First Day of School

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen the girls’ first day of school pictures, but if not – no fear! – I have them right here for you!  We made sure to pack lunches and pick out outfits the night before, just in case we were feeling a little rushed.  That morning was great – everyone got up fairly easy, got dressed, and headed out the door without some bribing (which is what goes on some mornings.)

Hadleigh started Kindergarten and was very adamant about riding the bus.  She did amazing – no tears were shed at all.   We let her ride the bus, but Daniel and I met her up at the school to see her walk in.  If she wanted us to walk her to her class we would have, but she caught up with a friend from preschool and was 100% fine.  I walked away proud, but still shed a few tears. 

Hayden started her 3 year old preschool class.  She will be in there for the next 6 months before they move her to her next class.  She has amazing teachers and it is a familiar place to us, so I wasn’t worried too much.  It was a little bit of an adjustment being in a new class and now going to school every day versus three.  Hayden still gets upset in the morning when I drop her off, but she has great days.  I’m sure she forgets about me 2 minutes after I walk out of the door!

We started Harper in the 18 month classroom 3 days a week.  I was so worried about Hadleighs transition, that it didn’t really give me time to think about Harpers.  Plus, Harper is a social butterfly so I knew she would adjust well.  I was right.  I sat her breakfast down at the table and she immediately walked over to sit at the “big girl” table to eat.  I gave kisses and told her bye and she looked at me and waved!!  Totally different than Hadleigh & Hayden!  She loves it which makes for a happy mama!

Linking up here today!

The end of the "School Year"

I have a pre-school graduate. A pre-school graduate who will be starting Kindergarten in September!

In bloggy mom fashion, I have first & last day side-by-side pictures. Hadleigh’s graduation pictures are so cute, although I hate those darn caps! 

With Hadleigh's favorite teacher - Ms. Casey!

I can’t forget about Hayden who was a Flamingo (2-2.5) & a Lion (2.5-3) this year.   Hayden was not having any part of pictures when I was taking them on their last day.  I was going to take them another day and pretend she smiled, but I decided to use the ones I had on the actual last day of school. Real life people!

St. Patrick's Day, Boyfriends, and Cinderella

For lack of knowing what exactly to write about today but wanting to write something….I’m going to fill y’all in on what we've been up to the past week. 

On St. Patrick’s Day, Daniel and I were working from home.  Hadleigh had to get one of her ear tubes removed that morning, so we had to take her to the surgery facility to be put under anesthesia.  She was a trooper!  She was a little grumpy after the procedure and complained about her ears hurting only until about lunch.  Promises of Chick-Fil-A perked this girl right up {my daughter through and through}J  All three girls were sporting their green though!

Friday Hadleigh came home with a flower in hand from school. Her “friend” Whitman had brought two in for show and share, but then decided to give it to Hadleigh before he left for the day.  Those two.  They are nap-time buddies because Whitman’s parents and Daniel & I refuse to let them go to sleep during that time.  Bedtime would be horrible for us! So, they hang out for two hours every day just the two of them.  Hadleigh gets super shy when Whit gets brought up in conversation, but she enjoys his friendship!

Saturday I took Hadleigh & Hayden out to lunch and then we met my mom to see Cinderella.  It was a cute movie and the girls really liked it.   They loved the Frozen Fever at the beginning and were dressed appropriately in their Elsa dresses!  I honestly thought the movie was a little drawn out (especially for little ones).  Overall it was a really good movie though.

Sunday we played around the house and cleaned some.  Then we went to my parents for dinner.  The girls were pooped and all 3 fell asleep on the way home – which hardly ever happens!  

What did your weekend look like?

Massanutten Resort {Weekend Getaway}

A few weeks ago we had a little family weekend getaway to The Massanutten Resort.  Groupon had a deal going, but I ended up getting a better deal through Massanutten themselves.  We left on a Friday afternoon and got checked in to our condo for the weekend.  The girls loved “our new house”!  Hadleigh even told us she loved our new house better than our old one. Ha!  We took it easy that night – getting settled, getting some dinner, and picking up some last minute groceries. 

Saturday morning we got up and took the girls to the Petting Zoo they had on the resort.  They were super excited to see all of the animals. Then as soon as we walked into the office to get our tickets, Hadleigh starts whining.

“IT STINKS!” {While holding her hands over her nose}

“IT’S SO SMELLY!” Now, holding her hands over her mouth only.  Which we then told her wasn't helping at all.

Can I just say how frustrating it is as a parent to do something fun for your kids, thinking they will enjoy it, and them straight up ruining it?!  It’s a funny story looking back now, but damn. 

We get the tickets and walk down to where all the animals are (Hadleigh still whining about the smell).  Hayden and Harper are excited to see the bunnies first.  We actually got to go into the cage with them to pet them.

 
  Hadleigh stood outside of the gate, still whining.

  We continued on to see the pigs, goats, turkey, chickens.  Hayden enjoyed herself.  

Hadleigh – still standing in the same corner – crying about the smell and how she is scared of the animals. 

 
 We finished off the petting zoo experience by seeing some horses and a camel.  We got into the car to go back to our condo so we could get ready for the waterpark. 

Naturally, our question to the girls (really Hayden) when we got into the car was, “What was your favorite animal?”

Hayden starts answering by saying the chickens, but then Hadleigh chimes in and tells us her favorite were the bunnies cause they were soo cute.  Really?! 4 year olds.

Back to the condo to get into our bathing suits for the indoor water park it was.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the water park because my darn camera kept steaming up.  The girls had a blast though.  Water, slides, waterfalls, lazy rivers, and swings kept them busy for hours. 

 It was a nice break from the snow on the ground outside!  Other than the petting zoo, waterpark, and eating – we didn't do anything.  It was a nice little change of scenery from our normal weekend activities.

We might go back when the girls are a little older, but I will definitely make sure we have a full kitchen in the condo.  The restaurants are expensive on the resort, and their service was not great.  Lesson learned, but either way we had fun!

Hadleigh 4.5 Update

This girl is 4 ½! What the What?!

    Oh sweet Hadleigh, we love you so so much!  Hadleigh is full of personality and spunk.  She’s becoming a little girl and it makes me so happy yet sad at the same time.  I tell her all the time that she will always be my baby.

Hadleigh is thriving in Pre-school.  She loves learning anything and everything.  She enjoys praise and reassurance that she is doing the right thing or saying the right answer.  She writes her full name very well – for a while there she would get her b,p,g,d’s mixed up, but they all look the same in a way!  They have assessment tests coming up at her school, so I’m looking forward to those results.  Last time, she scored above average in all areas.  We will definitely send her to Kindergarten in the Fall.  Her birthday is so close to the cut off, it was a question last year.  She would get SO bored if we held her back though.  So registration is around the corner and as a parent I’m definitely nervous!  My baby is going to big girl school!  She will rock it though!

Hadleigh is very opinionated (no surprise there!)  She likes pink still, but has branched out on her wardrobe.  I’m safer asking her before I buy anything though, because she has clothes in her closet she won’t wear.  She wears 4/5 (XS) and 5T currently.  I believe she is around 42 pounds and 40-42 inches.  She loves anything girly, dressing up, Barbies, playing school, playing house, and arts and crafts.   Hadleigh still loves a good bag and filling it up to the brim with random stuff.  Oh girls!

She is the best big sister.  She loves Hayden and Harper to the fullest.  Hadleigh is so sweet and gentle with Harper.  Harper is the first person she looks for when she gets home from school.  Hayden and her are best friends.  They fight of course – a lot – but they play together and like to do most anything side by side.  Hadleigh likes to direct Hayden in how to play or what they’re playing, but Hayden is pretty head strong too ;) I love the relationship Hadleigh has with her sisters.

Hadleigh is the funniest.  She thinks her daddy is hilarious as well. She thinks poop and pee and butts are the funniest thing ever right now.  If someone trips, she laughs. But don’t you try laughing if she trips!

Some of the things I have written down she has said:

“I wish Isis and Duke could be people” (Car conversations)

“I don’t want Harper to grow up!” (in a very concerned and sad voice) UGH Hadleigh, I don’t want any of you guys to grow up!!

“Mom, I’m going to have lots of babies when I get older!” (Car conversations)

“My poop is like a hot dog!” (after she pooped)

Hadleigh handed me the atomically correct boy doll we have and told me it was a boy and then pointed at his penis.  I asked her to tell me what it was called. 

“No, you” – Hadleigh

“It’s called a penis” – Me

Hadleigh laughed. “oh! That rhymes with nut!”

Close Hadleigh. Close.

Harper 9 Month Photo Shoot

I usually get 6 month photos taken of the girls.  Hadleigh has them. Hayden has them. I’m still fighting with myself on whether Harper truly has them.  We got FAMILY pictures taken when Harper was 6 months so she has some, but technically not.  I’m so frustrated with myself I didn't do this when she was 6 months, but better late than never!  This little photo shoot lasted only about 10 minutes, but I think I got some good ones :)

Threenagers

I just came across this article. So, I wanted to comment and elaborate a bit more on this.  I'm not entirely sure I would only include three year olds - can we add the age range 2.5-4?! Who's with me?! 

Here are some of the crazy things Daniel and I deal with {on the regular}:

• Putting on socks the wrong way. "Mooommmm! It's tickling me!" (the seam, oh the seam) AND for the record - seamless socks are SO damn expensive!
• Tags. "Daddy! It's scratching me!" "Take the tag out" Then we are followed into the kitchen, so she makes sure we cut it out.  She's not into the "faking out" thing.
• Going limp while trying to get her dressed. A whole new level of frustrating.
• Some days Hayden will cry/whine/refuse to get dressed unless it has a picture of Elsa on it
• Hayden wanted pizza the other night for dinner.  I made the pizza and then she decided she didn't want it.  She heads to the fridge only to pick out a pizza lunchable --- it's the same thing just not melted cheese! 
• Wanting a drink, but not picking the right cup(she wanted one with, no without the top)
• Hadleigh ate turkey lunch meat and pineapples all the time and then overnight (literally) she decided she didn't like these anymore. So for the next 2 weeks, on our way to school, she asked me what was in her lunch to make sure I didn't pack those 2 things.  Some days even checking behind me to make sure.
• Hadleigh had a friend in class whose parent got them Chick-Fil-A one morning.  The next morning she wanted it and when we told her we would go over the weekend instead - she cried. ..the entire way to school.
• If you have more than one kid, one of them will want EVERYTHING the other has. EVERYTHING - drinks, underwear, gloves, shoes, shirts, hair clip...everything.

Please share your crazy stories to make this mama feel sane! 

Christmas 2014

Christmas was a whirlwind!  We spent a lot of time with family, some time with friends, and most of our time with our little family of 5. It was a holiday break that was both busy and fun.  Both sides of our family are in town, so we are on the go a lot Christmas Eve, Christmas, and the day (or two) after. This year we switched some things up, so we were able to be at home more which was so nice!

We spend Christmas Eve with Daniel’s family.  Early evening is spent with my father in-law’s family and then we head to Daniel’s parents’ house to have Christmas with his immediate family. 

My sister, brother in-law, and nephews came into town that evening, so we were able to see them as soon as we got home that night.  We put all 5 kids to bed and waited for Santa to do his magic J  The five of them must have been realllyyyy good this year!  My parents came over super early Christmas morning to see all the grand kids and so we could have our annual breakfast.  My nephews were up bright and early – I had to go wake my girls up!  It still took Hayden a little while to warm up, but they all loved what Santa got them for Christmas. 

The morning quickly flew by before it was time to leave for our next family gathering!  Christmas Day afternoon is spent at Daniel’s parents’ house with my mother in-laws side of the family.  We even managed to get a group photo!  On the way home Hayden had a bloody nose, which scared the crap outta Daniel and I.  So random and didn't last too long, so we think it was from a dry nose or she hit it on something before we left.  Needless to say, that evening was spent at home relaxing; the girls played with some of their new toys, and I did some laundry to make sure the stains didn't stick to Hayden’s clothes. 

The day after Christmas was low key for the most part.  All 5 cousins played all day while my mom, sister, and I got some things ready for my dad’s side of the family to come over.  We ate too much food, which was a pretty consistent theme!  That evening my mom offered to watch all of the kids, so my sister, brother in-law, Daniel, and I could go out for a little bit of adult time with our cousins Matt & Nikki.  We brought out all the sleeping bags so the older 4 could watch a movie before we left.  We had drinks and dessert at Shyndigz – it was so yummy and the company was great. We laughed a lot.

Saturday rolled through and we had one last family get –together to attend.  Brunch with my mom’s side of the family was fun and the kids had an even better time running around!

This Christmas season was one for the books – I can’t wait until next year to celebrate all over again!