Gracie's First Day of 4 Year-Old Preschool!

Today was Gracie's first day of preschool! Again! This year she is in 4 year old preschool. She is still going to the same place and is in the same classroom except now she goes 3 days a week! She woke up this morning, smiled, and said "Today is my first day of school! I wonder what I will make today? What is Josselin bringing for snack?"

Evie and Presley were so excited for her even though Bub didn't want to pose for a picture with his big sis.

Gracie even decorated her own bookbag. She wrote her name and even wrote the whoe alphabet on the back. What a big girl! I am so proud of my baby girl and I know she will do great! Daddy is proud too! We drove to school and Gracie waited in the car for her teacher to come and get her. Miss Colleen was there to come and get her from the car. She was nice enough to pose for one quick pic in the drop-off line. She seems really nice and I know Gracie will love her. She already does! We told her "bye", said "I love you" and she smiled and headed in. There she goes! And as soon as Gracie got out of the car, Presley started crying and pointing to the school. Aww, he missed his big sis. We'll see if he gets this emotinoal when it's his turn. So we got home and had some more cereal to ease the pain. It helped. Soon it was time to go and get Gracie. We came in her classroom and she was all smiles! I knew she would be. She showed us where she gets to hang her bookbag. And then we said goodbye to her other teacher, Miss Jayne. And on the way out, she posed with her BFF Ava, who is her friend she saw all summer in dance, soccer, and cooking class! I'm glad they are in the same class again. Turns out, they are actually taking tap dance together starting next week! I'm so proud of my Gracie Girl! I knew she would be excited to go back to school. I didn't really get sad like I did last year but next year when she started Kindergarten.....that will be a different story.

Great Job Gracie! Mommy and Daddy know you will have a great year! You will learn a lot and make new friends. We are so proud of you!

Preschool Orientation!

Gracie had preschool orientation yesterday and she was excited!

We got to go with her too so we all could meet her new teachers, Miss Coleen and Miss Jane. They seem very nice and we have heard such wonderful things about them. They already got to know Gracie a bit while we got to have a parents meeting.
It was pretty much the same thing as lasy year as this is her second year in preschool. This year she gets to go Monday, Wednesday, Friday, because that's what 4 year olds do. They will still focus on a letter and a theme a week. We already got the snack schedule for the month of September but because Gracie doesn't have a birthday and her last name starts with a "W", we probably won't have a turn until October. They are going to teach the 18 kids who are in her class big and little letters which Gracie has come a long way this summer writing them. They are going to do lots of motor activites, arts and crafts, circle time, and sharing time. When it's their turn to bring in snack, they also get to bring something for show-and-share. We did this last year too but it prepares the kids for public speaking. I have already volunteered to help at a party, they will let me know which party. Last year I got to help at the Halloween party. So it will be that again, or the Valentine party or the end of the year party. They don't have Christmas parties because they have a holiday program and potluck lunch. The one thing I am excited for this year is that they will have parent sign-up volunteer for help in the classroom. Um, hello? Sign me up! I got sick days right? That is so up my alley and I would and am so excited to help out in her room! Talk about having the tables turned now. I like this side of it! So that's about it. We have been really happy with the Plainfield Park District Great Adventures preschool program. They provide a bag that Gracie can decorate and we don't have to get any school supplies, it's included in the price. Of course I would be willing to donate if they needed anything though. She has lots of familiar faces in her class from last year too: Ava, Kendal, Bella, Henry, Michael, and Grace Ann. That will help too. I am jsut so proud of her and teared up a little just thinking about this being her last year of preschool. This time next year, she will be a big girl in Kindergarten! But for now we'll just focus on this year. Gracie's first day is Wednesday and I intend to drop her off and pick her up for the first day. I will only her to see that face once on her first day of preschool and I wouldn't miss it for anything!

Weekend Wrapup

Hi. Have you missed us? The circus is back in town and we are getting used to our juggling our new schedule around here. I, for one, have been so completely exhausted that it has been impossible to get much of anything done, let alone blog. Saying being back at work is hard is an understatement. It's nearly sucking the energy out of me! For some reason, this year has already been extremely hard, frustrating and stressful.

Anyways enough about that or we could be here until next summer, last weekend we actually took the kids to the children's musuem for some fun. It was raining so it was the perfect thing to do. We had lots of fun there.

The bubbles were a big hit.

And so was the water.

This weekend we went to the splashpark. It was warm. It won't be for much longer. We wanted to take advantage.

Bub actually got a little wet too.

But this girl is in love with these parks. She had the best time of all!

We brought a picnic lunch and that was fun too.

This little girl has been obsessed with watermelons all summer.

This girl loves her pizza lunchables.

And this guy will eat anything under the sun!

But he's not one to try new things, get dirty, get wet, etc.

Today we hung around the house and played outside.

My husband hates these one piece outfits I sometimes dress my son in. I think they are cute even though the bottoms get caught in his chubby little legs. Don't worry, that's it for these things. He's moving up to 2T this fall and they don't make pant suits for the big guys.

And Miss Evie makes me smile everyday because she is such a little ham and loves posing for pictures.

Here we are playing at the splashpark.

Here we are having fun on the slide.

We had a great weekend. I love being with my kids.

August 28, 1990

Today is August 28th. 21 years ago to the day. It was one of the most horrible and awful days of my life. It always will be. I thank God everyday that we survived as did most. But 28 brave souls did not. I often question why God would let these natural disasters happen as I watch Irene battle the East Coast. I don't know why he chose for it to happen and I don't know why he picked who he did to join Him. I guess He does have a plan. I know it could have been worse. Yes, I lost my house and lots of belongings, and sure my school and my church, and my whole street was completly destroyed but we survived. I knew personally only 3 of the people who died that awful day and honestly not a day goes by that I still don't think of them. I won't write about my story again. You can read it here. I have shown these pictures before and I'm showing them again. This is what I can still see when I close my eyes everyday. It may have happened 21 years ago but it still seems like yesterday..the sights, the sounds, and the smells of that devestating day back in August of 1990.

Gracie's 4 year and Evie and Presley's 18 month Pics!

I finally got around to posting Gracie's 4 year old pictures and Evie and Presley's 18-20 month pictures. Thanks to my good friend at Jessica Jill Photography,
this was a 2 session event. She was very patient as my kids didn't like to be posed too much. As you can tell in the first few shots, (1st time around) they were not too happy. (gee, I wonder where they get that from?) Anyways, 2nd time around went much better and I had even brought my mom and sister to help with hair, wardrobe, etc. I think they turned out darling and I spent a mini fortune ordering different sizes of all of them. Have a look!