Homework

Avery and Dalton had homework this week. :) One day Avery had to write her name several times and another night they both had to bring in "About Me" posters. I printed off lots of pictures, got lots of patterned cardstock and stickers and let them pick everything out. It was super cute.
Here are the final products:









Love my babies. :)

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First Day.

Today was the first day of preschool. Cue the emotional rollercoaster ... ;)

It all started last week when we went to their little Open House to meet the teachers, see the classrooms etc.

My oh-so-thoughtful/ always-make-life-special in-laws sent the kiddos happies from the flower shop. My kids are thrilled when I hand them a magazine and tell them it came in the mail for them, so special deliveries?!?! Oh my! There were the sweetest little cards reading, "Happy Pre-School!" They felt so special!


That afternoon we took Dalton to get his back-to-school haircut so he wouldn't look like a total shagamuffin ...


Then we went to the church for the open house!


Dalton's class is the Jazzy Jungle ... right up his alley. :)


His little desk ... tear.


Dalton in the reading center. :)


Avery meeting her teacher, Mrs. Carla in the "Pond-Er-Osa" classroom.


Avery's desk ... more tears.

They couldn't stop talking about school! They were SO excited!
Today when it was FINALLY time to wake up for their first day they were beyond pumped.


Avery came running out of her room an hour earlier than usual saying, "Mommy, Mommy, is it today? Do I get to go today??" While she was eating breakfast she said, "I have to tell you something. I feel an itty bit sick. Not really sick, just my tummy feels silly." We talked for a minute and I realized she was nervous! She was over it soon enough, but it was so sweet to see my big girl having butterflies about her first day at school.


All ready for school! It was actually really cool outside this morning and Dalton was being pretty dramatic about it.




Avery and Mrs. Carla again.


Dalton was way too interested in his new classroom to stop for pictures. But, we are so happy Mrs. Sarah is his teacher!


Dalton, of course, found all the animals right away. When I picked him up today Mrs. Sarah told me how much he loved bears ... ohhh yes. :)
Notice all the BOYS, there are TEN in his class of twelve students. Holy moly.

Both kiddos had wonderful reports and I am friends with the assistant director who texted me pics of the kiddos throughout the day. Avery even won the "healthy lunch award" in her class. When I was given instruction the first day about how their lunch needed to be super healthy and all the no-no's I kinda freaked. I mean, we live on PBJ and cheetos. Apparently her turkey sandwich, strawberries, pretzel sticks and nutri-grain bar was suitable, so I guess we'll be ok after all. After Mrs. Carla let the class know they would be picking the healthiest lunch Avery kept saying, "Oh, I really hope I win, I really hope so." And she did- stinker. She also said that she gave the kiddos their little paper to practice writing their first names and Avery came and showed the teacher her whole name ... smarty pants! :) So proud of our little toots and so happy they'll be learning and playing at preschool this fall! They can't wait to go back tomorrow and Thursday!

Lazy Labor Day Weekend

This weekend was luxuriously long and full of family fun. Driving home from Hot Springs I couldn't help but smile at how much I love our little family.
Saturday morning we met Aaron's mom in Hot Springs so she could watch Sawyer, while we took the big kids for one more hoorah at the lake this summer. We played and played; we ate til our tummies were way too full and we said farewell to Lake Ouachita until next summer.
We came back to Aaron's parents late Sunday night and played with them today.It was a great weekend!
I have gotten lazy with my picture taking ... but here are a few I managed to snap.
















We're officially ready for fall!! Tomorrow it will be our first days "Back to School," as Avery and Dalton head to pre-school. Sniff sniff!!!

Sawyer's Birthday Bonanza

Saturday morning we woke up and hurried to get the house ready for Sawyer's birthday bash. This task was amazingly easier without Avery and Dalton around, as they had spent the night with Maw. :)
As everyone started arriving I went and took my camera off the charger where it had been the entire night before. However, when I turned it on it said, "battery exhausted." I was SO disappointed! And NO one had their cameras with them! I was sad, but my handy dandy iPhone camera still documented what it could. I put SB in charge of the photography role and she did her best, but I am pretty limited in my photos today. Sniff, sniff.

To start it off I just wanted to show a collage of EACH baby on their birthdays ... They really look SO different.

I love that Avery is buckled in to the high chair ... first child. Now, with Sawyer, I'm pretty sure the straps aren't even attached to the chair any more.


It was really fun to have the whole fam come to our house for some food, fun, and birthday festivities. Sawyer was still feeling terribly, but he made the most of it. The poor boy slept until 10, and all but fell asleep in his cupcake.













Uncle Ben shared all his homeade ice cream ... Thanks Uncle Ben! ;)


(Apparently someone wiped his mouth with a dish towel that had cleaning solution on it so he had a little allergic reaction for about 10 minutes ... hence the red patches on his cheeks ... Happy Birthday Sawyer... )




Thank goodness Avery and Dalton were there to show him how to unwrap all his toys. ;)







Happy Birthday, dear one!! You are so loved!!

Sawyer Turns One!

Sawyer turned one on Friday ... it was such a bittersweet day. Although being induced into labor a year ago seems like forever ago, it just doesn't seem possible that our baby boy is heading toward toddler-dom. Seeing all the pictures of itty bitty newborns just doesn't seem right either, he's getting to be a big boy (I will not cry, I will not cry ...)! TOO big if you ask me! He has become quite inquisitive the last few weeks. He's very active and we have re-learned about all the no-no's in our house lately. He's always climbing, "organizing," and dumping out as much as he can. Little lovey.

Before I get ahead of myself, I want to remember all the fun things he's doing lately.

- I can't believe I'm saying this, but we haven't been at the doctor in over a month! So I'm actually not sure of his weight. I do know he's gained some because his little clothes are fitting more snug, but I need to check out his weight.

-He is wearing mainly size 12M clothes, some 18M, but those are mostly hand-me-downs from Dalton that have been laundered a bunch ... And I have a tendency to reduce the size of things in the dryer. :/

-He is still in size 4 diapers.

- Still has his same 8 toofies- four on top, four on bottom. However, he's had a major fussy bug the last few days, on top of some yucky tummy trouble leading me to think we may be getting some more shortly. Or just a bug ... yay.

- He goes to sleep between 8-8:30 every night and wakes up around 8:30 every morning. The last few days he has wayyyy slept in. Yesterday he didn't wake up until 9:30 and today 10! But, like I said, he's had some kind of bug.

-We left formula in the dust right before he hit the 11 month mark, the transition to whole milk was super easy. He drinks about 24oz a day in his sippy cups. We also are all done with baby food ... right now his favorite foods are bananas, blueberry pancakes, grapes, turkey, avocado, scrambled eggs, and mac 'n cheese. Also, after yesterdays trip to the Donut shop, I'm pretty sure we can add donut holes to the list. More on that to come ... :)

-After he took his first steps right before his 11 month birthday, the last week he has really started taking off. And now I would say he walks more than he crawls (when we're inside). But, if he is really eager to get somewhere he drops down to crawl as quickly as possible.

-He's still climbing ... everywhere. Lord. Have. Mercy.

- Really not saying much these days ... we have the "Dada" down and that's about it. He'll babble Momma, but I can't guarantee he's saying that on purpose. He'll mimic what we say ... but that's about it. It'll come. :)

-Loves his family, especially his brother and sister. And I can't even begin to tell how much he loves that daddy! I don't think any of my babies have been more head-over-heels like Sawyer is (at this age). He just is OBSESSED!! Sweetest thing!
Dropping him off in the church nursery has just been terrible! He acts like we are just the worst! And when we pick him up he loses it again remembering that we left him all over again!

-He is the silliest little thing! He laughs all day and lives to dance. I turn music on several times a day so he can just go to town. So stinkin' funny.

Here are some of my favorite pics of us this year.


Already in love.


Just a few weeks old ... no telling how much time we spent in this same spot. :)


Our first trip to NYC! You were a DREAM baby the whole time!


A trip to Hot Springs to look at all the lights in Garvan Gardens. You were definitely enamored with all the lights!


6 Months old! At one of Aunt Ray Ray's wedding showers.


Your first trip to the beach! You woke up every morning by 5 so we walked up and down the beach every morning. I actually ended up liking it by the end of the week!


Finding out you were FINALLY going to get tubes for your little ears this summer! No more ear infections!!

Dear Sawyer,
I am so in love with your sweet self I can't stand it! You are just delightfully darling and perfectly precious. I love your giggles and high pitched squeals and amazing dance moves. You are so loved by our family and we have had a blast this past year! It was definitely overwhelming at first, but I think we've got it figured out now. Since the big kids are going to school this week we're going to have a lot more time to play! Can't wait little boo!!!
I love you to the top of your blonde curls, to the bottom of your tippy toes!
XOXO
Mommy

Sawyer slept in on his birthday and then we packed up to head to the donut shop. He scarfed down a whole dozen donut holes and CHOCOLATE milk. I told my mother-in-law that he acted like it was the best thing he'd ever had, and she said, "it probably was!" She's probably right! Nevertheless, he LOVED his birthday breakfast.
He kicked and squealed with every bite. Cutest. Thing. Ever.















Then we left for the park ...









He had a great birthday with our fam and geared up for his par-tay the next day!