A BIG DAY!

“You have brains in your head.  You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose."

Today is a BIG day around our house.
It is the first day of school, of big school, Kindergarten for John David.
I can't believe it is already here.  I put it off as long as possible.  I lived in denial that it was almost here.  But somehow, it came just the same.

The whole gang got up to take him for his first day.  They all wanted to say goodbye.

Off we go.

He found his seat.

Said his good-byes

And got right to work

I wasn't the only one who had a hard time saying goodbye.

Baby sister didn't want to leave either.

  He is in big school now.  I know he will do great, have lots of fun, make new friends, and learn amazing things.  I know he is in good hands.  His new teacher is amazing.  His new school is a small, close knit, loving, caring environment.  I know he is in the right place and I know he will do great things.

I just miss him.  ALOT

“So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places!  Today is your day!  Your mountain is waiting.  So....get on your way!"

Catching Up #3 - More Summer Fun

When I said we had been busy this summer I meant it.

Safety Town

Since John David is starting Kindergarten in just a few weeks, we enrolled him in Safety Town this summer.  Safety Town, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a week long safety awareness program designed for children entering kindergarten.  They use music, crafts, movies, books, community speakers, and  even have a child sized town to teach basic safety lessons.  They learn the right way to cross a street, buckle their seatbelts, wear a bicycle helmet, and the colors of traffic lights.  They also learn about strangers, water and fire safety, school buses, guns, and how to dial 911 if there is an emergency.  

On the last day there is a short program for the parents so the children can so off what they have learned.  They also get to bring home a bag of goodies which included a CD of all the Safety Town songs and a bicycle helmet.  John David had a great time and the twins were so jealous they didn't get to go.  I have promised them they will get their chance next summer before they start kindergarten.day 

Hot Springs

Every summer the Arkansas Bar Association has their annual convention in Hot Springs.  It is 3 days of meetings, lectures, and seminars and attorneys from all over the state attend.  It is really one big party where everyone lets their hair down.    Since husband was going to be in Hot Springs for the bar convention (all those seminars count as continuing legal education) and since the firm would be paying for his hotel room anyway, the children and I tagged along for the last night.  We then spent our Saturday at Mid America Science Museum.  Mid America, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian, is a interactive, hands on science museum for children and this summer they have had a Dinosaur exhibit in addition to all their permanent exhibits.  The Dinosaur exhibit is full of 3/4 scaled robotic dinosaurs including the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops.  The kids loved it, after they got over the surprise of the moving T-Rex right by the door.

Here are the boys learning about pulleys by trying to lift their own body weight.

Husband is pointing out something very interesting to Ava.

Digging for dinosaur bones.

Posing with a steam engine.

Fun at the Park

What would summer be without some fun at the park?