So, have I mentioned I'm nuts?

I've made some decisions lately that make me question my sanity:

- Signed all 3 kids up for soccer! EEK . . .that means before the season starts, I'm likely to have 7 practices a week to get kids to. And once the season starts . .. I'll have 3 games some Saturdays, at 2 or more different locations.

- On top of that, I suggested to Andy that he should be the coach for Alaina's team . . .so now we have to figure out how to make everyone happy with the practice schedule/uniform colors/etc. I don't know . . .I know that the little girls are fond of pink and purple . . . but for uniforms? Guess I'm too "uniform traditional" for that.

- The girls are at dance from 4-7:15 on Wednesdays . . . .They don't actually dance 3+ hours each, but they have one class on either end that doesn't match up with the other sister. You'd think I'd enjoy that time . . . but I about went insane after sitting there 2 hours last week.

- I signed up to be Ian's room mom. He's in the last year of elementary school . . .where everything is overdone and ultra-celebrated. Their last day of school party is actually an entire day!

- I'm homeschooling Alaina. Which makes all of the above stated items even more difficult.

So . . . I'm going a little on the nutty side, aren't I?

(see below for 1st day of school pictures of all 3)

1st day of school

All the kids went back to school on Monday. After meet the teacher last Friday night . . .well, Alaina didn't meet her teacher because she says she's known her since she was a little bitty baby. tehehe

The kids seemed to be fine with who they got. . . pleased with who was in class with them.

Monday morning . . .man, it was early! We'd spent the last several weeks sleeping in until 9! Getting up at 7 was hard.

A few first day of school pictures:

Ian (starting the 5th grade . .. the kid goes to middle school next year! WAAAAHHHHH!)



Allison (now starting second! Can't believe this much time has passed.)



Alaina (we had "pajama day" for the first day of school . .. she's using a Shamu lunch box she got at Sea World as her "lunch box" on days when she thinks she needs one . .. you can see how much stuff it actually holds! And then a shot of her headed to get the kids at the end of their first day.)

Updating again

My last set of updating was interrupted by some issue with blogspot (I couldn't get my post to go through) and a trip to Arkansas to visit family. I took the kids and we did a Wednesday-Sunday trip to spend time with my mom's family.

On the way back, I noticed something I see everytime and get a kick out of. Right around Greenville, there's a school called Bland Elementary School. I get the giggles everytime I go by . . .and now I know, there's a whole bland district! Just makes you wonder if their cafeteria food is any different from ours . . . tehehe . . .and how's the teaching? I'm sure it's a wonderful little district, the elementary school was exemplary this year .. . but the name just gets the mind racing.

Okay, doing the retroactive posting again, and adding other summer activities in.

Can't believe it . . . .school starts a week from today.

Shots of Dancing Allie

Just a few of the pictures I took of Allison. I got tired of paying a million bucks (so it seems) for a 5x7, 4 3x5s and some wallets! So I've started taking my own. Hoping in the future, I can use something more than bedsheets for backgrounds!

Jazz:




Ballet . . . she was so not in the mood for pictures this day. I had a hard time getting a lot to choose from:



Tap . . . Good grief, this child may wear this cowboy hat until she's 107!

And some of Alaina . . .

Alaina was so thrilled to get to take 2 separate classes this year. .. partly (I think) because it meant more costumes.




This one . . .not the greatest portrait, but love the expression . . .it's so Alaina.



She went through her tap routine so I could get some full length pictures . . .



This is the face I get on a regular basis . . .I get it whenever she she's irritated, thinks I'm teasing her, or I don't give her something she wants. Doesn't she just look sweet? @@



This maribou trim reminds me of those wraps they used to give girls for graduation photos. Wonder if many have a photo that looks like this? tehehe