Wordless Wednesday - Back to Preschool!!

Brynnleigh started preschool again today.  This morning was 100 1,000,000 times better than last year's first day of school morning!  Last year she would not let me take any pictures of her.  This year she held her sign up and was proud!

Last year she screamed bloody murder when my parents dropped her off - this year she told me she wasn't going to cry.

I am a little concerned with her class this year, none of her friends from last year are in her class (most of them went to 3 days - we kept B at 2 days since she has swimming and dance as well).  She is still in the 2 year old class due to her birthday.  Last year they had the classes broken up, younger 2's and older 2's - this year it's just a 2 year old class.  We shall see how this works.  Since her birthday is in October, she won't start school for another 3 years (this year plus 2 others).  I'd rather her repeat some things now than when she's older and very bored, but I am concerned that she may be a bit more advanced.

She already knows her colors, can sing her ABC's, can count to 20, is potty trained, and talks in complete sentences like she's 30!  Honestly half of the time I do forget that she is only 2.

B was super excited when Owen came out to take some pictures with her.  At first O didn't want to hold the sign since he was not in preschool - but when I told him that everyone would know that he was just holding the sign for her, he was all about it!  I love his face in these pics!

 

He was so excited to help her get ready!!

 



 

Of course I had to take a few more in the house - just like her brother did - with her school bag of course.  (This is her bag from last year - she gets to decorate her bag for this year today!)

And yes, she picked out her hair bows all by herself!! ; )  And to get her to smile we say " ICE CREAM"

This next one is the only picture that actually shows her timidness, and that maybe she is just a bit nervous about her first day.

This picture below was taken just outside her school, she looks so excited and a bit nervous.

And 26.7 second after this - she started screaming bloody murder again!  She actually walked into the classroom, then ran back out and attached herself to Missy (my mom).  Mom was able to pry her off and get her into the classroom - hopefully this doesn't go on for 3 weeks like it did last year!

How did I end up with one child who can't wait to get to school, and another that wants nothing to do with it? ; )

Brynnleigh - you will learn so much in school, and once you get used to your new friends and teachers you will want to go every day to see your friends.  You have matured SOOO much this summer and are starting to blossom into such a little social butterfly.  We cannot wait to see what you learn in school this year!!

Pleygo - a Net-flix Like Service for Legos!

Yes...you read that correct -

Pleygo is a Net-Flix like service for Legos!  Subscribe, rent, play, and exchange sets of LEGOs unlimited times per month.  Shipping is always free both ways and sets are sanitized when returned.  We offer a convenient, quick, and inexpensive solution that relieves clutter and saves space at home while saving money.  Co-Founded by influential parenting blogger and creator of A-List mom Elina Furman, Plegyo is the perfect way to supply your child with endless developmental tools and allow for that much needed quiet time at home!

 

Three levels of subscription starting at just $15 allow you to find the plan that best suits you.  We offer credit towards your account for sets and mixed bricks that you donate to us, and we provide the shipping label too!  Pleygo is a perfect gift for a family friend, loved one, or birthday party.  Purchase a gift subscription and send it with a special message from you!  We are constantly expanding our inventory with more sets!

 

Receive your First Month FREE  HERE or directly at Pleygo to register!

 

How easy is this:

 

         

 

 

 

Owen would LOVE this.  He is obsessed with Legos right now.  He loves to build and follow the instructions, but once he builds it, he leaves it together and doesn't do much else with it.  This would allow him to constantly build different models, while leaving some money in my bank account!!  Legos are expensive, but I love the confidence and creativity they provide for young minds.  I would much rather Owen play with Legos than video games or watch TV!  I also love the independence they provide, Owen loves to sit and look at the instructions and try to put it together 100% by himself (which he does).

 

 

 

We cannot wait to try Pleygo program out and tell everyone about our experience!

 

 

Don't forget to sign up for your free month, HERE.  You can also follow them on Facebook for the latest news and updates!

 

 

Disclaimer - This is a sponsored post.  I may be compensated for this post, however all opinions are honest and my own.

 

Wordless Wednesday - Hello 1st Grade

Today was Owen's first day of 1st Grade....and he was so excited!!  I actually was a bit more excited than upset/worried this year verses last year.  I knew he had friends in his class and on his bus and he knew more of what to expect.

 

He could barely eat breakfast he wanted to hurry up and get to the bus stop to see his friends.  Poor guy hadn't really seen any of them all summer since we both work and my parents watch the kids over at their house.  It was all I could do to snap a few pictures!

 

Little did I know that his little sister was slowly approaching to photo bomb....see if you can see her progression in these pictures...(she was excited for O's first day too!)

 

 

Then O got surprised, both his PaPa and his PawPaw came to see him on the bus the first day (poor thing, tomorrow may be a bit boring with just one parent there!)

Notice that Miss Priss had to be in the picture too!

Okay...one last picture before we had to go to the bus stop...promise!

Once he got to the bus stop, we were old news....I'm not sure he even spoke to us again other than bye!  They had to compare wiggly teeth

 

Finally reunited with his bus BFF who is now a second grader!

 Our bus was a bit later than normal (which I'm sure was due to the 435454 extra parents on the first day) but she arrived and the kids lined up!

We have the same bus driver as last year, who we love....and 3 Owen's at O's bus stop - and all 3 are in First Grade - and 1 is born one day after my O! : )

We met Owen's teacher last week and I really like her.  She's young which O will be all about.  Here is his desk -

His teacher had a wish list for us to pick a few things to donate - I let O pick what he wanted to get - here are his picks!!

And this is just him being his silly old self!  Oh, and check out his shirt! ; )

And because we did this last year:

Favorite TV Show - Wipeout, Dr. Oz, & Ellen (he's been with my parents too long)
Favorite Movie - Polar Express 
Favorite Color - Every color
Favorite Food - Pizza, Subway, McDonalds
Favorite Candy - Twizzlers....chocolate cookies
Favorite Toy - Train set
Favorite Activity - Playing with the Wii U
Favorite Sport - Basketball
Favorite Superhero - Papa
Favorite Shoes - the ones that I'm wearing right now, the blue & yellow (Adidas)
When I grow up I want to be - Boy Scout Teacher Height - 48"
Weight -  51 lbs



Good Bye Kindergarten

Ummm, where has the time gone?  My baby.....not only is in school...he has graduated from Kindergarten and starts 1st Grade tomorrow!  This can't be true....I swear just yesterday he was learning how to walk and talk.
 
O is so excited for tomorrow....he has told me 15 times how excited he is for school to start and to see all of his friends.  I couldn't be happier to know that my child loves school....but I hate that this whole school thing is making him grow up so fast.
 
One year ago tomorrow....O's First Day of Kindergarten:

 

And O's last day of Kindergarten last year:

 

Troy wrote this letter to Owen on his last day of Kindergarten:

 

Today I have reflected on the fact that Owen is no longer in Kindergarten.  Yes, I am happy that he made it through but I am also sad that he will be in First grade.  Kindergarten to me is innocence, new friends, and a new environment.  Kindergarten is fun.  First grade is harder.  There is homework, there is time management.  I fear that Owen will lose his joy in going to school.  But before that I want to talk about what I will miss about him being in Kindergarten.

 

   I will miss that first day.  He was a big boy and never looked back. 

 

   His face that morning.  He ran downstairs and laid so innocently on the love seat.

 

   Owen and I spent many mornings waiting until 7:48 AM. 

 

   All those races to the bus stop.

 

   The stories he would tell about Senor Wein (Spanish teacher) and his other teachers.

 

   Talking about running and how some were faster than him.

 

   Back to school night in little chairs.

 

   Parent teacher conference.

 

   Watching him move from the front of the bus to the back.

 

   Seeing him jump off the bus and sprint to you for a hug.

 

   Leaving his lunch box and jackets regularly.

 

   Hearing him yell "BUS" everyday when everyone else has already seen it.

 

   Going to school dressed as the boy from the Polar Express.

 

   His face the first day that he missed school because he was sick.

 

   Raising money for the Jump Rope for Heart.

 

   The Winterpock 5K

 

   Eating lunch with him on May 25th and seeing his face when he realized that I was thee.

 

   The Word Wall Ball and seeing him dance like a pro.

 

   Being the Core Value Student and receiving his award.

 

   "Daddy is this pimp? Is it Pimp enough?" while standing on the bathroom counter.

 

   But most of all I will miss his innocence of being a kindergartner.  The smile may not 

  go away but over time the innocence will.

 

I am proud of you Owen!

 

Love,

 

Daddy

 

I have teared up every time Troy has read it to me.  I hope that we all love First Grade as much as we have Kindergarten.

 

Owen....welcome to first grade bud, we wish you the world.

Wordless Wednesday - Swimming Graduate x 2

A few weeks ago I posted O with his swimming certificate.....well B graduated too, just a week later.  She ended up getting sick and missed 3 of the 8 classes so we had to reschedule.

The good thing with us waiting - is she got her original instructor back (she was on vacation the second week).  B was in love with her instructor Erin.

Funny thing - O & B graduated at the same level....so my 2 year old knows how to swim like my 6 year old!  Actually O had moved onto the next level and B just passed level 4...but still! ; )

Court Yard Hounds - "Amelita" Album Review

Since I work an hour away from home, I spend a LOT of time listening to music in the car.  It's my "reflection" time, or belt it out at the top of my lungs time!!  I love having the opportunity to review new albums and could not wait to review Amelita by Court Yard Hounds!

Do they look familiar?  Well they should, it's Emily Robison and Martie Maguire - 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks!  I for one was a HUGE Dixie Chicks fan - I don't necessarily agree with what they did/said, but I thought their music would surpass that.

The Court Yard Hounds recently released their newest album, Amelita. "It's a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll, with plenty of Dixieland delight."

Amelita, the second album released by Court Yard Hounds consists of 11 tracks:

1. Sunshine

2. Amelita

3. The World Smiles

4. Aimless Upward

5. A Guy Like You

6. Rock All Night

7. Phoebe

8. Divided

9. Gets You Down

10. Watch Your Step

11. The Road You Take

My ultimate favorite track from this album is Sunshine - it is a bit more upbeat and I always catch myself dancing along.  My husband also calls me Sunshine, so I am a bit more drawn towards anything with the name in the title! ; )

My second favorite is Rock All Night - which I am sure will be on the radio soon.  It reminds me so much of Sheryl Crow!  (My husband was the first to make this comparison, so I guess we will give him the initial credit!)

I won't lie though, every time I listen to this album, I find another favorite, so I am sure it will not take long until the entire album is my favorite!!  

This is an album I can totally use to help reflect on my long drives to and from work.  They are relaxing songs without a ton of extras that you get in the pop music now. 

You can purchase this album now through Amazon or iTunes.

Want to keep up with Court Yard Hounds...you can follow them via Twitter, Facebook, or you can follow Emily Robison on Twitter, or Martie Maguire on Twitter.

Also, with the release of this album, they are going on tour - they kicked off at Lollapalooza performing my favorite track, Sunshine!

Disclosure: I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.
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Wordless Wednesday - Swimming Graduate

This past Thursday Owen graduated from his swim lessons.  He finished the level 4 and was working on level 5.  Level 5 is learning how to breathe from the side while swimming freestyle.  So not only did he graduate....he is now officially a better swimmer than I am!

I'm not a swimmer, but I can get from point A to point B without a problem.  I hope to enroll O again in the spring so he can touch up a few things before the pools open up again for the summer.

B also took lessons, but she was sick the 2nd week and missed 3 out of the 8 classes.  We hope to make those up so she too can "graduate".  She will finish level 3, and will be working on level 4 (she's 1/2 way done with level 4).

If anyone is looking for a good swim school - check out Aqua Tots.  They are fabulous....to the point that I will not even consider anyone else for swim lessons.