Happy 5th Birthday Claire Bear!!!

Today we celebrated Claire's 5th birthday! Oh my, I can't believe that she is already 5. Where did the time go??? How did she so quickly go from this

to this?


We started off the morning with cinnamon rolls, per Claire's request. Then, it was off to school for the big Kindergartener. After lunch, I brought some cupcakes up to her class. She loved it when her class sang Happy Birthday to her and Mrs. Aubuchon gave her 5 birthday hugs!



And then we took Claire to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday dinner. She quickly announced to the lady at the door that it was her birthday because she remembered from last year that you get a birthday sticker and extra tokens!! Smart girl!! It was a perfect night to go...there was only about 3 other kids there, seriously! So quiet and calm!! The girls had a great time going from games to rides and back to games.





When we got home Claire got to open her presents and eat another cupcake for dessert. She loved her new pizza and sandwich food for her kitchen and was really excited about her Little Pony remote control car. We had a fun day celebrating Claire and I hope she knows how special she is to all of us!! We love you Claire and can't wait to celebrate again at the big birthday bash in just a few weeks!!!

1st day of PDO and 23 months

Carlyle turned 23 months last Thursday and I only took one picture of her that day. Here she is on her official 23rd month birthday.

Today was Carlyle's first day of PDO for the fall. Even though she has been going to PDO with me since she was only a few weeks old, this was her first day to be in a class other than mine. Since she has been in my class since she was born, moving up to the toddler class was a big deal. There were lots of changes in the toddler room that she wasn't used to, but I felt confident that she would do well. I knew she would have a good time since her buddy, Callen, was in her class and because Mrs. Caren (Callen's mommy) was her teacher. She was a little clingy this morning, which surprised me, but once she got in her room she did pretty well.


Instead of sitting in a high chair for lunch, Carlyle got to sit in a chair at the table. I watched her through the window for a few minutes and she just sat there, watching as her teacher got everyone's lunch out. Even though her food was already in front of her, she didn't take a bite for awhile. Then I heard Mrs. Caren say,"Carlyle, come sit down and eat". In fact, I heard that several times. Carlyle wasn't used to having freedom at lunchtime. I'm sure she will catch on quickly that she has to stay in her seat to eat, but just in case she doesn't, I'm going to give her teacher permission to strap her in the chair. Ha ha!

Nap time was different for Carlyle, too. Instead of sleeping in a swing, she had to lay on her nap mat. Mrs. Robin went in and took a picture of Carlyle when she layed down. She was so still, it was kind of freaky looking. She and Callen were laying next to each other and they were awake for awhile. But, Mrs. Caren said that when things in the room calmed down, both girls went to sleep. They didn't sleep that long, only because another child in the room woke up screaming and screaming!! Hopefully, all the kids will get used to their new room and new schedule and will learn to take longer naps! I'm so glad that Carlyle had a good day and I know that it's good for her to be away from me some during the day, even if it is just across the hall.

1st day of school

This morning Camden and Claire woke up very excited about the 1st day of school. They ate breakfast, got dressed and I did their hair. They couldn't wait to get to school. After a few pictures, we gathered backpacks, lunches, cookies for the office staff and treats for the teachers and we were off. We stopped by the Jr. High and picked Jeremy up on the way so he could join us.


Our first stop was to drop off our big Kindergartener. She was all smiles as we got a few pictures.

As we walked down the hall, Claire grabbed my hand and I could tell she was getting a little nervous. Still, she did really well. She handed Mrs. Aubuchon her treat and she was kind enough to take a family picture. We hung up her backpack and put her lunch in her cubby. As we walked over to her table she began to cry, telling me that she wanted to stay with me. I felt so bad for her. I wanted to leave her happy and not sad, but knew we had to leave to get Camden to school on time. I gave her lots of hugs and kisses and promised I would be back very soon. Mrs. Aubuchon took her and tried to divert her while I slipped out. I was so sad for Claire. I immediately texted a friend that works there and she went and checked on her a little later. She said she was fine and that Claire was only sad for about 5 minutes after I left. That made me feel so much better.
Next stop was for Camden at her new school. She marched right in like a big 1st grader and did great! She did allow me to take one picture before I left. I knew right away that she was going to have a great day!!!!
I hoped and prayed all day that both girls would have a wonderful 1st day of school. I picked Claire up in her classroom and she was all smiles. Mrs. Aubuchon said she was very quiet, which didn't surprise me. Claire tends to be shy and quiet until she warms up to you and then she is a chatterbox. I bet that by the end of the week she comes out of her shell. Since I didn't get a picture dropping Claire off, I had to get one of her with that big smile on her face at pick up.

I am so thankful for the faculty and staff at Lindale ISD. I felt so welcomed this morning at both campuses we went to and I have no doubt that all the campuses in Lindale treat parents and students the same way. We were greeted with lots of smiles and hearing teachers and staff call my kids by name made me feel so blessed that they take the time to truly "know" my kids. What a great first day...can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of the year!!

Meet the Teacher

Last night was "Meet the Teacher" at both Camden and Claire's schools. We got all dressed to go meet their teachers, check out the schools and hopefully see some old friends and meet some new ones. They both were pretty excited, but Camden more so than Claire. Carlyle had no idea what we were getting ready for, but she was excited just to "go".



First up was Claire's school. Since Claire had the same teacher that Camden had last year, she was already familiar with her. We got to the school and saw lots of familiar faces. Everyone was happy to see us and made us feel so welcome. When we got to the room, Claire immediately got very shy, clinging to me. We found where she would sit and her cubby. We walked around the room, hoping she would warm up a little. Camden took her and they played in the kitchen and wrote on the board for awhile. After getting to play for awhile she did warm up and was ready to speak to Mrs. Aubuchon. Of course, she was excited to see Claire and gave her a big hug. I just know Claire is going to have a great year!


After cookies and milk in the cafeteria at Claire's school, we headed over to Camden's new school to meet her teacher and check out her room. Camden is at the school where I used to teach at, so I enjoyed getting to check out all the changes that have been made and loved seeing lots of familiar faces. I love that I have friends that teach and work at the same campus that Camden will be at. It's nice to know that so many people will be watching out for her!! We found Camden's room and as we walked in I just had a great feeling. It was bright and cheerful and even smelled good!! Camden found her desk and cubby and walked around the room checking everything out. We met Mrs. Hering and I could tell that she was genuinely happy and excited about Camden being in her class. I am confident that Camden is in a great class and that it's going to be a super year!! Yeah for 1st grade!!

Splash Day at PDO

Last Thursday was our last day of PDO for the summer and it was Splash Day! Camden and Claire were excited about getting to play in the water. Carlyle had fun going from one pool to another pool and playing with the bubbles. We had a great time at PDO this summer. I'm sad that when we start back for fall that I will only be bringing Carlyle with me. I still can't believe that I will have two kids in school. But, I'm sure Carlyle will enjoy all the attention!