One step closer....

She wasn't quite ready for me to drop her off in the car line today. We still parked the car....took Joseph out, and walked toward the building together....but today....she decided.... she was READY.....she hugged and kissed me OUTSIDE the school doors, and walked in all by herself without one look back!!!!!!!! I wasn't anticipating this milestone....so unfortunately I didn't have my camera to capture the moment! Tomorrow she says she will be ready for me to drop her off from the car line......we will see. I will be excited for her to be so proud of herself if she accomplishes this....but a little sad that she won't need me to walk her in anymore.

Little J will surely miss our trips inside the school as he loves to greet every student and teacher with a friendly "hi!" He is definitely growing up too! He was finally able to fit into the outfit Thea bought him a mere six months ago....and it is still big! Isn't he handsome?




He is really into the Calliou tv show these days...but I'm thinking Curious George might be more up his alley! So curious about everything! Today we were reading a book that showed a picture of a pumpkin...so I showed him a little pumpkin I had just bought last week....and he just couldn't get enough of it, studied it forever!






Next came his fascination with the trash and recycle cans! He just couldn't figure out how to get them to move. He saw the wheels and just couldn't understand why they wouldn't budge....obviously they were still full!!




"And hmmm... I've never noticed this window before..."



And could there possibly be anything more to be curious about in the backyard....of course!!! He fell in love with these red berries when he spotted them on the bushes! "Abble...Abble" he kept saying! Oh my...he thinks these berries are apples. Now not only do I have to worry about him falling off of the rock ledge, or trying to climb the ladder on the swing set when I'm not looking, or falling off the ladder to the slide....now I have to worry about him trying to put these "abbles" in his mouth! Who knew the backyard could be full of such adventures!!!! Just leave it to Joe!

Raindrops

Today was officially the last day of summer. Too bad it was such a gloomy and rainy day. But...when life gives you lemons....you gotta make lemonade, right?



Every time I looked out the window today...it seemed the rain had stopped....then the second I would step out....to run an errand, pick Sophia up from school, or take Willie out...it seemed it would just pour again. Argggghhh....I was irritated. But Sophia....loved every drop....because she couldn't feel one single one beneath all of her layers of rain gear! She was so excited to wear her new Hello Kitty raincoat and rain boots....and she looked darn cute in it!!! You'd think she was meeting Hannah Montana or something with the amount of time she spent getting ready.....too bad our destination was only the Walgreens just down the street!!

After two soccer games this weekend....I guess I was just a little happy about the rain today because it meant....

no soccer practice tonight!!! Hooray!

So, instead we spent the afternoon reading books...




playing hide and seek and of course singin' and dancin'! Check out our superstar's new microphone....She's a natural, don't you think?




And she's not just a singing superstar....Sophia is our new SOCCER star too! She had her first two soccer games this past weekend! She went from kicking the ball into the wrong goal during the first game to scoring a "legitimate" goal on her second game! WOW....she certainly did not get her athletic abilities from her mama!!!! She had quite the audience with Yiayia, Pappou, Omi, Papa, Thea, and Eryn all cheering her on! We loved watching her run her little heart out! She was so proud of herself!!!

Here are some pictures before her game on Saturday...





And here are a few more on the field and after the game. A Chic-fil-a lunch was definitely in order after all of her hard work!







Little Joe was busy checking out the girls his own age during the game. He just couldn't get enough of this little girl who was trying to sneak in a little nap! Awww too cute!

Full

Back in the swing! The magnet board is FULL...the calendar is FULL!




After our trip to the cider mill... our bowls and our bellies are FULL. Here's my sweet little helper full of finger licking dough anticipation....as we mixed the peaches for our cobbler and rolled the dough for our apple pie!







Though they tease each other all day....run around the house like silly little monkeys, and manage to outwit me in all that they do....these TWO...





with their contagious giggles, silly smiles, and endless energy...

make my heart FULL!

Drivers Beware

Okay....I admit....after your haircut you do look like a little man...



But.....



Driving?...at your age?....Now that is a bit premature...don't you think, little J? Sure does look like fun though (especially in Thea's Eos!!!)

As you can see, this little guy is 1 1/2 going on 16, and such a curious little guy, I might add. In the few moments he spent in the driver's seat, he figured out how to turn the windshield wipers on, spray the windshield, turn the radio on and off and operate the climate control. Oh my.






And far worse than this underage driver....his partner in crime....in the passenger seat beside him. I don't think she'll be much help in the navigation department. She of course was too busy doing this...





But a girl's gotta look good on the road, right?

A Little "Rocky"

So things have been a little "rocky" around here... you might say. I literally had to stop and look at the calendar today to check the date. I can't believe September is already here! Sophia has been in school now for around three weeks and I still don't feel like I am in the "groove." Soccer has begun....Joe's kindermusik is well underway...and Daisy's is just around the corner. I have been in the ER three times, had surgery and passed at least 6 kidney stones. I feel like I have missed all of the fun! But looking through the pictures on my camera tonight, I realized that at least I have pictures of all that has been going on....so I guess I haven't missed too much!

Kindermusik was the first class I ever enrolled Sophia in...and she loved every minute of it! I loved going with her and met some other really great people along the way. So now it's Joseph's turn! I was so excited to take him..as he takes after his sister and LOVES to dance. He requests the "Boom Boom" song (yes..I'm embarrassed to admit that my son knows the lyrics for a Black Eyed Pea song verbatim), and will stop what he is doing at anytime and start dancing when it comes on the radio. Here he is before his first class.




I think he enjoyed most of the class and probably thought it was pretty funny that I was actually sweating when we left...not from intense music exercise...but from stressing that he would not sit on my lap or follow any sort of direction. And rocking time....forget it. Boys will be boys. I coaxed Daddy into coming to the next class (the class is in the evening...I admit... I was so late in enrolling that I had to settle for a ridiculously inappropriate class time for a 19 month old), and things were a bit better. Tonight I "soloed" it again...and my little man had so much fun trying to squirm from my arms that I felt like I had been to a weight lifting class by the time we left. I did get lots of "just because" hugs throughout class, though, so I guess that makes up for his silly boy behavior!

Sophia seems to be adjusting to her new routine well, despite the fact that she continues to insist that I park the car and walk her into her classroom each morning rather than drop her off in the usual car drop off. We have actually made it to the front of the car line more than once....when she decided she just couldn't do it...so I just keep on driving right past the Principal...who probably thinks we just like to wave to him each morning without getting out of the car. Secretly.... I don't mind....I still love walking her to her room and giving her one last squeeze....and listening to little J say "ba-bye eeeea!"

Sophia's excitement this past weekend...a sleep over at Thea's! She was literally so excited to go, she could hardly eat! I thought she was going to have a screaming fit when for a moment she thought that my unfortunate trip to the ER might destroy her plans...but Thea made it just in time! She had great fun playing at her favorite parks, eating corn on the cob, and of course watching the new Hannah Montana dvd Thea had for her! Thanks Thea for such a fun weekend!

This little girl is 5 going on 17. Watching her sing to her favorite songs (all Hannah Montana, of course) is a riot. I wish she could stay 5 forever...probably not likely seeing as she has already LOST her 2nd tooth! And when I say LOST....I mean it...literally. We have been trying to pull this tooth for weeks because it looks like the one behind it is starting to come in crooked. But pulling this little gal's teeth can be more than a challenge.... she is sooo scared. So, we left it alone and checked it's wiggle status frequently. Well, Monday afternoon Yiayia came over and asked to see her tooth... and low and behold... it was gone...nowhere to be found...lost....vanished. Sophia was thrilled that it obviously came out without the anguish she had been predicting! We thought maybe she had swallowed it, and explained that there were no worries to be had...the Tooth Fairy...like Santa Claus was always watching and would of course already know of this momentous occasion. So, of course, all was well, and the Tooth Fairy still visited. Here she is showing off her Tooth Fairy certificate and coins!



And the very next day....her tooth was FOUND. Daddy must have some good eyes..b/c he found it on the floor in the playroom. So I guess since the Tooth Fairy already came...we'll get to keep this one! :)

Whew... is it the weekend yet? Couldn't have survived the past month without Yiayia... she has been here bright and early many a day so I could race off to the doctor or another appointment! Thank you, thank you! :)



So....okay....maybe I'm almost in the groove now. We're three weeks into the school year...both kids have colds....flu shots given (No tears for baby J by the way....Sophia cried enough for both of them and she didn't even get the shot...just the mist... imagine that!!!)...and I'm already checking my calendar for Christmas vacation! :) Maybe some milk and one of these is in order before bed tonite!