A picnic and an airshow

Today is overcast and a tiny bit chilly. Yesterday was a day of torrential downpour. But last Sunday was a gorgeous day. We met my parents at a park in Kansas City for a picnic and to watch the Blue Angels airshow from a short distance. It was a GREAT day. So relaxing to spend hours outside just hanging out with family! 

Caroline and I played our own version of airplane

I could kiss this girl all the time!! 

Love my boys! 

Cheeks are obviously a family trait! 

Everyone is looking, everyone is happy-- It's a family picture miracle!

Isabelle was "tired" and rendered herself unable to walk to the car, so Papa dragged her. :)

Eleven Months: Caroline

Oh Caroline-- 11 months! How does it feel like these last few months have flown by? Well, I actually know the answer. First, you've been ear infection free for a quite some time and you've been sleeping through the night for equally as long. Woo hoo!!!!! 

You're taking two naps each day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon. We put you down around 8-8:30 each night and you sleep until 6:30-7am. Of course you're still swaddled. We've made attempts to put you down unswaddled from time to time, but it's just not working for either of us!!

You're taking 3 bottles each day-- morning, afternoon, and bedtime. We generally make 6 oz. Sometimes you finish it all, but you generally have a thing about not wanting anything to do with the last ounce. You can hold your own bottle, but can't bother putting in that effort that someone else will do for you! You are a great eater. You love fruit and meat and you'll tolerate veggies. You'd rather just climb out of the high chair than spend too much time sitting still to do petty things like eat. 

Girl, you have SO much personality. We all love it. LOVE it! 

You love to put things "on". Like necklaces or Isabelle shorts. You did this all by yourself and you thought you were so funny! Which it's true-- you are.

These are your friends from church. You love to play with others, but since you're used to wrestling around with your big brother and sister, you are always gentle with other people your size! 

Smiles! :)

I left one afternoon to get a haircut. It's quite a bit shorter and I got bangs again. You wouldn't smile at me all afternoon and you just kept giving me this look. I'll get permission for a haircut next time.

Check out those little curls that are peeking out. 

You are in pre-walking stages. You can stand up in the middle of the room and you might take a step or two before diving to whatever it is you're looking for. You can crawl like crazy, even though you still have a funky little limp-like crawl. 

I broke out a little jacket for you the other day. How cute are you in a hoodie?!? 

 Kisses-- I love your kisses. It's a family game to see who you'll give kisses to each day. They are open mouth and a little big gross, but they are oh-so-sweet that I just can't get enough! :)

We love you baby girl! I can't wait to celebrate your birthday next month! Jackson is adamant about having a joint birthday party so I'm off to brainstorm ways to have a 7yo birthday party and a 1yo party at the same time. :)

First Day of Preschool

Today was Isabelle's first day of preschool. How cute is this girl!? Gosh, I can't stop smiling from ear to ear while I was browsing through and doing a few quick edits on these pics. We love this girl to pieces. Such a sweet personality and she's an insightful little thing. I'm a little bit sad to have to share her with her teachers and classmates, but I know she's ready. She's going to have a blast! 

She's attending preschool with the school district and she'll go four mornings each week. 

They eat breakfast at school and so she is thrilled that she gets to pack a lunch breakfast box!

Her teacher, Ms. Lori, is fantastic. We both love her!

Belle said that her least favorite part of her day was having to sit and read while the rest of her friends came into the classroom. I know she loves to look at books and so I think she really didn't like that she couldn't play and had to sit in her chair. That's a tough request for this busy little gal. Her favorite part was playing on at recess and making new friends. This afternoon, she came and laid down on the couch next to me. She told me that school was "hard work" and that she was tired. Then, she fell asleep. :) 

I am sure going to miss my helper each morning, but we get some good one-on-one time while Caroline takes an afternoon nap before Jack comes home from school. I think it's going to be a great year!

First Day of 1st grade!

Jack started school this week! Boy, was he ready. He was counting down the days! We had a fun summer, but he is a very social kiddo and he really missed his friends. He was thrilled to show off his missing tooth and his lunchbox that connects to his backpack. It's the important things, ya know?

BFFs. :)

I look at this picture of this group of boys and think, "their teacher is WAY underpaid." :)

On his first day of school, he came home and said his favorite part of the day was lunch. Typical! I think it's going to be a great school year.

Blogging catch-up

Knock knock

Who's there?

Ketchup

Ketchup who?

It's about time Amy "ketchups" her blog! 

Ha. Forgive the joke. But those are the kind of jokes that are going on in this house these days!

Remember how I mentioned that I was going to get better at blogging just one month ago and here I am a worse one than before?! I gotta get a post in real quick lest an entire month go by without writing! I know that none of you are devastated at my lack of posting. I, however, am bummed that I haven't been able to get back into the groove after having Caroline. Can I still use having a baby around as an excuse? 

Actually, working part time is much more time consuming than I had ever imagined. It's only 18ish hours a week and I do love my job! But the cramming in to a few days a week what I used to have a full week to do that really has me playing catch-up most of the time. I am hoping that once school starts and routine sets in, I'll have a little more predictable time to gather my thoughts every once in awhile! Maybe? 

So, once again... here's my collection of what we've been up to this month:

Isabelle got her first trophy for t-ball this summer!

Jack got to experience an ambulance ride to the ER after ingesting a nut. Gosh, receiving that phone call was seemingly more traumatic for myself than Jackson's allergic reaction, from what I've been told. Good grief that was a nightmare. Fortunately, I had a great friend who talked to me on the phone while I had to drive forever 40 minutes to see him! Walking into the ER to see your kiddo hooked up... oh, the tears. And that was after everything was all okay. The doctor was great and engaged in so much baseball talk that I really think it put Jack at ease. We do have an epi-pen, but it just wasn't with him at the time. Less learned and no more nuts!

Derek came home from Spain. Yay! And then Derek traveled to New Orleans for a week. And then came home. Yay! Caroline LOVES to hear Daddy play the guitar.

Caroline turned ten months! She's so full of personality and is SO much fun (whenever she's not teething, of course). She gives great kisses, loves to wrestle with the big kids, and is still swaddled when she sleeps. #swaddledforlife 

We attended a fun family day activity with the Child and Youth program with the National Guard the weekend Derek got back from New Orleans. First, we did some fun family team building exercises and then headed to a Royals game.

Isabelle took a fall backwards on the escalator and required some glue to get put back together by a Royals physician. Once she got some free popcorn, she was totally fine! :)

Caroline cheered on the team-- and made the big screen!

The kids and I joined friends to a trip to the zoo!

Jack lost a tooth. 

We visited the park! 

And have enjoyed a few more trips to the pool

Last week, I had an unfortunate trip to my hometown to attend the funeral of a high school friend. Because neither my boyfriend or his girlfriend at the time could go to prom, we decided to go together. It was the best time I ever had throughout high school at a dance! I went digging for the prom pictures and I keep looking at them and remembering the kind, funny guy he was-- the guy that made everyone around laugh and smile, the guy who was willing to dance like a fool! He was such a good man. My heart breaks for those he has left behind, but rejoices in that he loved Jesus!

We picnicked at Crown Center to watch Frozen under the stars. The big kids are great with Caroline. Sharing shaved ice...

and letting her "feed" them! :)

And today before church, Isabelle broke out the snow boots-- which went well with the heat advisory for the day, as well. :)

School starts this week for Jackson and Isabelle starts preschool next week. Both are very, very excited. I am craving some routine! And less sibling fighting. And cooler temperatures. And football season!

Hopefully I'll be back with back to school pictures soon. :)