Kindergarten Blues

That is the song this momma is singing these days. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited that he is onto the world of Kindergarten. Off learning new things, making new friends.

But mainly for the point that I don't have to be breaking up as many arguments during the day, because so far Elena and Natalie are just little buddies and are completely content to play more quietly together. They play dollies or look at books together. But the fact of the matter is my first born child is now a kindergartener!!

I had one major breakdown in the store earlier this week as I watched all the parents hurriedly shopping for back to school clothes. I knew the date on the calendar and wasn't stressing over it. This was a good thing. It just hit me when I was thinking of what to buy to pack in Bills lunch and I realized I had to pack Ethans this week as well that it hit me hard. I got into the car and just bawled. I was hoping I was just getting it out of my system and would be all prepared for the big day.

I had a brave face as we got going that first morning. He could hardly contain himself. Loading his backpack with all his supplies carefully marked in permanent ink with his name on them, He gave me his lunch order and then constantly asked how much time until we left. We took the walk down to the school and with a swift kiss he was off! Not so much as a look back at momma. He was ready! I did fine as we left the school, looked at my girls and started to think of all the fun things we could do together. Tea parties, painting nails, playing make-up. oh how fun!

Once we got home and the girls resumed their playing I started to think about when I first brought him home from the hospital. Since he was born Sept 1, school was just starting and I had a friend who was a bus driver and her route went past our house. Me and my tiny baby would wait on the porch or watch out the window for the bus. We would wave at the kids and they thought it was so funny to see me making this baby wave at them. It was just a special time. Just me and my little man. My first born. Now I watch him load up his backpack and rush off to school to join all those kids. Although it tears at my heart strings just a bit, I am one proud momma to see how much he has grown and who he is becoming with each day a new adventure with a new lesson to learn... for both of us!!

Lemonade Stand!! Lemonade Stand!!

That is what you could hear being yelled up and down our street last weekend.....

I have to back up a bit to just write this down so I can store it in my memory because I thought it was so sweet. A few days before the big Lemonade stand, Ethan and one of his friends were on the deck with a pile of construction paper, scissors, and tape. They were being soo good and crafty too! They were making paper kites, binoculars, and telescopes being very quiet and just going about their work for over an hour. Then another neighbor kid came over, then another they still continued to work away on their projects. I could hear them begin to talk about selling them (for $100! hee, hee) It was funny.
The next thing I knew they were taking all the kites and things and lining them up along our sidewalk. Ethan begins yelling "YARD SALE!! YARD SALE!! I was dying. I let him carry on for a few minutes - it soon changed to CRAFT SALE! CRAFT SALE!! I thought it was neat that being all of 5 years old, Ethan was the ringleader in all this. The little sale organizer. The marketing advisor. Telling 10 year old boys to ride their bikes down the other side of the sidewalk and annouce the sale - and they would listen to him!!
I soon went out and bought all their treasures. (didn't want them yelling any more.) Well they figure they sold them to me, why not sell them again?? They go into the house and get them and once again put them out and start the yelling. It got a bit worse when one of the neighbor ladies did come out and gave them a dime for something. Eventually I made them stop and promised them they could have a lemonade stand over the weekend.
So finally Sunday came and after church they mixed up some pink lemonade and sat outside. Ethan was easily pleased. He sold one glass and was ready to close up shop! All he wanted was a quarter for the gumball machine at the grocery store.

After he sold one glass he asks me - can we go to the store now?

A Day at the Fair

Once again this year we took the kids to the County Fair. One of the days they have as kids day so all kids and parents/grandparents get in free. (Free is always good ) This was the first year that we went and did the ride thing. Usually we just get a treat, visit with friends and look at the animals. I knew Ethan would be game as he is a bit more brave than Elena, but to my surprise she was all geared up to ride as well! Here they are riding the helicopters with their cousin Abby. It went up high and Elena was just waving and laughing the whole time!!
Now the Ferris Wheel was the first thing they rode on,(Ethan and his cousins, not Elena) and I really didn't think Ethan would go on it and I was a bit nervous about him going up that high, but his Aunt Amie rode with him and he did just fine. He liked it so much that he jumped on with another friend later and ended up being on the ride for 20 min!! I think they forgot about them. He had a blast though.
We went through all the different barns and displays, I didn't get a shot of Natalie, but she was soo good. She loved the animals. Little Animals. She cried and screamed all the way through the horse barn and cow barn. She wanted to pet the goats, LOVED the bunny rabbits and when we went through the turkey barn, she learned a new animal noise - now she gobbles!!

A day in the life of Miss Natalie

Yesterday morning started out so sweet. I moved Natalies little swing/slide up to the deck so she could play on it and not be in the way of the big kids who are running all over the yard. While she was sitting there, Sissy decided to read her some books that we picked up from the Library. Natalie wanted to read a book too. Later in the day mommy was cleaning up inside, so Natalie came along. She was done with her snack and getting fussy. She kept making noises for and reaching for a bag of chocolate chips on the counter I had out to make cookies with later. So I thought, hmmm. Just one might be okay. A little baby bribery is okay once in a awhile, right?Ohh did she like that!! She loved the chocolate! I have created a chocoholic at age 1! She just wanted more and more. After she came down from her sugar rush and mom released her from her high chair. She decided she had enough for the day. While mom was sweeping the kitchen floor, she tried to help by moving the rugs for me, then thought they just might make a good pillow!
What a rough life she has! ;)

JUST ZOOing IT!!

Monday we decided to finally head out to the Zoo. We went despite the fact that the heat index was like 104 degrees!! We had Jason here an extra day and that was the only extra we could get him, so it was the day to go. We were prepared for the heat, so it really wasn't that bad. We went to the smaller zoo and sought shade or a/c whenever possible. It has been a few years since we have been to the zoo. I have been wanting to go so bad to take Elena. She is such an animal lover and loves Elephants and Lions! Here she is above with The Elephants. (Baby Louie is lying on the ground) The fact that there was a mommy and a baby was the highlight of her day!
Natalie loved to see all the animals, she was so funny- she would look into the cages with a look that seemed to read' what am I looking for?' then once she realized there was an animal - she would get soo excited. She only makes one animal noise which is a high pitched kind of bark. So it was funny to hear her "barking" all day :)

Ethan was our photographer. We have two rolls of film we will be picking up today. He was so cute snapping photos every stop we made. He would say "hold on!" and stand back, focus the picture and snap. He was looking so proud of his work.
Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Jason liked to look at the snakes and reptiles. He was a little surprised I think at how many different varieties there are here in OHIO. He was a big help with his brother and sisters.

All in all we had a really good time. Since it was so hot, hardly anyone was there so we were able to see most of the zoo without a lot of congestion.
We'll have to visit next time in the fall...