Lauren Starts 1st Grade!!

Well, it is official.  We now have a 1st grader in our house, and Lauren already feels like an old pro when it comes to the bus stop, riding the bus, and actually going to school.

The week prior to the first day of school, we were able to meet her teacher and check out her new classroom.  This year, Lauren is in classroom 106, and has Mrs. Clyde.  She was especially excited to see that she is no longer at tables, but rather has her own desk in class.  She even put a pencil in there for the first day of school.  (Note: her actual school supplies were not there yet.  We ordered them through a program at the school, and they did not arrive until a few days after school started.  Thankfully, the teacher/school had plenty of paper and pens to cover all of the students who did not have supplies yet.)

           

On the first day of school, August 28th, Lauren woke up, picked out her outfit and came down for breakfast.  Chad went in to work late so he could walk down to the bus stop and see her off.  She was very excited to see her sign and her Kindercone, which she was not allowed to open until dinner time.

We paused for some photos outside.

                               

Then we walked down to the bus stop.  It was very fun to see all of the kids again and to meet plenty of new kids/families.  Lauren and Sam, her bus stop buddy, confidently walked on the bus and picked out their seat.  They didn't even look back.  I would say it was a successful first morning!

Charlie and I enjoyed a day with just the two of us, and I think he was very happy to have the playroom all to himself.  He even said "Didi stay in school" when I asked if he missed his sister.  ha ha ha  I guess the answer was no!


That afternoon, Lauren got off the bus and immediately raced home with Sam.  It was as if things had never changed.  Those two stepped right back into their routine from Kindergarten.

Once Chad came home, we measured Lauren on her growth chart and then headed out to Nando's Peri Peri for dinner.  Lauren opened up her Kindercone, and Charlie got to open a small bag as well.  She got plenty of pens/pencils, a notebook, some small keychains, a Hot Potato game, art supplies, and candy.  Charlie got a small Transformers robot, his current obsession.

                     

After dinner, we went over to Trummer's Coffee & Wine bar for some dessert.  Lauren had a small meltdown at the thought of eating an eclair and a beignet, and we knew it was time to quickly finish up our treats and get her home to bed.  

It was a great start to the new school year, and we hope Lauren really enjoys 1st grade!!  

Mommy, Lauren, & Charlie Adventure Day!!

The day before school started, I decided to take Lauren and Charlie out for an "adventure" day, to celebrate the end of summer.  I did not tell them anything about the day, and they were both excited to see what the day would bring!

We started off by meeting Chad for lunch at the local Japanese Steakhouse.  Unfortunately, he had to work, but I wanted to make sure he got a chance to participate in Adventure Day!  We ordered lunch and both kids were a bit freaked out with the fire and the cooking show.  But they did love their chicken!!

                              

Then, the kids and I headed to the National Harbor for the second part of Adventure Day.  Lauren has been talking about riding the Ferris Wheel, at the Harbor, for quite some time.  I knew Chad would not want to go for a ride, so I figured this was a good idea for the three of us.  We parked and walked towards the water.  Lauren was so excited when she realized where we were headed.  Charlie was not as excited!

We paused for a few pictures, and the kids were photo bombed by the cutest couple.  They thought I knew these people and it took a little while to explain what just happened.  ha ha ha

 

Next, it was time to go on the actual ride.  Charlie freaked out as we were getting inside the car, but calmed down as soon as we started moving.  Both kids had a great time and we had fun counting planes landing at Reagan Airport, and boats in the Potomac.

Afterwards, we stopped for ice cream, played in the sand, climbed statues, and shopped in the Peeps store.

                           

                           

It was a great way to end such a fun summer, and get everyone ready for a new school year.  I love having both kids home during the summer, because we get to spend so much time together, but it will be nice to get back into the swing of things once school and sports schedules pick back up!  I am excited to see what this school year will bring and am already planning activities for next summer!

Summer Fun!

This summer was jam-packed with so many activities and experiences, that we hardly had time to actually go to the pool much.  Originally, we had planned on buying a summer membership to a local pool, but I am glad we did not do that because we did not have any time to go swimming.

Parties

The kids were lucky enough to be invited to some fun summer parties.  First up, was our neighbor Logan's 3rd birthday party.  It was at a local kid's gym and we loved it because we left with two exhausted kiddos!!

                     

Next, we went to the Ackermann's house for some slip and slide fun.  We love to get these kids together and they seem to really have fun together!  Although, let's be honest, it is hard to have a BAD time when a slip n slide is involved.  They finally got the hang of it this summer and we had to drag them off of the slide for some dinner.

                

Our Garden

This year, the kids helped me pick out plants for our planters.  As usual, Lauren got a big planter on the back deck and Charlie got a big planter by the side of the house.  They picked out strawberry plants, and annuals with a lot of color.  We also picked out plenty of herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, dill, rosemary, and lavender), and a cherry tomato plant!

I ended up planting everything by myself, which was a nice break.  Nothing like getting your hands dirty in complete peace and silence!  =)

The plants on the back deck did pretty well.  Unfortunately, the deer devoured my plants on the side of the house (poor Charlie) and on our front porch.  Those plants tried to make a comeback but they never really bloomed the way we had imagined.

Nevertheless, the kids and I had a fun time watching the herbs/tomatoes grow.  We had plenty of basil and picked tomatoes throughout the summer.  It doesn't get much better than that!!

           

                           

Pool/Beach Time/Water Park

Although we did not get to swim as much as we would have liked, we did make it out to the pool and water park a few times this summer.

We went to the Larry Weeks Community Pool, in Vint Hill, a few times.  The kids loved the kiddie pool section and then we headed in to the big pool for some fun.  We packed picnics and had lunch in the grassy area off the pool.  It is a really nice facility, and I anticipate going there more often next summer.

We also went to the Atlantis Water Park a few times as well.  Once again, both kids loved splashing around in the kiddie pool, and then we practiced swimming in the big pool.  Lauren and Charlie also had a great time playing in the splash pad/playground.  I had to drag them out of there every time we went.

                               

                          

National Night Out

This summer, the timing worked out, and we were able to attend Haymarket's National Night Out.  The kids and I met Chad in Haymarket and we enjoyed bounce houses, dunk booths, face painting, live music, a car show, and some awesome food from local food trucks.  The kids got to meet and watch the local police department and had fun playing with other local kids.  It doesn't get much better than that!

       

                           

       

Playtime at Home

This summer, we also tried to spend some quality time at home.  We love to travel and visit with family/friends, but sometimes it is nice to just be together at home.  Chad, the kids, and I were able to build cool forts in the family room, cook family dinners together, build Lego sets in the kitchen, play with homemade slime, spend time outside riding tractors/swinging out on the playground/shooting off rockets, and enjoying family movie nights!

           

                           

Lego Fair


In August, the Lego Fair came to the Dulles Expo Center, and we knew the kids would love to go, so we surprised them with tickets.  I have never seen so many Legos in one spot.  There were displays for every theme you could imagine, and we loved walking through and taking it all in.  Towards the end, we found an interactive area, where kids (and adults) were free to play and build to their hearts content.  Lauren and Charlie spent quite a bit of time here, and I was happy for a chance to sit down and just watch.  It was a fun day, and we all agree that we will be going back again next year!!

                       

Summer Camps!!

This year, Lauren went to a Sports Camp, at Haymarket Elementary School.  It was held during the morning and she was able to play a lot of basketball (which is why she wanted to go), along with some other fun games.  She had so much fun, and enjoyed a little break from being home all day.  I loved that she was able to get some good exercise in such a fun way!

Lauren also attended VBS, at the Sudley United Methodist Church, with her buddy Sam.  The theme was Super Heroes and she had a great time.  She discovered that other kids from her Kindergarten class were there as well, and she loved all of the crafts/singing/dress-up they were able to do.  It was a half day, in the morning, and she was always worn out by the time we got home!  I would say it was quite a success.

Picking Sunflowers

Every summer, we try to head out to Burnside Farms to pick our own sunflowers (or wildflowers, depending on the month).  This year, the weather was a bit icky, but it wasn't raining, so we headed out to see how the fields were doing.  It was the perfect time to go.  The flowers were just starting to bloom, the crowds were small, and they had huge bounce houses set up for playtime.  We picked a few flowers, stopped for some pictures, had a "tea party", and spent some time at the bounce houses.

       

Charlie was in rare form that day.  While picking flowers, he kept picking up and playing with the bees buzzing around the blooms.  And while on the bounce houses, he would climb up the big slide and refuse to come down.  We were there far beyond the amount of time I would have liked, because we had to give him time to gain some confidence to come down the slide.  He eventually came down and I was able to get them back home!

Beach Time

We tried to get home to the Eastern Shore as much as possible this summer, and I wanted to make sure the kids got at least one trip to Assateague State Park to play in the sand/water and see the horses.  We had so much fun dodging the waves (that water was freezing cold!), building sand castles, picking up sea shells, and watching the wild horses wandering the beach.  It might be a pain to drag all of the necessary gear out to the beach (blankets, coolers, chairs, umbrellas, toys, towels, etc), but it is all worth it for those precious moments of fun and innocence.

       

Jeep Rides!!!

Perhaps my favorite part of summer, is taking the kids out for a top down jeep ride.  Mee-maw and Grandpa still have the Pearl Turkey, my Jeep from college/early marriage days, and I love to take the top off when we are home in the summer.  I strap the car seats in, pop the kids in the back, and drive around town.  It takes them a minute to get used to the wind in their faces, but they always have a great time.  Lauren and Charlie both talk about the Jeep all year long!

As you can see in the pictures, this is a "Thumbs Up" summer experience, and I hope we can continue ALL of these traditions every year!!