back to school

Summer is officially over, but you couldn't tell by the temperature in Florida.

BACK. TO. SCHOOL.

And I'm soooo happy about it. It was a long summer, it really wasn't, just felt like it to me. Now the long nights of playing outside have led to homework and making lunches and having lengthy discussions with Rachael on what she should wear to school. These conversations with her are probably THE MOST frustrating ones I have ever had with my daughter. Not kidding !!

Erin started 3rd grade out on a good note. He seems to have a nice teacher, at least 4 days into it and I am still impressed, and I do reserve the right to re-visit the teacher situation as the year goes on.

Rachael started her middle school 6th grade year too. First year that I didn't walk her into school, first year she hasn't worn uniforms, first year she can wear flip flops to school, first year of switching classes, first year of needing to be accountable for her actions. And the most important first of all ... THE FIRST YEAR OF EDLINE ... I love Edline, it is an on-line-stalk-your-students grading system. Everything Rachael does in class, every grade is posted on line. LOVE EDLINE !! She is doing pretty good so far, she is enjoying middle school and looking forward to middle school sports!!

Like normal, we were in a huge hurry .... So I didn't even take a second to check to see if the kids had their eyes open ! ooopppsss ....

Don't they look good? Even Trevor wanted to get in on the action. That kid doesn't like to miss any of the spotlight!

Wordless Wednesday

Trevor found the Birthday Hat! What a silly boy !

ETA: Check out the book he was reading ..... Mia Hamm's, Winners Never Quit ..... I'm glad to see he on the right path !

Oh Thank Goodness ....

My boys are boys again .... FINALLY !!

Daddy staged an intervention and took them for haircuts !

I tried and tried, but it just wasn't in my schedule !!

ETA: Either is grocery shopping, car washing & cleaning Erin's closet....I really need to dedicate time to clean the car, and the closet. And just so you know, 10 minutes in the grocery store after work isn't cutting it either :)

rolling right along ...

The summer seems to be flying by ..... School starts in 4 weeks!

I'm kinda sorta excited about this rite of passage. It brings back the all mighty "schedule", the bed times, the soccer practices, the homework arguments and lunch packing. It is what I consider the norm.

I'm kinda sorta dreading this too. And for all the reasons I stated for liking it. And the big one, Rachael is now a middle school student. I vaguely remember Kasey heading to middle school, and I don't remember anything too remarkable about the new school transition. But something tells me that my little drama queen with put a new twist on it. She is already complaining about the portables that the 6th graders are housed in due to "construction".... I told you, where there is Rachael, there is drama.

Rachael has been in Massachusetts for the past 10 days. She is visiting my family for a little summer get-a-way. Here is a picture of Rachael on the beach at Misquamicut. Nanny took her on a little outing since she missed her beach trip with her Papa. Anyhow ... she comes home this weekend. I can't wait to see her, we have really missed her!

Oh .. and yup, that's a jacket folks. This Florida girl told me that the nights in New England feel like winter. And I guess she is right, in the winter it's in the 50's and 60's !!


OH !! And I completely cleaned her room from the inside out. Plowed through her closet, dug out under her bed. I sent her a text message telling her there was not a trash barrel behind her dresser and under her bed. One bedroom = 4 black yard bags of trash !! AMAZING ....

So summer rolling along ... I have a few more things I'd like to get accomplished:

1. Get to Adventure Island at least one more time
2. Get the kids to the Public Library ... they love it, but there is never enough time at night.
3. 2 more trips to the beach
4. Clean little Erin's room just like the room gutting that Rachael's received.
5. Get the Garage in order, or in some kind of order.
6. Hopefully fix the drainage issue in the backyard.
7. Paint Rachael's Room and Little Erin's room.

We'll see how much I actually accomplish by August 23rd!! I'd be pretty happy with myself if I got 3 out of the 7 done !!!

birthday boy fun .....

Look how excited Trevor was to blow out his candle! He was so cute!! In lieu of a big party, we opted for something that Trevor would want. After all isn't that what a birthday is really about, doing what the birthday boy would love to do? Trevor's favorite place this summer by far is Adventure Island Water Park. He is now old enough to ride some water slides and definitely old enough for Splash Attack. We went with our dearest friends, Michele and her three girls!

Trevor loves to play in the water. Although he is only 3, he has the courage of a 10 year old. He never is scared of anything ..... but that scares me:)

And here is a picture of the all the kids. They all get along so well, probably because they have known each other as infants....and have grown up together. It wouldn't be a birthday without having these girls around to help celebrate!

Erin and Courtney have a very special bond. It reminds of a bond that twins have. When they are together they are inseparable. They talk the same, they finish each others sentences and they act like this ...

And here is Rachael .....GOOFBALL !

And Splash Attack ... Rachael, Alexandra and Courtney ....


We closed the park down. Left at 9pm, it was so much fun! Trevor was exhausted, but he had a great birthday.

And for the 4th we had a family BBQ at Erin's sister Sherry's home! Had another great day of fun. The kids swam until after dark and watched the fireworks from Sherry's pool. And after all the talking that Trevor did about how he wanted to watch the fireworks, he was a little scared of them and hid inside...but we watched through the window and he was very happy with that!

Happy Birthday To Our Baby ...

July 3, 2006

Born 7:26 pm

8lbs, 11oz.

Where did the time go? I honestly feel like this picture was taken yesterday. It is a strange feeling when you realize your last child is 3 years old! There will be no more two-year olds in our home again. It is hard to wrap my mind around that.

Trevor was born on July 3rd by my choice via a very smooth induction . He was the most beautiful baby, his skin was so perfect and his face was so full. My 1st son, Erin, was born on his due date and weighed in at a lofty 10lbs, 3oz and neither myself or the doctors felt like that is a record that needed to be beat. See Erin, was born naturally and my body didn't need a repeat performance of that. Trevor's due date was July 10th, he would have easily passed the 9 lb mark by then. With that being said, it was time for Trevor to receive his marching orders. The only date that was open was July 3rd and that would mean he would share his birthday with his Papa, and I thought that was a very cool thing!!

Trevor by far is the busiest baby we have had! There is a reason that the last baby is the last baby. Either that or I'm just so much older that I am exhausted.
So here we are, Trevor is three today. We have NOT mastered the art of using the big boy toilet. We are trying but as of today, we have not had any luck. But I must stress, we are trying. He loves to drink from a cup without a lid. I, however, do not like that. His vocabulary can rival any 4 year old out there. The things that child says sometimes catch me off guard. He rides a bike with training wheels, not a tricycle, a bike. And tackle football is a favorite, not because he enjoys football, but because he enjoys a good tackle.

So Happy Birthday to my baby boy. Can someone please invent the magic potion to keep him just the way he is??

Wanna be cowgirl ....

I can't believe I didn't post this video of Rachael ....

I was the Mom in charge of the inflatables for the 5th Grade Bash. They told me to find something different, something fun! I accomplished that ......

Here is our little cowgirl ..... She did pretty good !!

I loved how the kids in her class were chanting her name. And, secretly, she did too !!