and miss g's videos..

momma never did post her 6 year old video...

 gracie birth to 5

 5 to 6

gracie girl, i love you so!!  

preschool program

of course, i didn't get any good pictures from during the program & my video camera ran out of batteries (thank goodness we have 1 more year to miss g graduates from pre-k).  but, she was as cute as ever!

after the program, running up to give daddio a huggie.

with her friends.

at home with momma & bubby.

& benj doing what he loves best..nintendo

i'm surprised he didn't sneak it into the program..
miss gracie gal, we are so proud of you & your sweet, beautiful heart & strong spirit (those sometimes i wanna pull out my hair).  we love you to jesus & back & will always love you.  keep on learning, loving & leaning on God!

back to school, back to school

i wonder if everyone my age thinks of that adam sandler song whenever this time of year rolls around.  i can't get it out of my head!  well, miss g started prek tuesday.  & yes, i think i shed a tear or 2.  thank goodness i had volunteered to help make copies at ben's school while she was in prek so there weren't buckets full of tears.  it's hard to believe my baby is this old! 

yes, she wore a dress with gnomes on it the first day.  that's my girl!!

striking a pose in her room.

when i picked her up, she raised up her arms & shouted "i loved it!  it was totally cool!" (for the record, "totally" is totally gracie's favorite descriptive word in the world right now & i think it is totally cute.  but, that's just me.

i have yet to have the few hours just at home alone while she's in preK, but tomorrow i will.  what to do, what to do?? i pretty sure it involves decluttering. where to start, where to start- that's the question!  (i would show a picture but i'm too embarrased!)

we've got a big kindergartener on our hands

as i type this at 9:17pm, the talking about the day has finally quieted down (he ended up sleeping with daddio tonight).  benj had not much to say about school "it was fun" until after books were read & lights were off.  then, he was on.  & on. & on.  oh, what we learned too!

some of his tidbits:
he's thinking we should switch off everyday for bus riding - mom taking him to school.  apparently, he felt a bit carsick.  but we figured out it may have been due to the heat.  don't know yet what our plan will be.  today, i ended up showing up at school just to make sure he made it ok (he did).

1st potty break the boys were quiet & the girls weren't.  2nd potty break the boys were loud & the girls were quiet.  & some girl stuck out her tounge at him & said "girls first nnuh!" 

he has a friend that said he knows him from karate (ben's never taken karate) in his class.  we think it's from t-ball.  that boy doesn't know what it means to put a bubble in your mouth & he got on ben for not having a bubble in his mouth.  ben said he told him it just meant to be quiet. 

listening is exhausting to him. "they just go on & on & makes me so tired," he said.  we had a talk about how that's how we learn & how important being an active listener is.

there's a gracie that he is around at some point in time & she bugs him. 

ben can't wait for piano.  he's going to play a good night song to make the teacher fall asleep he thinks. 

there's a few more, but i'm not going to write them on here, but will in his baby(big kid) book because they are just priceless.

oh & after getting off the bus today, he got to play at his friend conner's home (he lives right at the bus stop).  conner & ben were trying to get the guys working next door with water guns until we noticed what they were up to.  then us moms got it. 

that about sums up his day.  now time for momma to hit the sack too.  these mornings are quite a change!!

some pics of the day:

zacky waking him up

ben smiling for me

waiting for the bus (i cropped out the sweet 2nd grader, gavin, that helped ben find his classroom this morning)

& off he goes!!

we already have the breakfast order in for tomorrow (cereal with blueberries), gracie sleeping in her good morning clothes, ben's clothes layed out, lunch packed & 2 alarms set.  hopefully, we get this down pat soon!!



turtles & otters & goats, oh my!

i was wanting to try & make the final days of "freedom" for my boy extra fun before the years & years of school were to begin.  i know that's not a good way of looking at it, but i have so enjoyed our ability to do as we pretty much please the past 5 years & learning as we go about day to day.  i am honestly thrilled that he loves school & hopes his desire to learn only grows.  anyways, we ended up going to the zoo  with some of benj & gracie's best buddies. 

it was fun, but they started begging for snacks before we got out of amazonia (the first part).  the turtle was not sharing his food.

the otters are always the highlight of the zoo adventure.

followed closely this time by the feeding of the goats. 

the most special part for mr. b though, was just getting to be with his friends (&sis) & play at their home.  it's the simple things in life...

let's go ride our bikes!!

gracie decided she was ready to take her birthday present out for a spin the other day.  & yes, we were living on the edge without our safety gear.  shame on us, i know.  but daddio was right there & it was nice & slow...

off they go!

i think she likes it!  slow & steady..

those training wheels will be off before we know it!



summertime a flyin by

this summer is just a flyin by & i have really neglected writing down some of them memories in the making.  ben finished his t-ball career, much to everyone's relief.  half the time on the last game his hat was cocked to the side, but thank goodness daddio was there to help straighten him out.

when he was on first base, he'd often chat with the other team, depending on if they were "interesting" or not.  i don't quite know how he determined that.

getting his trophy with his proud daddy!

gracie celebrated her 4th birthday with lots of family & friends. she has on her "i;m crabby like my daddy shirt" from her auntie, her new favorite shirt!

her birthday wish was "for everyone to be happy!"

all the kiddos had a blast playing on the water slide! cowabunga, dude!!

by the end of the party, i think she was a bit tired out.

the next day, while daddio was "sleeping," we gave him a beautiful pedicure. 

he had socks on until it was removed.  what a good daddy!

 & i celebrated 33rd birthday with my very favorite kiddos & hubby.  we went & ate at charlie's mongolian barbeque for dinner.  ben asked why we took him there, because it was so good & made him too full!! 

some of the other random fun memories of the past few weeks:  gracie eating her tomatoes (favorite food) with ketchup - "totally good", as she would say.  "totally" has become her totally favorite word in the world i think.

ben learning to swim & jumping in the pool.  big time!! of course there are lots of rules we have & they have both been very good abiding by them.

every time he jumps off, or does a trick, he yells "did you get that mom?'' he is always making some hand gesture too.. what a clown.

ben has also learned to snap, whistle & has a loose tooth.  that boy is growing up faster than i could ever imagine.  kindergarten is right around the corner.  yikers!

i wish i would write down all the things they say on a daily basis that make my cheeks hurt from laughing each day, but i'm not that good.  they keep growing & growing into their own individual selves & this momma couldn't be prouder!  i love you my sweet kiddos!!

the best night ever!!

we had our first sleepover with some of the kiddos' friends this weekend.  they had a blast!  especially jumping on the air mattress / trampoline!  they were all saying "this is the best night ever!!"  miss a & little a were so good, couldn't ask for a better first slumber party for the kiddos.  we even made it to church early on sunday!  i had some super fun pictures from the night, but my computer ate them...
but it sure was fun!

pomp & circumstance & PARTY!!

oh, my goddaughter is now a high school graduate.  how proud i am of you, aub.  your maturity & spirit at this age are so to be admired.  i have no good advice for you, your family has done such an awesome job raising all you gals (i'm glad to be a part of it).  keep God as your first priority & He has your plan for you.  i love you.

the graduating class (ok, i was a bit annoyed you couldn't throw your hats in the air or even turn your tassels, but that's just me).

the proud sistas & momma & daddy

& then the party!!


all of the big kids were so cool there too & played so kind with ben & gracie.


this is gracie's new friend.  she was enamored by her.   i need to get her name.

i won't say why, but if you look, ben has had about 4 shorts changes.  i don't think he has laughed that hard in a long time.  & the big kids were so cool about it all.  what a great group of friends you have aub!

a future football star here!

a cute to boot! 

last day of school & preK graduation

it was finally here... the last day of preschool & pre-K (i must be specific about that, benj always corrects me that he is in preK).  now looking foward to a fun filled summertime!!!

the kiddos thought the decorations & chalk on the sidewalk leading up to the van celebrating was a bit cool, deep down i think.  gracie did like the bubbles waking her up, way more than bubby.

sweet ben wrote out cards for everyone in his class & spent an extra amount of time on that special one for mrs. cano.  10 or so cards he made.  a perfectionist for sure!

getting into our van (that i just love!!) heading to school.

we played outside after school with friends for one last time this year.  once i told 2 of the daddies i had shingles, they took several steps back!

monkey ready for takeoff!

the boys running all around & miss a taking a rest

gracie thought she was big time getting to push her friend little a on the swing!

just hanging around.  this is one of her favorite things to do!!

 

breaking the rules (climbing), but it was the last day.  

namaw & poppy came all the way over (thank you!!) & beat us home from preschool.  we had los bravos for a celebration dinner at home, yummy!! (thank you namaw & poppy).  & the kiddos got a little sumthin from their namaw &poppy for graduation.  thank goodness, because ben asked "don't people get stuff when they graduate?"  it's all about stuff sometimes, but we are trying to break that.

now, onto the ceremony...
the church was packed to the brim, so we had seats in the rear.  it was a bit hard to get any good pictures.  but, we could see our sweeties singing their hearts our (i think yelling) & putting all they had into the motions.

oh, sing a joyful noise! (gracie is the one with her eyes closed)

i think he saw me...

looking oh so happy!! i love all the kiddos white eyes!

can you hear me now??

gracie, was singing & performing her heart out so much, that she fell asleep during the performance!! i thought she had gotten sick or something, but just needed a nap. thank goodness there were plenty of cookies afterwards to recharge her!

the 2011 old north afternoon preschool & preK classes with gracie snoozing in the back by the cross. 

  

ben & his teacher, whom he just loved to death.  it was so funny, they had to find the correct hat for benj due to his extremely large brain!  mr. benj wants to be an astronaut when he grows up.  (some of the kiddos answers just cracked me up "16, firefighter or a ninja."

walking down the aisle.. looking pretty proud!  way to go my big buddy!! i am so proud of you!

 bestest buddies. miss a wants to be a mommy when she grows up.  she has one of the bestest mommys & role model  i know!

at home.  i think he asked a few times "why do we have to wear these silly hats?"

 

with their proud namaw & poppy.

 

the kiddos & daddio were tired of me taking pictures, so the camera went up.   it was such a fun & memorable occasion though, with lots of laughs.  we've all learned a lot this school year: on handling other kiddos, each other & the school smarts too.  ben & gracie, your momma & daddy are so proud of you both each & every day & love you more than you will ever know!