Fall is in the air!

Fall is coming.  I can't wait!  I had to smile when I looked at these pictures because some days the kids are dressed for summer and other days they are dressed for chilly fall days!

 

Jack and Fernie received a card in the mail.  He was pretty excited.

 Their new game...chasing each other through the door and running in circles...hey whatever makes them happy!

 Right now Fernie is our strong-willed child.  She does what she wants and will let you know if she does not like something.  When she is happy she is HAPPY, when she is mad, she is MAD!  Oh but we LOVE HER SO VERY MUCH!

 NO more pictures, please.

 You are NOT going to get my picture!

 I braved the downtown street fair all by myself with the kids this year.  Zack was in depositions all day and my parents were out of town.  I was sweating like crazy by the time I got everyone back in the car, but it was a good time had by all!  Our highlights:  buying a HUGE bag of kettlecorn and eating a HUGE turkey leg!  Yes, so we go to eat!!!  I brought cups for the kids to eat their popcorn as we walked around.   

 And four bites later he was "full"! 

 So our little Fernie likes to be funny and she knows it drives me crazy when she sticks her finger up her nose, so what does she do????

 One Saturday is rained ALL day, by early evening it had stopped and the kids desperately wanted to go outside.  Zack thought it would be fun for them to shake the rain off the branches!

 I'm getting so big!

 I thought it was cute that Jack was "mowing" while Zack was trimming!

 Such a happy girl...or as Jack calls her "gurl"!

 Jack is showing Fernie how to pedal. He is so sweet to her!

 Taking turns shooting the basketball.

 Silly faces of Fernie!

 

 My budding artists.

 Jack is such a good boy. Don't get me wrong, he has his moments but he is such a sweetheart.  He loves life and really loves his sister. He is a great big brother. 

She has the BEST big brother EVER!

 This picture is a classic Jack face...he becomes very serious when he explains things.  He is talking to Fernie:  "well this is a croquet ball..."

 Showing Fernie how to play croquet.

 This is what happens when dad comes home and the kids are playing outside!

 LOVE this picture for many reasons:  1)  The kids love their father; 2) Zack loves playing with the kids; 3) I am so blessed; 4) That's my shoe in the bottom right corner, meaning I got to sit down and relax and I'm not chasing anyone!!!!!!!!!

Cheers to fall!

We did it!!!

The title should be "I did it"!!  I survived the first day of preschool.  Jack was so excited from the minute he got up from the time we arrived at school.  He could not wait to leave the house.  This behavior is unprecedented for Jack.  He usually very cautious and reserved.  NOT the case...he was beaming from ear to ear! 

 

 

Entering the school.

 Right before we entered the room.

 Hanging up his backpack.

 Ever since the open house, Jack talks about the fishing station...unfortunately the big fishing station was not set up but this little game was.  Every day he asks me, "do you think the fishing table will be set up today?" 

 Jack did so well.  He asks to go to school every day.  He can't wait to get there! 

**Confession:  On the first day of school instead of leaving as I should have, I went back to Jack THREE times asking if he was OK and tell him that I was going to leave!!  I think I needed someone to ask me if I was OK!!!!!!!

 

This little peanut keeps us hopping. She has Zack and I wrapped around her little finger.

 Our kids LOVE the park!

 Now that Jack knows how to "pump" he thoroughly enjoys the swings.

 

Fernie likes the swing too but only when big brother is swinging with her.

 Fernie thinks she is Jack's equal...she tries to do everything he does!

 I sent my dad this picture and told him that his lawn is in good hands! 

 This is a true happy Fernie smile.

 Jack is becoming an artist...,he actually has an interest in drawing and coloring.  I thought the day would never come.  He never seemed to be interested.  He now "draws" pictures for us.

 We went to the library this past week and Jack was pleasantly surprised to find a play puppet show.  He put on a good show for Fernie and I.

Bittersweet...

The end of summer has been bittersweet for me...all summer I've been thinking about Jack starting preschool this fall.  I know it's the right choice for him and it will be good for him to spread his wings but it's still hard for this Mama.  Tuesday is the BIG day (I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it).  Jack's time at school will give Fernie and I some one-on-one time, however I have this feeling she will be looking for Jack!

 

This past week we went to his preschool open house.  As we walked in and I showed him where his backpack goes I got tears in my eyes and had to stop talking.  I kept telling myself, it's the hormones!  A few minutes after we arrived the parents went to an informational session and the kids stayed and had a short preschool session.  Jack was so excited when we came to pick him up. The next morning he asked if he could go to school!!  He is such a little sponge he will soak up of every minute of school.   

 These two are quite a pair!

 Just had to share this picture.  Fernie takes off her shoes all the time. I actually don't bother putting on her shoes before we go somewhere because she takes them off in the car.  I only put her shoes on before we walk into a building!

 As everyone saw we announced our baby news with a picture of the kids eating pink suckers!  However I thought I would share a few of the pictures leading up to the final pick!

Jack was so good at posing...Fernie not so much.  She couldn't wait to get the sucker in her mouth...

 Zack had to pull the sucker out of her mouth...

 "Mine!"

Our pick!

 

As I said at the beginning this summer has been bittersweet. The bitter part being Jack starting preschool and the sweet part was surprising my best friend and meeting her and her husband in MN!

On June 12th I got an email from Ryan asking if I could get away to see Rose.  I actually emailed him back asking if it was a joke!  So for the next two months I had to keep a BIG secret.  There were so many times Rose and I would email/text back and forth and I wanted to say something like "oh I can just bring that in August", "you can just show me in August", "I can't wait to tell you that over dinner"...The day of seeing her was the hardest because she was texting me about their trip (which she didn't know where she was going) and Ryan was emailing/texting me about their travel whereabouts.  I was so worried I would accidentally send the wrong response to someone!!! 

The weekend was GREAT!  We ate, shopped, ate, walked, ate...we did a lot of eating!  I'm sure Ryan wondered what else we could talk about.  We probably could have spent another week just catching up.  It has been way too long, I think yearly get togethers might be in order :) 

I owe a huge THANK YOU to my parents who watched the kids Friday morning and my dear husband who had the kids all weekend!  I think one day Zack took the kids to 4 parks! 

 

 I can probably recall this happening two other times, but the kids were PLAYED OUT.  They went upstairs and got their sleep items and laid on the floor! 

 Last weekend we went to Zack's office picnic held at someone's cabin. The kids had a great time...they got to stay outside all afternoon, eat ice cream, Jack got root beer, and stayed up WAY past their bedtime!

 

 Fernie loves her Daddy!

 We took a quick trip out of town and of course Zack and Jack spent a majority of their time in the pool!

 Jack is still Papa's #1 helper. 

 Two words:  constant motion!