Grade 1 Day 1

It was back to school time on Monday. Clara was ready for school to start, but when the moment arrived, she was a bit apprehensive. I was a little worried about how she would react because of how she reacted to promoting to the 1st grade class for Sunday school the day before. She held back, held on to me and didn't want to go into class, almost in tears. I don't know what was up with that.

Anyway, she did fine once we got inside on Monday. I was a bad mom and waited until the last minute to buy school supplies so I couldn't bring them up when we met her teacher last week. I had to go into school with her the first morning to help her carry it all in. Her school is not equipped to have that many cars up there at once. Traffic and parking were a nightmare! After school, I overheard other parents talking about all the idiot parents who went into the school that morning and didn't they get the memo about Meet the Teacher night? Oops. I guess some parents were parking in the drop off line and getting out of their cars to walk their kids to their classrooms. Ok, I agree; that wasn't cool.

Her teacher is Mr. B and he seems really nice. She was hoping to get him and so far she really likes him. Here's hoping for a great 1st grade experience!

'Twas the Week Before School Started

I get pretty lazy in the summer. It's hot outside. There's no routine. It's hard to get up and get going when we don't have to be anywhere. So I decided to step up my game last week before Clara headed back to school. We had donuts with friends on Tuesday morning, went to Splashtown with Becky and Leah on Wednesday and to Bouncin' Bears and lunch with friends on Thursday. I only took pictures at Splashtown though.

Clara has wanted to go to Splashtown for ever. She asks when we're going almost everytime we pass by it (which is a lot since it's so close to our house). I'm just not a waterpark kind of girl, Chris has zero interest in going and the thought of chasing Robert around all day is NOT appealing in the least. But, Clara and Leah had put it on their summer to-do lists they made at the beginning of the summer, so I decided  to finally make plans to go and I'm so glad I did. We went when Robert was in school and Becky had someone watch Kate so we could go on the bigger rides. We had so much fun and Clara loved it.

I thought she might be too afraid to go on the big slides since the only thing she's ever ridden is one small ride at the carnival and bumper cars with Chris. And that's it. She did great though. The only ride she didn't like was The Tornado. It's a four person ride and she started crying before it got scary. I think she had built up in her mind that it was going to be scary. She said it hurt her bottom and I will admit it was a little intense, especially when I knew how scared she was and there was nothing I could do for her. The poor girl was in tears as we got off. She does not like it when I tell people that it was her favorite ride.

We stopped for an ice cream break and they both got cotton candy flavored with Sour Patch Kids mixed in. Blech.

Here they are in front of Clara's favorite, the wave pool, which is NOT to be confused with The Tornado.

A Few More Camping Pics

Daddy needed a rest (and a change of clothes) after putting up the camper so quickly in the rain.

Clara scootered all over and had lots of fun. She got to take a walkie-talkie with her so she felt really grown up being able to go out of our sight. I, on the other hand, was a wee bit apprehensive. It's hard letting go. All the campsites look alike and I was afraid she would get lost or hit by a car or bicycle. She did great though and thoroughly enjoyed her new found freedom.

I didn't really have a suitable pair of outdoor sandals, so I hit the outdoor store near our house before we left home and lucked out when I found these Keens on clearance. They're a little more manly than I would've liked, but they were a great deal.

Here's a peek at the inside. It threatened rain all weekend, so it was very nice to have a spot where we knew we'd be dry. It was sooooo nice to have with the dogs. This camper is geriatric corgi approved. They're 12 and 13 years old now, so camping is getting to be a little much for them, but this was perfect. They stayed cool inside, couldn't get our beds all hairy and we were able to leave them inside for short times while we went and did stuff. They can't walk too far, especially in this heat and they would always bark like crazy if we tied them up at the campsite.

I know nothing about pop up campers, but apparently the back pop out feature on ours is unique. It slides out in the back to have a spot for the table.

Robert took a snack break while Mommy and Daddy packed up to leave.

Camping in Style

So, the day before I left for Pecos, we bought this.

And Chris spent the week familiarizing himself with it, fixing a few things hear and there and purchasing some do-dads for the hitch thingy so that Friday we could take it camping at Huntsville State Park. He got to set it up in the pouring rain, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

I'm still not convinced that he had the tougher job. While he set up, I got to entertain two kids and two dogs who desperately wanted to not be in the Jeep. Jeeps are very small and so was my fuse by this point. I pulled out the camera and had them make silly faces. This was Robert's first attempt at making silly faces for the camera, I do believe. He was trying to copy me by crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue. This boy cracks me up sometimes.

 More camping pictures to come.

Robert's First Day of School

Robert's first day of preschool was Friday. He did great! When he first woke, he seemed a little apprehensive and said he didn't want to go, but as you can see, he was all smiles when the time came to leave for school. I told Clara to stay inside until I took his picture so she wouldn't distract him. You can see her peeking out the window.

On the way to school, he kept saying "I not cry." I thought for sure he would have a hard time when it came time for me to leave. But nope. He went straight to the cars but did allow me to take a couple of pictures. I showed him where the potty was in the classroom and said goodbye. He said "I not cry" again and I was out the door. Easy peasy.

I didn't really have a chance to miss him because Chris had taken the day off to help me get ready to go camping this weekend, so my day was full. It was absolute bliss to get things done without him underfoot. I love the boy to pieces, but I've been feeling very overwhelmed with the most basic of tasks for some time now. He just takes so much of my mental energy; I feel like I'm running all day, but getting absolutely nothing done. I think this is going to be just the thing to help me get back on track and get things in order around here.

And the best part? He loved school. I was a little worried he wouldn't like it, but he had a fantastic first day. He ate a good lunch, took a nap and was dry when I picked him up. His teacher said he tossed and turned for a little while when naptime first started and mentioned me, but all she had to do was remind him I would be there after he woke up from his nap and he said okay and went to sleep. When I got there, he met me with a smile and a hug and said, "Mommy! I did miss you!"

So we got home, moved his carseat to the Jeep and were on our way to Huntsville for the weekend.

Trip out West

I had initially decided against making a trip to Pecos this summer. Momma and Myrt Myrt had been traveling around Texas for two weeks in July, the next week was Art Camp and I wanted to potty train Robert the week after that. I fully expected his potty training to take forever, so I didn't think that would leave enough time for a trip.

Since he trained in a day, I decided to go ahead and do it before school started. So we left for Pecos on Aug. 7th, one short week after potty training. I asked Linda if she'd like to join us for the drive and visit her mom in Carlsbad and she agreed to. She had planned on taking a trip the next week anyway.

So the kids and I left about 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, stopping first in Temple to switch to Grandma's car. We left there around 10:00 and Grandma unloaded us in Pecos a little after 5:00 before finishing the drive to Carlsbad. The drive went very quickly having someone else to talk to and the kids were perfectly behaved, glued to the DVD player we brought. Robert even managed to stay dry the whole day! That kid amazes me.

On Thursday, my mom and dad drove us to Carlsbad so we could see Nanny for a few hours. Robert could not sit still and ran around like a crazy child the entire time.  

A rare photo op with Grandma and Bia.

On Friday we went to Wink to hang out with Linsey and the boys and play at the splash pad. Brody came back to Pecos with us. That night, Clara and Brody got popsicles after dinner.

Robert refused to eat dinner, so he didn't get one. I had to keep an eye on Bia to make sure she didn't sneak him a bite. He was not pleased with me, so right after I took this picture, he charged at me, knocking my camera into my face. It busted my lip and knocked me onto the ground. I was not a happy Mommy.

It took Robert a while, but he finally warmed up to Brody and ended up having a fun time with him. Robert watched a video called "Potty Power" when I was potty training him, so I got him to put his arms up and say "I have Potty Power!" He does it over and over and it is beyond cute. Brody joined right in on the chant that weekend. Cooper even chimed in on Sunday and was all excited to be a big boy and try to pee on the potty.

Linsey came back on Sunday for church and we hung out at the house the rest of the day. Linda came back by on Monday morning to pick us up and head home. The kids were a little more ornery on the drive back, which is standard fare, but they still did great. We spent the night in Temple that night and finished the drive home first thing Tuesday morning. We had to get home in plenty of time to rest before heading out to meet Robert's new teacher that night.

Moody Gardens

A few weekends ago, Chris decided we should head on over to the aquarium for the day. After cleaning out my ears to be sure I heard correctly, I agreed to make the trip. See, we typically enjoy rather lazy Saturdays at home, rarely venturing out, especially to anywhere that promises to be crowded. Which pretty much nixes anywhere in Galveston on a Saturday during the summer.

There was a wreck right at the bridge to get into Galveston, so we sat in traffic for a good half hour. And then it took another half hour or so to drive from the interstate exit to Moody Gardens (it normally takes about five minutes). See? This is why it's insane to go anywhere on a Saturday.

We finally made it and it was packed. Clara had brought a little notebook and pen to draw pictures and write the names of animals she liked. Of course she left them in the car, only realizing it when we got inside. Daddy saved the day and pretended to go to the bathroom, but instead swung by the gift shop to buy a highly overpriced replacement. Good daddy. Happy daughter.

She wanted to touch something in the touch tanks soooooooooo bad, but she just couldn't bring herself to.

Not the best picture, but here's reason #2 not to leave the house.

We then headed to Rainforest Cafe for a late lunch.

Which brings me to reason #3 not to leave the house: animatronic gorillas. I should've followed my gut. As we were being seated right next to them, I thought maybe that wasn't the best spot for Robert. He flipped out when they started beating their chests. I mean, full blown screaming. He was terrified, but I was eventually able to get him (mostly) calmed down. We did skip the ride at the restaurant because of it though.

Instead, we went to The Strand so I could get my caramel apple.

Somebody Pinch Me

because I must be dreaming.

Never in a million, zillion years did I think this guy would potty train in, get this, ONE DAY! I started potty training him on Monday, fully accepting the fact that I was delusional to even try and thinking I'd have the worst week imaginable before finally throwing in the towel.

Well, he showed me. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised; he likes to keep me guessing. I never thought it possible to have a positive potty training experience. I never once got frustrated with him. Here is the big boy with his first prize, Fillmore from Cars. I cannot get over how cute little kids are when they first start wearing big kid undies.

So the first day he had maybe 6 or 7 accidents. Most of them were small and he finished up on the potty. He had around 13 successes and by the afternoon, he was going without my even asking. He hadn't had an accident since 11 am, but when Chris got home, it threw him off a bit and he had two more accidents. He was back on track soon after though.

He even refused to wear a pull up for nap and woke up dry. Chris managed to get a pull up on him at bedtime and he woke during the night to pee and woke dry again! He had 18 successes and 0 accidents on Tuesday. Today is day 4 and he's still accident free (while awake).

We're still working on getting our undies up :)