1st Day of School 2015-2016

I am trying to get back into this blogging thing, if it is just for myself to journal:) So here we go.

The first day of school this year was a little interesting.  I am teaching this year and I teach across the state line in Nebraska.  Well Nebraska City started school on August 13th this year.  So my students have been in school for almost 2 full weeks.  This was kind of nice for me because I was able to take the morning off to take my own kids to their first day of school.

 Mercedes started Kindergarten this year.  I can't believe it is already here.  She looks so grown-up more and more every day.  I just want her to stay little because she is super snuggly and loves to sit on my lap.  I know that will all go away someday:(

 We had to have a picture of the backpacks.  Lincoln was super proud of his.  When we were picking them out he struggled between this one and a Jurassic World one.  At the store he was saying "this is really hard".  I talked him into this one because I thought it looked cooler.  This one makes noise like R2D2. Lincoln always mixes up the letters/numbers and it makes me laugh.

 My handsome boy who is starting 2nd grade this year.

 Walking into school.

 This is Lincoln and his teacher Mrs. Murphy.

Sitting at his desk.  He has 27 kids in his class, so I am interested to see how this year goes.  He was in heaven to see all the books.  When I asked him last night what he was most excited about for 2nd grade he said for reading, p.e., art, music and math.  So pretty much everything:)

 He was so done with pictures.  He told me I was going to embarrass him.  Oh man, I hate that we've got to that point.  He used to hold my hand when I walked him into school and tell me when I forgot to give him a kiss.  I suppose I can't have that forever.

 My sweet Mercedes starts Kindergarten today.

 Here she is at her table.  Her cousin Bella is in her class and is sitting behind her today.  Hopefully they will be good together.  They can sometimes get mischievous together.

 When I was talking to Mercedes last night asking her what she was most excited about she told me that it was to play with all the toys.  And today she kept telling me how excited she was to play with all of her friends at school.  She was not her old shy self.  Last year was a hard start for her, but she is a pro now.

 Mercedes and her teacher Mrs. Brandt.

Days at Home

Since Lincoln has started school the girls and I have settled somewhat into a routine.  We do lots of stuff everyday and it seems like we are busy all day until I try to think at night about what I have done and then it doesn't seem like all that much.  I am sure I am not the only mother who feels this way.  It has been very nice to be able to stay home this year though.  I enjoy managing my household and hope that I can get even better in the coming months.  Here are a few things we do everyday; Mommy exercises and showers, we do Mommy preschool, Lexi takes 3 or 4 naps, Mercedes takes 1 nap, Mercedes plays with play dough, Mommy cleans, Mommy cleans again, Mommy makes meals, Mommy and Cedes do laundry, Mommy works on the budget, and so forth.  I have been enjoying some one on one time with my sweet Ceds.  Love her so much. 

 She dressed up like a cowgirl one day.  It was cute, but when I called her a cowgirl she said "no, mommy, I a cowboy!"

And I finally got one of these on camera.  Lexus has been smiling for awhile, but it took me awhile to actually get it documented.  And now I think I am all caught up on our summer happenings.  Except I haven't taken any pictures in the pool, but we have spent many an hour in Mimi and Papa's pool!

Kindergarten!

 Lincoln started Kindergarten this year on August 14th. It was really early this year, but he was excited so it was okay.  Here are the pictures of his first day.

 Mercedes had to be involved as well.

 Out front of the school.

 This is out front of his classroom and below is the picture with his teacher Mrs. Brandt.

 Showing me his name tag and his cubby.

And this was one of his first projects done in Kindergarten.  All in all he had a great day and was so happy that he got to play on the big playground.  He still loves it almost three weeks later.  I am so proud of this big boy and can't wait for him to continue with his love for learning.  As his teacher said though, it kinda stinks to have a teacher for a mom.  We have been doing our little homework after he gets home and I am teaching him to read.  When he brings home a paper that I don't think looks good we redo some of it.  Am I mean? It is in those times that I consider the thought of homeschooling.  Does that make me crazy? Anyway we are enjoying our school year.

Adventures of Baby

 Lexus swings in her swing a few times a day and sometimes she likes it more than others.  She has started to really focus on the toys and sometimes will smile at them and talk to them.  It is so funny.

 This little girl loves the bath.  If she is upset and I put her in the bath it instantly calms her down.

 The kids can not stay away from her and love to watch and crowd me when I am giving her a bath.

 I love baby crying faces.  It is so cute.  Well until they get really mad/sad.  Lexi doesn't really ever get to that unless she wakes up when I am in the shower or something and I can't hear her.

 Lincoln really wanted to help feed her.  You can tell he was watching TV at the time and wasn't paying too much attention.  I had to intervene shortly after this as the bottle wasn't really in Lexus' mouth.

 Two sweet kids.

 Making faces with Mommy.

Always wanting to be near her.

Who does she look like?

Here are pictures of all of my kids in the same towel.  Lexi is the 1st and 3rd if you couldn't tell. Mercedes is 2nd and Lincoln is 4th.  Each day I see looks of Mercedes and Lincoln in her.  The question is who does she look more like? What do you think?

Three kids and an Aflac truck

I assume I am not the only one to notice the phenomenon that the more kids you have the less pictures you take of them.  I remember taking hundreds of pictures of Lincoln that first year.  Well, I am trying to be better about it but I have nowhere near that amount of pictures for Lexus.  Alas, she will have the third child complex.  Anyway, one Sunday I decided to take some pictures of my three (still weird to say) beautiful kids.  My son did not give me one real smile.  Oh well.

 In early July, Todd had an event with the Shenandoah Hospital where he arranged for the AFLAC PGA truck to come.  We went over and hung out for a little while.  That was like the first super hot day so it was a little bit miserable, but it was fun to golf in the simulator.

For some reason I do not have any pictures of Lincoln, but he spent a ton of time in there golfing or whatever you want to call his efforts.