First Day(s) of School

We've had our first days of school over the last week.  They have looked different that past years but we're thankful for a tiny bit of normalcy after the last almost 6 months of crazy.   

AveryAnn could not wait to go to school.  She has missed her friends and her teachers so much.  She started August 24th and had the best day!

She picked out her dress and insisted on two braids for her hairstyle.

This is her last year before big school.  I can hardly believe how quickly the years have passed with this one.  She is such a joy and keeps us all laughing.  She is honest to a fault (I have no idea where she gets that from).

Barrett insisted on having his picture made too even though he didn't start for another week.

He did have drive thru supply pick up and meet the teacher.  His teacher is new to our school this year but she is the sweetest.   He got a chromebook and the supplies we ordered and everything he needed to start remotely this nine weeks. We also go our "Blue Devil Strong" yard sign to show our school spirit! The kids were so happy!

Finally, it was his turn for his first day of second grade.  He was excited about remote learning and our teacher had us all very prepared.  He'd charged his chromebook the night before and he was ready.

Patrick was home this day.  PTA took breakfast to all the local schools for the teachers and it wasn't ready when I arrived to pick it up so I was later than I'd planned getting back home so Patrick took AveryAnn to school.  We had a few minutes when they got back home before we had to log in.

I'll be honest, I was a little nervous about how all the programs would hold up and how the remote learning would go.  It has been an amazing experience for us.  Barrett has really enjoyed it.  I've enjoyed getting to kind of spy on his classroom and get to see him interact with other kids and his teacher.  His confidence in the technology has increased everyday and I know that will only benefit him in the long run.  He's excited to go back to school.  But this time has been really sweet and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss.

Our school is letting the kids come in small groups on Thursdays or Fridays in small groups for testing.  Barrett was the only one in his group the day he got to go.  After that day he's been really excited to go back to school.  His sweet teacher sent me his picture.  I hate he had to wear a mask but I'm thankful he got to go and he loved it.  We get to go back two days a week in a couple of weeks and then hopefully 5 days a week two weeks after that.  I should have one whole week with both kids in school before the baby comes. Fingers Crossed!

Bump Date

 We're 32 weeks with baby #3!  This pregnancy seems to be going by quickly and also feels like I've been pregnant forever!  I'm definitely getting antsy to know what it is but holding out until delivery day!  This pregnancy has been a lot harder physically.  I think a combination of being older and not very active for so long due to quarantine has made this last trimester more painful.  We've got around 6 weeks left but have not done a single thing to prepare for this little one's arrival.  I'm planning to get the big kids room squared away in the next couple of weeks. I've got everything ready except the dresser I'm repainting.  I need to do that next week.  

The crib sheet and changing pad cover I ordered for the nursery arrived last week and it's perfect.  I'm so torn because if the baby is a girl I would love to leave the nursery pink but if it's a boy, I don't want to have to be painting after the baby is born.  So we'll probably go ahead and paint. 

Truth be told, I've been in a very blah mood the last couple of weeks.  I'm pretty sure the circumstances we all find ourselves in are the root of the cause but it hasn't been pretty.  I'm just so tired and overwhelmed. I has a doctors appointment on Tuesday and everything looked great.  They called Wednesday to schedule my csection.  October 19th is the day if we make it (and I think we will).  So not much time left.  Our schedules are starting to fill up with Fall activities again so I know it will be here before we know it.  I'm so excited about this Fall baby but being this pregnant in the heat of summer has not been fun. 

I have zero pictures to share.  We're just surviving over here.  We can't wait for this baby to be here and know what it is.  We're still working on a name.  We've got a couple in mind but nothing set in stone yet.  I know it'll all get done so I'm not stressing.  I'm just trying to enjoy this sweet baby dancing in my belly all the time.  

6 weeks or less!  We got this!

August

 For March and April to have seemed to last 6 months, July and August have flown by.  I swear we were just celebrating the 4th like last week.

We kicked off August at the lake.  This girl fell asleep on the couch just like this.  I guess she was exhausted.  While we were at the lake August 1st demo started at home on our master bath!  We'd been talking about doing this for years.  It's been in the plans for a while and we've been saving for it.  It was finally time.  We wanted to have both bathrooms redone (top to bottom) before the bay comes in October.  We're going to be pushing it but it's going to be worth it.  (I'm going to whole separate post on the renovation once it's complete.  All we're lacking is the countertop and the glass for the shower door).

Also on this day we saw thousands of fireflies on the way home from the lake in a spot in the woods and it was magical!

We finally got to their well checks for the year!  AveryAnn got 4 shots and I wasn't sure she was going to recover.  I had to carry her out of the doctors office and I'm in no condition to carry anything.  It was fun.  Both are perfectly healthy and growing like weeds.

We took Granddaddy to Alabama Splash Adventure with us one day.    He's had a lot on his plate this summer taking on the care of my grandmother and aunt after a major car accident in May.  Thankfully they are doing well but feeding and managing their medication and appointment schedules is enough to make anyone crazy.

This might be my most favorite picture of the whole day.  I think he enjoyed his trip but it sure doesn't look like it according to this picture! 

I don't think either of them enjoyed their turn on the teacups.

He wants Ally to love him so desperately, she does not.  She only loves her Mama.  

I'd been eyeing this desk for months now.  I wanted a space to put all the office-y things and a place to sit and use the computer.  I put it off and put it off.  When they announced we'd be remote learning the first nine weeks I went ahead and made the purchase.  Barrett needed a place to keep his things and work.  So for not this will be our remote classroom.  I want some prettier baskets to hide all the things but for now this will work.  It's probably too pretty for a kids desk but it's in our living room so I wanted it to be somewhat attractive.  Since he and AveryAnn are moving to a shared room pretty soon I knew there wouldn't be room in his room for a desk and this way I can keep an eye on him while I"m moving around the house.

This meme made me laugh out loud.  I've been in somewhat of a tizzy since we found out we'd be starting the school year remote.  Then we got the tentative schedule and it did not make me feel better like I was hoping.  I'm trying really hard to have a positive attitude but I'd be lying if didn't say I'd been feeling rather blah about it all this week.  

Already putting the desk to use.  

I road tripped to Tennessee for a wedding last weekend and we played travel bingo.  I won.  My mom would announce every time she saw something but it took us hours to find a bus and an airplane.  You'd think those would be two pretty easy ones to find and you would be wrong on that particular trip.

It was at a beautiful little farm.  We had a fun night!

Barrett finally pulled his other top tooth that had been hanging on by a thread for weeks.  He pulled it all by himself.  He was so proud!

His first day of school shirt is ready.  I couldn't resist even though we won't be using Zoom.  It was to funny to pass up.

I found a brand on Zulilly that I love called Millie Loves Lily.  The dresses are so soft and wash and wear so well.  I bought her several dresses for back to school and the fall/winter.  She insisted on this cat one and has worn it every day since it arrived.  

We are ready for Fall around here.  Specifically October.  We're ready for cooler weather and to meet this baby!

Fourth of July

We had a really fun July 4th weekend!  We usually go to the family cabin on Smith Lake but this year we changed it up and went to John & Hope's house for the day.

Barrett had the best day fishing his little heart out!  My kids aren't really thrill seekers.  They don't need to ride in the boat or the sea doo or the tube.  The will swim and fish all day long.  

AveryAnn got bit by something the day before and her eye was swollen.  She did not want to ride the tube but she enjoyed sitting on it at the dock.

I love this one of them fishing.  It really has been the sweetest summer.

My kids have hated fireworks for the entirety of their lives.  This year they started coming around.  They loved the little poppers that you throw on the ground and the sparklers.  The girls decided to get dressed up for the occasion.  I hope they are always the best of friends!

Sweet selfie.  Patrick isn't a lake person like most people are lake people.  He doesn't care about tubing, swimming or skiing.  He likes to ride in the boat occasionally and sit on the dock in the shade.  But he loves watching us enjoy all the lake activites.

Enjoying sparklers

Enjoying sparklers. kind of.

On July 5th we decided to try Alabama Adventure.  Patrick hadn't gotten to go with us yet so we loaded up thinking we'd spend a couple of hours.  We ended up staying most of the day.

They all enjoyed a ride on the train.

John and Hope and the kids met us that afternoon.  They kids had a blast playing together.

It was a fun day!  We're hoping to get to go to Alabama Adventure one more time with Patrick before they close for the summer!

 

Life Lately (July)

We kicked off July with dentist appointments for the kiddos. They were supposed to go over spring break but they had to be rescheduled.  Here they are ready to go in in their masks.  I still can't believe masks are a part of our real life.

My little fashionista.

We watched a movie in the park one night.  It was so nice to be out and felt somewhat normal.

This girl will still crawl in my lap and snuggle and I'm not sad about it.

At bunko the host had a balloon stuck on her newly hung ceiling fan.  I casually said "we should build a pyramid and get it down" that quickly got executed and this was the result. It was so funny.

This sweet girl has been here for all the bumps and she loves resting her head on them and looking at me like we've lost our minds.  She might not be wrong.

We celebrated my birthday with the Horton's.

One day we met Anna and her kids at her parents lake house for a lake day.

We went out on the pontoon boat and my kids were pumped.  They don't love loud or fast boats but the pontoon was perfect for them.

Barrett went off the rope swing and I was so proud of him.  He's struggled lately with being fearful.  Here's the thing, I want him to have a healthy amount of fear, but I also want him to be brave enough to try things that might seem scary but are also a lot of fun.  So I was so proud he was brave enough to try it.  He loved it so much.

Sweet sleepy princess

This is what he put on when I told him to go put on clothes.

Poor kid, this is one of two bump pictures I've taken in 30 weeks.

 

We wrapped up the week at one of my favorite places in the world.  My nephew wanted to go up to the lake to watch a meteor shower so my mom, Porter, Harper, Barrett, AveryAnn and I went up there for a few nights.  It was so much fun.  John and Hope and the kids came up for the day Friday.  Elizabeth came up Friday night to spend the night.  We had the best time.  

We made s'mores and this girl was a fan!  

These girls are so sweet together!

Barrett and Brooks are sweet buddies too!

I think that wraps up July!  We stayed busy and had a blast! July went by in a flash and August is trying to beat it.  We're all excited for school even if it's remote and getting back into some sort of routine. Then welcoming a sweet new baby!  It'll be here before we know it!