First Day of First Grade

Riley started school this week, and I think the adjustment has been the hardest on me, if I can say so. I forgot how much she actually played and entertained her brother, and now I'm stuck being his main source of entertainment. It's tiring! But the little guy starts school next week, so all is not lost. And yes, I am aware that I will miss this someday (that would be an awesome name for a blog...).

Phil was able to switch his work-at-home day to Wednesday (he's normally home on Thursdays), so he made a delicious breakfast of chocolate chip waffles. Then we snapped some family tradition-laced pictures on our front stoop. I'm glad we all got a chance to be in the pictures for once!

We met up with some friends at the bus stop, and the kids were off to school. We had met Riley's teacher a few days prior when they had an open house. The kids were able to bring in all their school supplies (seriously, why didn't they do that when we were younger?!), and meet the teacher. She actually has her own desk this year, and three boys from her kindy class were in her class along with her old soccer coach's son.

I opted against driving to the school and taking pictures in the classroom. I didn't do it last year (which is the minority, from what I've heard), but I figure she doesn't need me to get in the way of finding her own way around. I'm hoping there'll be enough time to volunteer my scissor-cutting expertise or whatever else her teacher may need me for. And I vow to have a few lunches with her at school--something I didn't get a chance to do last year. Riley is already looking forward to Uncle D's visit to the school.

My parents started this tradition of the poster board with me.

The kids.

Riley and Mom.

Riley and Dad.

At the bus stop.

Hanging out with one of her best friends.

And just to show how much she's changed: last year's picture.
Where did my little girl go?

Words from a Little Boy

I took J to the doctor yesterday because he's had this nasty cough for 10 days now. Phil convinced me to call the doc, which he did, so I took the little guy after Riley's first day of first grade began (sniff, sniff). While in the waiting room, Jeremy commented that there weren't a lot of toys like on the other side (the doctor's office has a sick side and a well side). I explained to him that there weren't a lot of toys on the sick side because they didn't want any germs to get on the toys. To which he replied:

"But when will we go on the five side? And where's the seven side?"

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And for our hockey reference of the day, the shirt he had on that day said Surf Dude and the #36 on it. I asked him if he knew what the shirt said. He said no. I told him that it said Surf Dude. To which he replied:

"No, Mom, it's Surf Dude Dave Bolland."

Who, I'm sure you can guess, is number 36 for the Blackhawks. Nice.

Last Days of Summer

Today marks the last official day of summer before school starts. As difficult as some days this summer have been, I'm mourning the loss of another carefree summer. Those who know me know how much I utterly enjoy the warm days summer has to offer (minus those pesky mosquitoes). The times when I can sleep in (that is, until Riley wakes me up to start the day at 8. I know, I know, I should be grateful she lets me sleep in at all!), the times when we can be lazy and start the day around 9:30. The days when we can grill and enjoy s'mores on the deck. The days when Kool-Aid Popsicles are the one thing the kids enjoy more than anything. The days when I filled up the kiddie pool with water and the kids spent hours in there. The days when we lost track of time at the parks or playing with our neighbors.

I look back on these times and already miss them. Sure our summer was busier than it's ever been. We spent time this year:

*at the zoo 3 times
*up in Wisconsin visiting my cousin and her kids
*at a family reunion
*attending T-ball games, soccer practice, swimming lessons and ice skating practice
*checking out numerous parks
*partaking in the library's summer reading program
*visiting with my brother and sis-in-law
*attending neighbor nights and BBQs
*meeting up with friends for morning playdates at the park
*swimming at the neighbor's house or the water park

And that's just what I can remember. I'm already mourning the last year I'll have with just my boy at home. True, he goes to preschool 3x a week, but I'll still have him at home for a bulk of the day.

What helps is that Riley is beyond excited to start school tomorrow. She said tonight that she needs to get plenty of rest because she has school and then soccer practice tomorrow night. To which Jeremy told her that he's really going to miss her, and then he gave her a hug. *sigh* It's times like those (and not when they're fighting or screaming or being mean to each other) that breaks my heart. This summer was difficult for the two of them in the beginning to get along--J is used to having my undivided attention, and then Riley comes along and now *gasp* he has to share me! And I think that it was a wake-up call for Riley because now Jeremy doesn't necessarily want to do everything she wants him to, and he's not afraid to tell her.

I will miss these carefree days. But I cannot wait to see what fun and exciting things are in store for the kids this school year. Just remind me of that in a few weeks when we're into the swing of things.

Summer at Mom and Dad's with the bro and sis-in-law.
Longer post about their visit to come one of these days,
you know, after I stop getting all sappy and emotional about school. :)

T-Ball

Jeremy participated in his first (I'm sure of many) sports-related teams this summer: T-ball. His team, the Orange Crush, had a nice core group of kids, and J seemed to have a good time. And Riley was able to see what it's like to watch her brother play sports, as he's sat for many of her activities.

We did have to work on J's shot--he kept wanting to hold the bat like a hockey stick, go figure! His last game was the beginning of August, so we'll have to wait another year if he wants to play again.

J always tried to be the first one to hit.

Posing for mom.

Waiting his turn.

Riley and Dad taking a break to play some soccer.

Hamming it up with his trophy.

Family Reunion

Every year, my extended family tries to get together for a family reunion. We live all over the continent, not to mention my brother and sis-in-law live on the other side of the world, so it's usually quite a feat to get us all together. Unfortunately we celebrated the gathering before C+D arrived back in the states, so we settled with a few people from Canada and a bunch from Illinois.

Riley loves washing dishes.
I know, it's weird, but I'll embrace it.

The kids usually have a great time playing with my cousin's kids from Wisconsin, but they couldn't make it this year. Jeremy was able to round up some relatives to play some (wait for it....) hockey. Surprise, surprise. But one of my relatives from Canada, who has some moves himself, said that Jeremy is pretty good. That's nice to hear.

Jeremy playing with my Canadian uncle.

Jeremy tries to steal the puck/ball.

He shoots and tries to score!

Another uncle got in on the game.

The kids with my Canadian relatives.
Phil and I share an anniversary date with them.

I feel very grateful to have a grandparent still living. Grandpa is 93 and still enjoying his family. I really enjoy attending the gatherings and catching up with family. I love having such a large extended family, as they mean the world to me. I'm glad that I can share the love with the kids as well.

Most of the family. I think we were missing 10-12 family members.

VBS

Another highlight of the summer was that Riley was able to attend our church's vacation Bible school. She had recruited her best friend from school to go with her, and both girls had such a wonderful time. J was still too young to go--he needed to be in kindergarten, so he stayed home with me. The theme this year dealt with Egypt, so the kids were dressed in Egyptian garb.



The kids put on a performance for the parents on the last day, full of songs and skits. J knew some of the songs (Jesus the Soccer Star) because they sing them at Sunday school, so that was cute to see both of them sing along.

Zoo Trip #3

Both kids had in their head that they wanted to take both grandmas to the zoo this summer. And they got their wish the beginning of July (I know, I'm drastically behind here!). It was funny because the kids knew that grandma was coming to our house to spend the night, but they had no idea why. So when she arrived, the kids were of course beyond excited to see her, and grandma asked the kids what they wanted to do that day.

"Play outside!!!"

To which grandma replied, "How about we go to the zoo?"

Both kids took one look at each other, and said, "Nah."

So after some convincing, we loaded up the car and our lunch and headed off for a fun day at the zoo. And it was, despite the fact that it was 93 degrees out! Needless to say the zoo was the emptiest I've ever seen it in the summer--people were smart and stayed home!

Grandma had never been to our zoo before, so it was a real treat for her. She had no idea the zoo was so large, but everyone trudged on despite the heat. We checked out the new bear exhibit and the polar bear was in the water this time, which in itself was very cool. We then made our way to the picnic tables and had some lunch.

I think the bear had the right idea!

The bear swam all around the water.

Since the kids and I had already been to the zoo twice before, we opted to do something "new" this time and took the hour-long tram ride around the zoo. That way grandma could see the entire zoo and we could rest our feet. And you can tell how hot it was by the sweat on the kids' heads!

Grandma and Riley ready to go.

We can't forget Jeremy!

Near the lone elephant, there's a water mister.

Hot and sweaty kids!

Petting the goats at the children's zoo.

Before we left, we did the carousel, which is a tradition for the kids. It had been years since grandma had been on one, so we convinced her to sit on an animal and enjoy! I think she had a blast.

Riley and grandma.

Grandma and the kids.

And of course the kids fought as to which one got to sit up front. *sigh*
You'll notice in the previous shot that Jeremy is up front with grandma.

We also did the traditional picture on the lion before we leave. Unfortunately, the kids were on the verge of meltdown, so we didn't get the best shots of them. They did pass out in the car on the way home like they usually do, and were ready to spend more time with grandma once we got home. Thanks for coming with us, grandma!

Number 9

So today is the anniversary of the wedding. Hard to believe it's been nine years since I married the husband. I joke with him quite a bit that he needs to let me know when we're done with this whole marriage thing, but at least he humors me. We've had some bumps in the road, probably no more than any other couple, and I'm grateful for the little life we've created. If you would've asked me on our wedding day if I'd ever be a stay-at-home mom, I would have laughed. If you would have told me that we'd be blessed with two healthy children, one of each, I probably would've smiled and thought that was nice. If you would've told me I lived far away from the city yet my husband works downtown, I would've been sad that we couldn't live in my hometown.

Yes, life isn't always what we planned it to be. But that's what shapes us into the people we are. I'm grateful for the chance to stay home with the kids and still freelance. I'm thankful that our kids are healthy and that we have one of each gender. I'm glad that we have such a beautiful, large home where we do and have such wonderful neighbors. And I'm blessed to have married the man that I did, who has helped me create our happy little home.

And here's a little trip down memory lane. The kids enjoyed looking through our wedding album tonight, and I think they understood what an anniversary is. Riley even made us each a card, saying that she loves us. And she made bookmarks for each of us to use. What a sweetheart. We were blessed by numerous cards/gifts/phone calls/emails today that made us so very thankful. Thank you to each and every one of you who are a part of our lives. We love you all!

Saying our vows. Phil only screwed up once. :)

Taken outside the church sanctuary.

One of my favorite pics. The three of us got married within
4 months of each other, and now between the three of us, we have 9 kids!

Traditional wedding pic.

I am so proud of this picture: it's my mom's side of the family,
and sadly the last time we were all together.
Family came from all over the country and Canada to attend the wedding.

Overheard

Riley and Jeremy were playing outside in the front of the house, and of course Riley was trying to get Jeremy to do something. I think they were both trying to purposefully get a ball stuck in the tree and then Jeremy would use his plastic baseball bat to knock it down. I know she didn't realize I was listening, but she said:

"Jeremy, if you aren't nice to the tree, then you're not nice to God and then Santa won't bring you any presents."

Yup, that's just how it works.