Routine Fun

I like the routine that the school year brings. We have something planned almost every day. Sadly, we are back to a Doctors visit almost every week. Hopefully that will end soon.

Lucy misses her sister when she goes to Preschool. She likes to wear her backpack around when Leland has left the house wearing hers. I recently cut Lucy's wispy hair. If you look closely at the picture of her on the track, you can see her "wings" that I shortened by about 2 inches. I love her little curls in the back. Curls are such a new thing for me.

We spent an afternoon at Boxerwood Gardens last week. I seriously love that place. Lucy is just the right size for the tunnel. It's so much easier there now that she walks all the time. Leland was showing me how strong she was. That stick she is holding up was 20 feet long, she was so proud of herself.

On Saturday evening, we went to a BBQ with people from church. It was so much fun. They had an awesome back yard with a swing, hammock chair, pool (although we did not swim), and a garden. Chuck picked a cup full of raspberries, while I ate them all. They were so delicious. It's been a long time since I picked raspberries.

Their home backs up to the Golf Course. Chuck realized that he has hit a few golf balls into their back yard. He found a few in their garden that he took to replace the ones he lost.

The family brought out the rockets that they like to launch for their grand kids. Leland enjoyed being the one to press THE BUTTON.

I captured the best picture on the first launch:

3....2....1....BLAST OFF!!!!

After a few launches, a rocket got caught in a tree. It took quite a while to get the rocket from the tree. One guy even climbed up the tree about 30 feet to shake the branches.

First Day

Leland had her first day of Preschool this week. She has been so excited for weeks. I knew she would have a great time and would love every minute. She is like a sponge and loves learning new things and making new friends. We all went to drop her off. Leland decided that she wanted just Daddy to take her inside. I sat in the car with Lucy and was totally fine and not emotional at all.

Chuck walked her in she hung up her bag and went right in to play. He came back to the car and I asked "How did she do? Are you okay?" He started to cry and said "Our little girl is growing up too fast." What a sweet dad I have as a husband. Then I lost it and started to cry to. I want to say that I hope it gets easier, but according to my sister it doesn't.

Luckily I had planned a playgroup for kids around Lucy's age to come over while Leland was at school. My house felt very quiet and empty until they all arrived. It was fun for Lucy to play with kids around her own age. The time flew by quickly.

Part of the first day report:

Me: Did you go potty at Preschool?
LJ: Yes. I went pee pee. I didn't wipe, but I washed my hands with soap. I couldn't get my pants on so I yelled Ms J. I need your help! Then she helped me.

Nice.

Labor Day Festival

On Monday I went to a Labor Day Festival in BV with a friend and her 2 kids. We went late in the day to enjoy some of the small town festivities. We made it there just in time to watch a few performances from The Rebels of Rhythm Cloggers. Leland sat down in front with all the little girls in awe watching them stomp and dance.

The last song they invited anyone who wanted to join them to come to the front. Leland drug her friend by the hand to go dance. Once the cloggers started, the girls both just stood there as still as could be. Finally, they started to stomp their feet, then it took everything I had in me to go up there with them to get them to dance. Chuck didn't believe me when I told him that I had. Sadly there is no video of me "clogging", I'm sure it was a pretty hilarious sight. But here's the girls.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

After the dancing we headed to the playground area and just let the kids play. Lucy loves climbing up the slide. Leland on the other hand loved to just lay on the blanket. Her and her friend were watching the clouds talking about what animal shapes they saw in the clouds in the sky.

I had to include this picture of Leland becuseI love how blue her eyes look. Something about the blue in her shirt and the blue blanket make them stand out. This is her usual form as well - thumb in mouth and finger up the nose. I really want her to grow out of that soon, she looks so ridiculous.

4 Generations

4 generations

It was nice to have my family stop by our house on the way out of town after a fun weekend. I have wanted to take a 4 generations picture for some time and am so glad that we were able to do so.

To the right is a picture of the 4 generations with my mother as the baby. I tried to take a digital picture of the pictures my grandmother brought with her. Some turned out clearer than others, this one is a little blurry. We put together a slide show of pictures for my mother. It was really fun to see them all. My aunts gave her a digital picture frame so she can watch the slide show all the time.

I call my grandmother "Mommom" for obvious reasons - she is my mom's mom. Growing up, I called my great-grandmother "Grandma", so that name was taken. When my girls and I went to pick Mommom up from the airport last week, I was explaining to Leland who she was and how we were all related.

Leland calls my mother "Nana". After the explanation of "Mommom", Leland said, "Well then I will call her Nana-Mom." It was so cute how her little mind figured that out. Mommom loved it.

Ladies Weekend

Last Friday was my mom's 60th Birthday! We had a ladies weekend in Charlottesville to celebrate. All the women in my family came from along the East coast to VA to celebrate: my grandmother (FL), Aunt Joan (NY), Aunt Barbara (VA), my mom (NC), cousin Cody (PA), Suzanne (NC), Christine (MD) and myself were all there. Even though it was a short visit we had so much fun. We walked around the shops at the downtown mall in Charlottesville, had lunch at Hamiltons, Gelato at Splendora's (a must if you are ever close by!), then back to my aunt Barbara's house for dinner and birthday fun.

Our evening was Hawaiian themed so we had hawaiian pizza, pina coladas, and wore leis. Somehow shower caps were thrown in there too. We had so much fun dancing, laughing, and playing Bunko. (below left: my mom with her 2 sisters and mother, right: my 2 sisters and I)

I don't get to see my grandmother that often and she is a riot! She is 79 years old going on 21. I love her. She was doing the Electric Slide, cheating at Bunko, and flaunting the flower bra and leopard shower cap like crazy. When I asked her what her favorite show was she said America's Next Top Model. Seriously!?!?

(Left) My cousin Cody- I think this should be her new Facebook profile picture. My mom (to the right) the birthday girl.

Thanks for getting us all together. It was so much just being together even if only for a short time. I hope you had a wonderful birthday. I am so grateful for my mother and all the things I have learned from her. She is a giving person and service comes very natural to her. I love you mom! Happy birthday!