Friday August 31

We are patiently awaiting our weekends visitors to arrive.

Andy and Katie are coming to hang out with us....

And they are bringing Bailey, Morgan and Owen with them.

I think we will have a fun time :)

If only they would get here!

 

Thursday August 30

It was Madi's first cross country meet today.

I didn't see much nerves at all in her.

Actually, middle school has done some real wonders for this girl.

Go figure.

Maybe it has something to do with feeling older and more responsible....

But she was excited to see what the meet was all about.

We picked Cassi up from school and headed to Lake Hazel.

The competing teams bus showed up late.....so they all got started late.

No big deal.

The girls went first.

They started off at a really fast pace.

The first two girls were really booking it and the rest just tried to keep up.

Madi did really well.

I believe it was a mile and a half they ran.

Madi's time came in at 14:47.

It will be fun to see how her time improves over the next few weeks.

I told her that the only thing she needs to beat is her own time.

She was happy with how she did.

There were some really fast runners, and some really slow runners.

Madi did a great job and it was fun watching her, even though it was hard to keep track of where they were the whole time :)

 

 

Madi knew these girls last year.

It is fun to have them on the same team as her.

They seem like really good kids.

 

 

Almost to the finish.

She really pushed it hard at the end to get through the finish.

Way to go Bell!

 

 

When we got home she opened her present she didn't get yesterday.

I was gonna take her shoe shopping for new running shoes.

But then today, we went to pick up Brent's truck from the shop on the way to Elsie's PT.

But the truck wasn't done yet......so Dad dropped us off and took Port with him to waste some time.

He went to Big5 and found these great shoes for $25.

The right size for her and they looked great....so he got them.

She loves them and she looks like a pro in them :)

*****

This morning did not go smoothly.

Not bad....just not perfect.

I took Elsie to drop her off this morning.

I wasn't sure if she would be good with me dropping her off.

Cassi had taken the bus to school, so when Elsie and I got to school, we waited to see her get off.

We saw Cassi and she was happy and excited to be with her friends and at school.

Well, I took Elsie around to her classroom and the bell rang.

Elsie started to get a little worried look on her face, but I tried to distract her by talking with all the other little girls about their cool backpacks.

Well, all of the sudden Cassi come running around the corner bawling her eyes out.

Elsie started to fuss a bit.

I made sure Cassi wasn't hurt, then I made her go around the corner so Elsie wouldn't freak out cause of Cassi freaking out.

I walked Elsie in and she hung her backpack up and away she went.

Happy as a clam.

I can't believe how great the last few days have been for her.

She was so tired after today....hopefully she will have good energy tomorrow :)

Anyway, then I went back out to Cassi.

She was in a full panic attack.

I don;t know if anyone has ever been around Cassi when she gets like this....but she is absolutely impossible to talk with.

I tried to find out what happened.

She just kept saying her tummy hurt and she wanted to go home.

I told her she was probably just nervous.

Over and over again we tried to talk through it.

Finally she said to me she didn't want to go to class cause she didn't have any of her friends with her.

I told her that was crazy, and that everyone is Cassi's friend.

I told her a little story of a little boy who came up to me before Cassi got off the bus and asked if Cassi was here today.

I told him she was and that she would get off the bus soon.

I asked if he knew her and he told me she was in his class and they sat by each other and he thought she was pretty cool.

I told her that story and I think it kinda helped.

Cassi is one of those kids that people seems to flock too.

She is fun to be around, funny and hyper.

Everything a kid loves, right :)

She was still crying as I walked closer to her classroom.

We stood outside her doorway and I gave her a big giant hug for a long time.

That girl needs love.

I know we all need love, but she is, in a way, needy.

We are trying to figure her out and what makes Cassi have these little panic attacks.
They happen at bedtime alot.
A couple years ago it was so bad that we took her to the dr and she said she suffered from kind of a seperation anxiety.

Cassi is always willing to try anything, she puts on a big, strong happy front, but on the inside she is our most vulnerable child.

She looks for and needs acceptance.

And like I said a few days ago, I feel like we are always picking on Cassi for doing this or doing that, or not doing this.

It isn't like we do it any more to her than the other kids, but Cassi takes it harder.

Cassi's little heart gets bruised so easily.

As I held her I asked if she wanted me to say a little prayer to help her feel calm.

So we did.

We said a prayer and then I held her a little longer.

I watched her hang up her backpack and go to her seat.

She looked over at me with her poor little puffy eyes and I showed her the 'I love you' sign.

She smiled that sweet smile and signed it back to me, and I knew she was good.

I wrote her a little note and stuck it on her desk when I went to pick up Elsie after kindergarten.

She needs those little things, those little reminders that she is loved so much.
I need to be better about doing it more often.

It is so funny.

I have worried so much about Madi starting Middle school and Elsie starting Kindergarten.

I thought there was no problem with Cassi.

Guess I was wrong.
And I don't think I need to worry....I think she will do good tomorrow.
It was just an off day.
I think riding the bus this morning threw her off.
All morning she begged to go to the bus stop and I kept telling her that it wouldn't come for another hour, half hour, etc.
So maybe that was my fault by focusing more on the telling her NO all morning instead of making it a nice smooth morning for her.

We are working harder to make sure she knows how much she is loved.

She is such an amazing part of our family and I want her to always KNOW that.

And always remember it.



Wednesday August 29

Happy birthday to our sweet baby Bell.

This girl gets better with each year.

She really is growing into a wonderful young woman.

She is helpful, smart, funny, cute.....pretty much the whole package!

I have a lot of pictures form her opening presents...

But again, it got late.

That always seems to happen.

She woke up to balloons hanging in her doorway and then dad made her a bacon and egg breakfast...her fav.

Then it was off to school.

I asked her if she wanted me to make a sign for her back that said it was her birthday....

She said that it was okay, she didn't need it :)

I picked her up after cross country and she was so excited to show me her uniform for cross country.

Her first meet is tomorrow.

That will be fun :)

After she showered, we ate dinner, had cake and ice cream, then we headed out with her to take her birthday pictures.

She made me laugh the whole time.

She sure is a pretty girl, with a great laugh.

She is a shy one....but who says that is a bad thing?

Madi Bell, Happy Birthday.

We love you so so very much!!!

 

She was pretty sure we need a picture with that straw in her mouth.

Goof ball :)

Tuesday August 28

 

We all survived.

And everyone had such a fun day!

What was I ever worried about :)

All the kids were up early.

We got Madi all ready to go on time.

Dad drove her today....I think she may start the bus tomorrow.

She was really nervous.

 

Brent went with her to the school....he said she kept walking in front of him a little bit and he asked if he should just leave....and she told him no, to stay with her.

She is just a nut.

There were plenty of other parents around.

She just hates to stick out in any way.

 

I cannot believe she is a middle schooler!!!

She came home at 4:30 cause she has cross country after school.

She said it was a great day.

I am so happy for her.

She said she met a lot of new friends.

And the best part is that she is excited about tomorrow!

(p.s. it is her birthday tomorrow too :)

 

Port thought he needed a first day of school picture too.

Getting big, boy!

 

We took Elsie and Cassi to school today.

Actually, I will always take Elsie, but Cassi thinks she might ride the bus sometimes :)

 

Before we had to leave they had time for some book reading.



 

Cassi found her class line.

She was very excited to start school today.....very giddy!

 

Elsie bug was a rock star.

She did so great.

The parents gathered at first for a chat with Mrs. Gracen, but then she shooed us away.

We could tell Elsie was on the verge of not being okay with it....so Brent stayed behind.

It only took a few minutes before he was able to leave.

The best part was that the aid that is there to help Elsie out in class is the same aid Madi had last year for the special needs kids in her class.

Miss Jodi....and we love her.

She knows Elsie from different school functions we have talked to her at.

So it was very awesome to have her there!

It is gonna be great.

 



Thumbs up from Elsie when I picked her up from school.

She said to me "It was GREAT!"

She told me she didn't cry at all.

She had so much fun and could not stop talking all afternoon!

I am so happy.

Beyond happy!

It is gonna be a great year for her!

*****

We picked raspberry's at a friends house for a lot of the afternoon.

Can't wait to freeze them and make jam with them.

So yummy.

*****

When Madi got home from cross country, we headed to the Young's house.

I pretty much invited our little family to their house for dinner :)

Well, I offered to bring dinner....but they had just had pizza so she said to come eat what she was cooking.

You rock Heather.

Thanks for letting us invade.

And we got to see the new pool!

So much fun.

It was still pretty cold but the kids had a really fun time.



Monday August 27

I feel completely emotional exhausted today.

I cannot believe school starts tomorrow.

I feel very unprepared for this.

And since I am unprepared.....I feel like the kids are too.

I feel bad sending them to school unprepared.

But maybe they are ready.....and I am just not.

I don't know.

I pray that Madi will feel peace and find friends and have a fun time.

I don't want her to stress.....I want this to be fun for her.

I think I have done a good job hiding from her how I really feel about this happening.

I know she will do great.

I know she will.

I just wish we could skip past any hurt feelings, or being left out, or feeling lost.

But I guess that is all part of growing up.

*

Cassi is excited.

Sounds like she has a great teacher.....but she doesn't know many of her kids in her class.

Which is never really a problem with Cassi.

She finds friends in 2 minutes.

But she does have some nervousness going on.

My fear with her is that I hope she really knows how much she is loved.

I feel like we are always ragging on Cassi for something.....

I hate that we do that.

She reminds me of what I was probably like at her age.

She is such a great kid.....and I want her to know that.

We all think she is amazing!

*

Then there is Elsie bug.

I don't even know what to think.

I don't have ANY idea of how tomorrow will go.

I know she is excited.

I know she loves her teacher.

She loves her classroom.

But I worry about her at recess.....I worry about her when kids start running around her.

I worry about kids making fun of her for how she talks or walks.

I feel like crying right now.

I have already done too much of that today thinking of it all.

 

But how can I not, I am their Mom.

I know I have to put these little ones out into the world......but it just scares me.

I just love them so much and I don't ever want them to feel sad or lonely or scared.

 

How awesome is this that we found this book at the library????

Super awesome!!!

She loves it.

I hope it helps get her pumped up tomorrow :)

*****

Another reason for my emotional exhaustion.....

Baby Henley Jane was born today.

And I got to be there.

Jenni asked me if I would photograph the birth.

It was amazing....

Being there while Jenni incredibly did it all with no epidural....as Brad would say, like a Rock Star!!!

But also seeing new life enter this world.

Absolutely amazing.

 

Thanks Jenni and Brad for letting me be there to share it all with you.

And I am so excited that you have pictures to remember forever :)

*****

Tonight we took the kids to Wendy's for a special back to school dinner.

 

In all reality....

I have had no time to do real shopping, and we have no groceries.

So we went out.....

They thought it was great :)

And you gotta top it off with a frosty.

 



Sunday August 26

So....Elsie didn't go to class today.

Dad was working.

I think that had a lot to do with it.

Plus they mixed things up, moving the primary into the chapel.

She does not like when her world gets messed up :)

Anyway....so she stuck with me.

I sure hope that Tuesday goes smoothly with Kindergarten.

I know she will love it....if we can just get her to go!

Port fell asleep during sharing time.

But I took my chances and put him down when we got home from church.

He still seemed tired.

He takes close to 3 hour naps......so I thought he needed a little more than 20 min :)

While he slept, the girls went outside and read books.

It was a nice day, but even better when you are on a blanket under a big beautiful tree.

After reading, they spent time eating popsicles and looking at the many MANY birds nests in that big beautiful tree.

 

*****

Mittens is getting used to her surroundings outside.

She has found a favorite spot in our kitchen window sill.

She jumps on the rocker in the front yard, climbs up the birdhouses, and jumps onto the sill.

Well, today Mater wasn't as nervous of her.

So he spent all his time sleeping right by the front door, trapping Mittens up by the window.

Cause she won't come down with him right there.

We caught her snoozing on top of the birdhouse.

She woke up when I took the picture....but we all thought it was pretty funny.

 



Saturday August 25

We had the Young girls over today.

They were here for a while....so there were a lot of activities going on throughout the day.

I think they all had fun all day long.

They all kept busy for sure.

 

 

We started with some play dough for the little ones, while the big girls planned stuff for their clubs.

 

 

They spent a lot of time on the trampoline doing different tricks.

 

 

Then it was onto painting.

They had some rocks they had glued together to look like a buffalo....

Madi and Kara have a club that has to do with Buffalo's.

 

Elsie and Hallie had the most fun.

They were out there for a long time after all the big girls left.

Then they moved onto horses.

 

Cassi and Aubree made this sign for their club.

The 'Camping Crew Clubhouse'.

 

More club planning.....

These guys have a membership card.

 

There was a lot of time spent with the kitty.

Good thing Port took a good nap so that Hallie could hold her to her hearts desire.

He thinks that kitty belongs to him....

But he was good though and let them share her with him :)

 

Then they tried to make their clubhouses....

Neither of them turned out.

Not enough time I guess.....or good enough supplies :)

 

 

Thanks girls for hanging out today.

Hope you had as much fun as we did :)

*****

Oh...and Cassi just barely pulled her tooth out.

Guess the tooth fairy needs to make a stop.