Hello Monday!

We just got home from M's "home visit." It's a requirement of 4-year-old preschool here but we do ours at the school. Since this is my second go-around with this teacher it was easy peasy and I am just looking forward to school starting. I mean, four days a week is a lot more days. And I don't really know how I will feel about it in the thick of it, but for now, my gal is excited so I am going to be excited right along with her.

Did any of you celebrate National Smores Day? We had a sticky good time!

We just made them over our gas stove. We have discovered that M likes her marshmallows the way I do. Super gooey but little to no color. C and Husband are firmly in the extra toasty marshmallow camp. Do you remember when you first discovered marshmallow was spelled the way it is? I feel like most kids want to spell it "marshmellow" I remember feeling so smart when I could start spelling it correctly. 

August Is Here

Is it just me or does August go super quickly?! I can't believe we're a week in already. Some of the local school districts have started. (The ones across the river in Illinois.) Iowa has a state law about when schools are allowed to start so luckily we aren't there yet.

Sunday is school registration day and while I am excited about that on some level I am also not quite ready. School supplies are done. Today I found the holy grail of uniform shorts (adjustable waist with a hook and bar closure) so that is a relief! Why are those so hard to find?! 

Tomorrow is the last day of swim lessons. I am super proud of these two! I honestly don't know what's going to happen and whether or not C will pass tomorrow. (I think it's pretty borderline.) BUT he has worked so hard and made so much progress and that's all I can really ask of him! 

August is speeding by but there's still so much fun to come!! 

Summer Sweets

Sometimes, in summer, you just have to have ice cream for lunch! 

M takes her strawberry sundaes very seriously as you can see. C really enjoyed the Blizzard of the month which is Sour Patch Kids. I tried a little bite and it didn't work for me, but he and Husband LOVED it. Later we went to the store and they saw Sour Patch Kid Cereal and GoGurts. Ice cream I kinda get but cereal and yogurt are definitely crossing the line. We did not purchase such things.

But we DID stock up on all the stuff needed for smores! Because Saturday, August 10 is National Smores Day and we needed to be prepared! Since it's only Monday this should give you plenty of time to gather your supplies as well!

Oh sweet summer, I love you so much! Yay for August!

New Wheels

With a post called new wheels just days after a post about getting rid of my car, you're probably expecting a picture of my awesome, flashy new vehicle. But no. In fact, I am writing about C and his brand new bike!

Believe it or not, this is C's first bike ever. He had a tricycle when he was younger but he had no interest in it. Zero.

And then M came around and she loved it. But C was firmly in the no camp. Then C got a scooter and he was perfectly content and happy with that.

Then the Easter Bunny brought M a bike and she has been loving it! She's really quite good. But that started to spark C's interest a little and finally, it got to where M couldn't use her bike when she wanted to because C would be using it. Cue the delivery of this bike yesterday.

It helps that we are currently having some beautiful weather! We brought the kids to one of the elementary schools to use their parking lot to really practice!

We even went back again this morning after swim lessons. Every little bit of practice helps. And there's already some marked improvement. Definitely still on training wheels but again, he hasn't even had the bike for 24 hours at this point and it's his first bike EVER. He'll get there! 

Geography Fun

This summer our school repainted the United States mural and we've been enjoying practicing our geography skills. Husband or I will call out a state and then the kids run to stand on it. 

Some states are of course easier than others. We're working on our East Coast states specifically. 

I am really impressed actually by how well C does especially. This is just one of the ways we sneakily work in some school stuff in the summer. 

Goodbye Old Friend

It's funny how attached to stuff people are. I am no hoarder but I certainly fall into the trap like most Americans of accumulating stuff. But then there are things that you hold on to because of sentimental value, even when you shouldn't anymore.

On Saturday I said goodbye to my 1999 Ford Explorer. It, no joke, was the car I learned to drive in. It became my car my senior year of college.

It safely delivered me to and from grad school. 

But we haven't really driven it for over a year now. And it's registration was about to come up due. And it was just time. It's 20 years old for crying out loud. I took it for one last spin Saturday morning. 

And it was an emotional process. No one pushed me to do it. I set it all up myself, but it made me feel sick to my stomach to see it drive away. To know that this key will never be on my key ring again. I should've just kept one of them. But there's nothing to be done about that and what would I have done with it anyway. 

For all the miles, and all the memories, I am still sad that it is gone. It was time. But it stings a little. I have recently determined that this is why people lease cars or trade theirs in more frequently. 20 years is a long time to get attached to one vehicle. 

I keep wistfully looking out the window at where it used to be. It was just such a part of me you know? It was technically mine for 12 years. I will miss it forever probably. Goodbye old friend. 

Wedding and a Hair Cut

So on Saturday Husband and I went to his cousin's wedding. It was a kid-free event, which I was totally okay with but it did cause some strife with the extended family. (Even some of Husband's first cousins missed the cut since they're under 18. And even the groom's nieces and nephews were only allowed at the ceremony.) 

Anyway, it was a nice wedding and the only proof I have that we were there is this picture of the dinner menu:

And this picture of the cupcake table per the request of my kids. 

 Anyway, yesterday was a big day. M's first big girl haircut! She had the cut at Disney World when she was two. But it was really a minor trim. Then she got another minor ttrim last August before school started. Yesterday she got her hair cut. She has been asking for one for a while. And her hair was getting SO long. Here are a couple before pictures.

Be 

And at the hair cut. I brought her to my salon and had my stylist do it. 

Here is her hair after. It's a pretty major cut actually, but I still think people would say she has long hair.

She wanted to go very short but we compromised at "elbows." My biggest fear is that since this was the official cut that got rid of her baby hair she won't have her curls any longer. Time will tell I guess.