The BIG Day

I did have to wake Haley up at 7:00 but it wasn't hard. Right when she heard my voice she shot straight up and started clapping her hands. I only cried twice. Once while I was doing her hair and telling her what a big day this is and how proud I am of her, and the other was when I left the campus.
We got to school and there was quite the buzz. I asked her to stand in front of this sign and she replied, "Mom, I don't want to be late for school!"
She walked in her room and found her name tag on the desk. Ry tried to sit next to her but she said, "Sorry little Buddy. This seat is for" (read the nametag), "Diego." This is her teacher for the year! Haley already asked to see her picture again because she forgot what she looked like. She gave a wonderful impression and it is clear she loves what she does. She was so patient, especially with the parents.
She and Taylor saw each other bright and early and were both excited to start! Thank goodness Trish, Tay's mom, is picking Haley up every day. Such a blessing!

She has been giving us bits and pieces of the day...what they read, a dance they did and songs they sang, how they line up, the new friends she made and how her teacher is so nice and taught her how to say "I love you" with her hands (sign language). She already explained that she will have school every day except the weekend and when it's Monday again it's school again (said with enthusiasm). She talked about how she was able to visit the treasure box and was a good listener.

We have a child in school. Let the new adventure begin!

I Missed It

I can't believe it, but I missed the first day of school. I have NEVER missed the first day of school, neither as a student or a teacher. I have taught while sick many times, but this one took me by storm and there was no escaping. My staff is awesome and so many people stepped in to help and get everything covered. I felt horrible all day, both physically and emotionally. I just know how nervous and anxious and excited these kids are as they make the transition to middle school. I missed being there and greeting them and meeting the parents and all that comes with the first day. Still can't believe it. Hope that was a first and a last.

He Knows the Rules...

Whether he follows them or not, he knows them. This morning when I went into his room Ry started the day off by simply listing some rules.

Me: Good morning Ryan!

Ryan: Moanin' (morning) Mama! Only throw balls, out bed one time then crib, no no wake up Sissy, share, no no poop bath.

Good list my boy!

A Sweet, Sweet Summer

This has been such an incredible summer break. The only other summer to compare it to was our wedding summer. The kids and I had so much fun together while Josh was working and we had so much fun as a family when he was home. We packed in camping, swim class (H), gym class (R), swimming,Tahoe, concerts in the park, bike rides, trips to Great America, Children's Discovery Museum, Happy Hollow, parks, painting, playing, a family reunion and some being lazy in there. I think about it and know that my absolute favorite parts have been tucking the kids in after their bath and reading books next to their sweet smelling, bathed skin. In those times we reflected on our day and the friends we got to play with.

It is now coming to a close as I am back to work on Wednesday and the students come the following Monday. I am getting ready to shift gears as we get back to reality (which will be a new reality with Haley starting kinder!). I have loved the summer and feel incredibly blessed to have the job that I do. It allows me to love my work and have time with my family.
Dreading starting back, but cherishing the summer we had!

Getting Up To Speed

I realize it has been a bit since I have updated. I have included pictures from our trip to Lake Tahoe but we have been doing SO MANY fun things. Our 5 days in Tahoe were heavenly (pardon the pun since we stayed in Heavenly Village). The 4 of us had a great time swimming and beaching and playing together. It was fabulous.

Ryan would have been happy to never get out of this boat. He rowed us all over the place! Haley took her turn and wanted to return to her "friends" at the beach. The girl made friends wherever we were!
For Mother's Day I got 4 tickets for a cruise on the Tahoe Queen. We were a bit nervous that we would be out on a boat for 3 hours with the kids. I hoped they wouldn't grow tired of it all since there was no turning back. Our experience was quite the opposite. We saw parts of the lake we haven't seen before and learned some really cool history. It helped that there were lots of kids on board to run around and play with. Plus they got to meet the captain and steer the boat.
We were at the pool at least once a day. This trip Josh and I really began to notice how Haley and I are alike and he and Ryan are alike. The girls went straight for the pool while the boys preferred the hot tub most of the time. We had fun naming all of the similarities among us.
I can't believe it, but I go back to work in 2 and 1/2 weeks. We are changing our school calendar so this is the summer that gets cut short. Ugh...

We have been keeping a busy calendar filled with fun summer activities. Trips to Great America (awesome kids and water sections), Happy Hollow, picnics at the park, mostly with friends. Haley has continued her swim lessons and Ry has been taking a My Gym class. He has died and gone to ball pit and trampoline heaven. He has started taking a turn telling stories in the car. His versions of Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk are priceless.

Josh and I are looking forward to Saturday night when we will celebrate our 8th anniversary. We rolled our change and sold some things on Craiglist and are going to live it up with massages, dinner, drinks and a movie. It will be AWESOME.

It's funny because people have asked me what is harder? Staying at home or working? The answer for me is, being a mom is exhausting. Once you're a mom, you're working all day whether you get a paycheck or not. You're spent at the end of each day and wake up in the morning ready to do it all over again. I don't think you can say "parent" and "easy" in the same sentence. I cherish this time so much. Each summer gets better and better. Cheers!

How Quickly We Forget

This past Wednesday I experienced my worst parenting day to date. We are learning that the 2s can be pretty terrible at times. On Wednesday it was full fledged and it was ALL DAY and Josh got home late from work due to a work event. By the time he got home I could barely speak. I had a lump in my throat. I also felt bad for Haley since she had to endure the same day. It all felt like a new low in my mere 5 years of being a mom. There were moments when I thought, "I'd really like to not be a mom right now"- and that's putting it nicely. Hard days come with the territory, but this one was relentless and it felt horrible.
But, kids are funny and so is our love for them. In between the defiance and the freak outs and the testing and retesting, there was my happy little guy. The low parts were low but the good parts were bright. It's like in a blink of an eye I was able to completely forget about the torturous moments previous. It was a day of waves like that.
The day ended (with me meeting a friend for wine which was already planned- THANK HEAVENS) and we all woke up the next day with amnesia. No feelings were remnant from the day before. Isn't that how it works with kids? Once the situation is over, it's over. No grudges. No hard feelings.
The Terrible 2s possessed my child that day. At this moment he is walking around and chatting and laughing. aaahhhh, yes. I know we just entered this phase and will have other moments to come. We've had moments since Wednesday. I just pray that those moments are a bit more spread out throughout a day or days. Wednesday was pretty jam packed and it didn't feel good for anyone.

Pinecrest 2010

Yes, I love camping and this trip was no exception. The kids were in heaven (most of the time) and the company was perfect! The lake was FREEZING but it didn't stop us from swimming. We got home yesterday and all took the best showers/baths of our lives!
Until next year... :)