First Day of Kindergarten

How is it that these two precious babies who were little enough to fit in the hospital bassinet together...

...are now these two big girls who headed off to Kindergarten this morning?

I don't know how it happened, but my babies started big school today. I will admit that I am not doing well. They were super excited and were out of their room at the dot of 7:00am! We started breakfast on the Red Plate with our customary cinnamon rolls and eggs. Gigi found us another Red Plate at Goodwill, so now we have two!

Carly in her new dress. We had a special girls day this week that I will post about when I learn how to take pictures off my IPhone and they each got to pick a new outfit. Their school is a uniform school 3 days a week but they started on a "where what you like day."

As you can see, they picked the same dress. I tried to suggest they pick different things, but they told me they would just tell people who they were. As it turned out, they didn't even see each other at school, so no confusion possible.
Joiner with her breakfast.

Getting ready to go!

Joiner

Carly

Walking into school with Andy and their new book bags.

They will be riding the bus home as I don't know how to get them from school and let Bennett nap. I am very nervous about the bus, but they are excited. Thanks to Gigi, I was able to get them today and Monday so they can learn the ropes before we add the bus. I was in car line at 2:45pm and dismissal isn't until 3:15pm. I wasn't the first car or even the 20th! After they called their names I saw them walk out holding hands and hugging after not seeing each other all day. I was able to get a picture when the line wasn't moving.

It was a great first day. I cried off and on all day and I am sure I will be sad for a while. They want to do this so bad and are so excited, so I will be excited for them. I don't know how it has gone so fast, but I will try to enjoy this moment and encourage them to grow! Because of the staggered entry, they are home tomorrow, so we can chill out like the good ole' days!

Bennett Turns One

I didn't mean for a week to go by before I posted about Bennett's birthday party, but that is what happened. It was a really fun day with family and friends!

Carly and Joiner had spent the previous week with Mamie and Pops. They came home on Sunday with Mamie and Pops ready to party.

We started the day the way we start every birthday, with cinnamon rolls and eggs on the Red Plate. This was Bennett's first time with cinnamon rolls and he seemed very pleased!

The girls were in Dance Camp at their dance studio last week (bad timing, but I had planned and paid before the GA trip was organized) so I took them to get party supplies after camp. They decided on an Elmo theme since Bennett loves his Elmo music table. We went a little crazy and had Elmo balloons and signs everywhere. We had pizza and a big salad for dinner as B loves pizza.

Here is Bennett and Margaret having a little snack while I got the pizzas cooked. You can see that even his highchair was decorated:)

Now he has a party hat!

Mamie, Margaret, and Lissa

Andy and I in our party hats

Margaret and Bennett along with a huge Elmo

Tina, Carly, and Joiner with Bennett's cupcakes. I intended to decorate the carrot cake cupcakes with little Elmos, but I took the easy way out and bought cute candles:)

Bennett wasn't sure what to do with his cupcake at first. He figured it out after Margaret broke it up a little for him. The he was very excited.

Yum!

Pure joy!

Getting some help from his sisters

Where's Bennett?

Almost...

There he is!

Mommy and Bennett

We moved into the living room to open presents. Here is B clapping as we got started.

Bennett with all his help:)
Caga and Miriam gave him a sweet basket filled with all sorts of goodies including this cuddly dog that he likes to eat! The doggy was wearing the hat that Bennett had on in the delivery room. They picked it up when they were there. Such a sweet thought.

The piano that Mamie and Pops gave him. One of the buttons on the piano plays "The Farmer in the Dell." If you start singing the song, he will go over to the piano and push buttons to start the song.

Some of the gang

Bennett playing with his Elmo ball

So big!

It was a great night and a great way to celebrate our sweet boy.

Bennett, at one year old you are trying so hard to walk and will go 15 or so steps at a time. You can stand on your own very well and turn. You are into anything and everything. If we catch you doing something you shouldn't, you look down and wiggle in satisfaction at your naughtiness! You wave and clap all the time. You have started saying "hi" and holding out your hand to talk with people. You LOVE to play peek-a-boo. You like to be in the mix of chaos and seem equally at home reading your books alone in the living room. You have the sweetest smile and attitude. You love to eat. Food and water play are about the only things that can make you mad. If you see someone eating and you want it, you get a little antsy. If we try to pull you out of the pool or a puddle, you get mad. You get out of the bathtub without fuss, but that may be coming. You are such a gift to our life!

We love you sweet Bennett! We look forward to so many more years of fun!

Happy Birthday Bennett!

I can't believe it, but we have had sweet Bennett in our lives for a year now.

Here is his first picture, lungs wide open!

Such a sweet little dumplin'

Fast forward a year... Here is Mr B eating his birthday dinner of pizza, just grinning!

Where's Bennett? There he is, and 1 years old to boot!

More to come about his birthday party and his first year!

I love you sweet, Bennett.

We have such a Blessing in you.

The Beach, Part Three

I don't know why this picture is posting first. Bruce cut his foot on one of the mean grasses outside. Here he is in the only bandages we had, Princess Tiana:)

We ended our beach trip with a return trip to the Turtle Hospital. The line was so bad the day before, so we headed out early the next day to try to get ahead of the line. We still had to wait, but not too long.

They wouldn't let you take any pictures and I know why. It is basically a warehouse full of tanks. They introduce you to 6 turtles, but they keep it moving. There were 20 in all. Each has a story about being caught in a net or something equally tragic. Leni was a turtle that had been caught in a net and the fisherman beat him until he fell out. The poor thing was now blind and would never be able to be released. He was only 4 when caught and he could live until 90 years old!

It is free to go in, but they ask for donations. They also have a turtle store and the lucky girls had Gigi there! They each got this turtle with a sweatshirt and Bennett was brought a turtle with a little turtle baby on it's shell. It has a squeaker and he loves it. I did buy each a turtle shirt. Hey, it was for the turtles!

Carly with her turtle

Joiner with her turtle

Gigi

Running out to enjoy the last night on the beach

More sand play

Joiner had been trying to do a handstand and she nearly got it!

Carly's Baywatch moment

Carly's attempt at a handstand. She got up, but I just couldn't catch it.

Andy bought the girls a better kite and they actually got it in the air for a while.

Joiner giving it a try

Bennett and Gigi

Sweet boy

Now these pictures are so funny. There was a faucet on the landing of our deck to wash feet and beach things. Bennett discovered that he could stand with it on the last day and he was so excited. He was a mix of playing, drinking, and laughing. We literally had to drag him away.

We went out for ice cream the last night. Here is Carly riding the dolphin.

Here is Bennett trying some vanilla ice cream with Bruce. I don't know why I have no other pictures of the rest of us, but I don't. You can see my nose and Carly's head:)

It was a great trip! I already wish we were back:)