Growing Up

 My baby boy grew up a little more today :)

First Day of School

 After weeks of count downs it is here - the first day of kindergarten for Topher!

Just to back up a little bit - last week, on Friday, Topher met with his teacher. He was so excited!

He wore his second favorite new shirt - it looks like one his dad would wear :)

His excitement wore off on his sisters as well!

This weekend the girls were not feeling well, and yesterday, the day before school, Topher woke up not feeling well at all :(

 Luckily as the day went on he began to feel better. Last night his dad gave him a "back-to-school" blessing. I know he isn't going "back," but that is what we always called it!

Today he woke up feeling great! Excited!

I think Maddie Mae might have been the saddest about Topher leaving. She kept hugging him, even in line to go to class. She ran up a few times to give him a hug goodbye. 

 Topher was so excited to leave - he waited at the door, counting down the minutes until it showed one, two, two, zero - 12:20. The little girls were excited but a little unsure what was going on.

 I dropped Topher off. He was completely okay. Just asked me to wait to leave until he walked into the building. I came home and put the girls to bed. And my house is empty and quiet.

 There is no little boy downstairs for quiet time.

 I'm not sure how I feel...both a little sad and happy.

It is weird - I now have someone else in the family that has a schedule I need to plan around. It feels like I have entered a new part of life and a new aspect of being a parent.

 It is exciting to do something new - I look forward to seeing Topher learn and grow. To see him make friends. But I also feel that I may have entered a more difficult part of parenthood. Until now, Topher was really only exposed to what we wanted him to be. I know now I will be competing with other things.

I can't wait until I talk to him later today and see what he did! 

Windex and Chocolate Cake

It is only Wednesday today and it has been a busy week!

Caroline was banished downstairs last night. She cried from 11:08 to 12:38. Stubborn.

But, I am hoping after a week she can move into her sister's room and I will have three kids that sleep through the night!

Earlier this week we cleaned the house. The kids helped me.

We celebrated Tyler's 32nd birthday.

Topher created a treasure map so dad could find his present. 

Maddie decorated a piece of paper for dad's wrapping paper.

I made chocolate cake and calzones.

Caroline ate chocolate cake for the first time :) hahaha. Her reaction is so dang cute.

<3 family <3

Cherished Craziness

For no reason at all this week was hard. I was often stressed and tired. Some weeks are just like that I suppose. Or perhaps it is because of events like this: Maddie was screaming after we put her to bed - Tyler went up and asked her what was wrong and she replied, very calmly, "I don't know."

Tonight Tyler took Topher on a father-son camp out. I played with the girls this evening and planned on letting them stay up and watch a movie with me and eat popcorn. But, they were tired so they are in bed. 

Often this week I found myself wishing for a moment to myself. Well, now I have it and I wish I could play with my kids. :) I hope I remember this when they are driving me crazy - I'd rather have the craziness they bring to my life!

 She got hold of a roll of paper towels - a whole roll of towels was wet and torn up.

 Cleaning up after dinner is usually a 45 minute task if I want to get the food off the floor, chairs, table, wall, and sometimes ceiling!

 Maddie has been teaching Caroline how to hide!

 I don't even know what to say - Maddie sprained her wrist this week :)