Kindergate

My oldest baby girl left me today....well, she left me for 8 hours.  Our first child has gone off to Kindergarten!  Lillian has been jumping around about this day since the beginning of the year and I don't mean the school year.  She has been ready since January and she was still in preschool.  She has asked and asked when she would be going to the "big school." 

Finally last week, she was so happy to learn that we would go meet her teacher on Friday.  In Forest Creek Elementary, the teachers call the day before and let you know that you will be in their class.  So Thursday afternoon, I got a call from Mr. Whitfield telling me that he will be Lillian's teacher.  I was excited at first because I have heard everyone saying they wanted him for their child's teacher.  He is a 19 year Kindergarten teacher and also a singer/songwriter who plays guitar to his students in class to help them learn.  How awesome is that!?  Then I asked around to other parents about who their kids got and funny enough, the 3 kids I asked about were all going to be in the same class! Just not in Lillian's class. :( 

When we went to see Mr. Whitfield's classroom and meet him on Friday, I think Lillian became a little nervous.  Who was this "man teacher."  Where are all the pretty decorations on the wall you usually see in Kindergarten books?  Where are all my friends???  Lillian left clutching on to me and tearfully said she did not want to go to Kindergarten!

Brandon and I talked to her about it throughout the day and weekend and I think she was still anxious, but getting excited again to go.  I got things semi-ready last night for her big day and then found a cute idea online of taking her first day of school picture with chalk writing out on the sidewalk.  So I hurried outside and wrote out Kindergaten big for her to stand and sit by....did you notice what I forgot????  I didn't until my sister pointed it out after I took Lillian's picture.  No 2nd "r"!  That is what a not used to getting up early frazzled first day of kindergarten mom does!  So later I added an "r" in the pictures with the paint program!  It will have to do.  But not before some already noticed it and the first picture I posted of Lillian didn't show the "n" on the end, so Lillian was standing in front of "Kindergate."  Apparently this is a prison for kids or a political conspiracy. :)

After pictures, Brandon finally got up and we all walked Lillian over to school for her big day.  We made it through the crowd and got her in line with her class and she seemed okay as they walked in line towards their classroom.  We shall see!

How is Mom, you might ask?  Fine.  I did tear up a little when I saw other moms crying and for a minute when she was leaving, but no real waterworks!  I'm proud!  Andrew sure misses his sister though and thought when we were leaving for the gym at 9:20 that we were going to pick up Lillian then to come with us.  Oh, Andrew!  I know he will be ready to go back to Preschool when it starts next week.

My first baby girl is a Kindergartner! (at Kindergate! ha ha)

ready for school

with her teacher, Mr. Whitfield

Lillian with her buddy Quinn

after I added the "r"....facepalm!

walking to class

Marjorie has begun walking!

Little Miss Marjorie waited until 11 months old to crawl....later than her brother and sister....but is taking steps sooner than both of them at 13.5 months!  She decided today was the day!  This morning she took 6 steps at a friend's house. Then I got her on camera tonight taking more!  My baby girl is growing up!

Happy Birthday, Brandon!

 Brandon had to work on his birthday like many people, so we didn't get to spend a lot of time with him today, but we woke up this morning and gave him his gift when he came down ready for work and then we met him for dinner at Serrano's this evening.  The kids were very happy to celebrate.  Andrew was so excited that when we got home, he ran into the house and went straight for the refridgerator and grabbed the cake out so we could sing to Daddy and have him blow out the candle.  But being a clumsy 4 year old, it slid out of his hands and over onto the floor!  I about lost it, but held it together okay.  It could have been much worse, I know.  It just landed on it's side, so one side of the cake's icing was gone.  So we scooped it up and still had our birthday celebration.  The cake was still delicious too!  A yummy white cake with strawberry filling from Randall's. 

Brandon, in just 3 days it will be 13 days since I met you and in some ways it feels like a lifetime ago and sometimes like yesterday.  It was the best thing that has happened to me.  You are a wonderful husband, father, and friend!  I hope you had a great birthday!  You deserve it!  I love you!

Brandon and the crazy kids

My men!

Lillian with Daddy at Serrano's

Cake time! ( the side with no icing is facing Brandon! ha)

A Nature Outing

We have been staying in quite a bit due to the summer heat and I get tired of taking them swimming on my own with Marjorie now crawling all over the place and she won't sit in a float, so it makes it a tough outing alone.  The kids are out of school for the month too, so I think they are getting tired of just me and going to the gym.  They miss getting out and doing things.  So this week I decided no matter the heat, we would head out to the park.  So One day we hit up the All Abilities park and were the only ones there!  Then yesterday I remembered Memorial Park and how it had quite a bit of shade, so we headed there. 

I love how this park feels like you are out in the country in nature when you are actually under the busiest highway...interstate 35.  Because we haven't had rain in quite a while now, the water wasn't very high and when we walked up on a boy and his mom with a net catching minnows and tadpoles, I told the kids it was okay if they walked around in the water too.  They had a blast!  They looked all around for tadpoles and fish and waded through from rock to rock.  I think Andrew would have stayed there all day!  But that part was in the sun of course and poor Marjorie was getting red in the face from the heat, so I made them come back to the other side and the playground after about 20 minutes or so. 

It was fun getting out and doing something different though!  I need to think of more places like this to get out and see these last few weeks of summer before they head back to school.

Andrew playing in the water

sweet baby toes

wading in the water

My sweet girl...getting so grown up



Marjorie sharing her goldfish



Cooling Off in the Famous Pool

We have been trying to get together with some preschool buddies and to keep busy now that school is out for all of August.  Andrew goes back in September and Lillian goes in 4 weeks...the last week in August.  So we called up the Bodnar's.  Lillian was in class with Payton for a few years.  We've only gotten together with them once this summer, so we wanted to see if they would come swimming with us. Payton's mom, Sara told me about their summer bucket list of places they wanted to go in Austin.  So we planned a trip to the Barton Springs Pool!

All the kids on the Zilker train: Cael, Andrew, Payton, and Lillian

Andrew on the Zilker train

Me and my big kids in the Barton Springs pool

Having a fun snow cone break after we swam

Lillian and her buddy from preschool, Payton on the Zilker train

Next to the pool entrance is also the Zilker park train, which we haven't ever ridden before, so we decided to do this as well.  The kids loved riding it and especially the little tunnel you go under.

Then we had a picnic lunch while watching the people swimming in the pool.  They were very curious about this big pool!  For those that don't know, Barton Springs Pool is a spring fed pool and an Austin Landmark that has been here for years and years.  Because it is spring fed, it is very cool!  So when we went in, the kids were a little shocked by the cold water.  But they loved it and ended up going in pretty quick and going all around it.  It was a nice change from going to a regular swimming pool and the water doesn't feel so bad once you get used to it.  Luckily, Brandon was off work when we went, so he kept Marjorie home because I don't think she would have agreed about the water and we were flirting with nap time too, so she probably wouldn't have made it.

After the kids tired out, we went out and got snow cones and an ice cream for Payton.  Thanks so much to Sara who had extra cash since I used mine up on the train ride and pool entrance fees. We'll have to treat them next time! 

It was a fun day and with weather in the 100's now it was perfect for the Barton Springs pool!  We may have to go back!  I will for sure once Marjorie is bigger and can handle the water better!

Surprise, Uncle Clay!



My sister, Katy let us know way back in the spring that she was going to have a surprise birthday party for my brother-in-law, Clay for his 30th birthday.  So we have been planning the trip and everyone was sworn to secrecy...no emailing or talking to Katy about it in case Clay snooped and found out. So my mom, who had a longer 8 hour trip compared to our 4 hours to Abilene went down there on Friday and then we met her there on Saturday.  We had to spend the rest of that day there hiding from Clay.  His friend had taken him to play golf while Katy supposedly hung out with his wife all day.  She actually went with his wife and mom for a pedicure and then had lunch with us!  We met up with them at Abuelo's.





Marjorie at lunch at Abuelo's



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Lillian and Andrew with the Abuelo's statue



After lunch, Katy had to go set up for the party and get ready, so we went with mom back to the hotel we would be staying in.  The kids were so excited because they didn't remember staying in a hotel before since they were very young the last time we have stayed in one.  And this one had an indoor swimming pool, so that was also a fun new experience for them.



Lillian jumping into the hotel pool





Grandma Teddy and Andrew in the hotel pool

After spending some time in the pool and getting ready, we headed to the restaurant in Abilene for Clay's big surprise.  We were there about 20 minutes before his arrival and everyone was getting excited.  No one was quite sure if he would really be surprised or not.  Then when he finally arrived, we gathered facing the door and yelled "Surprise!"  and we saw Clay's surprise face.  We definitely got him.  Especially us that had come so far and hid out without him knowing.  Good job, Katy!  I think the hardest part for all of us was not being able to post any pictures on facebook of what we were doing all day because he would see where we were.



Clay, Katy, and Parker



Clay opening his gift from us while Lillian watches closely

Marjorie was excited to sit with Grandma Teddy

Clay with Andrew and Lillian definitely not posing

Marjorie with Uncle Clay..."Who is this guy!?"



And this picture pretty much sums up the rest of the weekend and Monday.  Marjorie didn't sleep well in the hotel room with me, Mom, Lillian and Andrew all there.  She went to bed late and then couldn't go to sleep with all that was going on.  We learned we will definitely need a separate room for her nexttime or suite with rooms.  She was exhausted and slept like this all the way to Katy's the next day.  Then was tired and crabby the rest of the day, so I didn't take pictures of us out swimming at Katy's house or anything and then we spent today driving back home.  It was a fun, but very tiring weekend!  We had a good time though and hope Clay had a great birthday!  We were glad we could be there to celebrate!

Beauty and Darkness

I haven't bragged about my new drapes yet!  Jamie made them for me and brought them the weekend of Marjorie's party, but since then, I was updating the blog from that weekend and kept forgetting to take a picture of them to share.  I absolutely love them!  They added color to my drab front room in my house and help keep some of the heat out in this hot summertime!  And once Marjorie is big enough to play upstairs in her room and not only downstairs, the baby toys will be gone and I think it will make the space look a lot more grown up!  Thanks again, Jamie!