It's Hot Here

Was it hot where you live this weekend? No? Well, we made up for it in St. Louis. The heat index of almost 110 sent us to the pool for most of the weekend. Friday afternoon, I picked the kids up from school and we headed to the pool as soon as it opened (how dare they not open until 4:00 PM?!?!?) We swam until dinner time and then picked up some food and headed home to watch a movie. 

We have this new system where the kids trade off picking movies for movie night. It's only been mildly successful. OK. OK. It's been a total fail, but we'll get there. It was Nate's turn and he wanted to watch Inspector Gadget. For some reason, IG scares Lila. Soooo, when I knew that is what he was going to choose, I suggested that he might reconsider. That went over like a ton of bricks. 

So we started IG and Lila quietly got up from her seat, started puckering her lip and walked toward her room. Y'all. It was Friday. Her first week at a new school and she had been battling a bad cold like a champ. So I caved. I let her watch Frozen on the little DVD in her room and have a picnic. She put on her Elsa dress and had a blast. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken! 

On Saturday, we showed up at the pool as soon as it opened. Because, of course. And 3 hours later, Lila & I were ready to come home. One of Nate's friends came in the last hour with her family and they offered to bring him home later, so I totally took them up on that offer. 

Lila immediately did this when we got home. Too much pool:) 

Nate didn't arrive home until after 5:00 PM, which meant he was at the pool for 6 hours. He slept good on Saturday night.

Yesterday, we got to the pool at opening time - really before it opened - and stayed a couple of hours. The kids could have stayed all day again, but I figured it was a good parenting decision to have a more low key day since it was a school night.

So I made manicotti and we watched a movie to end our weekend. You can tell Nate's eyes were heavily chlorinated. Why do they refuse to wear goggles???

And this one would not cooperate for a picture. She's a mess.

Who thinks this napkin is going to catch something. Riiiight.

What can I say. Full of grace.

Happy week before Labor Day! Bring on the college football!

First Day at MRH ECC

When we made the decision last spring to end our time at the Children's Hospital Child Development Center and move Lila to MRH ECC, I was beyond excited. As the date approached, I was still excited, but I started to get nervous. I am a creature of habit and although I really do embrace change, it takes me a minute to get used to the idea. 

Thankfully, my little girl does not take after me in this respect. She was excited with a capital EX for her very first day at MRH ECC.  

To commemorate the momentous change, I handed her the Pottery Barn Kids catalog about a month ago and told her she could pick any backpack she wanted. She picked the purple and turquoise one that had unicorns on it. Y'all know I tried to talk her out of it. But she was having no part of that. So purple unicorns we have (sorry you can't get the full effect - my camera was on b/w and I didn't know it. Of course).

I really wanted to get one of those ever so cute smocked dresses with school supplies stitched in the collar for her first day. But they have to wear closed toe shoes, so I figured that wasn't the best attire since sandals were out of the question. And she probably wouldn't have worn it any way. She gives me a run for my money in the clothes department these days.

So she wore this sweet pink dress and the necklace that I let her pick out the day before on her "special day before preschool." I put a white bow in her hair, but she promptly took it out and went and got this pink one, stating that "it needs to match, Mom." Fitting that this is the bow that was attached to her headband when she came home from the hospital.

Nate was very proud of his little sister. They have figured out that they will never be in the same school building together since they are 5 years apart and this makes them sad. This fact makes Scott & I a little sad too until we remember that this means they also won't be in college together. Then we're ever so thankful.

I promise these pictures took 20 minutes and 1,034 threats to stop picking at each other. Sigh. They're worth it.

Lila had a fabulous first day! And she's very excited to go back tomorrow. I'm so glad she loves it. As my Nana used to say, it must be because of all that worrying I did:)

Lila's Off to Preschool!

Lila met her new preschool teachers for the first time when they came to our house Wednesday night for her home visit (a great and wonderful thing our school district does for all students). She was adaptable as usual and was very proud to show them her new backpack. She also asked them if she would have homework. My little over achiever. 

Then on Thursday night, we all headed up to the Early Childhood Center for her orientation. We saw her classroom for the first time and met some of her new friends. Her teachers were there to welcome her and she was again very adaptable and excited about this new adventure. It was a little surreal to be there and memories of Nate's first day there came flooding back (even though it was for Kindergarten). The kids played on the playground and we all enjoyed the moment. 

It's a new adventure for all of us. Lila will be going to preschool 3 days a week, and I will only be working those same 3 days. We're (ok, maybe just I'm) all a little nervous about our new schedule, but there are big benefits to be reaped, so we're going for it.

Lila is ready for a change and it's the last big change she'll have to make for a while. Kindergarten is in the same building where she will go for the next 2 preschool years. Hurray!

 We know she'll love it. And that they'll love her.

Because who could not love this mess??

First Day of 3rd Grade

My little boy is a 3rd grader. How did that happen?

Just yesterday, he was a baby. I just know he was.

But now he's a big 3rd grader and even though I'm a little sad, he's really happy about it.

Here's to your best year yet!

This little pretty starts at her new school next week. Please say a prayer for all of us. No really, please do:)

She's a little confused as to why she is at home and not at school now that Nate's back in school. It's called that wonderful transition time between old school and new school and we're all a little discombobulated right now. But soon enough we'll be in our new routine!

And there he goes! Thankfully the first day seemed like we picked up right where we left off. That's the wonderful spectacular thing about looping. The second year of the loop is AWESOME.

Happy First Day of School!

Summer of Fun

Last week, Nate & Lila had the wonderful opportunity to spend a week at Mimi & Paka's house again with their cousins. This week is highly anticipated around here and they were both so excited when it was finally here! 

Scott flew down with them and spent a few days before coming back home to work on Wednesday. That means I got a few days to myself and you can bet that this was highly anticipated by someone around here. In all honesty, I missed them terribly after the first few hours. Imagine that. 

When Scott was there, they went to Stone Mountain to the laser show. The kids had never been and they had a great time! I was worried that they had to stay up too late, but Scott did a wonderful job of making their schedules work out so they were both successful during the late night. We don't mess around with sleep here at the Boyle house, so sometimes my kids act a little off their rockers when you mess with it:)

After Scott came home, Mimi & Aunt Amanda had lots of activities in mind for the kids. They swam, rode bikes, played Legos, and paid a visit to Catch Air. Nate & Lila are measuring everything against it now. Mom, will this be funner than Catch Air????? has been heard many a time.

The infamous bench picture. Oh my. This is a motley crew. But it's our motley crew and I wouldn't change it for anything!

Thank you to Mimi, Paka, and Aunt Amanda for taking such good care of our kiddos for the week. They can't wait for the Summer of Fun next year!

What Land Are We in Now?

Mom? What land are we in now? 

--Lila Boyle, age 3, while coming across the Mississippi River bridge 

My blog material has been in a few other lands this past week, hence no posting. 

Stories of their adventures coming soon!