First Days of School

In front of her classroom

Sporting her backpack

Ella started KINDERGARTEN this past Monday. It got off to a bit of a rocky start. Here's the breakdown:

Day 1 highlight: Me picking her up from school (those were her words). She had a lot to complain about...didn't like rest time, didn't like P.E. because she got sweaty, there were no fish or frogs in the classroom.

Day 2 hightlight: Getting candy...which I believe is why she announced it was a "great day"

Day 3 highlight: Nothing stood out, but I think she is starting to aclimate.

Today is day 4, so we'll see. She has made some friends, but I'm sure it will take her some time to get used to the new school. She really wants to ride the bus (I am not about to let her do that yet). She also wanted to buy lunch (that will soon wear off...I did let her buy lunch today).

Big Momma!

I've been getting very sentimental lately with Ella starting Kindergarten in almost a month! I can't believe how fast she's growing up. I remember people telling us how fast it would go when she was a baby and I almost got sick of hearing the cliche phrase, but it's true...they do grow up fast and she's just starting Kindergarten.

We were at the pool this afternoon and I was watching her swim...

Me: You're getting so big Ella, what am I going to do with you? Put a brick on your head?
Ella: No!
Me: No matter what, you'll always be my little girl.
Ella: And you'll always be my BIG MOMMA. I mean my HUMONGOUS MOMMA!

At this point I was cracking up and trying to quiet her down all at the same time. I guess that's what I get for being sentimental!

Bad Hair Day(s)

Well along with the other "stuff" that's been going on around here, Isaac has developed a very bad habit of pulling Macey's hair out and his own and then sucking his thumb. It sounds disgusting, and it is, but it's also a very serious problem I've come to find out. It's called Trichotillomania and is a type of anxiety disorder. Apparently, pulling his hair out is a comfort to him. We are trying to help him find other things to soothe himself with including blankets, stuffed animals, etc.

We have also gone to drastic measures to keep him from pulling Macey's hair and his own hair. He just had his second haircut in a week today. It was hard for me to see his beautiful blonde hair go, but if it helps, it's worth it. He still looks adorable with his buzz cut (at least I think so). Macey on the other hand...not so good. I was horrified when I picked her up from the groomers yesterday. They tried to warn me that when her hair grew back in it might not be as soft or could grown in a different color. I had no idea it would look this BAD!!!

Well the picture says it all...it looks like she got her head stuck in a bottle of spray on tanner and her tail...I have no words! Oh well, it's for a good cause and she seems to be much happier with her buzz cut given the Florida heat!

Before Hair Cuts

Isaac's New Do

Macey's New Do (Poor Thing)!

An update...

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted. At at the end of April we joined the growing number of families who have been negatively impacted by our country's economic situation. After 8 years working for NCR, Jason was laid off. It's been a rollercoaster ride since then and I will spare you all the details, but we trust that God "is working all thing for good." Please keep us in your prayers. Jason is looking at many different avenues, so pray for clarity, opportunity, and providential relationships.

On a funny note (and totally unrelated), I thought I'd share something that Ella said the other day that gave me a good laugh.

As I was laying down with her at bedtime she kept rubbing her nose. I was trying to figure out if her allergies were bothering her or if she had something stuck up there, so I asked...

Me: "Is your nose just itchy or irritated?"
Ella: Replying in an annoyed tone, "No, my nose isn't irritated it's nositated!" She then went on to explain that irritated was when your ear itched, not your nose. (DUH!).

Photos You Should Take of Your Kids

Read this on www.vocalpoint.com and wanted to share...

Page through a typical family photo album and you’ll notice the kids in a few repeating themes—special-occasion shots, vacation photos, and staged portraits. All cherished moments, no doubt. But why not add a little creativity into your picture taking? Here are some memories that could be just as photo-worthy.

1. The first time they dress themselves. Pajama pants, one fuzzy slipper, no shirt, and earmuffs. Sure, you’re not going to let them leave the house like that, but you have to appreciate their unique ability to accessorize. If you take a snapshot now, the “fashions” of their teens won’t look so bad.

2. A big mess. Your little van Gogh has painted your white walls with chocolate pudding. Before you lose it, take a picture. After the mess and tears are scrubbed, you’ll have evidence that those innocent eyes really didn’t know any better. And you can break out the photo when your child becomes a parent—to remind your child that no child (or parent) is perfect.

3. Your favorite feature. The head-to-toe shot can wait for prom or graduation. Instead, zoom in and capture the one or two details you love most about your kid. Snap that swirl of hair atop your newborn, your toddler’s chunky feet, or your 7-year-old’s two missing front teeth—they won’t stay that way forever.

4. Their favorite meals. Keep a separate album filled with pictures of your child’s favorite foods—everything from mac ’n’ cheese to chocolate-raspberry brownies to your famous breaded pork chops. That way, when you’re finally ready to ship them off to college, you can write the recipe beside each photo and give them the book. Whenever they need a taste of home cooking, you’ll be there for them.

5. How they see the world. Go ahead, hand your child the camera for a while (under appropriate supervision, of course). You’ll be amazed at what they’ll shoot without consideration for traditional rules. Fortunately, with the beauty of digital, you can instantly delete all the bad shots and save the good ones.

6. Photos with you. If you’re always the one with the camera, you won’t be in many of the photos. Put your spouse or a friend on point-and-shoot duty and tell them to start clicking. Tell them to catch you and the kids when no one is looking at the camera or during moments that capture you as a Mom—cleaning up from dinner, reading a bedtime story, or helping with homework.A moment of worry. Your child doesn’t even have to be in this photo for it to act as a powerful memory-jogger.

7. Take a picture of their first travel-bag packed for a big weekend away or the next-morning remains after a fun slumber party. You’ll have a record of when you were anxious about them—and how everything turned out okay. Now that’s a nice memory.

The Latest...

Isaac is turning into a little boy very quickly. Some of his favorite words are Vroom Vroom, CCCKKKUUCC, Whoa (yes, I know these are all sounds not really words, but they count, right?). All of which he says repeatedly whenever we're in the car. Until his recent obsession with anything that moves, he hasn't been a great traveler, but he's discovered a whole new world right outside the window. We might have to make a road trip sometime soon!!!


We've been enjoying the beautiful weather and went to an Art Festival and a Garden Show this weekend. I bought Ella an African Violet today at the garden show. Was that a smart thing to do? Now I have a pot of soil resting on a plastic saucer with water sitting on my 4-year-old's dresser. How many days will it be before the soil ends up all over the carpet? That might be my next blog post!

Off to do some reading...before I hit the sack! Here are a few pics of Isaac enjoying his dump truck at the beach.

The Tradition Continues

Tonight was the night Ella's been waiting for...the Daddy Daughter Dance. It ranks right up there in importance with her birthday.

She picked out her own outfit from head to toe. The past two years she's worn the same dress and I gave her the option of wearing it again (yes, it still fits) or getting a new outfit and like any girl she opted for the new outfit (why did I even ask?). Anyway, I loved her pick...wish they made it in my size ;).

This was the third year that Jason has taken her and I love that they have this tradition. Ella looks forward to it so much that she was asking me today when the next Daddy Daughter Dance was going to be.

Jason sent a few pictures from his phone from the dance. He said she spent more time eating cake than she did dancing, which would explain the crumb on her lip in the picture below...:).