Friday, September 26, 2014

One of Those Weeks

So this has been one of those weeks...the weeks that all the little things happen and it just gets you down. I try not to let it bc I know they are little things but its been an emotionally tiring week.
Its not only had a few "trials" that have made it hard its been SUPER busy!!
Here's a run down:
Monday: Both kids had school. Austin was off and I went grocery shopping. It felt like a pretty productive day and we had a nice family dinner and walk that evening. Only downfall was Colby falling and hurting his knees.
Tuesday: Colby had Parent Visitation Day at school. My parents kept Lindsay and I went to his school. I enjoyed getting to hear from the principal about what has taken place so far and I loved going into his classroom to see what all he is learning. It was also nice to have that bonding time with him alone that I don't get too often. It did end on a little sour note but it was a learning time for us both. That evening we had lifegroup. There was no lesson this week so it was just a time of eating pizza and fellowship. It was a great time. Its hard sometimes getting out 2 nights a week but I think it does help me to just get to visit with other adults and Austin and I kinda get a night out since my parents keep the kids.
Wednesday: Oh Wednesday...both kids were supossed to be at school but Lindsay had a tummy ache and ended up having an accident in the car while waiting to go into school. I am thankful it happened with me though and not once I left her. We came home and had a pretty low key. I think having that quiet day is what helped me keep my sanity for the rest of the week! That night we had church. Again hard to get out but I always feel blessed after. The kids love it so much and I love my preschoolers I am teaching. We had 5. They were a little high strung but we were able to spend time outside so that was good!
Thursday: Both kids went to school. Lindsay doesn't normally go on Thursday but they had the Zoo Mobile coming so we planned on her going so she wouldn't miss out! I think she enjoyed it! While she was at school I went with Stephanie to the Farmer's Market! Wow really what my soul needed. It was such a refreshing moment with another mom.
Friday: My first day I have been able to come and enjoy the quiet of both kids at school! I am thankful for this time to get caught up on house stuff and have some down time. I am also excited its Friday. The kids and I look forward to our special Fast food night and movie night we have on Fridays!
The weekend should be pretty quiet and low key. Austin will be working so I am just looking forward to some quality time with the kids with no really big plans just church on Sunday! =)

Sunday, September 21, 2014

ZOO Scavenger Hunt & The rest of the Weekend









So its been a lovely weekend. Friday night we did our usual fast food and movie night. The kids chose McDonald's and Beauty and the Beast. I love giving them this as a reward for their week. I hope to create a lifelong memory for them by doing this!

Saturday we had our church's Zoo Scavenger Hunt. I was excited that we got to do this as a family. The kids were so excited and Austin and I were too! Its rare that we go do a big even on Saturdays b/c usually Austin is working so the kids and I usually do something low key. We got to the Zoo a little before 10. It was awesome to see so many families from church attend this! I would say there was over 50 people there! It was fun seeing friends on a Saturday like this! Once we got into the zoo they passed out maps and our list of clues. We were assigned one other family to go through the Zoo with. I thought it was a neat idea to match us up with someone we probably wouldn't normally hang out with. We were matched with a mom and this little boy Joey. I have had Joey in Clubhouse so I was familiar with him. He promoted up this summer to Jump Start. He and Colby got along really well! I was glad we had someone that Colby could play/interact with. Lindsay had fun but she was mostly obssessed with snacking and making her daddy hold her. I know she had fun though! We went through the entire Zoo. We did stuff we don't normally do since we had to get to all of the clues! Colby was very cooperative and got into seeing all the animals and just running around outside! After the scavenger hunt we all met back at the entrance and walked over to Audubon Park for po-boys. Again another great part of the day! Food and fellowship with our church family. We sat by our friends Tammy & Clint and son Logan and Joey and his mom and Melissa and Eli. My kids were def surrounded by friends! Again Colby loved just running around and playing outside with friends which was so good to see!
That afternoon it was just the kids and I b/c Austin went up to Hattiesburg to see the Eagles play. I enjoyed our low key night again together.

Sunday we all went to church together which was fantastic. I taught the preschoolers. We had 12 which was awesome! To have so many they were all so well behaved too! Once again we split them up halfway through into 6 and 6. I took the younger ones into the modular so they could play and get some extra energy out. After church we ate lunch out then came home to watch the Saints game! Its once again been a nice low key family night and I have loved that! It will be another busy week so the downtime has been fabulous!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Fall Schedule in Full Swing

So our fall schedule is really picking up this week. I am excited about all the new opportunities but I have to tell myself to hold on b/c LIFE is about to get really busy!!
So in addition to Colby's 5 day a week school schedule and Lindsay's 3 day a week schedule:
Tuesdays I have started the Ladies Bible Study. This year it is Beth Moore's Children of the Day. I am super excited about getting back into the Word with other ladies. I feel the difference in my life when I am not plugged in like that! Today we had a great turnout over 25 ladies! It is nice to just have this outlet for me. My mom has committed to keeping Lindsay again this year. She kept her 2 years ago when she was still a baby and now this year again. Last year we all 3 attended Bible study together and I wanted my mom to have the choice but because of Lindsay going to school 3 days a week my mom didn't want her to be in "childcare" almost every day of the week. I am glad she is getting fun days with the grandparents while she is still young!
Tuesday evening we had lifegroup. We are going through a session on work and finances. It has been really good and made me start thinking a little harder about how I/we spend money. I wouldn't consider that we are frivelous but I know sometimes I can get carried away especially with clothes so I am trying to consider going to consignments and getting clothes from other people first before I go buy a bunch of stuff. It has always helped Austin to work through some work issues he's been facing.
Wednesday nights we have now started Fall Empowered. I am really excited about our new curriculum. I am once again working with the preschoolers. I am really excited. I think this will be my favorite semester yet. We are studying the book of Hebrews. This first week we had 7 kids. They were all very good...well we had one active one but I think honestly he was too young for the class. He had a very hard time following directions. The kids seemed to enjoy the first week. We took care of babies and learned about Jesus coming to earth as a baby. I know my kids are glad to be back on Wednesday nights. Colby has always loved dinner and the children's classes. Yes its a long day but they both did really well. I love that they have another time during the week to really learn and study God's word. Lindsay is ofcourse in my class and yes I love having her in there!
Our Thursdays and Fridays will now be low key I think. Lindsay will go to school on Friday but I think those 2 days will be mostly my days to re-fresh and re-coup after such business!
We are excited about this upcoming weekend though and a ZOO trip!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Friends + Growing Pains

So this weekend has been a pretty low key one in our house. Last week was pretty busy with both kids in school and I ran errands and got to visit with a couple of friends. I was ready for a restful weekend plus Austin was working so we don't usually do much on those weekends.
Friday night we did our kick off the weekend with chickfila for dinner and a post bath movie. This week was Toy Story 3. I enjoy this tradition with the littles and I think they like it too! Austin got home early enough to join in the fun which was also great!
Saturday the kids and I had a Target trip planned. I promised both a 5 dollar toy due to how well they were doing in school. I won't always reward with toys/money but I can tell Colby has been working really hard and he had all As on his interim report this week. They each enjoyed picking out a small happy. We had planned to visit a park or go swim but both fell through due to it raining. We came home to have a restful rest of the morning. During naptime we got a text from Nijel's mom if he could still come over. I honestly thought the playdate had been cancelled but I was ok with it b/c I knew since our other plans had fallen through it would be good for Colby. Well the visit was mostly good but Colby was a little whiney throughout. I felt like him and Nijel just didn't "click" as our other playdates. At the end of the visit too somehow Nijel also broke one of Colby's toys. It also happened to be the new one he just earned. He was crushed. I think Nijel was crushed too! I hated the day ended up on such a sour note. I felt so bad for them both. I do think they were both tired though. So I got the kids to bed pretty early and Austin and I watched football.
Sunday was church day. It was just the kids and I. I was off so I was able to sit in church...although going without Austin is sometimes weird. It was nice to sit in there though and get refreshed with God's Word and worship. I think the kids did well and enjoyed their classes. That afternoon we just watched the Saints game. Austin got home and we spent a little time outside before winding down and putting them to bed early again.
It was a very low low key weekend which I thik we all needed especially since this week all of our FALL activities start! So Tuesday and Wednesday will be super busy days!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

WEEKEND!!

YAY so the weekend is here! I really appreciate weekends now with our school week so busy with a 1st grader and 3 year old preker. I especially love LOW KEY weekends! I mean last weekend was great and all I loved all the time with family and all the fun but sometimes just being around the house is what I need and crave!
So last night we had no plans! I love no plan Friday nights. Austin actually came home early which was terrific b/c that RARELY happens! So he got home and we ate McDonald's for dinner. Ugh not really my choice but I let Colby choose on stay at home Friday nights what he wants for dinner and this was his choice. We hardly ever eat it so I was like whatever. Anyway after dinner we took the kids out to play in muddy puddles! they love donning their rain boots and searching and splashing in puddles! It was just a fun, simple family time. Afterwards we got them cleaned up and bathed. Then it was movie time! Another Friday night treat is a movie. We chose Finding Nemo. They get to stay up past their normal 7:30-8 bedtime. I think they were up until about 9. But both were exhausted when they did go to bed. It was fun just snuggling and watching the movie with them!
Saturday again no major plans! We had a liesurely morning with blueberry muffins before getting dressed for the day. I had decided we would visit a park. This is really our "usual" Saturday event. It gets the kids outside and active and its a free, easy activity. I chose a park close to our house. The kids had a good time. We stayed about 40 min. There were baseball games going on so the park was busier then usual which I think also entertained them. After the park I decided since I am going to be alone with the kids all evening I would take them out to lunch so I wouldn't feel so bad just feeding them sandwhiches later on. We called my parents to meet us. I have been craving mexican so that is where we ate. It was nice visiting with my parents plus it helped to keep the kids out longer so it wasn't such a long day. That is the only problem with our "low key" saturdays is sometimes they seem to go on FOREVER! Once we came home Colby started getting ready for his playdate with his friend Nijel. These 2 have become inseperable! Its so cute! I am so thankful he's got a best buddy! Nijel's dad picked him up about 2 and he went over there for a few hours. That is the first time in awhile he's been to a friend's house alone. The only other friends he has gone to see like that were Max and Jax! I know he felt so grown up! It was nice having some time to myself and with Lindsay. I know these type of things will happen more and more now that he's getting older. I am thankful for this friendship though and they seem to be on the same page as us as far as parenting goes so I totally felt comfortable letting him go over there =)We  picked him up after dinner. It sounded like he had a blast! They played outside and rode cars and played Wii. That night Austin was out of town so I was able to get the kids to bed early which was BLISS!
Sunday Austin was there to meet us at church. I was teaching so I didn't get to sit with him in church. I am loving my preschoolers though. I really love teaching Lindsay too. We had 8 kids. We hang out together 2-5s through most of the morning. They have free play, clubhouse (worship), crafts, then I take the 2s and 3s out so that the 4s and 5s can talk about the story more in depth and do more projects and fun stuff. It has worked out really well doing it this way. We then go back right in time for pick up. After church we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings. It was a Saints game day so we knew it would be a fun atmosphere and get us all pumped up for the game. That afternoon we mostly just watched the game and hung out!
The weekend was great and I feel like we all got to catch up on our rest which was awesome! Looking forward to a great week ahead with school and church activities. The next week our life will really pick up as Bible study, Empowered, LifeGroup and all that starts up!

Saturday, September 6, 2014

School Days....

So I thought I would post about how school is going since Colby has been in for almost a month and Lindsay has finished her first week!
Colby is doing great in 1st grade. He has really matured in this last year I can tell! He learned so much in kindergarten and I can see him putting it into practice this year! Last year he was pretty shy and timid but this year I see a new confidence about him! He seems to really like his teacher. She is a new, first year teacher so I pray for her daily b/c I remember what that was like. I know she's on a learning curve as are all of the students! I know God has taught me so much in the last year about grace and perfection. Last year I stressed a lot about how Colby was doing and how he measured up to other kids. I felt so intimidated b/c he was young for his "grade" and I knew he would be a little behind since he didn't go to full day pre-k. This year I know he is right where he is supossed to be and I am totally ok with it taking him a little longer to achieve things. God made him the way he is and we are going to celebrate that! He has done well so far though. He comes home with all As except for last weeks spelling test. I don't fault him too much b/c last week was crazy and his mind was on our weekend trip. He seemed to really know his words this week so hopefully he will bounce back. He has his best friend Nijel and I am so thankful they have been friends for over a year and have each other to go through first grade with!
Lindsay has been to school 3 days now. I really worried a bit how she would do since last year she cried almost every single time I dropped her off. She never cried for long and she always seemed to enjoy school and be having fun when I picked her up but when asking her if she wanted to go back the answer was always no. I think it was mostly age. She was put though in the "younger mdo" class though even though she made the requirement (barely) for the older class. So I wonder if sometimes she was just bored. Anyway all that said this year she LOVES school. Again I am sure some of it is age and development! But I think its also because the 3 year old program is more structured and they have better toys =) She has teared up when I have left her but NOTHING in comparison to last year's drama! She also tells me WAYY more about her day then Colby ever did. I can usually get out of her what they had for snack and atleast one activity. She is also already saying things that they do together in school. On Friday I picked her up while they were having chapel so I got to see her in action. She was up and dancing and seemed to really be having a great time! Again so different then her bro. He always loved school and soaked everything up but I can't ever picture him up DANCING!! Maybe he did I dunno but anyway it was adorable and it made me glad I put her in school. I mean I questioned myself this summer that maybe I should just keep her home since she always cried and she's my baby and I don't really "need" her in school blah blah! But I can see how much she's already learning and growing! So proud of my big boy and girl! Cannot wait to see them as the year progresses!

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Mommy/Daughter Time

So this week has been pretty busy and I was really looking forward to a low key day for us. Monday was Labor Day, Tuesday Lindsay had school for just an hour and I went grocery shopping, and Wednesday she had school and I had a dentist appt. Today we took the day off to enjoy some girl time! I texed my friend Ashley and her little boy Jackson to see if they would want to hang out. We ended up meeting at the mall and having beignets and coffee then letting the littles play! It was a very fun and much needed break! Lindsay seemed to enjoy the time and we still had time at home to get stuff done and for her to play toys and watch pbs kids =)
I am trying to soak up these days y'all. I know she still has 2 more years of preschool which will allow us still some flexibility and extra time but the next 2 years are 5 days a week so this year I will keep her with me as much as possible! I love these mommy/daughter days!
The weekend is upon us again and I am excited! I am looking forward to a slower paced weekend with the kiddos! Austin is going out of town so I am hoping to make it a fun and relaxing weekend for them!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Lindsay's First Day of 3 year preschool


So Lindsay began her 2nd year of school this week. She is in the 3 year old preschool class at Aurora. Her teacher is Mrs. Abby. We know Abby well b/c she has been around the school since Colby first started. Although he never actually had her as a teacher. Anyway this year she will go mostly M, W, and F. We had to sign her up for 5 day preschool b/c thats all they offered but most of the time she will only go those 3 days although sometimes the days will change but my goal is to only have her in school 3 days a week. My reason is...1 its really harder on her school days b/c I spend a lot more time in the car. 2 I miss her and still want time with her, and 3 she's only 2 1/2 and still has 3 years of preschool ahead I think it will be ok! I want to soak up time with her at home and still have fun girl days!
Yesterday (Tuesday) they just had a short meet n greet type of day. They started at 10 and got out at 11. She seemed to do really well. She cried a little when I dropped her off but not nearly as dramatic as she was last year thankfully! The teacher said she is doing great. She is in a class of 8 girls. I know she will have a great year! I look forward to her gaining more independence and what all she will learn. This week they are talking about them so I guess they are focusing on their personalities and looks and what makes them different from each other. She went a full day 9-12 on Wednesday. I did enjoy my time alone even though both days have been rushed! I will look forward to Friday when I can hopefully spend all 3 hours at home!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

LABOR DAY weekend

We are wrapping up Labor Day weekend here. Its been a very busy but fun filled weekend! I will start at the beginning!
So Friday we picked Colby up from school and headed out of town. We planned a trip to MS over the weekend b/c USM was playing MSU. We arrived in Hattiesburg around 6 Friday evening. We went straight to Austin's parents to have dinner and visit. Shelbi and Maggie were also over there so it was good for the kids to get to play with them. They mostly played a Disney game on the Wii and played Hide and Seek. We were all pretty tired though so we went back to the apartment around 8 and got everyone ready for bed.
Saturday we had to start pretty early and get ready. We were going up to Starkville for the day. We ate breakfast at McDonald's before leaving. My parents also came up that day so we followed them. We ate lunch at Starkville Cafe when we first got there. My parents were excited about showing the kids around Starkville and places where my mom grew up. After lunch we drove around to many of those places. It was neat going back b/c I haven't been up there in 10+ years! I am glad I got to hear my mom tell about them so that one day I will know the stories and will be able to take our kids around when they are older. We finally stopped in Morgantown to let the kids walk around. We stopped at the church and cemetery. I think it was good for them to get to move around some. After that my parents ended up heading back with the kids to Hattiesburg. They left around 3:30 knowing that it would be after 6 when they got back. Austin and I headed to MSU to find a parking spot. We got parked and started the trek to the stadium. We were about half way there when it started raining. We decided to go into the Book Store to seek out shelter. We browsed and found a few t-shirts as souvenirs. We hung out in there for about 45 min before going back outside to check the weather. It was still pouring! We huddled outside the building for awhile then decided to walk around. As we were walking we decided to just give up and sell our tickets. By that point we were already soaked and still had about 2 hours before the game. I really hated to miss the game. I would sit through rain in a game in Hattiesburg but we were 3 hours away and knew we would have a late night and we really didn't know the campus well enough to know where we could go hang out and wait on the weather to pass. I think it ended up being the best decision to drive back. It still gave us some time together which was nice. We ate dinner halfway back at a Cracker Barrel. Dinner without kids is ALWAYS nice although we did miss them! We got back in around 9 right as the kids were going to bed. We all went to bed shortly after.
Sunday we were able to relax and chill out a little bit that morning before church. The kids were able to play and we enjoyed a leisurely pancake breakfast. We decided to stay and go to church with Austin's parents. We don't get to do that often...the last time I think Colby was 3. It was nice to visit a church. We all sat in church together which was also nice b/c that doesn't happen often. They don't have stuff for kids Colby's age during church and we knew Lindsay wouldn't want to stay in a strange place. I was proud of how well they both did though. After church we changed clothes then had lunch at Austin's parents house. Again it was nice just visiting with our parents and letting the kids play. We came home afterwards knowing we had lots to do! It was a fun but quick and busy trip! I know we will be back soon though with football games going on!
Monday was nice to slow down a bit! We had a leisurely morning around the house before getting dressed and heading over to my parent's. We planned to swim and BBQ. Labor day is usually one of our last times to swim so I try to soak it up! Hopefully the kids and I will get to go swim a few more times before it gets too cold though! We invited Colby's friend Nijel to hang out with us. I knew this would make it more exciting/fun for Colby. He's getting to that age where he will want friends to hang out with so I am going to try to make that happen more this year. The boys got along really well and it def did keep Colby and Lindsay both busy and kept them from really fighting with one another. We let the kids swim for about 30 min or so but then it started storming so we had to get out. They loved just playing inside after that! It was great just getting to visit with the adults. Holidays are so much easier now! We didn't get home until about 3 that afternoon. It was a great day and weekend! Now we will be gearing up for fall and all the busyness that that includes!