Back to School

I think I'll work backwards for a bit here.  Last week the big kids went back to school!

The first day of school is always met with such anticipation and excitement!

5th grade for Leah- that means top dog at our elementary school!

Second grade for Adam!

And finally time for kindergarten for Emma.  I'll never regret that extra year that we spent together.  And now she's six and ready to go!

Of course, after months of conversations and fears and worries, she marched right into school without a moment's hesitation. 

 She had to accelerate her two-wheeler bike riding skills in order to be ready for the first day, but she's been getting there and back with no problem.  We have to ride to school while we can!

 And by we, I mean they.  Despite a flat tire, Noah and I made the journey to the school on the first day, and by the second day we just waved from the driveway.  It's better that way, I think.  Just picture Mom at home baking cookies, little ones!

They've got important business to get down to at school anyway.  I only get this first day of the year to follow them to their lockers with my camera.

And they were all smiles!

 Emma's teacher is Mrs. Ball.  She is very fancy and kind.

So far, our afternoons have felt crazy with soccer, piano, violin, and overall energy release.  And the mornings have come too early, and have been met with tears and groans and the clock that is always ticking too fast.  We've got a long year ahead of us,  but I'm grateful that we are off to a good start.

Back to school- and all that comes with it- we go!

Catching Up on Secrets

Phew!  I have some major life events to catch up on here on this dusty old blog.  It feels like a bit of a daunting task, so I'll just start with with today.  Today we did "secrets".

A few days before school started I whispered in Noah's ear that I had a secret fun activity for us to do once the kids went back to school.

He loved that idea, and we've been doing secrets every school day since.  He has picked most of them, starting with the very important business of putting together the giant space puzzle.

 Then playing with snap circuits.

 My idea was picking up a few new fishy friends named Cheeto (who lasted 1 day) and Squirmy (who lasted 3)- 

 more puzzles- 

 and some park exploring- 

  during which Noah exclaimed, "This is going to be so fun, Mommy!  It's just you and me!"

I think my little buddy and I are going to have a perfectly fun year full of secrets!

Summer Days

Summer's not over yet!  We're still going strong, starting with the pool!

As many days as possible, we've been at the pool!

Noah is generally quite happy to sit on the lounge chairs or stay by my side in the water.  Even though there are almost always friends for everyone to play with.

Emma has become a real fish this year.  And I hardly see the big kids except during the hourly break. 

On the beautiful evening of Emma's birthday, we headed downtown to watch the iCubs baseball game.

 We get free tickets every year from the library summer reading program, and this year we were determined to actually attend.
Bucket list- check!

 It was not the most exciting thing we've done all summer.

 But at least we were together!

 Thank goodness we had some friends to keep us company!

It will be so interesting to see what Emma remembers about her sixth birthday as the years go by- the year she got her American Girl doll?  The year she had a butterfly birthday party?  Or will she remember it as the year she was forced to attend a baseball game against her will??

 The girls were desperate to have a lemonade stand this summer!  They had some very generous customers, and sold out of their product in no time.

And we went to a mansion!  The Salisbury House has also been on our Iowa bucket list for years, and one afternoon we checked it out.  It was very big, and very formal.  We wandered around for about 45 minutes before we went outside and had a picnic lunch in the gardens.

I was obsessed with the beautiful wavy glass windows, ornate ceilings and intricate woodwork, 

the girls loved the chandeliers and fancy furniture, 

 and the boys just wanted to find all of the secret passages.

 This trip had quite a different feel from the dairy farm- our family of 5 (the kids lamented that Daddy never gets to do anything with us ever...) vs. the creamery, in which we coordinated to have 52 of our favorite friends join us.  

 Oh, and Leah talked on the phone to a boy.  It was a moment worth remembering, because it was a first!  She'll be playing a violin duet with him in the fall.

 

The Crazy Duck Pond

We've called it that for as long as we've lived here.  

 Last week we were reminded why.  

 "Dat was a nightmare!" said Noah of the dozens of ducks that eagerly waddled toward us when we arrived with a loaf of bread.  They jumped and flapped and hopped and stretched and even nipped at us.  We ran away as quick as we could, but not entirely without harm.

We were all terrified.  Noah climbed up into my arms, Leah backed into a metal tree stake, and Emma was the brave shrieking banshee that tried to drive them all back into the water.

But Noah wanted to go get them with his big muscles! 

Crazy ducks indeed.  

That will be the last time we bring them any bread.

Pumpkin Smile!

Emma's first tooth finally popped out!

We were driving over the mile long bridge over Saylorville Lake 

(one of my very first Iowa loves!)

and it just fell into her hand!

Another first for this cutie in the car- her first birthday, and now her first tooth!

And boy is she proud of it!

Fresh Dairy Air

The Iowa standard isn't generally very high, but it's always full of plenty of fun.

So no, this wasn't Fair Oaks Dairy farm, but we still got to pet a calf and eat some really tasty ice cream.  

And the weather was incredible.  Summer is slipping away too fast, just like it does every year. 

And we got to do it with a whole bunch of friends, which made it the most fun ever.

Picket Fence Creamery, check!

Still Summer

I announced to the kids today that it's August- only 22 more days of summer, and then it's back to school.  I promptly started researching distances and costs and availability of summer adventures we still need to take, they promptly started building Blanketown.  

And playing board games. 

I think they know a bit more about enjoying lazy than I do. 

Eventually Emma aid, "Mama, there is nothing nothing nothing to do."

I said, "That's okay.  Can you read that sign over there?"

She guessed, "It says 'Don't be bored'?"

Close enough.