End of Summer Catch-Up

We crammed in a lot of activities into the week before school started! (Seriously, this first picture is from August 6th and school stared on August 15th.) Our friend Hattie got to spend a couple of days with us. We went to the park - James is cranky because it was hot.

Google made me a gif:

She also got to come along to piano lessons, where there are crayons for sibs out in the waiting room.

Sam had a coupon to Bonkers:

I took them to Little Swimmers at the ARC:

And we met up with friends at the nice, new aquatic facility in Boonville:

Leah came along on a date to Las Margaritas and watched the geese:

And then I wanted them to have a nice time for their last day home before school started, so we had pancakes for breakfast and spent the morning at Stephen's Lake, and then got smoothies from Dairy Queen. I got a few photos of the lake portion - mostly of Leah since I have to stick right by her.

I told them to strike a pose.

And then here are a couple that I've taken since school has started. I'm trying to take Leah to story time regularly. She likes the "el-phans."

"My dog laughing," she says:

And then she tagged along to James's doctors appointment and talked him into reading books.

First Day of School

The big kids had their first day of school this morning! 

We are going to try to ride the bus again this year, but it comes so early in the morning - over an hour before school starts! And their elementary has the earliest start time in the district, I think.

 James is six and starting first grade.

Amelie is nine and starting fourth grade.  Amelie's moved up to Unit C and has a whole new teacher.

This photo is my favorite! Sam taking their picture bright and early this morning.

Isn't this a good picture? They look so much bigger than last year.

Last year for comparison: 

Now I guess we always have to get them to stand on the same side of the big rock. 

They've got a new bus driver, who was surprisingly on time this morning, but an hour late coming home this afternoon. 

Leah and I stayed home and had a quiet, peaceful day - she even took a nap! Here she is eating goldfish crackers (which are supposed to be for the big kids' school snack) out of a bowl with a spoon, as one does.

Porch Swing

There are many, many pictures of kids and grandkids and great-grand kids on this porch swing!

Here are Leah and Amelie before church - we were supposed to wear blue, but then we somehow left before the blue all-church photo!

Look at Leah's face!

Look at Amelie's face!

This is my favorite:

 
 I told Leah to give her sister a kiss:

"Did you get that?" Amelie asked.

Big Kid Bed

So Leah can crawl out of her crib. We put a twin mattress on the floor for her, and then when we were in the bootheel for the weekend, Sam built her a big kid bed.

She was incredibly excited to find it when we got back. "MY BIG GIRL BED!" She wanted to show and tell everyone about it. James wanted to play with her, and she basically shouted, "big girl bed," over her shoulder as she ran toward it (and usually she is all about playing with James!)

This picture doesn't even do it justice. It was pure, unadulterated joy.

Unfortunately, this extreme excitement led to a late bedtime. Naptime has also become somewhat drawn out since she could escape the crib. She's not contained anymore and sometimes plays with things in her room instead of sleeping (or for a while before sleeping, which means she wants to sleep late into the afternoon, so then I have to wake her up so it won't throw off bedtime too much.) However, it's now four days later and she's still very impressed.

Grown-up Buffaloes (and other Adults)

Pre Mother's Day sushi:

Summer reading kick-off at the library.

Dinner out with mom and Steve.

Seeing Trae Crowder at the blue note.

And the daylily starts I got from my neighbor are doing well again:

Plus our 15-year anniversary dinner at Abigail's in Rocheport. We got our babysitter to take this photo before we left.

There was a statue of a buffalo.

And here's me eating salad (Sam also had salad) and Sam eating pie (I had cake). The entree is not pictured, but everything was absolutely delicious.