August 2015

August was a big month.  It always is, and this year it didn't disappoint.

This month was a BIG one for Bruce.  August was spent getting ready to embark on the grand adventure that is real school!  Once we found out that Bruce was placed in a morning class, we committed to sending him to start PreK this year, and jumped on that boat full force.  We found a lot of fun books at the library that talked about preschool, went to the curriculum night, and then finally to Meet the Teacher night.  Through it all, Bruce was incredibly enthusiastic - and things have been going well so far!  We've made it through two weeks, and Bruce is still eager to go to school every morning, and is all smiles when I pick him up a couple of hours later.  I still am sorting out how I feel about our decision - is Bruce ready for school?  Is public preschool right for Bruce?  We're taking it one step at a time, but feel pretty successful right now.

I got this lovely car decal at curriculum night - things are getting real...

Once Bruce found this on the playground... school became the best place on earth - REAL pirate rigging!

After getting home from Meet the Teacher night, Bruce hopped out of the car
and took off down the road saying, "Bye mama, I'm going back to Preschool!"

Charlie drove all night back from Kansas City so he wouldn't miss this day.  Man, I love these guys!

Obligatory first day of school picture... 

His cubby!

He always colors his pictures "gold"...

And Bruce turned four years old!  And we celebrated for three weekends!  We wanted to have his birthday party before school started, so we planned it for the weekend before his birthday.  Since we did a pirate birthday party last year, we went with a parrot theme this year - and had a lot of fun!  A few of his "library" friends came over to celebrate with us and it was a great afternoon!

Abby playing with the decorations before our friends showed up...

Polly want a cracker?

cheers!!!

making bird feeders

"birdseed" cupcakes

 

testing out the balance "perch"

reading new birthday pirate books before bed

For his actual birthday, we made a trip to the zoo to spend some time with the lorikeets!  Then we went to Charlie's parent's house for more cake and presents!

birthday crepes!

we love Nutella and bananas!

 

K's friend made Bruce this awesome birthday cake!

the only way my kids seem to know how to eat cake... 

birthday lunch!

This past weekend my mom and Rick came for a visit, and we had another mini-party!

Let the good times roll!  Turning 4 is a big deal!

 

 

This month was big for Abby, too!  I know her changes have happened gradually, but it really does seem like her growth just exploded this month - she's such a big girl!  I'm just amazed to watch her play, and see what she's capable of - and man, her vocabulary is crazy impressive!  She still talks like a caveman in one or two-word phrases, but she's adding new words daily, and you can easily have a conversation with her - I love it.  And her personality is continuing to develop - anyone who spends any time with her will acknowledge - she's such a ham!

 

I guess not too surprisingly, Bruce starting school was a big deal for Abby, too.  The first day of school, we all walked Bruce into his classroom, and when we left she asked, "Boy?  Boy?"  (That's what she calls him)  Bruce is staying at school.  Then we got to the car.  "Boy?  Boy?"  We'll come back and get Bruce in a little bit.  Then we got home.  "Boy?  Boy?"  Bruce is at school now, but we'll go pick him up soon.  She's gotten better, but she still asks about him all the time.  I have to agree with her, it is awfully strange not having Boy around all morning with us.  As much as we miss him, it sure is nice having some girl time in the mornings now.  I find myself being a lot more purposeful with Abby - making things about her.  I also find myself being a lot more patient with her - since I'm not juggling two kids - and that makes our interactions so much more enjoyable!  And let me tell you, we get stuff done.

navigating Walmart is a lot easier with these two...

they really do love being together though

And big stuff was going on in Charlie's world this month.  Ever heard that song Johnny Cash (and others) sang, "I've Been Everywhere"?  The chorus - I've been everywhere, man, cross the deserts bare, man, I've breathed the mountain air, man, I've travelled, I've had my share, man, I've been everywhere - I feel like that sums up his work schedule lately pretty closely...  In the past few weeks, Charlie's been to Minneapolis, MN, Kansas City, MO (three times), College Station and Huntsville, TX (twice), and Columbus, OH.  He's got a lot of interesting projects on his plate right now, but we sure miss having him around!

The new stadium is almost finished!!!

So, naturally, August was a big month for me too!  It was exhausting having to hold down the fort solo so much, but it was a relief to be down one kid in the mornings.  Not exactly a wash, but we made it.  I've been experiencing my bi-annual "urge to purge" this month, so I've been spending some of my lighter-load mornings and spouseless evenings to sort through all of our bins and boxes and sundries to try and get a bit more organized around here.  It's slow going, but I'm making headway!

Other Highlights and Kidbits of the Month:

The kids and I drove to Ardmore one day to meet up with a friend of mine from college and her son.  We played at a park, found a splash pad, and enjoyed our favorite kid-friendly eatery:  Chic-fil-a!  On the way home, we stopped by the famous fried pie store!  It was a great day!

Bruce's "water jail"

The kids have really enjoyed swinging this month!  So much so, that there's a circle of dead grass in the yard where Charlie or I stand while pushing them...  I think they easily spend at least an hour on the swings every day!

We've also been enjoying all that Mother Nature has provided us in our back yard this month!

Bruce has been enjoying watching the bees!

We caught this little Praying Mantis for a pet for a few days

we all love listening for the cicadas,  and then trying to hunt for them!  
After this picture was taken, this one immediately flew off and landed on Abby's forehead!

usually we just find the cicada shells though

We've been finding a lot of these tree frogs lately - this one I found in my toilet...

 When she's not on a swing, you'll find Abby in the garden, looking for goodies.

 

sneaking tomatoes...

And Bruce is working on his acrobatic skills.  No, the removal of clothing is not part of the act...

Abby can't go anywhere or do anything without her babies:  Baby Abby, Garage Sale Baby, Little Pook, and her newest additions Tiny (her idea for a name for the world's largest baby doll) and Baby Jane.

 

And Bruce is always clutching either a Playmobil or Lego pirate.  (Or dressing up as various pirates...)

"Blackbeard"

And everything requires a band-aid these days...

Like I mentioned, my mom and Rick came for a visit (and are actually still here) so we've been enjoying some extra company around the house.  We hit our favorite treat joints - Ozzie's for breakfast and then Sonic for afternoon ice cream!

watching the airplanes take off

playing airplanes

I know I say this every month... but I cannot believe August is over.  The cooler mornings are convincing me that Fall is on its way, and new adventures surely await!