THE BIG DAY!

KINDERGARTEN!
The big day we were all waiting for came - and we survived!

There's a lot of new things to figure out when entering a new school system; bus, lunch, snack, online cash accounts, dismissal routines, take home Monday folders, recess, bathroom breaks, the immediate request for 5 year olds to fundraise (that makes me crazy, but I digress)...

Both Nate and I were very impressed with how Kevin handled the adjustment to his new school.  We tried very hard not to overwhelm him with thousands of questions when he came home, but slowly, he has shared some details.  Kevin did not know anyone from preschool, knew no one on the bus, but he has quickly made friends. Friendships seem so simple at this age, his two new best buddies are the kids that sit at his table.  Yesterday afternoon we had the opportunity to meet his teacher again and have a quick conference to check in on Kevin's adjustment to school.  The teacher shared with us that Kevin is great fun to have in class, he's very social and always involved in the lessons.  Needless to say - we are two very proud parents!

Kevin chose this new super hero shirt for his fancy back to school outfit!  There was just no way I could convince him to wear a preppy striped polo shirt, he was just way to happy to show off his Captain America shirt.  (I prefer to save my strength for the dinnertime battles that have come up lately).

 Of course Tiger went to school with Kevin, so cute :)

 No worries - he climbed right on the bus and gave us a HUGE wave out the window.  (Yes, I was wearing sunglasses at 7:45 in the morning so he couldn't see my tears.  It's a mom thing...)

While I am so proud of Kevin's adjustment to school, I am not so happy with how tired & cranky it has made him.  We will continue with earlier bedtimes and I hope things will improve.  I was told by many friends to be prepared for a cranky kid - they use up all their happiness & pleasantries at school and unleash it all at home.  Just like the newborn phase, the hours of 4-7PM are not too pretty around here!

In an attempt to keep things calmer at home, Kevin isn't enrolled in any sports or activities this fall.  We'll wait and see if he wants to try something this winter or spring.

Getting ready for Kindergarten

Kevin starts school next week!  I cannot believe how quick this summer has gone by.  We've had so much fun, but now it's time to scale things back - get to bed early, get up early, blah!

I think we are all set for school.  Kevin's teacher's name is Miss Cuthbertson.  We met her last spring, but will go to school the night before it starts for an ice cream social and to drop off all his supplies.  He has a new shirt (super heros) all picked out for his first day.  Yesterday he told me that he wants just Dad to take him to the bus stop, not me & Katie.  I guess I will have to get the cute photo op on our front porch before Nate walks him down the street - but I'll definitely be standing in the driveway even if he tells me not to!

We stopped by the elementary school yesterday morning to drop off the last of the paperwork needed for registration and had time to play on the playground.  I can't believe I caught this on video - enjoy!

Minnesota reunion

We just returned from a trip to see Nate's family in Spicer, Minnesota.  We had a great time!

The kids spent time with all of Nate's cousin's kids - there were a lot of kids.  Never a dull moment, but so much fun.  The kids played at Aunt Linda's all day long (which made for a super easy, drama-free bed time).  There was tons of time spent swimming, fishing, boating, tubing, playing in the sandbox & swimming in the hammocks.  The kids also enjoy all of Linda's toys, especially her retro Star Wars toys.

This is the view from Aunt Linda's yard (George Lake)

Katie bonded with Uncle Scott while eating s'mores around the campfire on our last night.  She is wearing sunglasses because she thought the fire was too bright!  Silly.

Cousins! (Gracie-6, Katie-2, Ava-8, Kevin-5, Zoe-8, Isabel-2) and this is not even all the kids.

 Kevin was not afraid of tubing at all!  He LOVED it!

Family paddle boat ride was my favorite part :)

BUSY in Chicago

Every time we return from a visit to Chicago, I wish we had some more pictures to document how much fun we had!  We were busy, as usual.

Cousin Lori & Ethan were also there and it was great to spend time together.  Ethan went to his first movie, Madagascar 3.  We spent loads of time at the new aquatic center and ended the week with a visit to a carnival.  We visited Karen in Naperville and met her 3 week old baby girl, we spent lots of time with Becky and her family in Naperville too.  I even managed to sneak away for an evening downtown with my girlfriends :)

Katie skipped her nap most days because there was just too much fun to be had.  We learned that is the best way to have her sleep sound for over 12 hours a night!

Family tree

We hosted a family bbq a few weeks ago and we were finally able to gather all 5 great-grandchildren with Jimmie & Thelma for this picture.  This pic will be added to our family wall of pictures going up the staircase at our house :)

From left to right:  James (3yrs), Kevin (5yrs), Tyler (9mos), Thelma, Isabel (2yrs), Jimmie, Katie (2yrs).

Safety Town

As a right of passage, most kids in our area attend Safety Town the summer before Kindergarten.  Kevin had a blast!  They road the bus across town to the police station and fire station.  On the last day they had a "graduation" ceremony where the kids showcased what they learned.  Our friend Garrison came with me and he knew Officer Weatherall from when he went to Safety Town 7 years earlier.  All 3 kids got a picture with officer.
Yes, safe to say, I hope this is the only time Kevin is on a first name basis with a police officer.

4th of July

Lookin' cool on the HOT 4th of July.  The kids picked up so much candy at the Urbandale parade!