Best Vacation Ever

We'd been promising G that we would do a trip to the beach for the past two years and so this summer was our time.  In January I booked a beach house in the Outer Banks.  And I'm sure you're thinking, "why did you book so early?"  In my mind, the key to the perfect beach vacation was to find a house that was actually right on the beach--I didn't want to have to cross over the dunes to reach the water, nor did I want to lug three kids and all their beach stuff across the dunes to reach the water.  Hence the reason for booking so early :-)

Location, location, location--that was what it was all about and we found the perfect house.  I initially worried that maybe I had booked a house that was too large--4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths--but by the time I invited favorite friends, favorite photographer, and favorite aunt, I need not have worried about that :-)

It was a great week!  The weather was perfect!  The house was great! and we made quite a few memories that we'll look back on favorably.  Enjoy the pics!

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And I'm back up and running......at least for the moment

And the winner was.........a sinus infection.  It took about 5 days worth of antibiotics to start to feel "normal" again.   As always, when it starts out, I want to believe that it's just seasonal allergies and not the dreaded sinus infection but one would think after several years of this, that I would come to expect it in the fall and in the spring.  I would never let something like that go with my kids so I don't know why I do it to myself :-(

Anyway, trying to catch-up on my posts and so I have to regress to August when  G and her best friends had a day at the American Girl store.

We arrived at the store early in the morning and caught a bus to the American Museum of History where we got a private tour (before they opened to the public) and then back to the cafe for lunch and some shopping time.  G had been debating for well over a month on purchasing Julie's new car and in fact had made several lists of buying possibilities, but in the end she purchased the dining room table, some food, and the new Halloween outfit.  She would have been more than happy to expand her list had I been open to making some purchases, but we had agreed beforehand that this trip was all about her spending her own money.

Also in August, G started cheerleading.  She and her BFF M are on the Seahawks cheer squad.  The girls practice outside at a local school and so I have K and Baby M with me when we go.  I'm not sure what I expected but K has been pretty interested in hanging out with the big girls while they practice.  So much in fact that she has learned a few of the cheers.  She's not technically old enough to join the squad and so she wouldn't feel left out, I picked her up a cheer uniform supporting what I hope will be the girl's college of choice :-)

BFF's M and G

Cutest little VT cheerleader ever!

In this pic, the girls are making a big "S" with their poms to represent their squad name, "Seahawks".

Baby M struttin' her stuff on the ball field.

Does Vacation have to end????

I think I've been in a bit of a post-vacation funk.  It's been two weeks since we returned home and I really just have not felt quite like myself.  No explanation for it really, but just kind of motoring along and feeling as if I am trudging thru each day.  Quite honestly, I feel as if I am in slow motion but everything around me is speeding by.  The kids are back in school and their assorted activities have us doing something everyday.  Our schedule is anything but slow.  I think I may have a sinus infection or maybe it's just seasonal allergies, but it certainly isn't helping my disposition to wake-up with a headache each day.

G is doing well at her new school and seems to like it.  The program is pretty structured but yet has enough flexibility to offer some "extras".  She has joined the American Heritage Girls troop--similar to the Girl Scout program but more Christ centered--and is also participating in a club.  She was very excited to get her first choice in the club selection--stop motion animation.  I'm feeling very "connected".  The teacher and administration are very good at staying in touch via email and notes coming home.  Grade reports are sent out weekly or you can check them independently thru their online system.

First day of school

G and Lollipop doing some "free reading".

K is settling into preschool.  She likes her new teachers--even though she initially insisted she had to go back to her old classroom.  She has one little girl who was in her class from last year and G's cheer coach's son is in her class.  Not that I should have worried about her knowing anyone--she's my social butterfly!

K practicing her cheer moves!

 M and I are trying to settle into our routine when the big girls are at school.  We go to Toddlin' Time once a week and maybe try to also throw a playdate in there somewhere.  It's amazing how quickly that times goes by when it is just she and I.

Look at that smile!

A little sisterly choke---I mean, sisterly love!

Blog Analytics

Since I had a few moments to myself the other day, I thought I would check my blog analytics just for kicks.  I've noticed that the blogs I follow are usually the ones who "check-in", just as I'm sure I'm a predictable name on their analytics.

I was quite surprised when I saw one on there that I didn't recognize.  (Blogger analytics gives you the capability to click on the referring page links and go to their sites.)  I was even more surprised when I clicked on it, and it went to a very raunchy, porn site :-(  There were pictures on there of things I couldn't quite identify and I really didn't want to spend anytime trying to identify them---ick!!!!! 

What boggles my mind is how anyone who was on that site would have any interest in my little family blog???? and how they would get from that site to my blog????

A mystery for sure........

Trying to settle into the new routine.....

I have so many ideas for blog posts running around in my head these days but can't seem to find the time to actually get any of them down. 

G and K are both now officially back in school and so maybe I'll find a little more "me" time.  Today was K's first day at preschool and she was such a trooper.  She had her little backpack on and went right on into her class without a hitch--I love that girl's fearlessness.  After leaving the preschool, I had Baby M all to myself and it was really nice!  We went to our favorite play place together and had a nice walk downtown--I think I could get used to it :-)

We had a great trip to the Outer Banks last week and I've got lots of pics to post.  If you follow on Facebook then you've probably already seen the great pics taken by my friend and favorite photographer, April Receveur.  We were fortunate to have our best friends and Aunt M accompany us.  Lots of good times, giggles, and DQ ice cream.

For now, I'll leave you with these pics of some backyard fun we had right before our beach vacation.  You might say it was "trip prep".

It never gets old.....and I'm so glad!

The age old game of peek-a-boo never gets old.  Look at these smiles.

Even Lollipop the cat has to get into the action!

Count down to school

It's been too long since my last post.  I realized that I hadn't even posted the girls' July 4th pic---see below.

I now consider my group shots a success if I can get them all three looking forward :-)  All three looking forward with smiles will be my next project.

Hard to believe but school is going to be starting in approx. nine days.  Every year, I feel the same way-I just start to get settled into a summer routine and then BAM! time to get ready to go back to school.  I really don't know why I feel like it sneaks up on me since the stores start putting out school supplies in early July!

This year is a bit different because I'm trying to get myself into the right frame of mind as we embark on our new educational process.  I must admit that I'm a bit nervous.  G is officially enrolled in her new university-model school where she will go to class two days a week and then the other three days we will be working at home, with the guidance and instruction provided by her teacher.  My Type A personality is working in overdrive right now--can I do this?  can I provide her with a well-rounded education? am I going to ruin what she has already learned?  Lots of anxiousness on my part, which I hope I'm not showing to her. 

We've also signed-up for one of the local homeschool coops and she will be taking chorus and theater dance classes and we've signed up to do fall cheerleading.  Then add into that schedule that K will be going to preschool two days a week, Baby M will start having her playdate at Toddlin' Time, and my part-time work schedule.  It's going to be a busy school year!

I love these pics of my girls cuddlin' up together and watchin' a little Sesame Street.  This was one of our quiet moments :-)