Festival of Trees FUN!

Since school has started for Lance, this was the 1st FULL day of having both boys home again! I was a little apprehensive (and negative) about how the day would go..... Because they do so much arguing these days! But we packed the day full of FUN and I couldn't have enjoyed the day any more than I did. These ages around Christmas time make it so much more fun - their smiles, excitement and energy......

We started the morning with their favorite - cinnamon rolls and Chick Fil A - and getting out some of that energy!

Chase and I attend a Wednesday morning music class and the teacher invited older siblings to join in.... Lance may like the class more than Chase does!

Then onto Festival of trees where they enjoyed driving trains, looking at elaborate gingerbread houses, talking to a giant nose..........

And last but not least...... Visiting SANTA CLAUS and giving him their short lists.

 Chase: A Jeep & a Camera

Lance: Ninja Turtle Half Shell Layer (he was VERY specific) and bubble bath, for me. 

 Dad got off early and we made a little road trip to order his new snowmobile gear (Lance then decided maybe he should have asked Santa for a snow mobile!) LOL. Sooooo glad we already visited Santa.

Ready or Not......

The day has arrived, his first day of Kindergarten! We talked for weeks about this day (and during the summer months I realized that we both were really ready for this) That being said, it doesn't keep the emotions from catching one off-guard! Was I sad? Not really - is that bad? They were those "tears of JOY" The tears where you feel this excitement for them, you can feel their energy and happiness but you also worry just a little that you did everything you could to prepare them and hope that they will just be OK! And I knew deep down he would be ok ( I mean this is my super social, talk to anyone, make friends anywhere, go with the flow, ask questions anywhere you go LANCE! How can he NOT be ok?) And the emotions are also those of "letting go"...... I'm leaving it all in the hands of him, his teachers and his friends. For 7 hours plus a day he makes his own decisions and I'm not there to remind him to be kind, be careful, eat his healthy foods first (and he didn't in case you were wondering.... LOL! He ate his yogurt and 2 Oreo cookies), etc.

He hugged me tight goodbye and had the biggest smile on his face, ready to start a new day and a new year. And that is what got me the most - that BIG, happy, "I got this Mom" smile :-)

And when he came charging down the stairs of the bus after school, the smile might have been even bigger! We (and really I mean HE) talked for 30 minutes straight about every detail of his day and I smiled listening the entire time - this is beautiful - everything about it!

 The neighborhood has this amazingly cool 1st day of school bus party and I think the parents are just as excited as the kiddos! It was a WONDERFUL surprise!

 (We did these the night before, so we wouldn't have to take away from the fun of the first morning!)

"Ahhhhh!!!!! The bus is here!!!!"

Chase asked about Lance ALL DAY LONG - we had a fun date day, the two of us, which kept my mind occupied. What better place than the Zoo with this adorable  little guy.

6 months

6 months, half a year..... crazy how my day to day thoughts and actions make it feel as though time slowly ticks by, but when I reflect and look back through photos (memories) I realize just how quickly those 6 months fly by! I am guilty of wishing away time - the "oh I can't wait for when...." thoughts.

When it's January and cold and we've watched too much television I long for a glimpse of sun, and weather that lets us camp, visit parks, pools and the zoo! And now it is July and although I still am loving the fresh air and sitting on the deck at any given time..... I do long just a bit for our "routine"

These boys keep me in check. They remind me often to live in the moment- put down the phone, forget about dishes and laundry and to just play, read, watch a show, go for a walk.....

I do miss some of the aspects of "job" life, but I feel so incredibly fortunate to have these days watching my boys grow! 

Here are the first 6 months of pics at our same bench at the park - can you tell which month was their favorite, and probably mine too!!!! 

His 1st Graduation

            I'm pretty sure I saw future moments of his life flash before me as his teacher read a farewell poem - (" it's pre-K Joy, hold yourself together") I love him growing & learning, I love seeing & hearing his excitement of the next minute, day, week, month and next Christmas...... And it's a little fun to think about the life journey he will take & person he will become .....BUT as so many Moms, Dads, and others say, I just want to freeze these moments in time! I want to write down every moment possible - record it so at any given moment I can feel the same emotions, see the same smiles, feel the same joy in my heart!! Yes - I know - video cameras, pictures, they capture a fraction of that. And trust me my slices of the pie in the picture department are on the obtuse side. I just might have 360 of the 365 days documented thanks to the iPhone :-)

This week leading up to the BIG graduation night Lance & I have had some conversations about this special moment and how he will have other graduations. We talked about how he'll move on from Kindergarten to 1st to 2nd, all the way up to 12th and then I said I would be very sad when he went away to college & I would miss having him at the house. And we talked about college as we have SO many times. (For the record he was really torn between being a Dentist & a Daddy! I think I made his day telling him he could be both!) So, we're on our way home from Hy-Vee last night- listening to the radio, rather than the Little People Tunes, and a commercial for St. Ambrose comes on. The catch to the rather long commercial "Stay at home & earn your degree" From the backseat Lance starts talking all excited, but EVER so serious, "Mommy, you won't have to be sad. I can just stay at home and go to college!" I seriously laughed (& maybe cried on the inside too) How incredibly precious. Your behavior at the checkout line has been forgiven :-) And its those moments - the non-grocery store checkout line ones- that I want to be able to bring back as quick as a slide of the finger on the iPhone! 

So, the BIG moment came & went just as quickly as the past 4 1/2 years have. And the pictures &  video (that I will watch a million times while he's growing up over the next 15 years or so) will help me remember just how special the moment was. 

Congrats to my thoughtful, moody, spontaneous, loud, energetic, sweet, happy-happy, intelligent, sincere little rule follower!

And onto the unforgettable pics!

His AMAZING teachers!!! 

and........A little celebration yogurt - with yummy toppings! So lucky to be sharing it with Grandparents (Grandpa Mike too!) 

Backbone - its CAMPING time

FIRST camping trip of the year - Easter Weekend! A tad chilly, but perfect for a campfire! I'm not sure if the boys or Keegan and I were more excited.... We can't get enough of the good old outdoors.

We ventured a couple hours away to Strawberry Point - Backbone state Park in IA and we were THE ONLY ONES to be found. Lance had a bit of a cold and the medicine we were able to find in town was not the flavor he preferred so that would be the one memory I will take away from this weekend, no doubt!

 Painting Easter Eggs of course (without the vinegar the colors aren't too bright!) But the Easter Bunny didn't mind, he still found us.

 Caves, woods, hiking........ is this heaven?

 Lance getting into the picture taking too!

 And even a beach to get a little sand action and toes in the water!