"Shoes"

This girl is a hoot.  A handful.  Spunky.  Busy.  She's everywhere!  She wears me out.  But she is so stinking fun.  I haven't mentioned yet, but her first official word:  Shoes.  Yes!!  Shoes.  It is so funny.  Kevin is worried. She loves her bubba and wants to do everything he does, of course.  She loves to get in and out of this car.  She's starting to get some hair and some curls in the back!  

 I love pj's.  I love her in pj's.

Yep.  This is about right.  Everywhere!!

First Day of 2013-2014 School Year

Well, we started another year of preschool on Monday!  This is Will's last year of preschool and then next year is Pre-K!  Can I please tell you how proud I am of this kid?  He has had an amazing week!  I was really worried that it might be a difficult transition because he loved his last teacher so much - but he has been so grown up about it!  He seems to really like Ms. Wright and the kids in his class.  He walks in like such a big boy.  He barely says bye to me.  He's just happy to go to school.  I can't get over how far we have come with him.  We still have some rough moments, but we really seem to be making progress and maturing.  He's got the sweetest heart and makes me so incredibly proud to be his mom!!

 Oh the backpack.  I really wanted to get him a new one and he wanted to pick one out.  Of course what he wanted wasn't really what I wanted him to have.  I am just not big into character stuff.  Finally we found this one.  Oh - it lights up!  Um, yes.  It lights up.  Sigh.  Well, it isn't an actual "character" and his lunch box matches (unlike he other pick) so I guess this works.  But - it lights up.  I guess that makes is super cool.  He loves it and that's all that matters.

 Kendall moved up to Will's building on Monday.  I should have known when we tried to take these pics with her what it would be like for the day.  Oh, well.  The poor girl had a rough few days.  But - by Friday, they said she was fine!  She keeps those lovely ladies entertained!  She is a ham.  She apparently walks around blowing kisses to everyone and is quite the dance queen.  Oh you need to see this girl dance.  It. Is. Awesome!

 So we're not quite ready for first day pics.  We tried.  

 Below Will is showing Kendall how the awesome backpack lights up.  You can see the headlight glowing.  :)  Awesome.

I realized I missed one.  I do have one of Kendall not crying and you can see her cute backpack.

Hello Monterey

So can I please state for the world - I have an amazing husband!  He planned a trip for us.  HE planned it.  All of it.  He picked the dates, place, booked airfare, booked hotel, reserved the car, etc.  He is just sweet like that.  We so needed this little get away with no kids.  Man do we love them, but sometimes you need a sanity break.  It was wonderful.  Really, we could have gotten a hotel room in Dallas and I would have been thrilled.  But - we went to Monterey, CA!  Kevin wanted to escape the heat for a bit...and we did!

Here are the first pics we took.  We arrived!  Can you tell how thrilled we were?  It was a close one.  At the airport in Dallas - they had delayed our flight.  Then they came on and said - just kidding.  If we can load everyone and have taken off by 1:40, we can go.  If we don't get out by then...it could be hours. I panicked.  I wanted to yell at everyone and make them run.  But we all got on very quickly.  And we got out!  Whoo hoo!

 We flew into San Francisco and drove the scenic route to Monterey.  It was really pretty.

 And then we got there!  Our hotel was right in the Bay and right in the middle of the touristy area.  It was pretty over cast and chilly!  Jackets were necessary!

 At the pier looking back at our hotel, which is on the right.

 For dinner that night, we ate a touristy place right on the bay.  Even got a window seat.

 There are sea lions everywhere!  There are a ton lying on the beach below.

 We are on the skybridge in our hotel looking down the street.

 Just killing some time before our sailing trip.  I had to go buy jeans.  I would have frozen in my cropped pants I brought.  Shopping?  No problem!

 We did a lot of this - taking it easy and not rushing anywhere.

 Sea lions!

 We are on the sailboat and looking at the hotel.  Cool!

 Poor Kevin.  So he and the other guy on the boat got sea sick.  :(  The captain thought him driving for awhile would make him feel better.  It didn't.  He got sick.  Twice.

 Come on - they're cute!

 Love this pic!  You can't even tell he was just sick!  It was a lot of fun.  And we had an awesome captain.  I didn't get a pic of the actual boat.  Should have thought of that.

 Yum.  Our hotel happened to be right by the amazing cinnamon roll place.

 Just strolling along on Fisherman's Wharf

 I know - cheesy.  But I was a tourist.

 Still at Fisherman's Wharf

 The sun was out the 2nd day!  We were excited!

 Might have been my favorite activity.  We did a wine tasting right on the bay.  Awesome lady taught us about some wine and we rather enjoyed ourselves.

 Wine, cheese, and a beautiful view! 

 Kevin splurged on a nice dinner for us the 2nd night.  It was yummy!

 Happy.

 Ha.  The restaurant was called the Sardine Factory.  But don't worry - we didn't eat sardines.

Thank you amazing husband for helping us get away!  Thank you to my family that kept our kids so we could!  I regained some sanity and am very thankful!!!

Phone Dump

I haven't blogged in awhile, so I thought I'd dump a bunch of phone pics of the kiddos.  We've had a big week.  The kids school "started" this week.  So they moved up classes.  I'll have to post their first day pics when I get them off the camera.  Will has done so well.  He loves his new teacher and seems excited about his friends in the class.  He's doing one more year of pre-school and then next year he'll do Pre-K.  With a Sept birthday, he gets an extra year of preschool.  Lucky him - an extra year to be a kid!  Kendall on the other hand - rough week.  She moved up to the big building and isn't handling the transition very well.  Although they did say yesterday went so much better than the first 2 days.  I think that whole class is struggling.  New faces, new building, only 1 nap, NO paci.  Man - that's a lot going on for a 1 year old.  Drop off is rough.  It is heart breaking.  :(  Hoping it gets better soon.

Their first bath together!  They loved it.  But...the little one doesn't stay on her bottom.  We're working on that.

This girl is an amazing eater!  I mean she started out really rough.  Awhile back we couldn't get her to eat any real food and now she blows her brother away.  She eats meat!  And veggies!  I am sure it won't last forever, but I am sure loading her up now while I can!

Bryce and Will went to the circus a few weeks ago. Bryce even spent the night with us and it was very successful!  Fun friends!

I love, love, love this pic.  I mean how many kids can swing at one time?  I love that they have cousins to play with and grow up with!  Lucky kids!

Need I say anything?  Sweet twinkle toes.  Love her in big girl pj's.  Love watching her sleep.

This kid has finally mastered pedaling on the trike.  Super happy about that. And yes, we ride inside.  You don't?

Cute baby friends!  Fun that a few of Will's friends have siblings Kendall's age.

School friend Mia's birthday!

It may have been Will's friend but this one had the most fun at the party!  I may have to sign her up for gymnastics!  She loved that place!

Two kids in a cart.  And Will holding up his birthday invite upside down. :)  He was excited about them.

This girl eats so many pancakes for breakfast!  She always has one in each hand.  My little eater!

Cutie patootie was pretty pumped about the pj's that came in the mail from GJ.  I'm a real baseball player, he says!