Goshen Open House

We spent the day with old and new friends! I was excited to get Griffin and Rollins together since they will be in class together.

 As well as Braxton and Riggs......

 AT 5:30 we headed to Goshen for Open House...a time to meet your teacher, your class mates and get organized with your supplies...it was Riggs' last Goshen open house (sniff, sniff)......

 Since we had new crates for Mrs. Noon we stopped there first...she was over the moon excited for these crates and called them one of her "hot" items!

 Is she cute or what? SO full of life and love for these kids and her job....Rollins is going to love her!

 He got organized and loved the goody bag at his seat!

 Next stop...Mrs. Kittleson! A big hug and a sweet smile and she got right on getting Riggs ready to get himself set up.....he listened.... and after saying hello and signing up for my stuff...we left him there to do it all my himself!

 It made my heart happy that his friends from other rooms had drifted in to check on him....and help him...I am telling you.... that friend thing clicks at age 10...they just get it now...what is means to be a friend and have a friend...

 Sarah Kate was so excited to get to her class room.....

 She was so sweet giving Mrs. Spenlau the sunflower she pick for her...sweet and surprisingly shy...

 Her table is full of friends...and she knows almost everyone in the class!

 Preston and Saylor are just a few.....

 It was sad to walk by P's room....and my heart just hurt...in 50 years she has never missed the first day of school....I sent her love right then and there....I am looking forward to helping her in any way over the next days and seasons to come....I just love her so...

 It was a great Open House and soon it was time to get supper at Bistro 42 and yogurt at Green Apple!

It was a great night for my littles and we are all looking forward to the new school year!

My sun

 Rollins' Readers Theatre Play at school today was precious! He played, among other planets and shooting stars, the Sun....which was perfect because he is the sunniest boy I know....so full of warmth and sunshine.  His presence always makes me smile...he is just that kind of kid!

He took it very seriously and was wonderful...from the first word of the play until the very last.

 As soon as the last word was said however...he jumped up in front of everyone and said..."that's it...Amen!" and took a big bow! Everyone laughed! What can I say he is a sunny, sunny boy!

Special delivery

When I went to the mailbox today....tucked inside the bills and catalogs was a beautiful yellow envelope. An envelope in the mail box is special these days with e mails and texts...you almost know right away it is something special. This one was addressed to Miss Sarah Kate Hardy.

 She opened it and inside was an invitation to come to her classroom and meet Mrs. P....under the big top! A circus theme! She was all smiles!

 The sweetest part was as she read the invitation she saw at the bottom....Love, Mrs. P.  She said, Moma, do you think she really already loves me?

I told her yes...Mrs. P has a big heart full of love and truly she does!

Treasured time

With the boys in basketball camp every morning this week...I have been really enjoying my girls. Our time together...as a threesome...is coming to an end...with reminders everywhere...Lila got her letter from Watkins today with her teacher assignment...SK got an inviation to her Kindergator meet and greet...and every store has isles and isles of school supplies! Today we bought Sk some new sparly tennis shoes for back to school and had lunch at McAlisters where I got to be with three of my favorite things that are sweet....

Sarah Kate......

 Tea.....

 and Lila Ray......

last day of school

It was finally here...the last day of school! Mrs. Parrott's class held an Auction to spend all their market day money....and Papaw Mike came to be the auctioneer!

He was amazing and the kids loved it! It was the perfect end to the perfect year for Riggs! Mrs. Parrott was the perfect teacher for Riggs in every way and I can't thank her enough for such a wonderful year!

Jenna and I had promised the kids an end of the year trip to Kings Island so we decided to pick them up a little early to make the most of our day. I went to get Rollins in his class and I had to say goodbye to Mrs. Howard....who lives in my neighborhood and who I will see many times this summer...I will probably see her tomorrow with Henry at the pool...but the goodby was not just for the day...it was so much more than that. It hurt my heart. I was saying goodby to a teacher that I had had for three years...two years with Riggs and one with Rollins.  I was saying goodbye to an amazing...change your child teacher. I was saying goodbye to a comfortable, easy relationship...friendship with a teacher I love, admire, and respect.  I hugged her goodbye and I lost it..hot tears ran down my face. I can't thank you enough, Ashley Howard, for every little thing you did for my boys. I love you from the bottom of my heart...and my boys love you too...so very much.

I wiped the the tears and headed out the door...goodbye for the summer Goshen...a van full of excitd kids and Kings Island was calling my name!

They were so excited...and a little nervous about the roller coasters that are the sky line of King's Island! But the fabulous foursome were ready to give it a try....I just absolutley adore these boys!

The Divas were ready to take the park by storm too!

We started little...on the Woodstock Express...which used to be the Beastie I think. The boys loved it! Sk was scared to death!

When the ride was over Riggs gave her a high five...so sweet!

 The Merry Go Round is more Sarah Kate's style...and everyone happily rode it with her!

 Kings Island is all about the blue smurf ice cream! Jenna and I could not wait to let them try it...to share a piece of our childhood with them...I took this picture right as they got...capturing that first blissful lick, but in three minutes all 6 cones were in the trash can...they hated it!

We worked our way up the the Vortex! Now when I was little the Vortex was "it" but now there are 3 other coasters bigger and better there that all the boys were too little to ride. The Vortex still made them a little nervous as we waited in line. In fact at one point Riggs wanted to bail...but I encouraged him to give it a try...so he did.

They all loved it! I still can't believe my little peanut, Rollins, is tall enough to ride the Vortex! Now they were big time!

The boys rode many more coasters as the day went on...it was a day like no other at an amusment park. There was no sun...none.....and no lines...none. When they got off a ride and wanted to ride it again...they just got right back on...it was awesome! Sarah Kate and I snuck away while they rode a few rides for some that were more her style....she laughed and screamed the whole time!

Colin and Riggs wrote Schools Out on their manly chests in honor of the day and the beginning of summer! It was the perfect way to start their summer break....and it just may have to be a tradition! We headed home tired and happy....and with a hopeful feeeling for all the fun days to come!

Story of my life...

So I am getting ready to unload the dish washer...one task...and then Lila wants to "watch" so I put her up on the counter and get her settled...but she looks so cute so I go get my camera.....

and then Jack starts chewing on her shoe....

and before you know it the shoe is off and I am chasing Jack around the house to get the shoe...and Lila is laughing and giggling with every pass as I chase the dog.... and when  I finally get the shoe and I  come back to Lila she has gone pee pee on the counter...and needs a wipe off and new clothes...and then the floor has to be cleaned and the counter sanitized...and then the boys are off the bus...and snacks and homework calls....and then dinner....4 baths....backpacks to get ready for the morning...clothes to lay out...babies to bed.....and then I walked back to the kitchen where the dish washer is still waiting for me to unload it. It's a constant cycle of chaos...but it's my chaos and it is my reality for now....I am starting to really question my decision to go back to school. I want so much to go...to do it...but papers, tests and class projects can't wait for me like the dish washer does. Can I really make time to do this with what I already have on my plate? My mom bought me a GRE prep book 2 Sundays ago and every night I tell myself I am going to open it up and get prepping...and I have managed to read the first 3 pages. What I do know is I am going to try...for now that is all I can do....this is my life...it is crazy and chaotic and I have to believe I can do it...but can I do it all? It's all a cycle..that moves in an unpredictable rhythm....one action leads to another...if Jack had left Lila's shoe on the dish washer may have already been unloaded, but I would have missed Lila's beautiful giggle as I chased him....and I can tell you I would pick unloading the dish washer at 10 pm every night for that one giggle...it was that sweet...so I will take it Jack style...one shoe at a time.

so big...so little

When the boys got home from school I went through their backpacks as usual..and inside Riggs' take home folder was the information for Kindergarten Registratin for K-Kate. I literally stopped breathing for a few seconds. It can't be time yet...Sk can't leave me..she is my BFF..she helps me so much, I can talk to her about almost anything...and this sweet, precious, smart, amazing child fills my days with such joy. She is just a baby!And in the same breath is so big...more ready than the boys were to go to school.

I looked over at her and she was eating cereal that she had poured herself at the table....so big! She was chatting about away about her nook and some books she wanted to down load...so big.  She used words like prefer and amazing as she talked...so big!

 And as I walked over to kiss her sweet, milky white cheek...because I was feeling sentimental and loving her so much in that moment...I looked down to see her little toes peeking out under her shirt...she was sitting like she did when she was a baby...so little...so,so little. Why can't they stay that way?

Goshen Giving

My giving Babysitters...who are also amazing teachers and beautiful people inside and out!

I can't say enough about Goshen Elementary and the relationship I have with the school and the people in the school. I just love it...truly I do. It is a relationship of giving. I went today and gave my time in the class. I went today and bought jackets, coats and toys for the Gator Giving Program for an underpriviledged child.  I gave cokes to the teachers and staff..... but this relationship is not one sided because today my boys spent the day with amazing teachers who love them and "get' them to their core...the principle and office staff told me if I wasn't married they would marry me becaue they love me and that gave me such happiness....and tonight Mrs. Howard and Ms. McNatt came over to babysit just because they wanted to give me some free time..... now how nice was that? A true treat for this busy mom who never gets a minute to herself....Giving...it's a beautiful thing!