We made it through the first week of school. It sure was hard going back after having a full 2 months off. I think it made it harder to get back into the swing of things.
I just love to listen in on the conversations my kids have with their friends. No, I don't ease drop! I get the best material from the back seat of the van.
Yesterday while picking the boys up from school:
Mason says to his friend Chandler:
"Do you want to live in the same house when we grow up?"
"Yes, that would be fun."
"Well, I get to own the house because I am going to build it myself."
"OK"
"But, I get to drive a Mustang, because that is what kind of car I want."
"Oh, man, I want a Mustang too."
And if this isn't cute enough - Chandler says to Mason -
"Are we going to be girlfriend and boyfriend?" (sounding a little confused)
Of course, I had to jump in at this point and explain that they are both boys and will just be good friends. I wish they would forever stay innocent minded.
Mason just announced to me that he wants to be a garbage man when he grows up.
Why? Duh!! "You can do something different every day. You can ride on the back of the truck, drive the truck, or run the bulldozer at the dump."
Reach for the stars babe. Reach for the stars.
Today was orientation for Mason and Kaylea's schools.
Mason was sooooo excited to meet his new teacher. I asked both kids to get dressed, brush teeth, etc..... Mason came out with his hair all styled and wearing his 2 favorite necklaces (one is a silver shark necklace from Sea World and the other is a "gold" chain he picked up from the local gumball machine). He pulled his good luck stone from his pocket and announced that he was ready to go.
Mr. Snow (the nurse practitioner at his pediatrician office) gave him this smooth glass stone for good luck with a medical problem. It brought tears to my eyes when he told me he searched through his treasure box to find it. I guess he felt a little nervous about meeting his new teacher.
His teacher is Mrs. Hadley. I am so happy! She is sorta family - many times removed. She loves her students and is just precious. I think this will be a great year for him.
He immediately became shy when we entered the classroom but we did manage to snap some pics:
We attended Kaylea's middle school orientation first but she wouldn't allow me to take any pictures. Can you believe that? I didn't force the issue since I didn't see a single parent with a camera.
Her focus was definitely not on finding her way to each class or meeting her teachers. It was all about seeing the friends she's missed seeing all summer. I sure hope she can find her way around come Monday.
I know she is super excited about this next chapter in her life. It literally seems like yesterday that she was starting preschool.
RaceTrac is my all time favorite place to stop for a Diet Coke (fountain style, of course).
Bobby calls it my usual watering hole. We have to stop there on the way home from his parent's house each and every trip. It even works late at night since they have caffeine free Diet Coke. You can even choose crushed or cubed ice. The employees are always so friendly, the parking area well lighted, and I just really like the layout of the store. I know this sounds strange but it just makes me happy to stop there.
I really don't stop at our local store that often. It is not quite as fabulous as the one in Orlando but today the kiddos really wanted to stop for one of their frozen drinks. I happily agreed. When we were ready to pay I accidentally knocked Kaylea's frozen drink off the counter. It fell all over me, Mason and all the gum and candy underneath the cash register. I think I went into shock!!
I just stood there and continued to count out the correct change while the frozen, sticky drink soaked through my pants and puddled in my croc flipflops.
I looked over at sweet little Mason and he was covered. It was all over his shirt, face and legs and he was crying. He looked so pitiful. I just had to bend down and give him a big sticky and cold hug.
I was afraid to look up at the lady behind the counter but have no fear because she was not even upset. In fact she was overly nice. The manager rushed to get a mop and all the while assuring me that it was all OK. Complete strangers shopping in the store also came to my assistance. One man directed me to the restroom and another man found the napkins.
It was such a nice experience. Even thought I left the parking lot with ice cold and wet pants, I had a smile on my face. Isn't it nice to know that there are good people still in this crazy world.
I think I need to corporate RaceTrac and tell them how much I love them.
This morning we got a little sneak peek at getting our day started super early. Kaylea had a CVTV training day at Lakeland Highlands Middle School. 2 weeks from today we start back on the daily grind of school and my baby girl will officially be a middle schooler.
I have gotten so spoiled this summer with the long break. It's the longest break we have had from school since Kaylea started kindergarten. I don't think they have gotten out of bed before 9:30 the entire time - unless I woke them for some reason.
I can't wait to see what the new school year brings to our lives but I am gonna enjoy every last minute of this summer break and time with my kiddos.
In 4 short day we went from
To This....
I have to say that things have gone very smoothly this far. I know we are at the beginning of the process but so far so good.
I have already been advised to have tons of patience so maybe that is helping. I just hope things continue to roll along without any major problems.
I really thought that walking the dogs on a leash would be a major problem for me. It has been ok this far. We can still let them in the backyard when the dirt is dry. They are pretty good about staying out of the dirt and in the yard. I think the big mound of dirt keeps them confused so they don't venture over to the open fence area.
This is definitely the highlight of Mason's summer. So much to watch. He sits on the patio for hours just watching the progress. Such the life for a little boy.
The kiddos and I along with my mom took a little trip to Tennessee last week. My 2 aunts, Lora and Amy, met us there. It was a nice little girl's getaway (that did include Mason).
He was so excited to get to ride alone. The main water park would not let anyone under 48" ride alone. He is 46". That means that I rode with him for his first 49 times before we went to the 2nd water park and low and behold they let him ride alone. He grinned from ear to ear the entire time. Each trip down was just as exciting as the first time.
This was Kaylea's favorite thing to do...
She become a pro at body surfing. The long wait in line was totally worth the 2 turns she got on the board. She was the best chick there. I have to say that the teenage lifeguards were super with the kids on this ride. They really took the time to instruct them on ways to improve and showed them new tricks to try. That's what folks in Tennessee are like.
The Storm Chaser. I have never laughed so hard in all my years. I rode this ride with my Aunt Lora and Aunt Amy. I wish I had a waterproof camera on the ride. The looks on their faces was priceless. I have to say the anticipation is far worse than the actual ride. It was loads of fun but I never got the nerve to ride it a second time.
The kids and I took a little trip into Gatlinburg. They each wanted an airbrushed t-shirt (you might be a redneck if .....you have an airbrushed t-shirt). Plus, they wanted to eat at Bubba Gumps again. We ate there in January and for some reason it made an impression on Kaylea. It was fun. Our server was a hoot. He hosted a friendly Bubba Gump trivia game. Our table smoked the competition, if I must say so myself!!
I completely enjoyed being back in Tennessee. I would pack up and move tomorrow if my entire family would move with me. The weather was perfect. No humidity and I only broke a sweat one time while walking at a very brisk pace. I sat outside and read one evening for 2 hours and did not see a single mosquito.
We sure did have a wonderful time. It was so nice seeing my aunts and spending some time with them. For some reason I did not have a single picture of them on my camera. I will have to post some later when I get them from my mom.
