Kate is SEVEN!

Can you believe it??  Our girl is seven today! SEVEN.  Seems so much older than six.  

She is pretty much amazing. Seriously, the amount of joy she has brought us since November 15, 2007 is immeasurable.   

She is FULL of life! She loves music, dancing, writing, drawing, and creating.

She's such a little mama.  She loves nothing more than holding her cousin, Maisy, on her hip.  She's bossy and drives her brother crazy when she tells him what to do.  Hmmm... NO idea where she got that trait from!

She is a wonderful big sister, though.  Jack adores her.  The two of them can fight like crazy, but there's really no one else they'd rather hang out with than each other.  I love that they are buddies.

  

She has a huge personality.  She is witty and funny.  She laughs with her whole body.  She loves to be LOUD! 

She is independent, stubborn, and strong willed.  Traits that will serve her well, but are also maddening at times. We have some tough moments here and there.  

She is beautiful inside and out. 

She has big dreams that include being a dance teacher, a teacher, and a veterinarian. Oh, and owning lots of dogs and cats. ha! 

She is so smart and is doing so well in school! She is such a good little reader and we are just so proud of her.  She is proud of herself!  She loves school (most days) and loves her teacher. She has a great group of friends at school. 

She's a great eater.  I never have to worry about her.  She'll try anything once.  She likes the healthy stuff, too (unlike her brother).  Don't get me wrong, though... the girl loves sweets!

She is such a helper.  She's dependable and loves to please.  She's my right hand man a lot of the time.  

She's a total daddy's girl.  She would choose spending time with him over me any day and I don't mind that a bit.  (Besides, Jack is a mama's boy.)  Daddy adores her just as much. 

               She is an all around happy girl.  I hope she always stays that way.  

I know she's not quite a little girl anymore and instead of being sad about that, I want to enjoy each new stage.  It's been so neat watching her grow and develop into her own little person. She is just so much fun at this age! We can laugh and joke around together, she can carry on a conversation like such a little lady, and she has A LOT to say!  

Kate, you make us laugh, you make us proud, you make us happy. Love you to the moon and back, our big SEVEN year old! 

(Stay tuned for a post on some pretty funny Kate-isms!) 

Jack's First Day of Preschool!

Jack started preschool this week.  He will go three days a week for two and a half hours.  

He wasn't too sure about preschool before he went.  He told me in the days leading up to it that he was NOT going.  He has asked me to homeschool him numerous times. Ha! I'm not sure he even knows what that means.  He just loves being at home.  It's hard to get him out the door some days, even if we are meeting friends for a playdate.  He loves to stay in his jammies, play Legos, and lounge. Haha! 

All ready to go! New outfit, new shoes, teacher gift, morning routine, backpack, and first day sign.

Those pictures weren't very "Jack" like. 

There... that's more like it. 

Kate happened to have a late start day on his first day, so she was able to go with us to take him and then she and I had a little bit of time together before her school started.  

Off to school!! 

When I picked him up, he was wearing a hat with a glittered star on it.  He had written his name in marker, and I could tell he tried really hard on the "K".  Sweet boy.  He told me they ate Goldfish and a cookie.  They sung "Twinkle Yittle Star" and "If You're Happy and You Know It".  Today, after I picked him up (day 2), I asked if he learned his letters and numbers and he said, "Yep. All of that." I think he's going to love preschool. 

First Day of First Grade!

Kate started first grade on Tuesday.  We were bummed to see summer go, but she was also excited to get back to school and see her friends.  

We found out about a week before school started that she got the teacher she was hoping for.  She loves her!! 

Here are some pictures of her on the first day. 

Kate made her own Summer Bucket List, and making the "biggest pancake ever" was on it.  She requested that for her first day of school breakfast.  I think she probably ate three bites of it. 

Backpack, water bottle, first day sign for pictures, and teacher gift all ready to go. 

And this picture... oh, this picture.  This needs to be blackmail for the future. Crazy Jack! 

I got a text from a mom of Kate's friend saying they were going to the park after school, so we joined them for a little bit.  It was a fun way to celebrate the first day! 

 Mimi, Jack, and I made this pencil cake for her.  I'm sure you are all jealous of our awesome cake decorating skills. haha! Not quite. 

It's been a good week.  Kate loves school and Jack is enjoying the one on one time with me before he starts preschool 3 days a week.  And, Mommy and Daddy are loving the early bedtime for the kids!  

Six Flags!

Kate earned a free Six Flags Six Hour Reading Club ticket, so of course we had to use it! I have taken just Kate the past two years, so Jack was thrilled to go this year! He told Kate, "Maybe you could show me around because I've never been there." So cute.  

Mimi went with us and we had a total blast! The kids did all the little kid rides, a couple of the smaller roller coasters, tons of other rides, and we had a ton of fun in Hurricane Harbor (the water park).  We did a huge water slide called The Big Kahuna where we all got to ride down together in a huge round raft.  So. much. fun! 

And we're OFF! Well, almost... Jack, sit down and buckle up. 

First stop... Moon Cars.  Kate drove me, Jack drove Mimi.  

Of course, they were hungry after being there for 20 minutes, so I bought a bag of chips for $2.70! Rip-off! 

More rides! 

Scooby Doo ride

Lots of little kid rides

Doing the Cha Cha Slide with the characters

We grabbed a quick bite to eat on the way home.  

And both kids did this... 

You know a good time was had when you pull in the driveway and your kid looks like this. :)