New schools all around

EV started Kindergarten the second week of August and Emmett starts preschool at a new school closer to our home in Sept. And for some reason, it is much more emotional for me than it is for them.


EV loves learning.  She is not your typical 5 year old.  She is such an overachiever and I am often asking her to stop with the practicing or having to tell her no she cannot do anymore math problems.  So, inevitably, she was super excited to start school.  She stopped going to camp three weeks before the start of school because I didn't want her to be over-stimulated which meant, she was bored. 

I on the other-hand was nervous.  Would she be able to get off the bus and find her class okay?  She can be so shy and standoffish with new people, would she be able to communicate any difficulties or concerns she has to her teacher?  Would she be able to get her lunch okay?  Question after question.  But when she came off that school bus beaming with the biggest smile on her face, I knew she rocked her first day.  She confidently walked herself to her classroom, she was bathroom monitor and earned 3 "fishsticks" (if you earn 5 you can pick a prize out of the treasure chest), she got her lunch on her own, and she made new friends.  The next day she even approached a kid in her class from her bus because he looked lost and asked him if he wanted her to walk with him. 


I am so proud of my Evangeline but I am still sad.  I'm sad because she's growing up too fast.  I'm sad because she doesn't need me to do the little things for her.  I'm sad because when she gets on the bus, she doesn't turn around to say bye.  I'm also excited to see all the new things she will learn and experience.  I'm excited to see her after school everyday and hear how the day went.  I guess this is what you call bittersweet.

Now Emmett is starting a new school too and it makes me even more nervous.  Ha!  We loved his old school but with EV in elementary school, we needed to have him closer to home.  His old school was a well-oiled machine and they provided everything.  This school is smaller (much smaller) and there's a lot more we have to do on our end (like pack his lunch).  We have lots of good friends that have their kids here, so in general we feel good about it.  But it still makes me nervous.


Emmett is really growing into his own.  He is such a sweet and gentle baby but he also makes known what he likes and doesn't like.  He loves to shake his head "no," he loves to dance, he loves to copy hand motions that we do.  His current obsession is reading, so from the moment he opens his eyes to the moment he goes down to bed, he says "booooo" for book. His favorite is a color flip book.  He loves to eat but only the things he likes.  He can eat fruit all day, every day.  He likes bread and pasta.  He likes tofu.  He hates meat.  Those are his only constants.  Other things are good one day but not so good the next.  It makes mealtime a real struggle.  He cruises from one furniture to the other and he likes to use his walker but has no real interest in walking.  He likes to throw balls and climb just about anything.  He always has the biggest smile on his face.  He also is good at whining and throwing a fit.  He wants to do EVERYTHING noona does, he follows her around everywhere and wants to do it all.  He's her biggest fan.  It's been fun seeing his personality blossom and also seeing E&E handle sibling conflict.  Emmett has no problems pushing, pulling, and screaming at his noona.  EV gets upset when Emmett doesn't do what she says but she loves taking care of him and being able to make decisions regarding him (albeit very limited).

Already the end of summer...

I cannot believe we wrapped up summer and have already started school.  So much has happened and it just flew right by.  EV had camp, piano, and ice skating lessons.  Emmett had his first birthday and learned to stand on his own.  They both had playdates, birthday parties, trips to the children's museum, the zoo, the park, and the pool.  We also had lightening strike our house and a trip to urgent care to pop an elbow back in.  All memorable and moments that allowed us to grow as a family.


To close out the summer, we went on a road trip down to Cape San Blas.  This is my favorite beach.  It's quiet, clean, and just absolutely breathtaking.  We only had one purpose and motive--to relax!  No activities planned other than go to the beach, sleep, eat and repeat.  I was worried because the forecast was predicting rain for our whole trip.  And although it did rain, it was still time well spent.  None of us were ready to come home and we all wished we could stay a little longer.  It just meant that our time was good. 

The 6 hour car ride was hardest for Emmett going there.  I wanted to work in the morning so we left around lunchtime which meant we needed to just go.  Note to self, there isn't any place to stop after you pass Columbus (which is when I needed to use to restroom bad).  We had about an hour left and Emmett lost it.  When we finally arrived at Port St. Joe, he was hysterical and couldn't stop crying.  I never saw him that upset.  Thankfully, we ate at a restaurant with good food and helped soothe him.  Afterwards we went to the grocery store before getting back into the car to get to our condo.  We got in right as the sun was setting and was able to enjoy that as a family.

The next few days were just beach, food, and sleep.  When it rained, we slept; when it was clear, we went to the beach.  The ride back was much easier.  We drove 3 hours, stopped and had lunch, then drove another 3 hours. Once we came back, it was back to reality and we hit the ground running.

Emmett's first birthday

I cannot believe that it's already been a year since Emmett's been born.  It's so cliché but time flies especially with baby number 2.  As I look back on this past year, I feel so blessed and my heart is so full.  I am grateful for my family, friends, co-workers, church, and those that continue to surround us in prayer, love and support.  It is true when then say it takes a village to raise children.  Without you we would be drowning but because of you we are able to enjoy these moments.  So, a big thank you and we love you!!

My sister once told me that whatever I do for my firstborn I must do for my secondborn.  And I agree with her.  When we had EV I never even thought I would be able to have a second.  It was such a struggle to get pregnant with her, she was our miracle baby and I couldn't imagine a miracle happening twice.  So, we went all out for her.  I am glad that we did because with every celebration it's an opportunity to give thanks to God and for our family and friends.  Well, we have been blessed to experience two miracles in our lifetime, their names are Evangeline and Emmett.  So, as I promised my sister, we had a first birthday celebration as equal to EV's to celebrate Emmett.  No more, no less.  Happy first birthday, my son.  You are loved and cherished.  I hope and pray that you grow to become a man of God, integrity, humility, love, and gentleness.  Your smile melts my heart everyday and it makes me proud to be called your momma!! 

Memorial Day Weekend Shenanigans

This weekend was jammed packed with activities.  We went strawberry picking and fed some goats on the farm:

Then made brownies topped with ice cream and strawberries:

We went to the East Roswell Park splashpad to cool off:

The next day, we went camping in a tent for the first time:

This lake was so much fun, we could have spent days here just playing in the water, hanging out by the firepit, and spending time as a family.  We will definitely do this again soon!!

We visited the Tocoa Falls waterfall and discovered a geocache before heading towards our timeshare where we spent the afternoon hanging out at the pool, discovering new paths, and more geocaching.

For dinner we went to the cupboard cafe for some southern cooking before closing out the night with a movie. 

I love these moments with my family and it was a nice opportunity to get away before starting all our summer activities.  I love seeing their faces light up when discovering new things and when they are enjoying themselves.  It's a good trip when your five year old says she wants to go camping again!!  Next up is Camp All American!!

Kindergarten 2015..here we come ready or not!

Yes, life continues to pass us by whether we are ready for it or not.  A few weeks ago we had Kindergarten registration for EV.  Although Jimmy and I have mixed feelings, it was really neat to see all of EV's friends from different parts of her short life all come together to embark on this new beginning together.  We saw friends from her old new, current school, ballet class, church, and the neighborhood.  And although it makes me sad to see her grow up, it also makes me glad to see that she will be surrounded by friends who love her.  I was also so proud to see her embrace her new surrounding with confidence and excitement. We took a ride on a school bus and seeing her sit in that big seat next to one of her friends made me feel so emotional.  She looks too small to be riding a school bus by herself, but she stands tall and ready.  I will never be completely ready to let EV go into the world.  My only hope and prayer is that we've done everything we can to prepare and equip her to face all the challenges she will face.  And most importantly, she will know that we are here to help her, support her, and love her every step of the way.

EV you are shy but confident.  You take your time and like to observe before you engage anyone or anything.  You are determined and competitive.  I know that you will conquer any challenge you face because you are not one to give up or do something half-heartedly.  We love you so much and we are so proud of you.  You amaze me everyday by how beautiful you are in the inside.  You are so compassionate, forgiving, and loving. You are my favorite girl and you will always be.  Love you sooo much!!

Break a leg --or so the saying goes

EV has been taking ballet this past year and we absolutely love this ballet school.  First, it's not broken into mini sessions where you potentially could have a different instructor or different classmate every several weeks.  It's also at our church so the focus isn't necessarily about dancing for the sake of dancing but dancing for the purpose of glorifying God.  And they have a large recital at the end.  This recital is exciting because they get to dress up, perform on a large stage, and receive tons of accolades for their hard work throughout the year.  EV has been looking forward to this all year but man is it hard work (not just for the kids but the parents too).  EV is now at an age where she has practices, performances, and games.  For a kid that is actually very shy, she loves being on stage and in front of a lot of people.  She said her favorite part of the recital was dancing.  She had the biggest smile on her face and she had a great time. 

At the end of it all, I was sad that it was over.  I appreciate her teachers, the friends she made this year, and all the fun she had learning how to dance.  We can't wait to do it all again next year!