Priceless Moment

Tonight the girls and I finished reading Junie B. Jones and her Big Fat Mouth. Which led to a discussion about what we want to be when we grow up. Zoe wants to to a cowgirl, a painter, and work at Build-a-bear. Sydney wants to be a big purple butterfly.

Father and son

I dressed Bennett and a few minutes later Rob

came out of the bedroom wearing the same outfit. Too Cute!

Kindergarten

"Back to school, back to school, to prove to my dad that I am not a fool..." - Billy Madison

Today I woke to a thunderstorm at 6:30am. Great. Rain. It's Zoe's first day of kindergarten and then Rob and Shar are going to pack her things into the moving truck. Great. Rain. At least it will hide my tears should I not be able to hold them back. Zoe gets up and comes out to find me in the living room bringing out Bennett. She is already excited about school. We go and dress her in her new dress from Nanny. Next is breakfast for her (Waffle, eggs, banana, vitamin, milk) and Bennett (breastmilk). Hands washed, teeth brushed, hair combed, and everyone else is still asleep. I wake Sydney up. She gets dressed and eats, etc. then Daddy and Auntie emerge. We are all ready to go before we think we need to be, but we leave at 8:30 just the same. The line of cars was tremendous. It's still raining. Rob drops Zoe and Shar and I at the entrance and stays in the car with the kids. We walk back to the cafeteria and there are people everywhere. Signs with teachers names and lines of kids all in various states of anxiety, excitement, and anticipation. We find Zoes line and she sits down and waits patiently. I ask if she is nervous or scared. She shakes her head "no." Do you want me to stay? Nod. So we stay. The girl in front of her in line has both parents there. She isn't crying but is clearly nervous. I ask her name and introduce Zoe to her. Her parents take a picture and Zoe smiles at the camera. Cheese! Then its time to follow Ms. Bigelow to the classroom and Mommy and Auntie have to go. She just walked right off - no problems- she doesn't even look back. Shar gives me a squeeze. I know she is emotional about it too. We head out. Stopping to talk to a mom-friend briefly, we make our way to the door. Where is Rob? Did he park? Hmm. I don't see him. Is that him up there with the lights on and one blinker blinking? If not it's some daddy with a kid on his lap. We walk there. It was some other daddy with a kid on his lap. Ha! Tromping through rain and puddles we find the car and head home. Such was the start of the first day of kindergarten. Mommy has more trouble than the kiddo - big surprise there. When I picked her up she hopped right in. Said her day was good - no details. When I ask questions she "can't remember." Oh well, I am sure I will find out eventually. Tomorrow is another day and a new routine is taking shape. Sydney starts school September 3rd. Another big day for mommy I guess.

Arts and Crafts

After a long morning of laundry, dishes, grocery shopping and the like, we engaged in a thrilling afternoon of arts and crafts. Here is a short video of the girls in action (Daddy helped out too)! They are painting with water colors. When the paintings were dry they drew on them with markers. I have them framed in my living room (we do the same project probably twice a year so I can keep the art updated). Zoe couldn't paint without her "Fancy Nancy" clip in her hair.

Here is Sydney's finished painting:

Here is Zoe's finished painting:

Bennett also wanted to do a craft. Here is what he and I came up with:

The kid has some monster feet. Newborn socks never stay on him (since birth). I guess that is why Auntie Shar calls him "Big Foot".

Bennett in action...

The girls....

Bennett Michael is one month old!

Seven years good luck

No broken mirrors here. Today Rob and I celebrate 7 years of wedded bliss (well, if not bliss then at least happiness despite challenges). So in honor of our annual benchmark of marital success I look through our wedding album (this morning I shared it with the girls, who wondered: why they weren't in any of the pictures? and who stayed home with them?) We have undoubtedly come a long way. And through it all I can still say that I am truely in love with my husband and I am so glad that I married him. And that as handsome as I found him in his tux on our wedding day, he is just as attractive today holding a baby and a basket of laundry or playing legos with the girls. My how things have changed. I am obviously feeling nostalgic, so I took some pictures of pictures to illustrate where my head is at today.

On our wedding day.


Christmas 2008 (I can't believe I don't have another more recent picture of just us together!!!! Better get one.)