back to school 2013

another school year is upon us. my olivia is in 4th grade now. my rachel started kindergarten.

 

time flies...

day before school started. Olivia said "I'm smiling because today, I have freedom"

 

I said "Rachey, tomorrow you start kindergarten!" & this is the face she made.

 

 

first day of school

 

walking into school.

 

day #2 = first bus ride. the bus comes at 6:50 am. that's before 7:00. It's exhausting. But as the time is progressing, it's coming closer to 7:00 each day. If I could get like 7:05, I would be happy.

 

Rachel was so excited to ride the bus.

 

Olivia, not so much. She said "you took my picture yesterday".

 

and Friday on the 1st week of school. They are smiling because the week is just about over.

 

The 2nd week of school was SWELTERING!!! Olivia's school doesn't have air conditioning. And temps were in the 90's close to 100 a couple days. They got out at 1:15 all week. This week starts regular hours - til 3:15. And I believe this is wearing my Rachey girl out. She slept on the way home last night when I picked her up.

 

Only 161 more days of school.

how???

school starts on august 19th. olivia will go into 4th grade. rachel will start kindergarten. and i'm a mess. i will repeat, i'm a mess. crying here & now. last night to jarrett. and this morning to jarrett. it's all gone so fast.

liv 2 years old

 

rachey 2 years old

 

today i scheduled all of the necessary appointments for rachel to be ready to begin her career as a student, and it is becoming quite real. this is really happening. my baby is starting kindergarten. after all, she isn't a baby really. she will be 6 years old in october. but she is my baby.

rachey 9 months old

i've been slowly preparing rachel for kindergarten. she says the teacher will know she's a new kid in school because she's never been there before. and she loved when i told her all of the kids in kindergarten are going to be new kids. kindergarten is everyone's very first year of school.

olivia 3 years old



rachel 3 years old

we've talked about the bus. rachel is excited. olivia isn't. plain & simple, this mama can't drop both kids off at school and get to work on time. the bus is the solution. maybe it won't be forever. but it will be for now.

liv 2 years old

rachel 3 years old



liv 4 & rachel 18 months

i also printed the school supply lists. and completed olivia's registration for 4th grade online.

4th grade. i distinctly remember things that happened during 4th grade. olivia is not excited at the thought of the school year starting in less than a month. then again, i'm not exactly thrilled either. it will definitely lessen the ol daycare bill each week though.

liv 4 years old

rachel 18 months

i can handle 4th grade. after all, i've already lived through baby to kindergarten with her. and we both survived - albeit a few tears were shed by both of us.

olivia 9 months old

olivia 1st day of kindergarten

i've had the joy of watching these 2 beautiful girls grow. i've been there every day. so can someone please tell me how it happened so fast. and someone tell me how it can hurt so much but bring me so much joy at the same time.

i better prepare myself for this happening in 7 short years...

Dancing Girls

last dance post of the season, i promise.

 

the recital went off without a hitch! it was fabulous. i was worried about rachel, it was a long time to be back stage & not have her mama with her, but she did great. we got to the civic center at 1:00, i dropped the girls off back-stage then. the recital started at 2:00.

 

both of olivia's dances were before intermission. rachel's was after, so rachel had to sit and wait over an hour after the recital started. so she was back there just hanging out from 1 - 3:15.

 

olivia did AH-MAZING! i'm continuously impressed with olivia. she did well during the dress rehearsal - these pics are from the rehearsal.but she did even better during the recital.

 

maybe my new favorite picture of her ever

 

rachel did soooo good! out of the 5 girls, i can safely say she did the best. she was the only one truly doing the routine. her favorite part was the end when they got to blow kisses to the crowd.

 

my sweet dancing girls, i am so proud of you both! congratulations!

 

my girls dancing & random updates

this is a reminder for me...

these girls that fight with each other, tattle on each other, and bicker with each other,

 

sometimes, something like this happens...

 

i have a sister. i know what it is like to compare yourself to your sister. you know, the whole "she gets to do this..." type of thing. well, i'm sure those days won't stop anytime soon.

 

but i need to remember, there are days like this too. absolute joy when i see my two girls playing nicely together.

 

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Olivia - today is her first day of State Farm Day Camp. She will go each Thursday in June. She went last year, and I have to admit she wasn't exactly thrilled that I signed her up again. But today taking her to the park, she got excited. Hopefully, she has a great day.

 

Rachel - she moved to the "school-age" room at daycare Monday. And boy, is she excited about it. She kept saying "I'm a school-ager now, I'm a school-ager now."

 

With Rachel's move to the "school-age" room at the center, that means both girls are in the same room. Rachel digs this. Olivia not so much. I think Liv is worried that Rachey may cramp her style. Oh well, she will get over it.

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I have tomorrow off work. I'm soooooooo excited to have a day off. I just had Monday off for Memorial Day, but so did everyone else. So this is better.

 

Plans for tomorrow - none really. I want to work on the house a little - clutter, kitchen, etc...

 

I also want to paint the shelf in my bathroom so it matches my new shower curtain.

Who would have thought that $8 for a new shower curtain would make such a big difference?! It's seriously so much brighter, and the whole room looks bigger. Plus it's chevron, duh! And it's from the dollar store.

 

I finally got around to planting some flowers. If you know me, and I'm guessing you do...this is my first ever landscaping type of thing. I planted some tulip bulbs a few years ago, but I seriously lake a green-thumb.

 

 

Tomorrow is dress rehearsal & pictures for the dance recital. Exciting times, my friends!

 

Jarrett is hoping to FINALLY get his corn planted. He traded in his seed corn for a shorter season corn. What with it being June & all. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for NO MORE RAIN for the next few days. This needs to happen, people. Really. Otherwise it is going to be pointless for him to plant. We will just have to make a claim on our crop insurance. Please no more rain for the next few days...

 

Rachel Graduates From Pre-School

Thursday night was my little Rachel Claire's pre-school graduation. My goodness, time flies. This little baby girl is 5 years old & ready for kindergarten in the fall.

 

Rachel,

I am so proud of you. You really have come a long way. When you started at "friends" you were just a baby. Then you grew into a shy little meek toddler. You were the most quiet of everyone in your room. So sweet so timid.

 

When you were moved to the "pre-school aged room", I had a hard time with that. I still saw you as a toddler. But these 2 years in your pre-school have done you so much good.

 

You are no longer the shy little girl. You are outgoing. You are hilarious. You are loud. You are a very popular girl, as far as I can tell.

 

Congratulations, my sweet Rachey! We are so proud of you!

 

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The program itself was adorable! They did songs. They came walking in to "The Ants Come Marching In". They wore little graduation caps. I won't force you all to look at the 50 pictures I took, just some of my favorites.

 

I may have died a little with these hats!

No surprise here, her boyfriend Owen (in the brown button-down) quickly found his spot right next to Rachel.

Going on a bear hunt - fluffy little tails here people.

and the Graduating Class of 2013!

Such a proud girl!

why were none of us looking at my camera?! Gotta get ahold of those grandmas' cameras.

My Baby & Me

The Sunroof - Makes us Just Like Famous People

Spring. Sunshine. Cruising around town with the sunroof open.

 

I think 2 weeks ago, we took dinner to my brother on his break at 7:00 pm (working 2nd shift doesn't seem like much fun). While in the parking lot waiting Olivia says she has always wanted to stand up & put her head out of the sunroof. I say go for it.

 

It was the best thing that has ever happened to her. She loved it. She says "I feel like a famous person in a limo, mom. They do this in movies." Yes, they do babe. Yes, they do.

 

 

Rachel on the other hand, not so much a fan of the sunroof being open. Photographic proof. Taken over my shoulder while at the stoplight. And I am so glad I did. I laugh every.single.time. I look at it.

 

I wish you all could hear the creep-tastic weird giggle she was doing. Clearly, she looks horrified. But has this crazy smile. It's just plain awesome.

 

 

Oh I love Spring.