Lily's 1st Day of Pre-School!!!

Lily started pre-school today.  What a wonderful wonderful day.  I love that monkey, but after this summer I am exhausted and I am ready for school to start.  Here she is all cute and ready to go!

She is getting so big.  I am going to miss her but we both love her going to school!

p.s. Thanks for all your ideas for school lunch a few posts back.  I compiled a list in a post over at my other blog full of ideas for school lunch.  Go check it out if you are interested.

Erins First Day of School

Wahoo one child in school and next week the other one starts.  I have to admit I am very ready for the end of summer and school to begin.  Yet at the same time it was no surprise to me that as we walked to school this morning I started to tear up a little bit.  I sure do love her and I can't believe she is growing up so fast.

It's Offical: I am a Soccer Mom

Erin has decided she wants to play soccer, so we have hung up the ballet and tap shoes and bought cleats and shin guards instead.  I must admit I was rather worried about Erin starting soccer.  I was worried she would give up or  get frustrated really easily.  But she has been doing rather well (for it being a completely new thing to her.) 
She had her first soccer game this past Saturday.  She wasn't the best on her team, but she tried and kept going.  And that is what really matters.

 

Dear Baby:

I love being a mother.  It is certainly full of rewards and challenges and I wouldn't change my job for anything in the world.  There are certainly times that are more reward and times that are more challenge, and lucky for you we start off together with a challenging time:)  You see to begin with my sense of smell has gone haywire.  Sure the normal stinky things really get to me.  Things like your sisters diaper, daddy's breath (all you moms know what I am talking about)  and an old container in the back of the fridge.
 But things that I use to love to smell now make me sick.  The smell of wood, garlic and butter cooking, my favorite scentsy scent (lavender and lilacs) and while dads breath might stink mouth wash stinks worse.  Much worse.
Also the lovely pregnancy hormones cause my body wash to stink on me and if that not enough I can't find a deodorant that works.  So I stink all the time despite showering and putting on deodorant.
Luckily I haven't been quiet as sick as I was with your sisters but the nausea is constant.  I certainly look forward to the day that I am not thinking about what I can eat without feeling sicker.
Not to mention that at 14 weeks I am wearing maternity clothes.  Yikes. 
So while I may complain from time to time about being pregnant and while I might question my sanity occasionally for being willing to go through this trial, have no fear because I wouldn't trade this trial for anything in the world.
You see at the end of this trial called pregnancy comes one of the biggest rewards of all time.  At the end I get to hold a piece of heaven, I get to smell a piece of heaven, I get to kiss and piece of heaven and I get to have a piece of heaven love me unconditionally back.  And the best part is, this piece of heaven grows.  Yes baby you are that piece of heaven and just like your sisters I love you more than I ever thought possible.
Love,
Mommy

What I caught the girls doing...

As the end of summer approaches we are all get antsy.  The girls have been a bit naughtier and my patience has been a bit thin.  And then today I caught the girls doing this...

I sure love my girls. (Kaylee was laying with them until she saw me grab the camera.)  I am so grateful for the girls they are most certainly the biggest blessing in my life.

Sack Lunch Ideas

The beginning of the school year is quickly approaching.  I can't believe that Erin will be in first grade and stay there for a full day.  I am excited, nervous and sad all for this upcoming milestone.  One thing I am most nervous for is lunch.  School lunch does not particularly impress me and while they have some healthier options I also know kids rarely choose those options.  So I have decided to make a lunch for her to take.  This is where I get nervous.   What can I put in a lunch box besides a sandwich because how many sandwiches can one kid eat before they refuse to eat any more?
 So I have done a little research and come up with a few ideas.  But I would also love to hear from you.
Here is what I have:
A wrap: just like a sandwich but in a tortilla instead.  One wrap my girls already love is spread cream cheese on a tortilla, cover it with spinach (sometimes I add sprouts and julienned carrots too) and add a few slices on lunch meat.  They love it and when I use low fat cream cheese I don't fell bad about it.
Dip day: Put hummus or peanut butter in a small container.  Add a variety of veggies and crackers to dip into the hummus/pb. 
Pasta salad: You could put it in a pita to make it utensil free too.
Make your own lunchable: get a good healthy cracker and use a mini cookie cutter to cut out some pieces of meat and cheese for kids to build their own.
Question: Do thermoses actually work at keeping things like soup warm and will my kids actually eat soup at school?
For a side dish I saw an idea where you can take you own home made or healthy yogurt and use a food saver to contain it in a tube shape.  Then you can make your own go-gurts that aren't packed with junk.

So anyways that is what I have come up with.  Any other tips/ideas you have would be most welcomed.