First Day of School

The kids finally started school today. All other kids in our area started about two weeks ago. We were all VERY ready for school to begin. Double A even told us over the weekend that she likes school more than summer vacation.

They were both excited last night and this morning. We got Double A to her room, found her cubby in the hall, met her teacher and then Double A told us "You can go now." So we did. She was beyond ready for school to begin today.

We had gone last week to meet Bumblebee's teacher and see his new classroom. Kindergarten is a big deal and quite the transition. When we got there today he seemed a bit overwhelmed with all the activity. He sort of clung to me a bit but after a while we said we had to go and he sat with a friend who was very chatty. By the time we were walking out Bumblebee had warmed up and was smiling.

The after school reports were the usual struggle to pull information out of them. Both kids are getting hot lunch so they reported on that and the recess report is always popular. They were both tired and went to sleep easily tonight. They are both glad to be in school again...and I am glad they are, too!

All We Need Is Love

So it is our last week of summer before school starts - FINALLY!! We are all ready to have a break from each other, I do believe.

Anyway, we were on our way to the school yesterday to visit the classroom and meet Bumblebee's new teacher. On the way he asks me "Mommy, what is the most important thing in the world?" How the hell do I answer that? So I stammer a bit and go with "I guess it depends on who you are but some people would say water so we could live...or AIR! We can't live without being able to breathe."

He just sat there a bit and then I knew as I said it I was getting too philosophical but said it anyway (Hey, I was navigating a traffic jam and trying not to get run over while answering questions of the universe from my mini Dali Lama) "Some people would say LOVE is the most important thing." He laughed and said "Love isn't the most important thing!"

That's when I launched into all the ways love makes the world special and how life would be without love, what would it be like if we didn't have love for our parents or for him, etc and on and so forth.

That's when Double A finally pipes up with "Love is the gooey stuff that makes the family stick together."

That about summed it up.

Double A's 8th Birthday

Double A celebrated her 8th birthday this month. Doesn't seem possible. No way 8 years have passed since she came to us all rosy cheeked, dimples bursting out from almost before her first breath. She was a beautiful baby, an adorable toddler and she is becoming a beautiful little lady...quicker than we would prefer. She starts second grade next week. She reads like nobody's business and loves to do "arts and crafts" as she puts it. This summer she has started to enjoy video games and beats her mother consistently at Wii Mario carts - even grabbing the controller from me and doing it herself when I seem hopelessly unable to complete a track!



We had a family celebration on her actual birthday. She chose to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. They let her wear the sombrero while we sang and then brought her fired ice cream! We opened gifts when we got home. This year she asked for and received tons of books. She is reading things like Junie B. Jones and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Magic Tree House.

This is Bumblebee and Double A pretending they like each other for split second! Actually, I think Bumblebee had spied the new Wii game Double A got and wanted to have a piece of that game playing action so he was being nice :)

A few weeks later (when her daddy could be off work) we had her birthday party with a few friends over. She chose the Hawaiian Luau theme and we decorated the backyard, made invitations and bought palm tree cup party favors. They wore swimsuits and played in the sprinkler in the backyard. We also had a fish pinata. We opened gifts and ate cake. Double A had a great time and thought all of her presents were wonderful!

Her daddy had also gone out that morning and bought her a new bike and a tag along attachment for his (or my) bike so she can practice with no training wheels. Now we have taken several family bike rides around our neighborhood and at nearby parks. Bumblebee just pedals his heart out to keep up!

Bahamas 2010

I still don't have my other camera downloaded nor do I have photos from my sister in law but thought I would post a few of what I do have so far. We skipped the last day of school and flew to Nassau, Bahamas. From there we cruised for 11 days through the Bahamas on my parent's boat with them and my brother and his wife and two daughters. All ten of us on one boat for 11 days...I think it went pretty well!!! No one got thrown overboard! It was so beautiful and we had so much fun basically just swimming and beaching. Some islands had no buildings, some had a couple and one had a few more residents and an air strip.

First day - reunited with the cousins!

on the back deck one night

My sister in law and I still on the back deck!

On Fowl Cay where we took a water taxi for our only "fancy" dinner the whole trip. Lovely place.

If you look at the rope here...well, let's just say this did not end well for me.

Me and Husband#1 and Double A at Highbourne Cay...a private island with a marina and a store.

Me and my momma

Husband #1, me and Bumblebee taking a dinghy ride. The water was so clear everywhere you could see very deep...amazing sea life!

Husband #1 getting paddled around by Bumblebee in the kayak

T-Ball

Bumblebee played t-ball for the first time this year. Granted he is 5 and it was his first season, but Husband #1 and I are pretty sure this is not his game. We'll see what he wants to do next season. Keep in mind...I picked the photos where he was paying attention. I could do a whole other post with photos where he is facing the wrong way, waving his arms around, etc. He hated his hat because it "itched his head." He did like getting the team snack after the game was over!

Lucky Number 13

After the July 4th weekend festivities wrapped up Husband #1 and I jumped in the truck, left the kids behind and raced toward New Orleans before anyone caught on. Actually, it was pre-arranged but still fun! Monday July 5th was our 13th anniversary so we spent two nights in New Orleans being tourists. We ate all the seafood we could while it is still available non-oiled. We bought ourselves some art as our anniversary present.

We saw this street performer and at first glance he really looked like a construction worker until you noticed his ladder wasn't leaning on anything!

Where St. Louis meets Bourbon Street...literally and figuratively!!

Self portrait in front of St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square

Breakfast at Cafe du Monde!! Yummy beignets :)

Now we are home for almost two weeks without any children! I will drive down next week and pick them up and bring back my niece with us for a week long visit. We have various parties planned for this weekend and then I plan to strip the kitchen wallpaper next week. We have gone on trips without the kids but we have never spent time at home without them here. Well, there was a short period while we were packing to move here but that doesn't count since that whole two month period has been blocked out due to trauma :)

July 4th weekend

We traveled south for the July 4th weekend. Husband #1 had a family reunion in South Mississippi we attended on Saturday. It was held at his parents' cabin in the woods where they are building their forever home. We all agreed the reunion went very well and we got lucky on weather...no rain and not as hot and humid as it could have been. The next day we visited Husband #1's grandfather's grave for the first time. The kids had been asking about it and we wanted to see the stone and the military plaque. The kids put American flags on the grave on July 4th morning. Then we went to a mini, impromptu reunion for the other side of Husband #1's family.
Bumblebee with is crazy glasses from the pinata at the reunion...oh, and the prize possession, the pinata leg.

Double A putting a flag on her Greatdaddy's grave.

Us with Husband #1's parents and brother and sister at the reunion

Double A enjoying her lunch at the reunion

Bumblebee all decked out for the reunion. He does not have on his red, Cardinals "supervisor" in this photo but when he wears it he looks like he is ready for the pro golf tour!