Meet and Greet

As much as I was not looking forward to the start of this school year, today totally changed my outlook.    We got to Meet and Greet at the elementary school and I could not be more in LOVE with the girls' teachers.  They are both first year teachers (although they have both either done student teaching, graduate research, and some part time at the school) and they are both sweet as can be, young, excited about this year, and enthusiastic about teaching!

We met Handley's teacher first, Ms. Shingleton.  Handley had told me she was a little nervous about 2nd grade and wanted a certain teacher some people had told her about.  After meeting her teacher though she said she LOVED her and was SO excited that she was in her class.  The classroom is bright and cute as can be and Handley described it as a "sunshine room" because everything is yellow!  It is absolutely precious and I loved getting to chat with Ms. Shingleton for a little bit. I just know it will be a great fit for Handley and she was all smiles the rest of the day every time she told someone about her new teacher.

Next, we made our way to Harper's class. Since we got to meet her teachers last week, this time we were excited to see her classroom. It was also bright and fun and very spacious.  Harper was excited to find her seat, see where her backpack would be hanging each day, and meet their class mascot, a gator. Her teacher, Ms. Gergel is also incredibly sweet and soft spoken, which I believe will be a perfect fit for Harper's sensitive personality.  We walked from the bus drop-off back to Harper's class so she could get some practice with getting there the first day and even talked about Handley being able to walk her to her class the first day. Harper piped up and told us that she knew how to get there on her own and wouldn't need anyone helping her.  That little bit of confidence was the first she had showed about going to Kindergarten recently, so I was very proud to see her feeling like she was ready.

After we left Meet and Greet I dropped the girls off with Gigi and then she kept them the rest of the day while I headed back to the school to man one of the PTA tables.  It made for a long afternoon/evening, but being back at the school has me ready and looking forward to a wonderful year!

Making the Most

This week our goal is to make the most of our last few days of summer. I can hardly believe that it's almost over and that the girls start back to school on Monday.  This past weekend we spent up at the lake and it was just us, but it was so much fun.  Lots of relaxing and lots of family time.

It only took all summer, but we finally convinced Hudson to try wakeboarding with Robby...there might have been a promise of ice cream for trying...and he loved it.  As soon as he was done he told me, "That was so fun!" and "I want to wakeboard again!"

Aside from back to school shopping for supplies and shoes for the kids, we have been trying to squeeze in lots of fun, too.  Today we swam pretty much all day!  This morning was a playdate with some favorite friends at their pool.  The kids loved jumping together and eating lunch in their hot tub!

This afternoon we had frozen yogurt at RT and then met up with some friends to swim at their neighborhood pool.  It was more like a mini water park and all of the kids had a blast!

Kindergarten Picnic and Popsicles

Yesterday evening the rain let up a bit so we could all attend the Picnic and Popsicles for Kindergardeners at the school.  This was the first year they were having this event and I was excited because it meant they would have the class lists posted and we would get a chance to meet some of the other students.

As an added bonus all of the Kindergarten teachers showed up so we got to meet Harper's teachers for the first time, too!

Her teacher, Ms. Gergel (on the right) and her assistant both seem super sweet and I'm really excited about this year for Harper.  Harper was super shy meeting them for the first time, but I know she will warm up to them soon.  We go back to the school next Thursday for Meet and Greet, and then she will be able to see her classroom and get to know the teachers a little more.

The playground was really wet from all of the rain, but that didn't stop the kids from having fun.  Harper, Handley, and Anne Gregory were excited about popsicles and seeing new and old friends.

Hudson spent the entire time running through puddles and tearing up the playground!

The other wonderful thing that happened this week was when our 2013 Blog Book arrived!!!  It only took me 7 months to finish formatting it to get ready to print, but it was so worth it because now I have this beautiful book for us to look back on and remember all of the wonderful and trying memories of 2013!  I actually order 3 of each blog book each year so eventually all of the kids can have one.  It worked out great for yesterday, too, because they all wanted to flip through and see all of the pictures.

Double Sister Sleepover

Last week the girls spent the night with a their friends Sophia and Alexandra and last night those girls came over here for a double sister sleepover.  They are great friends and it works out great that both sets of sisters are the same age.  I'm kind of in awe of how well the four of them get along together and how sweet they are with one another.

They stayed busy playing dressed up and hide-n-seek, taking care of their dolls, running around outside and having a movie night after dinner.

They all were giggling non-stop and couldn't quite settle down for bed, but after I sat in there to make them quiet they were all conked out within a few minutes.

They woke up early, but kept themselves entertained reading and playing with dolls until Hudson got up.  Then they were excited to have pink milk and cinnamon buns with sprinkles for breakfast.

It was a fun evening for all of us and I know this is only the beginning of all our sleepover fun!  The girls were sweet to include Hudson when they could because all he wanted to do was hang out with them.

Yesterday Hudson also had his 3 year well visit.  Just for my memory's sake his stats were:
Weight: 33 lbs. (60th percentile)
Height: 37 3/4 inches (50th percentile)

Hudson's Pirate Party

Arrgh!!!  

On Saturday we celebrated Hudson's 3rd birthday with his pirate themed birthday party!  It was such a fun party to plan for and I really think all of the kids had a great time.

Hudson had been talking about his pirate party for weeks and couldn't wait to dress up and have fun with all of his friends.  Handley greeted all of our guest with a cheerful, "Ahoy Matey's!" as they arrived.  We all snacked on pirate snacks like "Polly's crackers and cheese", "peg-leg pretzels", "cannon balls" (blueberries) and "salty sea water" to drink.  

After snacks the kids followed a treasure map to find 3 hidden treasures.  They used the clues on the map and worked together to go through the house and find the three stops.  Stop one was pirate eye-patches for everyone, stop two was pirate hats, and stop three was pirate swords.  The kids loved running from treasure to treasure and dressing like a pirate along the way.

Next we went outside for more pirate games like walking the plank, digging for buried gold coins and compasses, and a pirate ring toss.

Finally it was time sing to the birthday boy and I think it was safe to say all the little pirates enjoyed their cupcakes and cookies.  I enlisted the help of my friend, Christy, to make these adorable pirate cookies.  She always does the cookies for the kids' parties and these turned out just precious!

Although Hudson ended his party having a meltdown because he was so tired and worn-out from having given up his paci just two days earlier, he did seem to love his party and we all had fun celebrating his birthday!  A big thanks to everyone who came and made his day special!!!

Meeting our Favorite Princesses

Last minute I got a text from a friend telling me about an event that was going on at a local toy store.  They were having a Frozen party complete with crafts, face painting and a chance to meet Elsa and Anna.  Since they are our favorite princesses we couldn't pass up the opportunity!

We pulled in and saw the line wrapping around the shopping center. It was a long, long wait and when we finally got to see them my girls gave them big hugs and then there was only time for a quick picture.  The brief meeting was nice though and then we were ushered along.

Handley asked me as we walked away, "That was it?!?!  I wanted to talk to them longer." However, they were trying to get everyone through the small store quickly so everyone had a chance to see and meet the princesses.  After our picture the kids got to build an Olaf snack and have their faces painted with snowflakes, which they were all excited about.  It was a fun afternoon and we were thankful Katelyn and her mom let us know about the event!

Kindergarten Assessment

Today was Harper's Kindergarten Assessment.  From what I had heard, it was a pretty basic assessment they give all rising Kindergartners, but she was so excited and ready for today.  She told me they asked her really easy things and she knew it all. :-)  Being there at the school for the second time this week made it a reality that summer is almost over.  That and filling out my new planner with all of the open house, meet and greet, PTA, and other school stuff that is coming up soon.  I'm hoping to savor these next two weeks!

This afternoon the girls packed up a bag to head off to a sleepover with Sophia and Alexandra.  They have been talking about it for a week and were so excited for tonight.

I got all kinds of pictures from their mom this evening showing all of the fun they were having...singing Frozen songs, swimming in their pool and having a movie night.

Hudson was a little unsure about leaving them there when he and I came back home, but he had fun having one on one time with me and just went to bed for the first time EVER without his paci! While he asked about it for a while, he went to sleep OK and it was much better than I had expected.

Happy Birthday, Hudson!

Today Hudson turned 3!!! I can hardly believe my baby isn't a baby anymore. It makes me so sad to think the baby phase is behind us, but also excited about the little guy he is becoming.  He still has his paci and I have said all along that at age three we would take it away.  I didn't have the heart to take it away on his actual birthday so tomorrow is the day.  Then all traces of baby will be gone.  Well, except for the fact that despite being potty trained, he still chooses to poop in his pants.  Ha! I guess we're still working on getting rid of that part of baby.

He slept in this morning and woke up with a giant smile on his face.  When I met him at the top of the stairs he raised both arms and yelled, "I slept good!!!"  He then asked me if is birthday was coming up and when I reminded him it was today he literally leaped into my arms he was so excited.

He opened several gifts first thing and was so excited about everything he opened.  He is having a pirate party on Saturday and his friend Emerson sent him all sorts of pirate goodies and totally made his day!  He also didn't want to take off his helmet we gave him.  (He actually ended up wearing it for quite some time in the house).

This evening we met Jen, Parker and Mackenize at Stevie B's so the kids could play games, get tickets ands choose cheap prizes while Jen and I caught up and stuffed ourselves with the sweet rolls.

Harper hit the jackpot and won 500 tickets!!!!  They just kept coming and coming.  The kids all had tons of fun and when we got in the car I couldn't believe it was after 8:00! He said he had a great day and I can't wait to celebrate with all of his friends on Saturday.

At three Hudson:

• loves matchbox cars, usually sleeps with at least two, and almost always has one in his hand during the day. 
• is still a very picky eater. 
• enjoys being silly with his sisters.
• plays very well independently.
• thinks it is fun to help with jobs like cleaning and doing laundry. 
• loves sweet tea and chocolate milk and would drink those all day long if I let him. 
• has become quite the little gentleman and loves holding doors for others. 
• has also become quite the "guy" and thinks it is hilarious when he burps or "toots." 
• likes reading the same books each night (Little Blue Truck and Brown Bear). 
• is a movie enthusiast.  He loves lounging on the couch and watching his favorites. 
• is excited about life and always jumps up and down whenever he learns any bit of good news. 
• loves his sisters and wants to be with them all of the time. 

Catch-up Post

I've been such a blogging slacker these past few weeks, but I think getting back from vacation and trying to adjust back to everyday life took us a while.  Just because I haven't posted much doesn't mean we haven't been up to much.

Last week we had several playdates and I love summer because it gives us the chance to see so many friends!  The kids have become fast friends with some sweet kiddos that I just adore, too.  The girls danced together last year and their little brother and Hudson always played while waiting for big sisters to finish up.  They also go to the same pre-school.  We have sleepovers planned for later this week and next, but last week they were here for a playdate and after lunch the kids decorated cookies!

That day just happened to be a day we were babysitting Sophia, too!  She is such a doll and we were all excited we got to help out Trey and Stef by watching her for the day.  She loved playing with all of her cousins and my three were all over her all day.

Hudson is quite the mama's boy, but that boy also LOVES his daddy.  As in, he wants to watch every move and be just like him.  On this summer night, he saw Robby mowing the grass and immediately ran to get his mower and be just like daddy.  When I asked him what he was doing, he told me he was "lawn mowin."

Last weekend we were at the lake with our friends the Atkinsons.  On our way up there on Friday afternoon we hit up a roadside stand for boiled peanuts. I knew Harper loved them (and always begs to stop and get some) but on this day in particular, I called it a southern success.  All three of my kids were chowing down on them!  Yummy!

The lake was so much fun and wonderful weather.   We don't see Tiara, Trevor, Avery, and Dylan near as much as we used to, but we always pick up right where we left off.

The biggest news from this weekend was Hudson wanted to go on the tube for the first time this summer and he LOVED it!

Yesterday afternoon the kids were trying to build a fort in the playroom and when Robby got home last night they recruited his help to really make it work. After it was complete they had big plans to sleep in it and who was I to ruin that fun?!?!  They all fell asleep and 2 of the 3 stayed there all night long!(Harper snuck into my bed sometime during the night.)

Also, just a little note to remind everyone that I'm still writing at my house blog, www.makingthishouse.blogspot.com, and have a lot of updates with our mudroom, my summer front door and tomorrow I plan to share a fun project I just completed!