Last Day of School Fun

I'm not sure who was more excited for school to be over this year, the kids or me. I think maybe me this year. You see, we didn't get into the Pre-K next to our elementary for Jack. We had to drive about 8 miles round trip twice a day. I know, its not much, but we live within walking distance to the elementary. Just a pain. So next year the youngest will all be at one school!! I am so excited for next year.

We celebrated by going out for donuts at a local doughnut place. I love their donuts. We ran into Ellie's teacher which I think kind of made Ellie's morning. She adored her teacher this year. I did too. The doughnut shop has a neat chalk board corner inside and the kids usually get in some coloring time.

I am ready for summertime and they are too. We tried to get a group pic, but gave up in favor of eating the doughnuts. Good choice.

5 Ways to Make Your Morning Routine Less Stressful {with kids}

I have been getting kids up and out the door for what seems like forever. It is sometimes the most excruciating thing I have to do all day. On some days I would rather walk across a room covered in Lego pieces. That bad! So lets make it a bit easier. I can't calm all of the "but I don't wannas" and the "she looked at me" drama but I can help you to get it go a bit more smoothly.

1- Pick out their clothes the night before. Have your kids help you pick out their clothes either for the week on Sunday night, or every night before you go to bed, with the shoes they want to wear, because shoes like to mysteriously walk away when you are trying to find them at the last minute in the morning.

2- Make lunches ahead of time. If you make their lunch, do it the night before. I have been known to procrastinate this. It never works in my favor to do it in the morning. It also helps to have an extra lunch box and drink container for the one that forgot theirs at school.

3- Load and Go Area. Have a dedicated place for backpacks and coats. Have them look at the weather and put anything they will need next to their backpack. This is a really great time to sign folders and read all of those science project is due tomorrow notes.

4- Me Time. Wake up 20 minutes earlier than you normally do. Okay, I am the worst at actually getting up earlier than I'm supposed to. Hell, I struggle with getting out of bed at any appointed time. I am a self proclaimed night owl living in an early birds house. I hate it, but when I give myself that extra 20 minutes things really seem to go much more smoothly and I am more calm. Or maybe it's because I've had my coffee earlier.

5- No TV. Leave the TV off. That is unless they are all done and waiting. The kids know that I am more than willing to let them watch TV if they have eaten their breakfast, got dressed and brushed their hair and teeth. Only then. TV's have some insane, mind controlling laser that makes it to where they can't do anything without their eyes glued to the screen like little zombies. I consider it more of an incentive than a bribe. It's understood that it will happen if they do what they are supposed to but I don't ever use it to get them to move their keister.

Do you have anything that works really well for you?

Here they are on a successful morning where they did exactly what they were supposed to do!!

Back to School and a nice raise.

I got a raise last week! The day we never thought would come did and all the kiddos are in school. I didn't cry and neither did they. Although I must admit that there is a part of me that wishes I was a stay at home mom and I had 5 hours to myself! This year is so monumental with the start of middle school. I know it is going to fly by and before I know it my sweet little Jack will be starting middle school and Ethan will be in college. The years seem to be moving faster and I'm trying hard to live in the moment and be present and grateful for each stage. What a fabulous family I've got!!

The good pic.

Dad being silly!

Me, excited about my raise :).

Last year!!

Back to School

I love summer.  Back to school means more traffic and a stricter schedule.  It also means activities.  This year with 3 in school I'm feeling a bit nervous.  Not for them but for me.  Can I get their folders signed every night and all that other stuff?  I got their cubby space at home all ready for them.  Now I just have to remind them to leave their backpacks there and not drag them all over the house.  Ellie was up and ready by 5:30am...I believe she was excited for her first day of second grade!!  She helped me pack lunches and we curled her hair.  This all of course woke everyone else up so we got out the door for pictures pretty early. Happy Back to School!

Look how big my babies are!

He will probably be taller than me in the next year or two.  Too bad for him I'll always be tougher :)

Girls! Girls! Girls!

Finally getting back into the swing of blogging again.  I can't wait to show you all pics from our vacation.  We had so much fun and I learned a lot about traveling in a car with 4 kids.  I've also been super conscious about taking pictures with my kids and making it a priority.  They don't care what I look like because to them I just look like their Mom and they love me (for now, haha, there aren't any teenagers yet).

Super Kids Day

Today was the last day of school.  On the last day they have what's called Super Kids Day.  It's full of fun, games, inflatables and at the end of the day popsicles.  I volunteered this year to help with the games and because I'm super awesome I manned the water blaster station, twice.  It was really fun and especially nice when it was hot.  Kids were always willing to spray me down and any other adult in the area.  So here are a few pics from our fun day.  Since I was working it (pun intended) I only got a few pictures but I got some great memories, a tan and the kids were so proud that their mom made the water blaster station the best and coolest spot on the playground.

Ethan at the Tug-of-War games.  He smiled at me and waved!

Ethan at the Water Baseball station next to mine.  This is one of those pictures where I can see
a glimpse of what he'll look like as an adult.  He makes my heart melt.

Ellie in her classroom.  Girl was excited to go out and play!  Wait I have to take her home with me!

Ellie was more than willing to blast the boys on the side.  

He didn't know I was taking pictures and just laughed away.  I love him so much!

Remind me never to give her a popsicle.  I'm not sure how much she actually got in her mouth. 

And now its officially summer.