Jake and Luke at the Fern Hill Ice Cream social this past Friday night. It was so much fun to celebrate the start of school with free ice cream and hundreds of crazed kids running around the play ground.

 Mom Mom and Jules at soccer. 

 Our girl. 

 So happy to be heading out to pick apples on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning. 

 The pickers. 

 Its looking decidedly fallish around the house. 

 Jules comes up with a different hairstyle request every day. Today she requested a wrap around braid that went all the way around her head. She called it her princess crown braid. She cracks me up. 

The homework room is working out beautifully! The kids are loving doing their work there. Luke is really into writing "books" all the sudden. His independent spelling has come a long way and it is so much fun reading the stories that he comes up with. Jules is super organized and very focused and diligent about doing her homework. Jake just likes to tag along with whoever will let him, especially if it involves glue.

I'm playing in my first member guest tomorrow at Chester Valley and I'm nervous! Wish me luck!

Soccer Mom

 Jake's first official work of preschool art. 

 Luke's favorite fans for Saturdays game. 

 After losing 6-0 both Sat and Sun of last week they were thrilled to tie 2-2 on Sat (Luke had a goal and an assist and win (3-1) on Sunday with Luke scoring a goal.

 Julia is quite taken with coming up with colorful and creative outfits for school.

 Julies raced in from school on Tuesday SUPER excited. She was the first kid in her class to earn 25 tickets (randomly distributed for good behavior) and that meant that she got to pick out of the treasure bin! She was all excited because she had chosen a sticky hand. For Jake. In blue, his favorite color. Jules, I have no idea where you got your kind heart, but I hope you never lose it.

 When I drop Jake off we like to take a sneak peak at Julia doing her "morning work" in Kindergarten.

 Before her first soccer game! Her team, the sharks, won 2-0! Very exciting night for my girl.

More milestones.

And no, the fact that its 7:12 and all three kids AND me are in bed is not a milestone :)

 At 6 years and 7 months Luke lost his first tooth! It was the first one that came in, and I yanked that sucker out for him just last night :) He giggled. He had been waiting for what seemed like forever to join in on the "lost a tooth" club and was super excited about this little accomplishment. Baby teeth are so TINY! I feel like it was just yesterday I was excitedly running my finger over his gum feeling that first tiny ridge of tooth poking through.....and there it went. I admit I was ill prepared for this tooth fairy business. We didn't have any special pillow or anything. Nate is out of town. I was afraid it would get lost in his pillows and blankets, so suggested that we put it inside one of my drawstring jewelry bags, and put that under his pillow. The real challenge was keeping my eyes open long enough to ensure that he was asleep to make the big switcharoo! I was trying to blog and kept seeing thislslskajalskdashd on the screen as I was falling asleep sitting up in bed! Finally I made it till about 9 and went and made the switch. I had explained that as first teeth were a big deal the TF was generally more generous than with subsequent teeth. In this case she left 3 dollars and a $2 dairy queen certificate. He was so thrilled as he ran into my room at 7 am yelling "SHE CAME SHE CAME!". 

 This morning was my first ever day of having three packed lunches lined up on the counter for school! Jake is staying for extended days on Wednesday. He stays from 9-2. He was SO proud of his lunch box and was wildly excited to go to school today. I picked up a beaming little boy who had eaten his entire lunch and had had a wonderful day! Go Jake! This no meat thing is going to be hard. I'm going to have to work on my creativity in the lunch box department, thats for sure. 

 This is what insane people do when they have time at home without children. I had a great, long workout, then hit homegoods and BBB. I walked SLOOOOWLY around the house, considered my purchases carefully, and enjoyed shopping. It was a whole new world. I then proceeded to reorganize my entire kitchen drawer system (because lets face it, 4 junk drawers is obscene) and, yes, in my insanity I was even texting pictures of my handiwork to Nate :) Every scrap of laundry is done and put away, all of the sheets are changed, new lamps have been purchased for the three new desks in the house, and all in all things are coming together around here. I'm loving this new schedule.

This was Jake by 6 PM. Although we are moving him away from a nap and towards an earlier bedtime (yes, two years earlier than with my other kids) he is still getting a short nap most days either in the stroller while I run, or in the car en route to a get together with friends. Today, however, with the extended day, he got nothing. This was the result. He was 100% happy, until he was 100% unconscious. Sweet boy.

I love our new life! I lay the kids outfits out the day before, complete with shoes, as there is nothing worse than the looking for the damn shoes bit in the morning. I get up before them and have my coffee and make their breakfasts. They get dressed and brush their teeth and then come down. They eat, then we all come upstairs, I get dressed while they make their beds, and then we usually have about 45 minutes of play time or I end up folding laundry or making lunches if I'm making something that would have gotten mushy overnight. We walk up to our neighbors house about 100 yards away at 8:25 for Lukes bus, Julia's bus comes at 8:35, and then I drive Jake to school. If he doesn't have school we generally just go straight to the gym. Monday and Friday I pick him up at 12, Wed at 2. Jules gets off of the bus right in front of our house at 2:50, and Luke gets to the neighbors house right at 4. I love having time alone with Jake, and that hour with just Julia and Jake is relaxing and nice, and my the time Luke arrives home we are usually baking some sort of snack and thinking about homework and dinner. It just has a great rhythm to the day. Dropping Jakes nap gives us a ton of freedom in getting together with friends who have preschoolers or having friends over, and we are enjoying not being so tied to the house in the early afternoons. I've also been enjoying taking runs again with my running buddy during the early afternoon ~ he starts off chattering away and then swiftly falls asleep.

While I had that momentary burst of sorrow about the ending of an era ~ I have to say there is a lot of excitement about this new phase of life. Its fun because they were ready for it. They are thriving under the routine and excitement of "big kid school" ~ and when I see them happy its so easy for me to be happy.

School!

 Luke on his first day of first grade! 

 His brother and sister were just as proud and excited as he was :)

 So was I 

 Walking without hesitation onto that big yellow bus. After last year its no big deal.

 Jake was excited to check out his class room at his sneak a peak. He is in Miss Martha's three's class. There are 18 kids and three teachers, all of whom seem totally wonderful. The classroom is bright, incredibly well stocked with engaging and fun toys and learning, and altogether feels like a beautiful place to learn and grow. Kesher feels like a WAY more professional program than Calvary where the kids had been. I could not be more impressed and excited. 

 Luke came home on Friday thrilled to have earned a "Terrific Ticket" for being caught doing something kind. I am so impressed with his teacher ~ her communication skills, her clear discipline system, the way that she engages the kids in their own responsibility for good behavior. Every night each child comes home with a calander that they are making. Each day has a color in it ~ green for good behavior all day long, orange if they had to be reprimanded, and red if they had more than one issue. I love that the kids have to fill this in themselves, knowing that we will be seeing it and initialing it each night. I feel like it provides incentive to behave even better, and is a great motivator.

 This morning Julia and Jake had their first day. Seeing three backpacks all lined up made me teary.

 Julia was up at 5 am, sitting in her bed reading books, "too excited for Kindergarten to sleep!!!"

 Jake was also excited. After seeing his sibs go through the school process he was 100% ready. I'm so glad that we didn't send him last year, as he is truly ready this year. He's truly ready to learn.

 My big girl and her lunch box. I'm going to have to get creative with lunches as they are going to school at a synegogue and they follow kosher dairy rules. This means no meat or shellfish.

 The bevy of best friends. I'm increasingly awed by how close the three of them are. It thrills me.

 Be still my heart. I kept it together and waved happily....and promptly burst into tears once she was off. Nate had to be out of town but I was SO grateful to have my Mom there with me. 

Jake at the door of his classroom. He was all smiles, and with a hug and a big smacker bid me farewell. When he came to the car at 12 he was so excited to tell me all about his fabulous day!

It all could not have gone better. Luke is in a class of 20 with a very experienced teacher and a student teacher. Jules has 18 kids and 2 teachers, and Jake in with 18 and three teachers. They are coming home happy, and not totally exhausted as I had feared. Today was my first morning with no children since becoming a Mom almost 7 years ago! I enjoyed my time, taking in a great yoga class and getting a peaceful kid free shopping trip. After a fun lunch alone with my boy we went for a run at 2, thinking that I would simply run to the bus stop at 3:05. Much to my surprise (and luck) I was running BY the bus stop as I saw the bus pull up at 2:50! I was shocked as my transportation letter very clearly says 3:05. Luckily I was able to sprint up there in time and get her off! Yikes!

We came in and made some smoothies as a treat, then made a loaf of banana bread, and my Mom came over for a delicious dinner of fresh flounder that my Dad had caught in Cape May, some corn, watermelon, etc etc. It was a perfect first day.....capped by one more exciting thing. Luke's bottom tooth had gotten really loose.......and I finally asked him if he was ready to yank that sucker out. I grabbed a paper towel, grabbed the tooth, and yanked it right out. My babies first lost tooth! So now I'm laying here in bed at 8:45 trying desperately to keep my eyes open long enough to play tonight!
I think that we have a great year ahead of us and I couldn't possibly be more excited. It was a fabulous summer ~ long lazy days, no schedule, and we enjoyed it to the max. We had a blast on the Disney cruise, had a wonderful family week in Cape May, and logged tons of time at the pool. We took a lot of hikes, practiced a lot of yoga, and played some soccer in anticipation of the season. I feel blessed to have have enjoyed such a peaceful summer with my family.

I'm looking forward to having these mornings to myself three days a week, and looking forward to the extra time with just Jake. I plan to pick up some shifts at the Food Cupboard, continue to organize and decorate the house, volunteer at the kids school, and work hard studying yoga as I work towards my certification. I've decided to go through Julia's outgrown clothes and take many of them to consignment   . I have a ton of new recipies I plan to incorporate into the rotation and our family will be starting our Spanish speaking class soon. There is a lot going on, but it all feels very manageable and I think that its

The last week of summer. A busy one.

 We hit the Philadelphia zoo with the Carr's. It was a perfect, beautiful day and the crowds were thin as lots of schools had already started. 

 A big special treat. I had told the kids that we could have ice cream for dinner one night when Nate was out of town. We left the pool after loading up on healthy snacks and headed to Maggie Moo's.  

Jakes first visit to the dentist. He was so good and his teeth looked great. He is actually just getting in one of his final 2 year molars! 

 Luke was thrilled to find that he has a "REAL DESK" this year at his sneak a peak! His teacher, Mrs. Harker, seems absolutely wonderful. She was adorable and enthusiastic and very experienced. His first three days were fantastic, and I feel like he is in great hands, unlike last years debacle with the long term sub. I have a good feeling that first grade is going to be a truly wonderful year for my big guy.

 Back to school haircuts for my big boys. 

 Julia gets a welcome letter from her Kindergarten teachers Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Cooper! She was beyond excited. The meet and greet was great. She is in a class of 18 with 2 teachers who have been teaching kindy together at Kesher Israel for 15 years. They were SO impressive, I am beyond excited for my girl. She is in school every day from 8:45 till 2:45, taking the bus to and from. She is going to thrive there ~ they have everything from cooking to art to gym to geography and science and you name it. I'm thrilled. She wasn't shy and just jumped right in. I think that its going to be a wonderful year for her. 

 Labor day weekend was a "girls weekend" for Julia and I as Nate took the boys up to Stroudsburg! We had so much fun together, getting pedicures, manicures, going out to eat, going to see "planes" and doing lots of shopping. Jules just seems a lot older than 5 and is truly a joy to hang around with. It was a treat to spend so much time alone with her. 

 Girls dinner at Limoncello. 

 Giving one another Manicures while we watched a movie in my bed. 

 At the Farmers MArket. 

 Movie and popcorn and lots of snuggles. 

 We had the Corles for dinner on Sunday night, so much fun and so delicious! 

 Monday wasn't really a pool day so we went on a family hike over at Tyler Arboretum.

 The skies opened up and we got a MASSSIVE downpour. The kids LOVED it, and had a ball playing in the pouring rain. 

 The night before school. As per tradition, the big day plates came out and Luke got to pick dinner. He chose Salmon, as usual :)

Checking out the lunch I had packed for him. His love note reminded him to "stay cool"....a little reminder from a great book we read called "Clark the Shark".

And off to school he went! More on that soon!