Where did September go?

There is no way it is already September 24th. That was the fastest month yet! This is truly the longest stretch I have gone between blog post. So much has happened since my last time to write----lots of adjusting and settling in. We had a rocky start at P's new school, but that was to be expected with her age. She is thriving now---really, she is doing so well. We are surprised at all she has learned so far. Her vocabulary has probably doubled, she names all her colors and is sorting by color, and she sings the ABC's. Seriously, I have been teaching her these things for a year and all the sudden---a few weeks in preschool and she's got it.

Anyway, we also had a big party! TWO!! That one will get an entire post to itself. It was too much fun!

Any a couple random pictures to wrap up this random entry. That just sums me up lately!!

We have faith in our team!!!

Lille lady her first week at school.

Cheek to Cheek with MiMi & Aunt TiTi

First school artwork!!! Slightly proud artist.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a day that I am looking forward to and dreading at the same time. 

I have been a teacher for 5 years now and every year I get so 'Christmas morning excited' about Meet the Teacher. It's a big event! I love meeting my students for the first time. Shaking their hands, saying, "Welcome to 3rd grade," showing them the classroom where they will spend their day over the next 9 months. I am so proud of this classroom. It is the classroom where they will work hard and have fun, where they will laugh and grow and learn and explore. Where they will make new friends and learn valuable lessons that they may remember for a lifetime. It is the classroom where they will feel loved, supported, and at home----always.

I don't meet my new students until next Friday. 

Tomorrow isn't about me being a teacher. It is about me being a mommy. Tomorrow, I meet my daughter's very first teacher. We have Meet the Teacher at her new pre-school tomorrow. I am so eager for her to discover all the magical moments that her classroom holds. I want her to feel secure there and be able to thrive in the environment she is in. I hope that she adores her teachers and that her teachers love and cherish her as much as I do my students each year.  I have full confidence that she is going to enjoy being at school each day and begin to look forward to the structure and activities that it provides. I am beyond excited for her opportunity to be in such an amazing place.

She is so ready for this. I don't know if I am, but she definitely is.

She is so lucky, but her teacher-------her teacher is even luckier. I know, because I too, am a teacher and I know just how she feels. Lucky. To have a classroom full of brand new smiles, brand new ideas, brand new voices........a brand new start. That's blessed.

Hung these babies today in my new classroom. Love seeing my past students, they have a special place in my heart---especially now that I have moved schools and will not get to keep up with them.

Playing Catch Up

Wow! Has it really been over a month since I last sat down to type out a post? According, to blogger-YES, but I am in denial. I am also in denial that in just 2 short weeks, I have to go back to my second job. As excited as I am about all these new adventures that will arise this school year, I am a little nervous.

Gosh, have we been busy!! The only way I know how to catch up is to do one gigantic photo post.

Here we go-

We celebrated Spence & his dad's birthdays and went to the beach. It was P's first time. She held a hermit crab and played in the sand and the waves.

We found this chic booster seat at our favorite resale shop. It is called a sweet seat.Not putting away the high chair just yet, but it's handy to bring along when we are not eating at home.

We celebrated our country-----Red, white, and Blue

We painted our nails in observance of the 4th.

Daddy threw Presley in the air----over and over and over again.

Aunt Laura came from Alaska and we made several visits to see Granny while she was recovering in the rehab center. Glad to say she is home and continuing to get stronger!

P did this at least a hundred times. Girl is full of wonderings!

We decked out the BOB with accessories.Cup holders, phone pocket, and snack tray.

Laughed with Aunt Sissy! P has started to call her "SSSSSSSS"

Drove the golf cart {with supervision of Great Daddo}

Rode the paddle boat

Ate too many chips and queso. Oh, and P met 3 more of her second cousins from North Carolina.

Floated in the lake for hours. I am sure thankful she loves the water.

Organized and packed away more baby clothes in space bags.

Had a few playdates with Presley's BFF, Lola

             Added to the toy cabinet. Six learning boxes and a big bag of extra large legos.                                                       

 

Celebrated the engagement of Zach and Felicia. They are getting married May 2014!

Had an awesome time with family at the beach

Presley met the newest family member----baby Ahrens. She fell in love!

Rode our bikes.

Just finished a sleepover and pool play date with these sweet girls. Nothing better than time with her cousins.

No wonder I haven't had time to write.

Keeping busy

If you've read one post on my blog, you probably get the idea that I'm a lover of all things routine and on schedule. It just makes me tick. Well, summer is giving me a run for my money. Do not misread, I am absolutely loving every second of every day, but sometimes I want to build a white board in my living room and post our objectives and our daily schedule. I guess it's my teacher blood. 

I have taken full advantage of keeping P busy. She really wants to help me with every thing I'm doing. This morning I needed to unload the dishwasher and I put her in charge of matching her cups and lids, then putting them in the basket. Her task kept her busy just long enough so that I could get everything put away without tripping over a little toddler. Talk about proud of herself!!! Wonder what other chores I can start teaching her?

                                              

On the topic of schedules and the fact that our tot will turn two in less than 3 months, I checked out a new read at the library this week. I read the Happiest Baby and learned a lot from it before P was born, so when i spotted the Happiest Toddler, i didn't hesitate to pick it up. It has been just as interesting and gives lots of unique ideas about communicating with your toddler in an effective way. I actually wish I would have read it a while ago. Dr. Karp definitely makes some good points and helps you remember that they are only 2 years old. Hope it helps us through the 'stages' that are on the horizon-----or the "mine" stage, which is occurring at this very moment. Everything is "mine," and by that I mean everything is Presley's.

 

                                         

The hubs and I celebrated three blissful years of marriage last week. We enjoyed dinner and drinks and just had such a great time together! I cherish those dates with him more and more as our lives seem to pass by with the speed of light. 

                           

           Off to prep dinner---one of these days I will share all these new recipes I've been trying!

                                

Summer Love

Well, I officially made it through my fifth year as a third grade teacher, even packed up my classroom and moved to a new school in a new district. Hooray for making a change! I am beyond excited about a new opportunity. Spence is settling in to his new position and really enjoying it--even with the added stress. No better guy to handle it.  There have been so many changes around our household over the last month or so and I think that is why I have been so non existent on the blog. No more excuses--I have a lot of extra time on my hands now that Summer is here. It is already flying by and I am trying to take in every minute with Miss P. There will never be another Summer like this one!

In our first week we have.....

Swam at MiMi's pool

{That is a Puddle Jumper floatie---I highly recommend it, if you are in the market for a floatie}

Check Amazon for cuter colors--orange was our only choice at the pool store. sad.

Visited a Spray Park

Organized mommy's jewelry in a place where little Miss can not reach

{shelf from Hobby Lobby}

 

Shared a grilled cheese, poolside

My project list is long! I am finding that making time for projects is more difficult with an {almost} two year old. I am determined though to get two pieces of furniture sanded and painted, a closet organized, a shutterfly book finished and ordered, a dress sewn----oh wait, I have to learn to sew first.

Have a great day! We are off to the museum and then to gymnastics later. {Post about that coming soon}

There's an app for that

We have an ipad {like everyone else in the world} and our toddler is very interested in the ipad. We have animal sound games and a few others that we have downloaded to use on long car rides or when nothing else seems interesting. We don't use it as a toy or a babysitter by any means, but miss P enjoys playing with it as much as Mommy does.  Anyway, I could go on and on about technology and this generation of kids, but I will spare you today.

I always said I would never put my kid in front of an ipad at the dinner table. No, this family won't do that. This family, we will talk to each other. We will talk about our day and things going on in the world. Well, in a moment of weakness, I stuck that ipad in my purse before we left for dinner Saturday night. But here is why-two words- ENDLESS ALPHABET. My favorite app for toddlers and pre-school kids. Really though, some of my 3rd graders could learn something from this one. It is the cutest app that has a variety of vocabulary words, the letter scatter when these funny little monsters run across the screen. When you touch a letter, it repeats the sound as you drag it to the right spot. When you get all the letters in place, they play a cute animation to teach the definition. Just after about five times, Miss P was able to drag the letter to the correct places. She might not understand any of the words yet or that the letters all have different sounds, but her little brain is just absorbing.  I love it! This app meets my standards----even for use in a restaurant or a stroller. Although I do not promote the use of apple products during family meals, I do believe it is okay to whip it out during those last 15 minutes while waiting for the check.

Growing that vocabulary. One 10 letter word at a time.

Blog Tears and Mother's Day Smiles

Blog Tears.....

Please excuse the ugliness that has been my blog in the last 48 hours. I try to change one little thing and my whole template goes crazy! I heard that when viewed on an iPhone or Ipad, my background was black. Now, that made me so sad, because I really like my navy and orange chevron. Anyway, I have had to change things around a bit and I still do not know if I have fixed it! I should have taken more web design {HA!} classes in college.

I am seriously considering paying someone to give me one of those cute custom designed blogs. Wonder what the husband will say to that?? He will tell me to keep reading.

Can someone please tell me if the background is black on iPhone? Help a girl out!

You know what wasn't ugly? My Mother's Day weekend. It was beautiful, the perfect weekend. Time with my husband, my daughter, my mommy, and my mother in law.