Photostory Friday #5!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Photo Story Friday - my how they grow!

My 7 year old daughter started 2nd grade on Monday.
Here she is a year ago starting 1st grade.

And here she is 2 years ago starting Kindergarten.
*
My baby is growing up!

At the beginning of every school year, I think about this Poem:

Dear World:
I bequeath to you today one little girl…in a crispy dress…with two blue eyes…and a happy laugh that ripples all day long…and a flash of light blond hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I trust you will treat her well.

*
She’s slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning…and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine. Prim and proud she’ll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say “Goodbye” and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

*
Now she’ll learn to stand in lines…and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She’ll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she’ll learn how not to cry.

*
No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn to kiss lilac blossoms in the morning dew. No, now she will worry about the important things…like grades and which dress to wear and whose best friend is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls. And she’ll find new heroes.

*
For five full years now I’ve been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and mother and friend. Now she’ll learn to share her worship with her teachers…which is only right. But, no longer will I be the smartest, greatest person in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time…she’ll learn what it means to be a member of the group…with all its privileges and its disadvantages too.

*
She’ll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud…or kiss dogs…or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms…or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in the summer.

*
Today she’ll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. And I’ll stand on the front porch and watch her start out on the long, lonely journey to becoming a woman.

*
So, world, I bequeath to you one little girl…in a crispy dress…with two blue eyes…and a happy laugh that ripples all day long…and a flash of light blond hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I trust you’ll treat her well.

(I wish I knew who the author of this poem is. It makes me cry every time I read it!)

Rough day for the Kindergartener

My Prince on his 4th day of Kindergarten!

Princess on her 4th day of 2nd Grade!

My little Prince had a rough day at school yesterday. A neighbor of mine saw him crying in the cafeteria, where they corral the kids before school starts. She found out from her first grader what class the Prince was in and went in to see if he was OK. At that point he was just sniffling but was doing loads better.

*

I went to help in the lunch room yesterday. The first weeks of school are always hard for the new kids on the block. Little hands have a hard time opening milk cartons, juice boxes, and individually wrapped lunch items. I volunteered to help the kids with this. What I really wanted to do was to sit by my little Prince. I worked until all of the kids we eating their lunches and then I went over to sit by him. He was so happy to see me!!

*

I know that every child has to go though this, but that does not make it any easier. He is my child and he was hurting. The Knight and I are going back for lunch today. Here's to hoping he is having a better morning!

Wordless Wednesday - 3rd Day of School!

Wordless Wednesday- First Day of School -- DONE!

2nd Day of School!

2nd Day of school and so far so goo!

The Prince had a great first day of Kindergarten! He came home and demanded that we do his reading homework! We even have friends over! I read with him right then and there. I want him to keep that fire for learning!

Princess declared 2nd grade the best grade yet! She and AB are not sitting next to each other but I think that may be a good thing. They get kind of chatty.

*

It has been a good start to the new year!!

*

P.S. The next few days the kids will be modeling clothes that we found on their special days! Princess did not get her Daddy Special Day yet but it is coming. Instead I had a special day with her last Saturday and we bought some fun new outfits for school!

First Day of School!

First Day of School!!!

Princess is all ready for school with her Princess backpack!
My little Kindergartener was SO very proud to be starting school this morning!

I have two school-age kiddos!

My trio! 3 1/2, 5 and 7 years old!

Heading to the bus stop!

Time for Princess to get on the bus!

Prince was SO excited to ride the bus for the first time!

I met the bus at the school so I could get them to the right class.

Princess asked to sit by the Prince to keep him company!

Here is the Prince's first school desk!

Time for Prince to practice writing his name!

Prince and his Kindergarten Teacher!

Princess's new desk!

AB and Princess! They are in the same class for the 3rd year in a row.

Princess's new classroom!

Photostory Friday #4!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

***
All the way back in May 2004, my husband was sent to a DB2 Conference in Orlando, Florida. At the time, we were parents of a 2 1/2 year old girl (Princess) and a 10 month old son (Prince). We would find out about the Knight's impending arrival the very next month!
***
Because the company was already paying for DadOf3's plane ticket and hotel room, we decided to splurge and buy tickets for Princess and me so we could all go with him. Prince rode free because he was under 2.

Princess and me on the flight to Orlando. Princess was a seasoned traveler at this point. She had already flown 10 round trips!
Here are DadOf3 and the Prince. He was excited to be on the plane. He would love it even more today. We have not flown as a family since this trip.

Baby Prince and me at one of the restaurants in Orlando. He lit up the room with his smile!

Here is Princess with one of the mice from Cinderella. At 2 months shy of 3 years old, she was at the perfect age to enjoy the magic of Disney World!

Here is Princess with Cinderella! We really lucked out! Apparently Cinderella is one of the most difficult Princesses to meet!

We waited in line for over an hour for Princess to get a chance to meet Ariel, her favorite Princess of all time!

DadOf3, MomOf3, Prince, and Princess in front of Cinderella's castle. Princess was enthralled with the real live castle! It was pretty neat!

Here we are at the end of the day and the Prince had had enough. He is a grumpy bear because he didn't like the fireworks. My sensitive boy thought they were too loud!
***

I would love to take the kids back to Disney World someday! It was a wonderful vacation!

Thursday Thirteen! 13 Things I will miss about Summer!

I am getting a little sad at the thought of summer being over. I love spending time with my kids. I am trying a new meme called Thursday Thirteen to remember what a fun summer we had!

Here are the top 13 things I will miss about summer (in no particular order)!

1) Playing in the backyard with nary a thought about homework!
2) Boating with our friends and SKIING!

3) Going to the park in the mornings!

4) Ice cream!

5) Family time.

6) The fun and excitement of staying in hotel rooms.

7) Amusement Parks!

8) Sparklers!! (And seeing family in Iowa!)

9) Road Trips!!

10) Summer birthday parties!!!

11) Lemonade stands!

12) VBS

13) Taking the kids to Chuck E. Cheese!