning of school.  But what a beautiful, sweet, and smart young lady you are becoming.  I am so proud of the person you are.  You are a shining light in my world.  Your enthusiasm and zest for life absolutely brighten my day.  

For your birthday you didn't ask for much.  You never have been concerned with "stuff".  When Granny asked you a while back what you wanted for your birthday, you told her you have "so many toys."  I'm sure the time will come when you compose a lengthy wish list for your birthday, but for now I'll enjoy that sweet innocence.  

You had your first "friend" birthday party this past Saturday.  You couldn't make up your mind about where you wanted to go, the Bounce House or the Gymnastics place.  You finally chose the Bounce House.  Your guest list included, You, Allison, Brooke, Lindsay, Josiah (Mackenzie couldn't come), Madison, Caleb, Will, Sam, Arionne, Chris, Egypt, Darrah, Dylan, Ava, Chase, Ashley, and Ella.

Your friends at the Bounce House

The birthday girl sitting beside Madison and Brooke

Opening presents

Thank you my sweet daughter for bringing so much love and happiness into our lives over these past five years.  We love you very much!!

Lauren's First Day of Kindergarten

Well the day arrived, much sooner than I wanted it to.  Lauren's big day for Kindergarten!  She handled it exactly the way I thought she would, and I handled it exactly the way I thought I would!:(  She did much better than I did.

I woke her up this morning (which is something I have only done a hand full of times in her life) at 6:30.  She stretched in bed for just a second and the second her feet hit the floor, she jumped up and said, "YIPPEE!!!! School today!!!"  That's my sweet little Lauren.  She wakes up with a smile on her face and embraces each new day with all kinds of enthusiasm, energy and excitement.  She was filled with just a little bit of extra excitement this morning. 

After breakfast and a few pictures we headed off to school.  Lauren walked in the front door like she had been there many times before.  Without any hesitation or concern she walked down the long hallway to her room.  The whole while, I'm the one feeling lost and insecure and like I want to turn around and run home.  But I had to follow the girls and be brave and strong.  Lauren's classroom is at the end of a long hallway.  She walked right in and put her backpack away and found her chair with her name on it.  She was ready to begin her first day and I was ready to take her back home with me.  My little girl has grown into such a big girl and is ready to be without her Mommy at school, but her Mommy is not so ready to release her to the "real world".  I guess I should just be thankful that she loves school and I don't have to worry about her crying.  I kissed her goodbye and snapped one last picture of her with her teacher before the tears started flowing.  Luckily I had Allison with me as I walked back down that long hallway and out to the car. 

I keep telling myself she is ready for this even though I am not!! 
     
                        Eating breakfast before school

Lauren ready for Kindergarten....look how big she is!

Lauren and Allison

Lauren and her buddy Chase outside the school

Walking down the long hallway....love this picture

Sitting at her table

Can't you just see the excitement?!!!

Mrs.  Israel and Lauren

Lauren I pray that you always have this same excitement and love for school!!!  May God bless you with a wonderful year of Kindergarten.  I love you, my little Doodlebug!!!  I'm so proud of you and the sweet person you are.

Allison's 1st Day of Preschool

Where, oh where has the time gone?  How can it be that my baby is old enough for preschool?  It was a totally different experience taking Allison to preschool.  I didn't drop her off, I joined her for her first day of preschool.  Today was my first day teaching preschool.  I would have to say we had a good first day.  Allison really liked school.  She woke up at 6:30 ready to get dressed and get going.  She has a really great teacher.  I couldn't have hand picked her teacher any better if given the opportunity.  And I'm not talking about myself.  I'm talking about Ms. Cindy.  What a blessing to have her teaching my baby AND getting to work along side of her!!  I think we are going to have a great year.

Here are a few pictures of the big day.

Allison in her seat ready to go to school

Backpack on a ready to go in

Playing in the housekeeping center at school

On the playground for recess

More fun at recess

Her friends on the first day

Allison's wonderful teacher, Ms. Cindy.  I love this picture!

Crazy???

So, tonight I'm putting my 3 year old to bed.  Before she gets in bed for me to read her bedtime stories, I ask her to pick up the things on her floor and put them away.  She's already on her bed looking at one of her books and she looks at me and says in her disgruntled little voice, "You're driving me crazy, making me pick up all these things!"
Where did she hear that phrase???  I have not said that to her or Lauren.  Not that I haven't thought it a time or two, but I have refrained from saying it!
I just had to laugh out loud at her!

Allison has quite a personality these days.  She is more like me than I care to admit.  Lauren is blessed to have more of her sweet Daddy's personality traits.  She wakes up happy and smiles a lot.  She is easy to please and just enjoys life.  Allison, on the other hand wakes up slowly.  She needs time to either be snuggled by Mommy or be left alone until she is fully awake.  She is extreme.  Things affect her more deeply.  When she's happy she rides high on the emotion.  When she is mad, she lets you know it.  We are really working on the right way to react to things.  She's very sensitive.  She wants to please.  She is sincere and very mannerly.  Seems like I have to really work on getting Lauren to remember her "kind" words, and Allison uses them almost naturally. 

Allison has also developed a sneaky trait to her personality.  I have found clothes thrown behind her dresser on several occasions.  She tosses them back there instead of putting them away.  She has sneaked foods out of the pantry.  She gets into lip gloss and things in my purse if she has the opportunity.

I guess she gets away with more than she should because  she's just so sweet and cuddly and lovey.  I cherish this time because I know it won't last forever. 

My big girl had her 5 year well check up (even though she won't be five for 11 more days) today.  We had to get her shots for Kindergarten.  Bless her sweet heart.  She got SIX shots!!!  That's insane.  The nurse asked me if I wanted her to give 3 today and come back for the others.  I asked Lauren what she wanted to do and she said get all of them today.  She was brave, but that's a lot of sticks!!!  She only cried until they were all finished.  I still remember the first time she got shots as an infant.  I was fit to be tied.  I think I cried as much as she did.  It was just as bad today.

She also got to give a urine sample today for the first time.  She thought it was pretty crazy to actually pee in a cup!  She got the finger stick, also.  I'm thrilled to say that she is perfectly healthy.  She weighs 45 pounds and is in the 95th percentile for weight.  She is 46 inches tall and in the >97th percentile for height.

I'm so thankful for two happy, healthy little girls!!

Ready or Not!!

I started off the month of August painting the girls' rooms.  A very dear and sweet friend, Pat helped me paint for three days.  She was so gracious to stick with me through 3 coats of  Daffodil yellow paint in Allison's room and 2 coats of Palm Breeze (very pale, green) paint in Lauren's room.  Another sweet friend informed me of the "psychology" behind the color yellow for my child's room.  I really like the yellow room with her bedding, but....well......um.....I'm a little "psyched"  about it!  We are considering repainting!  I'll let you know about that if and when it happens.

After painting the first part of the week, I spent the last part of the week working on getting our classroom ready for preschool.  Cindy T and I will begin teaching the 3 year old Tuesday/Thursday class at WEK next Tuesday.  We got the room prepared and got ready for parent orientation which was this past Tuesday.  I think I'm going to really love working with Cindy T.  Orientation went very well. 

I guess with all the preparation for me getting ready to teach, I have not allowed myself to focus on the fact that my baby is getting ready to start preschool.  I so remember the day I left Lauren in the 3 year old class just two short years ago.  The emotions don't seem quite as strong with leaving Allison in preschool.  I guess it is because I won't leave her there, I'll be with her.  I sometimes wonder if I am doing Allison a disservice by not letting her experience school on her own.  Well, she'll have the rest of her school life to be without me.  I'm going to enjoy every minute of the time I get to be with her.  

Now on to Lauren.  Well, I'm REALLY not ready to drop her off for Kindergarten.  Her first day of "BIG" school is one week from tomorrow.   We found out the end of last week who her teacher was and when her staggered days would be.  I found out from my friend, Krissy that Lauren's teacher is the one who is "requested" by those faculty members who work at her school and have the privilege of requesting a teacher for their own children.  That really makes me feel great!  I have started praying for Lauren's teacher by name with Lauren each night.  I asked her tonight to help me remember to pray for her every night.  I'm getting teary eyed just typing this.  Allison and I are really going to miss Lauren when she is at school every day.  We missed her last year when she only went on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I'm so thankful for my sweet girls.  What a wonderful blessing they are to Bill and I and our families.   I'm so grateful that I have been able to stay at home with them and experience all the wonderful stages of their growth and development.  I just can't believe how fast these five years have gone. 

School life, ready or not, here we come!  Just let me say the beginning of this year with my own child is very different than the many, many years I started school as a teacher!!!