Preschool....Already?!?

I held back tears today as I kissed my BABY goodbye on his first day of preschool. Sure, he was in preschool last year, but it was only two hours and met once a week. This year, it's a whole new ballgame. Two days a week for two and a half hours. This is practically college!

Joel, like everything in his life, feels a rollercoaster of feelings when it comes to preschool. One minute, he's super excited and asking every.5.seconds when he gets to go. The next, he defiantly declares that he's "NOT going to PWEschool!". At his get acquainted day last week, he was eager to go, but ended up clinging to my leg the entire time and didn't play, talk, or even smile. Today, he woke up excited, but quickly asked, "Mommy, can you wait outside the door at preschool"? So, of course, I waited...ok, I really didn't wait around for even a second...but he didn't have to know! At pick-up, I was greeted with a huge smile and a giant hug. I think he's going to do just fine this year!

What is your name? Joel

How old are you? 3

What do you want to be when you grow up? four

What is your favorite food? tacos and soup

What is your favorite drink? water and milk and lemonade

What makes you happy? lemonade

What makes you sad? when Mommy and Daddy give me spankings

What is your favorite thing to do at home? play

Who is your best friend? Grandma

Where is your favorite place to go? to see fireworks

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? go to Meijer

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? go to Ranch Frostie

What is the best part about Leah (sister)? she gives me toys and she plays with me

What is the best part about Caleb(brother)? he gets toys for me and he finds darts for me

What is your favorite book? Stinky Face

What is your favorite movie? Mickey Mouse Movie

Where is your favorite place to eat? out for dinner

What is your favorite thing to wear? Mickey Mouse shirt

Because it wouldn't be fair to make you think this child is always happy and cooperative...

2nd Grade

It seems like just yesterday I was on my first maternity leave from second grade and brought my six-week-old newborn in to meet the class. He was teeny, tiny, and oh-so-cute. Fast forward (and I mean fast forward at like the fastest speed allowed) and I am now entering a second grade class that is not my own, but is the class that the once teeny, tiny baby will now spend all year in. When we walked in for his walk-through day, it took everything in my power to hold back tears. It just seems impossible to already have a baby that is the same age of all those "big kids" I used to teach. No doubt, my Caleb is every bit of one of those big kids now, but in my heart he is still a teeny, tiny baby. Every part of his personality and eagerness to learn makes it right for him to be in second grade, but it is still so hard for me to accept! I know he will do an amazing job this year and I cannot wait to experience the magic of second grade with my own kid.

And the yearly tradition continues....

What is your name? Caleb

How old are you? 7.5

What do you want to be when you grow up? a dolphin trainer or a vet

What is your favorite food? tacos and pancakes and cake

What is your favorite drink? water and orange crush

What makes you happy? my family and my friends

What makes you sad? when somebody is being mean to me

What is your favorite thing to do at home? play with my friends, watch tv, and play sports with my dad

Who is your best friend? Alec and Jack

Where is your favorite place to go? the lake and Grandma's house

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? snuggle

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? play football and baseball

What is the best part about Leah (sister)? she is nice to me and shares with me

What is the best part about Joel (brother)? he likes to play with me and likes to be like me

What is your favorite book? Notebook of Doom and I Survived

What is your favorite movie? Big Hero 6 and The Lego Movie

Where is your favorite place to eat? at home and at the place where the cook in front of you (Zuki)

What is your favorite thing to wear? my Skylanders shirt and my glow in the dark pajama shirt

Off to Kindergarten She Goes

For months, one little kid in our house has been asking almost daily about when school was starting. To say she was excited about starting kindergarten is quite an understatement. We went to her orientation together and the next day it was time to put her on the bus and send her off. She did great and has absolutely loved her first couple of days!

And the yearly tradition must go on.....

What is your name? Leah

How old are you? 5

What do you want to be when you grow up? a dolphin trainer

What is your favorite food? tacos

What is your favorite drink? gatorade

What makes you happy? mommy

What makes you sad? Caleb being mean

What is your favorite thing to do at home? watch tv

Who is your best friend? Bridget

Where is your favorite place to go? Grandma's house

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? go to the store

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? go get ice cream

What is the best part about Caleb (brother)? he is nice to me

What is the best part about Joel (brother)? he is nice to me

What is your favorite book? The Kissing Hand

What is your favorite movie? KidSongs

Where is your favorite place to eat? Grandma's house

What is your favorite thing to wear? my dolphin shirt

First Dentist Visit

There's not much to say about this, but the pictures are just too cute not to share. And, as a third born, it is rare that "firsts" get caught on camera and documented. So, here it is - Joel's first dentist visit. He did great :)

New Smile

For quite a few weeks, Leah had a very wiggly tooth that she was SUPER excited to lose. Unfortunately, she has witnessed several of her dramatic big brother's teeth pulling episodes and thought there must be something to fear about losing teeth. A few nights in a row involved her eagerly asking Daddy to pull the tooth, giving him a few tries, and then crying hysterically because she was afraid is was going to hurt too much.

It only took the peer pressure of her big brother and one of her best friends to finally get the job done! Being that it was in the middle of the day and Tyler wasn't home, I had to do the honor of pulling it out (which is something I truly get grossed out by). It only took one little tug, though, because it had really been ready to come out for days!

And there it went, her very first tooth came out. It was an especially emotional moment for me because it wasn't just any tooth, but the tooth that we noticed in her mouth on the day she was born! That's right, she's one of those very unique kids who was born with what they call a "milk tooth".

Family Lake Trip 2015

We had another awesome trip to the lake. Each year our family trips down there seem to get more and more enjoyable. The kids are all at such fun ages and it is great to watch the joy on their faces as they experience all the goodness that comes with time at the lake. I am beyond grateful that we have the ability to just pack a few outfits, jump in the car, and head away to an absolutely beautiful place....we certainly count it as one of our biggest blessings in life!

Caleb, of course, loves all of the knex and lego sets Uncle Dave and Aunt Nancy get him. He especially loved this roller coaster they put together in just a couple days!

We love boat rides!

Lunch on the boat is always fun...especially when we eat at a pirate restaurant :)

Pool Time

Chill Time

We love having Daddy around all day to play!

We brought back a favorite tradition from my childhood....taking the boat to dinner.

Grandpa and Grandma bought us a new tube....yippee!

Not a fan of tubing...but I still enjoy skiing (for a few minutes until my whole body aches like an old lady)!

Picnic and Playing on the Boat

Another great lake trip in the books!