Back to school!

So... haven't blogged in around 7 months & I've missed it!  Our laptop is a dinosaur & Cam is always snagging it, so I've gotten lazy about the whole process.  I have zero patience, so when a blog post should take twenty minutes but instead is taking an hour & twenty minutes, it's just not happening!  We're talking about buying me a personal laptop that Cam is required to keep his sticky fingers away from, so hopefully I'll get more consistent with blogging in the near future!

Speaking of Cam & his sticky fingers, this kid is starting 3rd grade!!  How did this happen?!  It is incredible how time is slipping by so quickly.  I feel like he was just starting kindergarten a second ago!

Cameron is such a big kid; he'll be taller than me before I know it!  A growth spurt must be in the works too because he's sleeping 12+ hours a night & it takes me waking him to get him up. He's had a nice, relaxing summer & we've been trying to get him mentally prepared for the strict routine of school these past few weeks.  He is extremely addicted attached to video games so we really have to be on top of his gaming or it gets seriously out of hand.  He will play all day long if we let him!  God forbid we tell him we're going out to dinner & he will likely throw a hissy fit because like an addict, he doesn't want to be away from it.  Yep, addicted for sure.  With school starting though, we have to ban video games Monday-Thursday because he can't balance it.  If we say he's allowed to play after homework, he will want to fly through his work so he can get to the games.  Unfortunately, it's all or nothing & to his dismay, we've chosen nothing.

Despite his video game antics, I absolutely adore this child!  He can be such a stinker but he is also incredibly sweet, loving & funny.  Cameron is very kind & thoughtful too.  He loves to play flag football & baseball, adores the Chicago Bears, the color orange, eating tomato soup, waffles, pancakes & cereal.

Because of the more laid-back schedule of summer, it's been so nice having the past couple of months to hang with my Bubba more often!

Speaking of awesome children, this little gal is off to KINDERGARTEN!!!!  She had a taste of it last week when she attended kindergarten camp & she loved every second of it.  Every time I'd pick her up from the summer camp program, she would tell me her day was AWESOME!  I think she's going to have a great first year of elementary school!

 

I clearly breed large children when you see those stats above!  Wowza!

This girl is truly something else!  Reese has such a sunny, positive disposition.  She's always up for anything & she has a smile doing it!  Having her in full time school on my Wednesdays off will definitely take some adjusting because she is such good company. 

Reese loves to swim, go to gymnastics, ride her bike, snuggle during family movie nights, color & eat snacks.  Oh boy does she like to eat snacks.  As we rein in Cam's video game playing, we have to also rein in Reese's snacking.  The girl loves to eat.  All day long if we let her.  No joke.  Being home more during the summer with extra free time on her hands has only amplified the love of snacking.  Getting back into a good routine of the school year will help curb that habit!

 It's so fun seeing the kids grow & change in their own ways.  I'm always amazed how different & unique they both are, despite coming from the same parents! 

I'd be lying if I said I was purely excited for the new school year as part of me is not looking forward to the rigmarole of the strict, busy schedule.  On the other hand though, I have a feeling it will be a great year & the routine will be good for all of us!

Happy 5th birthday, Reese Elizabeth!

I cannot believe that my sweet, little gal pal is FIVE today!!  Reese, you make every day a funny adventure; there is never a dull moment with you around!  You are such a sweet, sassy, witty little girl & we love you more than you will ever know!

 

You love playing with dolls, especially your Barbies/Barbie house.  You are so into Scooby Doo the movie, My Little Ponies & dressing up & playing princess.  You're also very happy to sit at a table & color & draw pictures for us.



Since Reese & her BFF, Sammy are only a day apart, we decided to have their party together this past Saturday.  They've been at their school together since they were three months old & since this is their last year before going separate ways to elementary school, it was the perfect time to come together!



We used the picture above for their invitation which turned out so cute.  With faces like those, it's impossible to be anything but cute!

We chose the bowling alley for their party; super easy.  It amazing how much less work it is when you have a party away from home!  No scouring the house, putting together a bunch of food & running around like a crazy person.

 

This is the terrific trio from school... Reese, Alissa & Sammy are connected at the hip!

We separated the gift table & got two different cakes so each girl could still choose their own theme..  Reese chose Tiana from Princess & the Frog & Sammy chose Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  They're so different from each other!

Sadly, minutes after the above picture was taken, a freak accident happened.  I was talking to one of the moms when I heard Cameron hysterically crying.  Cam is one of those tough kids that can take a lot of pain with no reaction, so I knew it was serious.  By the time I ran over to assess the situation, I saw blood pouring out of his mouth.  It was horrifying & scary & I had no idea what happened.  We rushed him into the bathroom and saw that he had severely bit his tongue.  With all the blood, it was hard to determine the severity of the injury.

Mike & I made the decision that we'd take him to the ER to be safe.  Cameron was hysterical in the car from the pain & shock of the situation.  He was terrified that he was going to be admitted to the hospital like he did when he was five.

Luckily they took him right back as soon as we got to the ER.  The doctor determined that his tongue didn't need stitches since it wasn't severed through, but after finally being able to assess the whole situation, we realized he had tripped, fallen onto the bowling ball he had been holding & that caused his tongue biting.  It turned out he had a nasty gash on his chin that needed glue/steri strips closure.  

This poor bubba is getting a Tylenol/Motrin alternation every four hours to manage the pain & is on a mostly all liquid diet.  Unfortunately, a couple of his bottom permanent teeth are a bit loose, so we'll be calling the dentist when they open tomorrow (they're closed Mondays).  What a horrible, freak accident to happen on such a fun day (or ever!)  We basically spent a half hour at Reese's party before bolting to the ER.  Luckily we had plenty of family & friends at the bowling alley to keep the party going & Reese had an absolute blast & barely realized we were gone!

 

 She also got a room makeover that night when we switched Cameron's bed to her room.  We painted her once yellow walls a fushia color a few weeks ago, so we put the final touches together Saturday with the help of my family. 

Friday we went to IKEA & I got her new bedding, these kitty curtains & a few other odds & ends to complete her room.  

My mom & Mike's mom got her the vanity above for her birthday.  Reese is such a girly girl & loves to get into my makeup.  My mom bought Reese her own makeup & she had a blast sitting & putting it on.  The vanity was completely white when we bought it but I painted the drawers pink, added crystal pulls & put princess fabric on the seat.  It's adorable!  I love that her room is finally her style where she can feel like she has her own little oasis!  Happy, happy birthday, to my sweet Reese!

Back to school!

It's very hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that today kicks off the school year!  Summer went by way too quickly. 

 

My big guy started second grade today!!  Cameron wasn't able to meet his teacher last week during the open house since we were in Georgia on vacation so he walked into his classroom blindly this morning.  







I took the day off today so I could get them to school without the added stress of racing to work after.  Cam was as cool as a cucumber & totally unphased by the fact he was starting school today.



Cameron's kindergarten teacher totally "got" him & his quirky, silly nature, so she suggested his current teacher, Mrs. Arguelles, feeling that she would also get him & be an awesome fit.  She seemed like a doll when we met her this morning, so I'm confident it'll be a good year!



I had a nervous stomach as we walked Cam to his class, just as I did when I was a kid on my first day of school.  He did awesome until we were saying goodbye & giving hugs, then I noticed he was trying his darndest to hold back the tears, which he succeeded.  Unfortunately, I didn't succeed so I bolted at that point because I didn't want to make it more difficult for Cam.  It's so bittersweet watching your kids grow & transition into new phases since it's only a reminder that time is passing by so quickly.  When I get impatient with their constant demands, I remind myself that I will miss these days terribly.



This will also be the first year that I'll have my usual Wednesdays off with NO CHILDREN in the house.  I started Wednesdays off when Reese was around 6 months off so as Cam started pre-K, Reese was home with me.  Now my baby girl is starting pre-K and will be gone from 9:30-12:30!  My gut instinct is to feel sad but all of my friends think I'll eventually enjoy the 3 hours of silence.  I will definitely be more productive, that's for sure!  I already got a workout in uninterrupted which was fab & I'll be heading out to get her in less than an hour.

 

 

Reese was super excited that she's finally able to bring a backpack to school!  Her transition is easy this year because she's been at this school since she was 3 months old.

She'll be in class with her best friends so there was nothing but excitement in her morning which made drop-off a breeze!

She is in a different building from where she always has been, so that made her morning even more exciting.  You could tell that she felt she was such a big kid today!

We've been on vacation for more than a week, so when she came to the playground, there was a VERY warm welcoming as this kids yelled her name & surrounded her for hugs.  So sweet.

Photo shoots are always interesting when it comes to kids... you never know what to expect!  The day I took these pictures, Cameron was completely cooperative but Reese was in a total mood.

Eventually she came around, thank goodness!

Overall, we had a really good summer, but these two are just in a long phase where they sometimes cannot be in the same room without constant fighting.  Maybe those three quiet hours on Wednesday mornings really will be blissful?! 

Hopefully this will be a smooth, successful school year!