Red day

Ethan is having a blast in kindergarten! He always has so much to tell me everyday. He is learning that he has to raise his hand to go to the bathroom and that he can't be loud while getting a drink from the drinking fountain after losing a couple of cubes for these things. He tells me "if i am super good tomorrow i can earn my cube back" So far that is the only wo "missing cubes" that i know of so he must be behaving himself overall!

I forgot these everyday things of kindergarten...it's been awhile. Like bringing a cut out new shape everyday and this week wearing a new color that they are learning everyday. Pheww!

On another note, Ethan sleeps like a log and is like waking the dead! He takes after his big sister, it takes 20 minutes of going back and forth to their rooms and finally physically pulling the two of them out of their beds! I didn't notice how hard he was to wake last year i guess because i just pulled him out of bed half the time and carried him to the car.

We are finally getting back into our routine though i think it's been as hard on me getting used to not sleeping in as it has the kids!

Here is a picture of Ethan today. It was Red day today...

Booster

We just took the car seat out of the van! The van feels like it just grew a little bit! I really can't remember our vehicle with no car seats! It looks a little weird! I took her on her birthday to pick out a new booster seat but got it home and the kids told me "it doesn't have any cup holders" So i said, well that ones going back to the store...we can't function without a cup holder, we are on the go entirely too much! So yesterday i went and picked up her new one with cup holders. She is still having trouble buckling it by herself so right now it is harder than the car seat because she has been able to buckle herself into that for a year or more. She is practicing though and hopefully will get the hang of it soon!

Four years old

Little miss turns four at a busy time of year with back to school..Ethan's kindergarten back to school night fell on her birthday so thankfully Raegan was ok with her party consisting of her siblings and her mommy and daddy. We won't get by with that for much longer! After the kids got out of school we headed to Chuckee Cheese 4:30 in the afternoon is a perfect time to visit that place let me tell you! I think there was maybe one other family there when we first got there.

daddy and his birthday girl

our big 4 year old!

the lady asked us if we wanted chuckee to come out and sing to the birthday girl...but of course!

the kids (and daddy) had a great time playing games

raegan is loving playing with barbies right now!

notice the lady in the previous picture...she was talking to raegan a little bit after she opened her present and suddenly we saw Raegan with a $20 in her hand...we tried saying "no no you don't need to do that" but she wasn't about to listen to us...a random act of kindness was so neat to witness (especially when my little girl was the recipient) :) She said Raegan reminded her of her little granddaughter.

Avery said she would like that lady to come to her birthday party, ha!

Happy birthday Raegan! We love you very much!

Raegan's first 4 years

I made this video awhile back but updated it for her birthday this year. My goal is to have one of these for each of the kids but Raegan was first since she is my only all digital baby. Working towards having one done for Ethan for his birthday...we will see! Click on the title of this post to see the video. I did it this way so that my music player didn't have to be paused before you watched the video...hopefully this works.

Some new color

Facts:
1. I don't like to paint
2. I am so glad my husband is good at it and can do it fast!
3. Picking out paint is one of my least favorite things to do in life!
4. Sample size paints is one of the smartest things anyone has come up with!
5. Our "get it on the market to do list" is getting much smaller than it was but still feels long!
6. By the time we get all this done, i might not want to move.
7. I will quickly be reminded how we need to when i take a phone call and have to hide in the
in the closet to be able to hear when the whole family is at home!

Here is our new colors in the living room area...

Before...

during.... (somebody was having a little fun)

after... (i left for work when it looked like the first picture and came home to this, thanks babe!!)

Fun flyin

Wait...i didn't think i had pictures of myself zip-lining but come to find out my sister had gotten a few. Loved the zip line even though my legs were shaking every time i got up there and it took every bit of nerve i had to jump...and i held on for dear life even though i didn't need to (the harness catches you but for a brief moment it feel like it's not going to)...natural reaction, or at least MY natural reaction :)

Wordless Wednesday

First day of school 2011

Avery started her year with a half day yesterday. She is starting out with a substitute because her teacher has had some recent medical issues. She is already loving fifth grade!

Trey started back to middle school and is in the seventh grade! He did find his locker when we picked up his schedule but was not interested in going the other day to find all his classrooms. He said "i'll find em" much different than last year when we walked room to room making sure he knew where he would go.

Ethan started half day kindergarten this year. He has been practicing his alphabet song constantly the last couple of days and was certain he was going to have to get up in front of the class and sing it by himself. I assured him that wouldn't be the case! I got a little emotional praying with him last night, can't believe my years of having him home all the time are over! He is going to love kindergarten, i know it!

all ready to go! it wasn't the smoothest start to the school year. i had a rough time getting kids moving. trey woke up all congested and so had to get him to take a pill (he does not take pills!!) 15 minutes later with avery's help he got it down. :)

Raegan woke up at 6 am and was whining and pulling at me while i was trying to get the others moving. I showered, i never usually shower before running the kids!

But, we made it and 2 out of the 3 actually brushed their teeth!

kindergarten 2011

Captain America won out for the superhero to be worn!

Trey- 7th grade!

Avery- 5th grade!

Avery and her bff before school this morning

Avery on her first day...yesterday. there was no one in the classroom so i snapped one quick!

Ethan's room!

Ethan and his bud Will. He told me this morning "mommy, i will just follow Will" i am so glad that he has a good bud that he is starting this year with!!

his teacher said he could get his colors out and sit down and color, so he got a pencil out went and sharpened it and started coloring with his pencil ;)

i think his way of handling his nervousness was just to color color color!

i think raegan wanted to stay

but obviously she is not ready for school. The early morning was a bit much for her, we came home and she said "i'm going to go to sleep now"...and she curled up on the couch and did just that!

Trey, Avery and Ethan...hope you have a fantastic school year!

Camp Gramma goes to Colorado - part 3

this is the 23 cousins with Grandpa and Grandma...we were only missing one (the oldest) who stayed back to work

We went to Rocky Mt National Park and and to the Continental Divide. It was gorgeous and chilly!

me and my Aves

Y.M.C.A

We signed up to do a "family adventure" basically games where you had to work together as a team...here we had to all get to the other side of the rope and if one person touched it we all had to start over...it took us a few times but we did pretty good

everybody in the hula hoop...i did get my leg in there and we made it!

"i never have ever" this game brought lots of laughter!

kickball!

the kickball cheering section...

getting harnessed up to go zip lining!

this is what happened when Johnny did the "superman" this might have something to do with why i couldn't get myself to dive off the platform!

Trey jumping off

Grandpa...

Grandma was the first to jump! Way to go Gramma!

I did go but didn't get any pictures....i stood there the last time with my hands ready to dive and couldnt do it! It's a long ways up there once you get up there! Avery wanted to do it really bad but it was 12 and up only. We all got to go twice and a few of us went a third time, it was a blast! I decided i will never, ever bungee jump!

That pretty much wraps it up. We crammed a lot into 5 days and lot's of great memories were made!