First Day of Kindergarten

We are finally here.  The first day of kindergarten.  The day that everyone always talks about with mixed emotions.  The day that every child longs for with that sense of adventure and independence.  And, the first day that this mama really has to let go and see what happens.  I have been excited about this day for some time and really was not sure what to expect.  My anxiety certainly did not let me down.

I spent Sunday night holding Tyler until he went to sleep and then held him some more.  I came to realize in that moment that there would not be that many more days he would want me to hold him while he drifted off to sleep.  There would not be that many more days that he longed to twirl my hair and have me wrap my arms around him so he felt safe.  The days slip away all too fast and you realize this in an instant.  So after Chad took him to his bed I did what any other mom would do on the night before your baby starts Kindergarten, I cried and then cried some more.  Not because I was sad but because I was proud, excited and nervous all at once.  I reflected on the days when we first brought him home and all those feelings that are surrounded by those moments.  I reflected on the days when he went to preschool for the first time and the separation issues that were all too real.  I reflected on the last year that I ended my career so I could soak in every moment of him while he was still "little".  And I reflected on how I am immensely grateful that I had the opportunity to be a full time mom and soak it all up.  Chad and I reflected and cried together which was great.

So now it is Monday and I have my game face on.  My little guy is ready for this new journey and I can see in his eyes that he is terrified, excited and curious.  With tears streaming down his face, he made the walk to the top of the hill to catch the bus and we were right by his side.  As I stood in line with the other kids and Tyler standing with me, I was trying to be encouraging as I was breaking on the inside.  Those little tears almost killed me and I so wanted to scoop him up and snuggle on the couch.  But, I didn't.  The bus stopped and the neighbor took him by the hand, his big 8-year old hand, and told Tyler that it was going to be a good day and everything was going to be alright.  The doors closed and in that moment I knew he was going to be just fine.  I came home with Chad and Sarah and cried some more.  Nobody can prepare you for the feeling you have when your baby rides away with a stranger to an unknown world.  So you just trust that they will be there to give him a hug when he needs it and encourage him that it will all be okay in a way that only you can.

I have never longed to see a bus drive down my street the way that I have today.  The absolute best feeling was to see those doors open and my smiling, full of pride 5 year old bounding down those stairs.  He smiled from ear to ear and told me of all the friends that he made that day.  How he went to the cafeteria and ate lunch, he went to recess and music, learned math and reading while I sat at home wondering.  I am so proud of Tyler.  He is such a sweet, caring, loving little boy with just the right touches of bravery and apprehension.  And each and every day he carries my heart in that book bag.  Here are a few pictures of the day:

Waiting for the bus.

Sarah was excited until he left.

Heading for the bus line.

 Nervous getting on the bus.

 Right before I completely lost it!

 Waiting for her best friend to come home.

 Best thing I saw all day :)

 Tyler in all his silly glory!

Love you buddy to the moon and back!  Cannot wait to see what this year holds for all of us.

5 Years Old.....Really?!?

WOW - it is so hard to believe that Tyler is 5 years old.  Time literally is flying by and while I miss those sweet, little, cuddly days I am equally excited that he is a healthy, vibrant, intelligent 5 year old little boy.  There is not a day that goes by that I am not amazed by what he has learned, what he says and just his all around awesomeness.  Here are some of your favorite things right now:

• The Wii and DS in particular Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars and Harry Potter
• Movies:  anything that Sarah did not pick :)  but really you still like the westerns, you like anything black and white (you are an old soul so to speak) and you have gotten to the stage where you like movies with people rather than cartoons for the most part
• Generally speaking, you are shy and like to not be the complete center of attention
• You are so ready for kindergarten and cannot wait to get on that bus
• You are still really, really sweet and caring
• You love your sister more than she knows and you are a very protective big brother
• Daddy is doing a good job teaching you how to be a loving husband one day since you make sure that you tell your sister and I at least once a day that we are beautiful and that you love us (one day a lady will be lucky to be yours)
• You love to be a helper
• You have mastered saying yes ma'am and no ma'am to get your way
• We just signed you up for baseball this Fall will be your first experience with that
• You know all your letters and sounds, just a step away from reading
• Sleeping in your own bed all night is still a challenge but we are getting there
• You love fireworks and anything explosive
• Favorite Foods: any kind of fruit, peppers, cucumbers, corn, salmon, olives, rice and gum
• Favorite Color: red
• Eyes are turning green
• You are almost 4 feet tall and 54 pounds
• You are mature for your age as I hear this all the time
• You are loved more than you could ever know

I am so blessed to watch you grow.  You are tender, quiet and loving.  I cannot wait to see how you change and grow this year as we embrace kindergarten and all it has to offer.  You, my dearest, are simply amazing and I love being your mother.  Thank you God for entrusting me with this truly wonderful little boy.

Tyler's 5th Birthday Party

We had Tyler's party this weekend and just kept it low-key with his best friend, Caleb and two cousins, Dayton and Dalton and of course Sarah too.  We also had other family come over and celebrate all things Tyler.  We started the day at Monkey Joe's which is always a hit for the kids and the adults as well.  After a couple hours, we headed home for pizza, cake and presents.  We had a G.I. Joe party this year.  Not because he loves G.I. Joe, but it was on super clearance at Party City so it definitely took the cake this year.

Tyler got everything that he wanted and more.  I love that he identifies who the present is from and has to sit with that person to open the present.  He expresses his excitement with the gift, delivers a hug and then thanks the person for the present.  It is really sweet and totally unscripted by his parents for once.  I hope that he makes everyone feel as loved as he does from them.  Thanks to everyone who celebrated the day with us.  We love you all!

After everyone had left the house and T took the nap pictured above, we shared the following exchange:
T: "Mom, I don't really look 5"
Me: "Oh, honey, you won't be 5 until Wednesday"
T: Sigh.  "You mean after the party and everything, I am STILL 4?  I can't believe this."

Soon enough you will be 5!  Enjoy your days as much as I do!

Pigtails

I don't think that words can describe how unbelievably adorable I think pigtails are on my little girl so here are some pictures:

Cousins

We are so lucky to have cousins that live close to us on both sides of the family and ones that we actually like is a serious bonus!  But, we have the pleasure of spending every Tuesday this summer with two of the sweetest little boys on the planet, Dayton and Dalton.  I love them to pieces and probably love them almost as much as Tyler and Sarah do.  It makes my heart smile to see them all together, they all get so excited to see one another and I know as they get older it will only get better.  Here are some pictures from our first Tuesday together - 4 kids, 1,000 laughs and 0 arguments - what more could I ask for?

Sarah's Style

is unmatched by any other.

Love her.

Kindergarten Registration: Say it Ain't SO!

We had T’s kindergarten registration today.  He is really excited to go to school and all things that encompass school.  We decided to make it a really special day for him so we took Sarah to Mom & Dad’s and it was just Chad, T and I for the day.  We headed to Puckett’s Mill Elementary for orientation which was really just filling out some paperwork while T roamed the library.  He just walked right in and went to the other side of the library from Chad and I to check out the books.  After registration, we headed to Chuck E. Cheese for some fun – T really soaked up the fact that it was just us and we were 100% focused on him for the day. 

The day was bittersweet for me.  T has always been a little shy and it takes him awhile to come out of his shell when he is in unfamiliar territory.  However, today he did everything without looking back and was even interested in spending time in a classroom.  I realized today how quickly time flies with my children.  It is hard to believe that he is almost 5 and already starting school.  Sometimes I look back and think where did all those newborn and toddler days go?  I have no regrets with the amount of time that I have gotten to spend with Tyler or Sarah; I was even afforded the opportunity to stay at home with them full-time to soak up the days.  But, that still doesn’t change the fact that time literally flies by when you are raising babies.  I try to savor these sweet moments, forget the bad days and just bottle up their smiles, laughs and hugs.  Here is to change in the fall…maybe I can embrace it with dry eyes!