Lauren's First Day of Pre-School!!

Pre-School - Daytime Playtime, Haymarket, Va
Days - Tuesday am & Thursday am
Age - 4.5 years
Teacher - Miss Michelle
What Lauren Wants to Be When She Grows Up - A Pet Vet!


Well, summer quickly came to an end and it was time for Lauren to start Pre-School at Daytime Playtime.  We had talked to her a lot about school, her classroom, and her teachers throughout the summer, and she finally seemed ready to start.

On September 2nd, we had her orientation.  Chad and I took her to the school to meet her teacher, see her classroom, and check out all of the play areas.  She handled that well and we all looked forward to her first day.

This morning, we woke her up, got her dressed, gave her breakfast, and showed her the Kinder Cone I put together.  A Kinder Cone is a back to school tradition in Germany, where the children all received these cones on their first day of school.  They were filled with little gifts, school supplies, and sweets.  I remember having a Kinder Cone, when I was growing up in Germany, and I was excited to continue that tradition with my kids.

                   

We let her take a look a the cone this morning, but she had to wait until after school to open it.  That would give her something to look forward to and we didn't want her to become too distracted with the things inside the cone, right before heading off to school.

We headed outside to take some photos, Lauren grabbed her Minion backpack (she picked it out all by herself during our back to school shopping trip) and then piled in the car.

We arrived at school really early.  I was not sure what the school traffic would be like, I wanted to see how crowded the parking lot got, and we didn't know when the kids would be allowed to go in to their classrooms.  Soon all of the kids and their parents arrived and gathered outside the school's entrance.

                   

When it came time to go inside, Lauren grabbed my hand and we walked to her classroom.  She was the first kid to arrive and her teacher, Miss Michelle, greeted her with a big smile.  They hung up her backpack and soon other kids arrived.  Chad and I gave her a big kiss and said goodbye.  She barely looked up and was so engrossed with the classroom that she did not notice us leave.  There definitely were no tears!!  

Chad went on to work, while Charlie and I spent a quiet morning at home.  It felt very weird without Lauren there, but Charlie did not seem to mind.  And I have to admit, it was nice having some one on one time with my little guy!

Soon, it was time to pick Lauren up, and we headed back to the school.  She was sitting patiently in the classroom, and jumped up with a huge smile on her face, as soon as she saw us.  I asked how her day was and she told me that she had the best time.  And she could not wait to tell me all about snack time and the jumping room!  When I asked if she wanted to come back, she shouted "YES"!  =)

We met Chad for lunch, at Panera, and Lauren got to open her cone.  She enjoyed all of her treats and school supplies.  But it was obvious that we needed to finish up lunch, because Lauren was getting very tired.  As soon as we got home, she walked to her room, got into a pull up and was in bed.  I didn't have to help her or remind her to go to bed.  She was THAT tired.

The first day was a success.  Lauren had a great time and she was exhausted from all of the excitement.  We couldn't ask for a better "first day of school" experience, and I can't wait to see what the next class brings!!

U5 Fall Soccer 2015

This fall, Chad and I decided it was time to register Lauren for a fall sport.  She was too young for the local all female t-ball league, and she always enjoys kicking the ball around, so we opted for soccer.

She will be playing in a U5 league through the Virginia Soccer Association.  Her team, the Cheetahs, has 8 players, 4 boys and 4 girls, they play at Long Park (which is 5 minutes away), and so far she really seems to like it!  She really enjoyed our shopping trip, to pick out a soccer ball, some cleats, and shin guards!  We ordered her uniform/socks through the VSA website, so she didn't get to pick those out.  But she likes those as well!!

Her practices are from 5:30 pm - 6 pm on Tuesdays, and their games are always played on Saturday.  She has had 2 practices so far and her first game is this weekend.  It is so cute to watch all of the little kids chase after the ball and I am really looking forward to watching her games!!

                   

                   

Also, although Charlie is not able to participate in any sports yet, he still manages to have fun sitting on the sideline at Lauren's practice.  He has plenty of snacks, milk, and loves to watch all of the kids run around.  And it probably wont be long before we are watching him playing!

Who knows if Lauren will enjoy soccer and stick with this sport, but so far she really likes it and it is great to see her participating in a team activity and listening to her soccer coach!

Go Cheetahs!!!!

Family UMD Tailgate!

After going to The University of Maryland Fan Appreciation Day, Chad and I decided that it would be nice to have a little family tailgate at one of the opening football games of the season.  We planned a small meal of chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A, crab dip, chips/dip, fruit salad, and football marshmallow treats for dessert!!

Chad packed up the car with our canopy, a table, some coolers, and some chairs.  Then, he and Lauren decorated the car with our Terp flags and magnets.

We hit the road early, since it was a noon game, and got to the campus fairly easily.  The set-up was quick and we all dove in to the food.  Lauren had fun throwing the football around with Chad, Charlie enjoyed crawling around on the grass, and I enjoyed a delicious wheat beer!

                   

We hung around for an hour and a half, then packed up the car and walked up to the stadium.

It was really hot, and we had quite a long walk.  Chad and I took turns carrying Charlie (did I mention he has become quite heavy and we aren't able to carry him for long periods anymore?), and we slowly made our way with Lauren.  She quickly ran out of steam, so we had to take turns carrying Lauren as well!  Who knew that carrying Charlie would be a relief!?!?!  =)

We got a great deal on tickets, because they were in the first row, right behind the team. They were nice for watching the team/coaches, but they were not good for watching the actual game.  Plus, the sun was beating down on us.  Lauren had fun watching the players, during the first quarter, but she found my phone and watched Mickey Mouse videos during the second quarter.  Charlie had fun playing with my water bottle until he discovered the players, and then he was fixated.  Maybe one day we will be watching him down on that field!

 Chad especially enjoyed himself, despite not being able to see the game, because he was finally able to buy beer in Byrd Stadium!  This is the first year (and the first game) they are selling beer, and he didn't want to miss out.

We left before halftime, and went up to get some ice cream from the Dairy concession stand.  On the way out, we ran into Melo Trimble, one of the University of Maryland's star basketball players.  He posed for a photo and then we walked back to the car.

It was a long, but nice day, and once again, we all slept REALLY well that night!

The End Of Summer 2015

Well, it is official, the care-free days of summer are over and we are now in the beginning of school, ice skating class, fall soccer, and swim class!  This past summer was amazing and I cannot believe how much we were able to fit in to a few short months.

As mentioned in a previous post, we crammed in Aunt Sarah and Uncle Kevin's wedding, playground trips, picnics, flower picking, museums, the zoo, indoor playground fun, watching Daddy playing ice hockey, get-togethers with Lauren's dance class, a water park, a trip to Hershey Park, inpromtu ice cream breaks, water fun out in the sprinklers and on the deck, a trip to the Outer Banks, and multiple trips home to Salisbury!

We also managed to add some last minute fun before the summer ended.

Visit With The Peters Family!  

One of Chad's oldest friends, Scott Peters, was in town with his family, for a visit and we were able to arrange a little get-together at the Salisbury Zoo!  It was hot, but the kids seemed to enjoy the small zoo and the playground.  Obviously we have kept up with the Peters family, but this was the first time the kids met!

                   

                   

Charlie Can Now Sit Up Front With Lauren At The Grocery Store!! 

It was nice for a few shopping trips.  Lauren enjoyed the novelty of having her brother up front with her.  She took great pride in showing him how to turn the steering wheel and honk the little horn.  But once Charlie began reaching for her steering wheel, the fun wore off and now she is not as happy with this turn of events!  But look how cute they are?!  I love it!!

Maryland Fan Appreciation Day!!

At the last minute, Chad and I decided to take the kids over to the University of Maryland for their Fan Appreciation Day.  We picked up some chicken salad subs and a cheese sandwich from our favorite Deli, and found a nice shaded spot in Lot 1.  We had a few tailgate chairs and ate a quick lunch before heading out to watch a little of the Men's Soccer Game.  Lauren really liked sitting up in the stands and watching the players kick the ball around.  

   

     

Then we headed over to Byrd Stadium to see some of the football scrimmage.  Charlie and I could not go in, because they did not allow strollers, so I walked him around outside while Chad and Lauren went in.  They picked up some posters and Lauren declared that she wanted to come back to watch the players.

From there, we walked through a dark Cole Field House and stopped at the student union.  We took a photo with the Kermit and Jim Henson statute and checked out the bookstore.  Charlie got a new Maryland hat and Lauren got a great pride ball!

We finished the day with a walk to the Mall.  Lauren and Charlie loved the big fountain in the middle and had fun running (and crawling) all over the grass.  

               

     

Finally, it was getting late, so we picked up some ice cream (off campus...since the Dairy was closed), and took the kids home.  Needless to say we all slept really well that night!!

Fun In The Fountains At Virginia Gateway!!

There is a shopping center near us, called Virginia Gateway, that has an amazing little fountain pad for the kids to play in and cool down.  Grammy and Grumpa came up to visit, and after a nice lunch at Firebirds, we allowed to kids to run through the fountains.  They LOVED it!  I have since taken them back multiple times, because it is an easy way to cool down and be silly.  Lauren especially loves to stand over the fountain, so that it looks like she is peeing!  ha ha ha

Bird House/Bird Feeding Making With Daddy!

Lauren and Chad had been talking about hanging up a bird house and a bird feeder for a while now.  So one weekend, Chad took Lauren to Lowes and they bought all of the supplies they needed for the bird house and the bird feeder.  Lauren was especially excited to help out with her set of toy wooden tools, but she quickly decided that dancing to the "Despicable Me" soundtrack was more fun than building, and Chad had to finish the project on his own.  They both turned out great!!

         

And within a week, the birds found the feeder.  It has been quite a popular spot these days!

Charlie's First Chili Cheese Dog At The Vienna Inn!!

One weekend we stopped at the Vienna Inn for some chili cheese dogs.  This was one of our favorite places, when we lived in Fairfax, and we could not resist stopping on the way home to Gainesville.  Lauren always orders the grilled cheese, and Charlie usually shares her meal.  But this time, we decided to order Charlie his very own Chili Cheese Dog, and he LOVED it!  The customers at the other tables also got a big kick out of his reaction, which you can see below....

A Visit to Dad's Office!

One Monday morning, Lauren, Charlie and I decided to pick up some coffee (and a cake pop for Lauren and Chad), and head over to Chad's office for a quick visit.  The kids always love to visit Dad at work, and now they especially love it since they discovered his office chair.  They both can fit in it together and it spins around and around and around!!  Luckily, Chad works at an office where they welcome the occasional visit from family.  We don't do this all the time, but every now and then is a special treat!!

Lauren's First Video Game Night!!

Since Lauren has been so good this summer, and she has put up with her little brother commanding our attention and constantly bothering her, Chad and I decided that it was time to introduce her to Mario Kart.  She had never played a video game before, so we put Charlie to bed, and went down to the basement for a Video Game Party.  We brought down snack foods and spent the evening letting her play.  She had a blast, and soon I imagine we will have some competitive video game nights! 

It had been a while since Chad and I played Mario Kart, so we had a great time as well.  Since that night, Lauren has constantly asked to play the driving game, and we keep having to explain that it is a special treat and she is not allowed to play video games very often.  We seem to have created a monster, but I am glad she enjoyed herself!!

Making Homemade Ice Cream!!

We ate so much ice cream this summer, that it was clear we needed to make our own.  Both kids have had homemade ice cream at Mee-maw and Grandpa's house, but we have never made any for them.  So Chad and I got the ingredients and made a vanilla ice cream with crushed Oreos and chunks of bananas!  Charlie loved eating the ingredients.  It was his first Oreo and he he made quite a mess.  Lauren had fun bashing the Oreos to pieces but lost interest in all of the steps.  She came around when it was time to eat the ice cream though!!

It turned out great, and was fun using our Family Cookbook and creating something delicious as a family!

                           

It has been an exceptional summer.  I am sorry that all of these adventures and fun times have come to an end, but I am looking forward to all of the fun we will experience this fall and winter.  And I know that time will fly by and it will be summertime before we know it!