Back to School

School started for our kids today. I can't believe how quickly the summer came and went. We spent most of our time relaxing at home, playing games, swimming, and gathering with friends. The kids had a wide variety of camps this year. They did camps for Lego robotics and Minecraft; outdoor adventures with kayaking, hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, and biking; ice skating; water parks; amusement parks; and more...I wish I could take the summers off!

Although none of us were quite ready for summer to end this year, Jackson and Audrey were excited to get back to school to see their friends. We took our traditional first day of school pictures before walking to school this morning. Jackson's ideas for what he wants to be when he grows up continue to evolve. This year he's narrowed it down to either a video game or robot designer, and if that doesn't work out, he'll be an animal tamer!

Audrey wants to be a mom that can work from home when she grows up. To help make some money she wants to be a dog breeder. She says that would mean she gets to play with puppies all the time! She also wants to be an artist for fun...specifically doing sketches like her Pop.

Both kids had a great first day. When asked about the good and bad parts of their day, both kids mentioned how nice their teachers were and listed the friends they were thankful to have in their classes. The only bad part of either of their days was simply that their teachers were strict...a good sign in my mind! I'm certainly grateful for these two smiling faces!

There are a few more pictures from the morning in the album.

Back to School

1st and 3rd grade are here! Jackson and Audrey are wrapping up their first week of the 2016-2017 school year, and I'm thankful to say they're off to a good start (knock on wood!). This is their second year at the same elementary school...a first for our kids. It was fun to see Jackson walk up to the school confident and comfortable, and Audrey was adorably excited and nervous.

After waking up and eagerly getting ready for school, we did our 1st day photo shoot. In preparation I asked each of them what they want to be when they grow up. Jackson still wants to be a scientist, but he's also added app maker and robot designer to the list. Audrey wants to be a photographer and a gymnast this year. They both have a wide range of capabilities, so I have no idea what they'll end up doing as adults. I do know that getting some real smiles from these two involves some silliness in the process.

The kids picked their photo spots and asked for some silly, serious, and happy shots. Here's what we got...

I love these kids! They are so much fun!

Back to School

I know I'm long overdue for an update. I'll fill in more details in some future posts, but since the last update, we've celebrated Jackson's 7th birthday, both kids have lost a few teeth, we've moved to a new house, I've changed jobs at NASA again, and Ross and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. All good things, but we're ready for things to settle down for a while!

School is officially in session, which has been another big change for both kids. With the move, they are now both at a new school. We'll be wrapping up the first week tomorrow, and I'm happy to report the kids have had a great week!

Audrey started Kindergarten twice this week...long story short, she was #1 on the wait list to get into our districted school, which meant she started at one school on Monday and moved to her planned school on Tuesday. She's so happy to be at the same school as her big brother now! When we asked her what she wants to be when she grows up the night before school started, she said a "gymnast, swimmer, and doctor!"

Jackson started 2nd grade this week! The transition to another new school has gone well so far. He likes his teacher and is beginning to make new friends. When we asked Jackson what he wants to be when he grows up, he said a "flavor maker because I love science and a doctor because I'm really good at taking care of people."

When I've come to pick them up each afternoon, I've found them playing together every day. I love what great friends they are and hope it is something that will last throughout their lives! They are both silly and sweet, and it's so much fun to see them together.

I had fun taking pics of the kids that morning, so there are a few more in the album!

Citizen of the Month!

Jackson was selected to be a "Citizen of the Month" for his class in December. Each month the school focuses on a particular character trait and the teachers select students from their classes that best represent those traits each month. This month's character trait was "caring."

Jackson's teacher very quickly recognized his caring nature, and this month he really showed that side of himself by helping a new student make friends and get comfortable at their school. I imagine he could relate to that kiddo pretty well having been the new kid not that long ago! We are all so proud of how hard he is working to make good choices and to be such a caring kid! It was extra special that Grandmother and Nana could be there for the assembly where he was recognized!

Here is a part of the email from Jackson's teacher letting us know why she selected Jackson for the "caring" trait...I have seen him demonstrate this important life skill many times, especially this month. We had a new student join us this week and Jackson volunteered to be his buddy for lunch. He also has been very thoughtful. He told me that you taught him, it's important to love all of God's children. It's wonderful to see how he internalizes important lessons and goals. He has also demonstrated caring when he read his behavioral books to the class. He is really striving lately!

While Jackson struggles at times (we all do!), it's awesome to see others recognize what an amazing heart he has and how much he loves God! There are more pictures in the album!

Audrey - Can You Decide?

Audrey had her first homework assignment for her new school this week. It was an "All About Me!" poster. It had her fill in basic information about herself, some of her favorite things, what she wants to be when she grows up, cool facts about herself, etc. It also had a spot for a picture. Of course, the tons of pictures we already have weren't sufficient for Audrey. She wanted a new picture in her new favorite dress, which looks like Elsa!

I was more than happy to indulge her request. We went to the park behind our house and took a few quick shots before dinner tonight, and I've had fun playing with them in Lightroom. Now I can't decide which one I like best! Can you?

1st Day of School in CA!

On August 18th, both kids went to their day care/after school care for the first time. It was Audrey's 1st day of Pre-K4! Jackson's school started that Wednesday, August 20th, so this gave him a chance to get familiar with the teachers and kids he would be with in the afternoons.

We didn't take the 1st day of school pics until Jackson's 1st day. It was his 1st day of 1st grade!

That morning I asked both kids what they want to be when they grow up. Jackson wants to be the Hulk, and he wants his job to be a scientist. Audrey wants to be Elsa, and she wants her job to be a doctor. I have to say...these choices describe them pretty well these days! Jackson really wants to smash things when he gets upset (his self control is GREATLY improved this year though), and he loves to understand how things work and do experiments. Audrey is a girly, girl and loves to be a princess. She has good intentions, but she's a little rough sometimes. She also loves to check things out when someone is hurt and take care of people. She's fascinated by anything medical related.

Both kids were a little nervous going into their new schools, but they were excited to make some new friends. They really miss all of their friends in Houston and were starting to get a little lonely.

When we picked them up on their first days, they were both smiling and laughing. They'd had a great day! It's going to take time to make new friends, but they are off to a great start!

As a side note...for those who don't know, Jackson loves the Hulk right now. One of the early days of school, he was asked to bring a paper bag with 5 things that tell everyone a little more about him. His Hulk toy wouldn't fit, so he asked me to take a picture instead. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take it and print it in time, so he took his Lego Marvels game case instead, which covered two of his favorite things...Hulk and video games. He also took his karate belt, a Texas puzzle piece, his favorite book from the Magic Tree House series, Night of the Nijas, and a picture of our family. These are the pics he wanted to take though. They are both doing their best to make Hulk faces. Notice Audrey can't stop smiling!

Jackson's Kindergarten Graduation

Today was Jackson's last day of kindergarten! He had graduation on Tuesday, a water party on Wednesday, and a half day to wrap up the school year today. The graduation ceremony was so cute. Rather than having everyone in caps and gowns, the graduation had a Hawaiian theme. The ceremony started with a message from the principal followed by some songs from the kids.

Then they lined up each class, and as they said their names, they asked each kid what they want to be when they grow up. Jackson very confidently said he wants to be a policeman. In a report the week before he said he wants to be a policeman so he can get all the bad guys! Then they gave him a lei, and he returned to his seat on the stage before ending the ceremony with the school's song.

We are all so proud of Jackson and everything he has accomplished this year. He is an incredibly sweet and sensitive little boy. He has matured and learned so much over this school year. He went from knowing his ABCs and numbers to reading short chapter books, doing math, writing stories, and loving science. It's really hard to believe how much he has grown inside and out! We are beyond grateful for his teachers and the incredible staff at his school, as well as his after school program. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and we couldn't do it without each of these people! Jackson is a better person because of each of them! We love him so much!

There are a few more pictures in the album.

Rodeo Field Trip

Yesterday was Jackson's field trip to the Houston Rodeo! I went as a chaperone, which meant I was responsible for Jackson and two other kiddos. Another mom and I paired up and kept 6 kiddos together throughout the trip. It was great! We started with a tour inside where we saw the cows, bees, bugs, baby chicks, and more. The kids got to plant sunflower seeds and watch a cow get milked.

From there we made our way outside to the petting zoo and the farm. I think the cornbox (a sandbox filled with corn) may have been their favorite part of the day!

The boys were great, and we all had a great time!

There are lots more pictures in the album.

Jackson's Field Day

A little over a week ago Jackson's school had their Field Day. Ross and I were both in town for a change, so we went to check it out. It was very different than what we remember field day being like. It was basically a free-for-all. They started in the gym. Each kid had a partner, and they took turns picking what they wanted to do for two hours. There were lots of game options. Some indoors and some outside. Jackson and his partner, Lizzy, started outside.

A free-for-all is tough for kindergartners. Jackson and Lizzy had a hard time deciding where to start. Once they had a couple of games under their belts, Lizzy decided she didn't want to play the games Jackson wanted to play. Poor Jackson was so disappointed. His teacher quickly came to the rescue though, and they did great the rest of the time!

Two hours of non-stop playing was a bit much for these two though. They took a little break and watched the other kids for a while before getting back to the fun!

There are more pics of the fun in the album!

School Carnival & Karate Demonstration

Jackson's school held their carnival fundraiser at the beginning of February. It was a fun event! They had all kinds of games and activities. Jackson especially loved showing off his hula-hooping skills, which we didn't know he had! Audrey loved singing and dancing to any song the DJ played. One of the activities was a room where you could choose what to have painted (face, hair, or nails). Jackson chose to have a rocket painted on his face, and Audrey requested to have her nails painted a sparkly pink.

Another activity was a karate demonstration by the students from Bushi Ban that attend Falcon Pass Elementary, which included Jackson! As one of the youngest kids on stage, we were so proud to see him get up there without any hesitation. He did great, but most importantly, he had fun!

The kids did several exercises in unison before breaking up to do smaller groups and individual demonstrations. Jackson got to break his second board as part of the individual demonstration. This time he chose to break it with his foot. The first board he broke was with a "hammer fist" when he received his first belt promotion.

It was an all around successful event, and we're looking forward to the next one!

1st Day of Kindergarten & Pre-K3!

Monday was Jackson's 1st day of kindergarten and Audrey's 1st day of Pre-K3!!! I apologize for the really long post, but this is a big deal!!! We've all been excited, nervous, and a little overwhelmed about reaching this milestone for Jackson. The transition really started about 3 weeks ago when we pulled Jackson out of his day care and sent him to a karate camp for 2 weeks at the place he is now doing after school care.

There was a mixture of excitement and nervousness about making new friends and being in a new place when he went to camp, but the kids and the adults at Bushi Ban were amazing the first week. The second week we began to see some changes, both good and bad, and we realize the "transition" was happening in full force. With Jackson, transitions have always been a little rough, and this one has been no exception. Despite the challenges associated with change, having Jackson start this transition early has worked really well for him, and having a strong support system of encouraging friends has worked well for me!

The first day of kindergarten, we decided we would take Jackson to school, but knowing he wanted to ride the bus, we thought it would be a good idea to meet some of the kids at the bus stop and see the process before he actually had to do it. This turned out to be both a great idea and a horrible idea all at the same time. Jackson was so excited about it he had a meltdown when we wouldn't let him get on the bus! In hind sight we probably should have just let him get on and met him at the school...not what we chose to do though. Fortunately, Ross was able to help him recover, and we managed to get some happy first day of school pictures!

We got to the school before the doors were unlocked, and Jackson got to see several of his friends before walking in. When the doors were opened, he held Audrey's hand, walked her down the halls, and showed her where he would be. It was adorable! We left him sitting happily at his new table playing with playdough.

In anticipation of Jackson's "transition behavior" I'd written his teacher a note, which turned out to be a good idea because I got a phone call that afternoon letting me know there had been a couple of challenging moments during the day, but overall he had a great first day! Each day this week got a little better, and by the end of the week, he had a smiley face with no note in his take home folder! He was greatly rewarded on Friday!!!

Jackson has LOVED riding the bus in the mornings. There are around 10 kids at the bus stop every morning along with parents and 2 or 3 dogs. The bus driver seems amazing, and we've all enjoyed getting to know our neighbors a little better.

When we picked Jackson up from Bushi Ban each day this week, he was grinning from ear to ear and having a blast. We even got to watch a couple of the karate classes and see how quickly he is learning there too.

Early bedtimes (7 or 7:30) were part of our routine this week to try to help with all of the changes. Even though Jackson doesn't always nap anymore, he's still used to a rest time. Despite the early bed time giving him almost 12 hours of sleep, Jackson still had to be woken up to catch the bus some mornings!

I was able to join Jackson for lunch on Friday, which was fun. He was SO excited to see me, and I loved getting to see him in his new environment. He got to invite a friend to eat with us at the parents' table, so I got to get to know his "best friend at this school," which made it clear he still has other best friends too.

Audrey has done amazingly well with her transition to a new class at her school. She has been a little sad not to have her big brother in the car with her on the way to school or just down the hall to go visit, but she has dealt with it all really well! We've also enjoyed a little alone time with her each day. It's given us more time to get to hear about the things that are important to Audrey!

Audrey has loved walking Jackson to the bus stop each morning, and now that we're also taking Bailey, she loves getting to be responsible for the leash. Here are her first day of school pics and one from our walk home from the bus stop the first morning...you can see Jackson is a little grumpy, but Audrey is happily leading the way.

We're excited to have the first week behind us and enjoy a long weekend for Labor Day. I think it's going to be a great year!

End of Summer Break!

Last Friday was the end of the kids summer break. Audrey's school had a 50's sock hop to celebrate, and we spent the day with Jackson at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Both kiddos had a blast!

We gave Jackson several options for how to spend his last day of summer break, and his choice above the beach or riding rides or anything else was to go to the museum and a movie. Honestly, I was a little worried he wouldn't have as much fun at the museum, but he proved me wrong! He absolutely love every moment. There was so much excitement over each dinosaur and new discovery that he was exhausted when we were done, which made it the perfect time to relax and see a movie of his choice. We wrapped up the day with dinner as a family at a favorite restaurant. I couldn't have asked for a better last day of summer!

Field Day

Audrey and Jackson's daycare had a field day a few weeks ago. They had a ton of fun! There were sack races, horseshoes, egg races, and more! Audrey's class was the "Outstanding Owls"!

Jackson's class was the "Angry Birds"!

Jackson and his friend, Caroline, won the three-legged race, and they were so proud!

Jackson's class got to participate in a medal ceremony at the end of all the events, which was a good mix of rewarding participation and those who won. He loved it and had lots of fun being silly after it was over. Both their Nana and Pop were there to cheer them on, which made it all the more special!

There are more pics in the album!

Jackson's Class Christmas Party

Jackson's class Christmas party was lots of fun too! The kiddos wore their PJs to school to board the Polar Express for a day of fun! Jackson chose his current favorite PJs, so he looked like a little elf, and apparently, he pretended to be an elf for most of the day. Audrey and I arrived at the end of the movie just in time for the gift exchange! Jackson's class had boys bring boy gifts and girls bring girl gifts. Jackson and one of his best friends, Cooper, had arranged to make sure they got each other's gifts..

Jackson was beyond excited to find a pirate puppet in his package, and Cooper was perhaps the quietest and most focused I've ever seen him after opening his, which was a Perplexus Rookie game that Jackson loves. Audrey was sad not to get a present at this party, but she was happy to settle for another cookie!

The room mom then presented Jackson's teachers with their gift, which was such a sweet and clever idea! She sneaked into the class with the help of the day care staff who distracted the teachers while she made these adorable Christmas tree pictures with hand and thumb prints from all of the kids. On the back was a list of their names along with the year. Such a sweet way to be able remember this year!

We are so thankful for both Jackson and Audrey's teachers and how much they genuinely love our kiddos!

There are more pictures of the fun in the album!

Audrey's Class Christmas Party

Audrey's teachers put together a fun-filled couple of days for the kiddos that included watching Polar Express and having a Christmas party! The party started with the decorating and eating of Christmas cookies! Jackson was our helper for the party. He made sure everyone had a cookie and snack. He sweetly asked Audrey to decorate his cookie while he helped, which she was happy to do. Then, as you can see, he enjoyed eating it!

After some yummy party snacks the kids sat on the carpet and eagerly awaited their gift exchange. All the girls sat together and had fun giggling and being silly!

Audrey's class chose to exchange books this year. Each kid got to chose another kid's gift, and after everyone had something, the paper shredding began! Jackson read Audrey's book to her after she opened it. The book was a silly book, which was perfect for these two silly-geese! As you can see below, Audrey loved having her big brother there for the party!

There are a lot more pictures of the silliness and fun in the album.

Oliver the Owl

Audrey has been the student of the week in her class for the last two weeks, which has meant a lot of attention and fun for her! She got to show her friends some pictures of her family, share her favorite books and toys, as well as her favorite snack, and she got to dress up like what she wants to be when she grows up. She had a blast handing out fruit snacks to her friends and dressing up like an astronaut. She chose to take a "Roly Poly Olie" book to share since it's all about her and Jackson (great books for siblings if you've never seen them). The real highlight of the last two weeks has been Oliver the Owl though.

Oliver is the class owl and will be passed around throughout the year for the kids to take pictures with and write down their adventures in his book. Audrey has enjoyed her time with Oliver. He helped Audrey do her "homework" one evening. (Jackson is the one who actually has homework once a week, but Audrey wanted to do some too!) He also joined in a game of Wii before bed one night, and has traveled with us just about everywhere we've gone.

Jackson's soccer practice and games have been one of Audrey's favorite places to take Oliver. He gets a lot of attention from the other kids, and Audrey has been sweet enough to share most of the time. Oliver has also taken several rides in Audrey's stroller, but the most fun has been had when she and Jackson are just being silly together!

There are a few more pictures in the album.

Fall Fun

This week finally felt like fall in Houston, and it was perfect timing because there were lots of fall activities planned for this week. Jackson's class had a field trip to the pumpkin patch on Wednesday. The school's Fall Festival was on Friday. We went to the pumpkin patch as a family and carved our pumpkin this morning, and we went to a friend's Oktoberfest party this afternoon!

Jackson's class had a blast together at the pumpkin patch. A lot of his friends from last year are in a different class this year, but they all went on the field trip together. One of the moms made some adorable pumpkin cookies for everyone for snack time, which they ate while sitting in a pile of hay. Then they sang the "5 little pumpkins" song and talked about the life cycle of a pumpkin before grabbing the wagons and playing in the pumpkin patch. One of Jackson's friends found a pumpkin with a ladybug on it, which just fascinated them as you can see below. They also had story time at the pumpkin patch and heard a story about the bumpy pumpkin. Before leaving, each kiddo got to pick out their own little pumpkin to take back to school with them, which they decorated later in the week. There are a lot more pictures from the flied trip in the album

The Fall Festival included games, face painting, sno cones and popcorn, and "scary hair". Audrey loved the sno cones, and Jackson loved having scary, orange hair. I didn't take my camera with me to the festival, but I took a couple of pictures when we got home. Some of the orange in Jackson's hair was already coming out, but you get the idea. Before the end of the night, there was orange dust everywhere, and their bath that night was a lot of fun too...orange water!

Today we went back to the pumpkin patch to pick out the pumpkins for our house, and of course, to try to get some cute pictures, which you can find more of in the album. Jackson immediately spotted a bumpy pumpkin like the one from the story and decided that was the one he wanted to take home. He spent the rest of the time we were there carrying it around in a wagon.

Audrey decided on a little larger sized pumpkin, and spent the majority of her time climbing around in the pumpkin patch.

They both had fun climbing around in the pumpkins and playing with the wagons before we headed home to decorate our pumpkins. Jackson used stickers on his bumpy pumpkin, and we carved one for the family.

This afternoon, we all had a great time at the Gerty's Oktoberfest party. I didn't take my camera, and it was nice to relax and visit with folks while the kiddos wore themselves out jumping in the moon walk, playing on the play set, and just running around. It was a great way to spend the day!