Emerson

I tell ya, this girl is a gem.  I keep reminding myself that this is the best it will probably get in life, but not in a depressing way, just in a 'take it all in' kind of way.  Two kids happily at school.  My 'baby' still at home with me and if there isn't a more fun buddy to hang out with all day....  The worst of our problems are 7 and 5 year old dramas.   This I can take, teenagers, I can not:/

Speaking of teenagers, this happened last night:

 She went with her sweet friends and I shed a little tear.  They rolled up in the driveway to pick her up, 3 giddy girls with a hint of makeup on, heading out to Taylor Swift.  She didn't get home until 11:45pm - on a school night;)  I can't even wrap my brain around her doing this without a parent; just when you get to the stage in your life where sleep returns because all your kids want to sleep in, it'll be the endless nights of staying up late until you know everyone is safe and sound in their own beds. Excuse me while I start looking into some prescription meds for me.....

Apple Picking

We did our annual Apple Picking at Eckerts in Illinois over the weekend.  Always fun, always a hit and this year we went with friends.

 Emerson had fallen asleep on the car ride over and apparently didn't appreciate being awoken for this...she was quite the pistol for awhile.

 I took one for the team.....rode this damn ride that might look innocent enough and apparently if you're under 8 you're immune to nausea.  The only other mom on it and I were about to heave...

 The child below was a stinkpot.

 Until she found a pile of sand, then the switch flipped and voila....happy again.

Oh how I love apple picking....that time of the year when we spend a mortgage payment buying 243 pounds of bruised apples because the girls swear they will eat them all.  Ha.  

School pics

I always order the cheapest package when it comes to school photos because, this day and age, we have a zillion better, more candid, shots of the girls with our own camera and even iPhone and Instagram pics.  Regardless, it's still fun to see the envelope of pics come home in their backpacks.  I love how Reese has her tongue out therefore making it look like she's lost all her teeth:)
Ryan - 2nd grade
Reese - kindergarten

Back yard shenanigans

The new house has a great setting and one of my favorite views is outside the kitchen onto our back patio, especially when my little people are out playing.

 Last night Grant had the girls help him with a little yard project....these are my favorite kind:  he had them entertained and dirty and I left to go to a school meeting, when I returned they were all bathed and ready for bed:)   Snaps for dad.

 This morning we had a little treat out the window....the suburban safari experience, we like to say.  Grab your cameras, your coffee and a blanket and sit back and enjoy the wildlife:)
...okay, slightly different from our trip to Africa (another lifetime ago)

"Where's Eddy, he usually eats these things?"

*please tell me you know that quote.  Please.

Shhh....

Don't tell Ryan and Reese but after we say goodbye to them at the bus stop:

Emerson and I are living the life.....long walks around the neighborhood, Papa met us up at the golf course for our morning coffee....

 And who wouldn't want to fall back asleep at 10am and sleep on the back patio?

 Excuse us while we do some baking, straighten up around the house and cuddle.  But if the other two ask, we're sooooo bored and do nothing fun all day:)

Bounce with me...

Grandma and Grandpa got a bounce house!  

In other news, school went great - the girls loved their first two days, their teachers, riding the bus, seeing their friends, they head off again this morning all smiles.  As with the start of the school year (especially kindergarten) they were hot messes after they got home and all weekend.  Kind of bad.  Like 'oh my gosh, are there still boarding schools available?' bad.   So we are regrouping, trying some new 'parenting' things and hoping for a less dramatic household (myself included).   I'm sure if I nip this in the bud I'll never have to experience drama again*....with three girls....holy sh*t, where's the Tylenol? 

That's all I have right now...  Happy Monday! 

*obvious sarcasm

1st day of school!

When we first looked at our house and fell in love with it, I immediately then drove by the elementary school assigned to us and.......wha wha wha.  From the outside it was the complete opposite of Ryan's picturesque 2 story, brick beauty back in our old, adorable neighborhood.  This kind of looked like a medium security prison:)  I called Grant in exaggerated fake tears saying 'no way....we can't take our kids out of their precious school and send them here, no matter how much we love the house'.   He, who is used to my tendency to over-dramatize things, was quick to put me in my place by insisting we tour the school first before counting it out based solely on looks.  Terrible of me, I know, but I couldn't help it.  Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and after we toured the school, met with the staff, I was 100% at ease sending the ladies to the 'ugly duckling' school.  And now, I couldn't be more thrilled - there are many aspects I actually love more than her previous school (which was the cat's meow to me at the time).  You live, you learn.  Anywho....the girls were very excited about the first day (Ryan a little more realistic with a 'woo hoo' accompanied by an eye roll) but the Reesers was a ball of smiles.  Thank goodness, my heart could not have handled resistance and tears.  This is the first chance the ladies have had to ride the bus.  I used to dread the idea of them doing so until I talked to a number of moms in our neighborhood and learned that our bus only services our neighborhood and that the bus driver is the sweetest guy whom all the moms requested back again for the year.  And we got him!  So the idea of the girls riding to school with all their new neighborhood friends (a majority of whom we already know and love) and a bus driver the mom's rave about, not to mention the bus stop being one house down, made the call a no-brainer.

 Ignore the weeding that desperately needs to take place....add that to my to-do list.

 Woo hoo school!

 2nd grade

 Kindergarten

 If that's just not the saddest thing, seeing my Reesey Piecey off to school all day.  God help me when Emerson's turn comes...I will be a complete mess.

 They kill me....love these girls.

 Heading to the bus stop

 Dad drove by to say 'goodbye' but, in true Grant fashion, he was just heading up to school to surprise them at the front door when they got off the school bus.

 Reese's face when she saw the school bus coming around the corner:)

And with that, they were off.  All smiles.  Except for Emerson who was a hot mess.  Crying for her sisters and wanting to ride off with them:(  Fast forward 30 minutes when she realized it was just she and I, no one to fight with and all my attention, the girl has been all smiles ever since.

Grant snapped these from when they got off the bus...if that Reese doesn't make you smile, you must be dead inside:)

 Reese's best neighborhood friend, Lucy, also happens to be in her class this year...double trouble.

Let's hope the smiles are still there this afternoon, and tomorrow, and the day after that....