Our start to Fall!

Apples!

Even though it is still so hot I love our yearly tradition of kicking off fall with apple picking!  We went again on opening day and it was a good thing because I bet that was the only day they were open this year.  They had a small crop and and let's just say we were lucky we had someone who did not mind climbing high in the trees or we may have not filled up our box this year.  It was like two years back where everything was high up...but that was to be expected then when we went on the 3rd or 4th weekend it was open.  So the girls only got to pick a very few that we saw down low and the rest was left up to Daddy.  We still lucked out and got to come home with over 20lbs of apples to make lots of fun apple treats.  We made all the same goodies from last year, and this year I found a great recipe for apple bread that was soooo yummy.  I think we found a new favorite that we will definitely make again next year.

The before apple picking tree climb

Feeding the donkeys

How Ryan spent most the time!  The girls were great at collecting the apples when he knocked them down!

 

As we were walking out of the orchard back up front to where we paid, I felt sorry for the tons of people still walking in.  We did not hardly see any left in the trees.  I hope they have a bigger crop next year.  We felt lucky to fill up our box.

 



Back at home I had two helpers to help me get started right away on our traditional after apple picking Apples and Sausage dinner and Apple Cake.....served warm with vanilla ice cream of course!

First day of dance

The week Alexa started school she also started dance.  Last year we did a Mommy and Mini class together but this year she was ready to start the REAL thing.  She is taking a ballet/tap combo class and loves it!  I am glad she had something that she really liked mixed in with the uncertainty of the Preschool thing.  Here is some of her before class photo shoot.  She was so cute, she kept saying "take a picture of me like this, and like that, now twirling, now leaping," you get the idea!  Too bad Mom's camera, that seems to be getting slower by the day, had a hard time keeping up.

Yea Kaylee!

One more dollar for a 3rd lost tooth!

First Day for a 3's Preschooler!

So I really don't know how we got here!?!?  I still remember bringing Kaylee to start this school when Alexa was 4 months old!!  In my mind I should be bringing Kaylee here, not Alexa!  I know it is a great school and will be really good for her, but I did not like the idea of my baby going to preschool.  I tell myself at least it is only two days a week for 2.5 hours at a time so she is still home with me a lot. :)  I held up pretty good until after we dropped her off and were walking back to the parking lot.  Then the tears started coming realizing what we just did.  Of course that is when Ryan saw a coworker in the parking lot and I am being introduced to him and his wife as a blubbering mess.  I guess it forced me to stop crying. :)  So here is how her first day went:

We also started the night before with this book:

I checked her backpack and realized that Lex had already packed all the necessities!

 

 

Lex was so excited to have her own sign....just like Kaylee did!

Her requested back to school breakfast of pancakes!

 

August 21, 2012



 

 

 

 

 

 

Putting her backpack in her cubby.

Off to wash her hands

Preschool is normally only 2.5 hours for Lex but the first day it was only an hour for the 3's.  Hardly enough time to go home.  So we went here and I was a nervous wreck the whole time.  I was so worried about how she was doing. 

The happy girl after school to have her own first day of school cupcakes....purple of course!  I have to say it is way more fun to have a buddy when making back to school cupcakes....next year. :)

 

Enjoying her cupcakes!  And of course she was so excited to pick her favorite dinner to eat on the read plate....crock pot mac n cheese!

 

So Lex actually started off pretty good.  She was really excited to start school.  Did pretty well the first few days....slight hesitation, but expected that from her.....still get that dropping her off at church every Sunday.  Then the next week came and she really did not want to go.  No horrible crying dropping her off but just not wanting to be there.  Said she was just scared to be there without me....poor thing.  The teachers also said she would just not respond to anyone, or them in class.  I talked with the teachers and they said they would just try giving her some extra TLC.  I really figured she was just scared and it was just going to take her some extra time to get adjusted.  So that went on for about another week and then she started to get a little better.  I still get the slight hesitation at the door, but after comes out really happy and the teachers also said she is doing better in class.  More and more she is telling me about songs they are singing, crafts they have done, or just little bits about her day.  So it is just going to be an adjustment period with her but after almost a month she is really coming around!

1st Day of 1st Grade!

We started the night before reading the book:

Last year we had the Night Before Kindergarten and this year Memaw bought the girls the books.  These books are fun.  A few years ago I started buying the girls these books for all the holidays since the original Christmas one is of course such a big hit.  They also have one for the tooth fairy too!

 

 Then I went to pack Kaylee's lunch and Lex had beaten me to it!  Thanks Lex!

We made it to the big day!  Kaylee was very ready to go back and was so excited.  This girl really seems to like school.  I hope that always lasts.  She loved the idea of going to a brand new school and I think she had me drive by it like most EVERY day during the summer.  I should rephrase that....every day we drive by it anyway...can see it from the street...but she actually had me drive into both parking lots to try and get a glimpse of the playground or anything she could. ;) Mom on the other hand was not ready and like having the girls home for summer.  :(  I really should just be happy that she is not scared about going or dreading it.

 

 Her fun sign!

Back to school breakfast...she wanted blueberry muffins and eggs.

 



August 8, 2012

 

We walked to school the first morning with our neighbors because we figured first day parking would be crazy....it was a LITTLE hot but we made it.  Kaylee and Tyler are in the same class again this year.

Tyler, Blake (our other neighbor), and Kaylee

Catching up with the girls from Kindergarten!

 

Back at home Lex and I got busy:

 

 

 

 Welcome Home!

 

Great job Kaylee!  We are so glad you are loving school and we know you will do great this year and learn a lot!  You have already grown so much with your reading and writing just in the last month.  I pray your love for it continues throughout the year!  Then to finish off the night she got her requested dinner of choice.....tacos!