First Day of School

Today was the kids' first day of school. They started today, because today is the 1st day of the Teacher Work Week. It was also Al's first day at his new job- starting with a trip to Atlanta for a week of training. Yes, that is a LOT of firsts for our family- all rolled into 1 day!!

The kids have been talking about their new school since they took a tour over a month ago. We have been really talking it up this last week and they were both SUPER excited!! Addie even woke-up at 6am, all ready to go, and was rather disappointed when I made her go back to sleep! When I had to wake-up Alden, the first words out of his mouth were "I go school today!"

My little girl all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!!

SO excited to finalllllly be going to school and not just dropping Addie off!! His back pack was too full for him to carry- poor kid!

Ready to go inside and meet their teachers!!

Sadly, there are no cute pictures of them with their teachers. The director forgot to tell the teachers that we were starting today- so they weren't ready for us- oops! This created a bit of chaos, and during this time, the kids realized that they should miss me. I had to leave each room with them crying. The Director called me a little bit later, apologizing, and told me the kids were happy. When I came to pick them up, they did not want to leave- and jabbered the entire way home about the petting zoo they had seen that day and how they couldn't wait to go back. In Addie's words, "Mommy, I don't think I should go back tomorrow. It's just SO MUCH fun!"

It's a big transition for our family- and we are excited about what the Lord has in the future for us!

(And no- there are no pictures of me dropping Al off at the airport at 5:30am and pictures of my new room will be coming shortly!)

Monkeying Around At Monkey Joe's

Monkey Joe's finally came to Richmond- and just about 1 mile from our house!! For those of you who do not know what MJ's is, it is a huge building filled with inflatable "things" for kids to climb and bounce on. To my kids- this is perfection!! We met up with Addie's BFF from preschool, Molly, and her family. The kids ran around, bounced, climbed, ran around, bounced, and climbed for over 2 hours- having a BLAST!!

Alden, my monkey-lover, just about exploded when we saw this gigantic monkey!!

Addie scaled this in no time flat- amazing!!

Playing happily together- what sweet friends!!

Monkey Joe coming out onto the floor was a huge hit- with a few kids that is....

Addie showcasing her resourcefulness.... When I told her I would not hold her to play a video game, this is what I saw....

That impish look.... He's about to flip himself over the yellow edge you see....

Down he goes!!

Addie and "Her" Boys

When we originally visited the Eastern Shore of VA, we stayed with the Troyer family. We quickly formed a fast friendship. Addie adores their 3 boys- Tav, Tobi and Tanner- who she proudly calls "Her" boys- and they adore her (and Alden, too).

We have been trying to get together this summer, and finally, it looked like we had 2 days that they were free AND we were free- so we headed to their house Wed once Al was home from work. Within 5 min of getting there, Addie was snuggled on Miss Jeanette's lap (she was actually sick with a virus, but since Miss J is a nurse, she said not to worry but to still come!) and Alden was involved in a Nerf gun war with the boys.

Our orginal plan had been to spend the day the beach, but since it was raining on and off all day, we came up with a fun Plan B. After breakfast in the morning (of fresh donuts from the local bakery- yum!), the 5 kids happily played with Nerf guns downstairs while Jeanette and I scrapbooked and Al and Steve did construction/manly "stuff." Not what we had wanted but it was a great time for all!!

Before we had to head home, we stopped by The Sugar Shack- the best ice cream on the planet- ice creamed up and said good-bye. It was sad to leave, but we were glad we could see each other some! There are plans in the work for a Sep visit when we will actually hit the beach- we just hope and pray that the weather cooperates this time!!

Addie in her element- and Alden quickly grew to love and adore the boys, too!

Miss Jeanette LOVES these 2- she is just wonderful!!

The kid table- these 3 big boys are just awesome- they loved and took such good care of my 2- and not once did they complain about having to spend their Saturday with little kids!!

Addie and Alden and now "Their" boys!!

Alden showing off his "toddler" size ice cream cone- yikes!!

My kind Addie- offering to share her ice cream with me!

Time on the Lake

We didn't think we would be going on a vacation this summer- so it was a super-special treat that Al got a 3 day weekend!! We headed up to visit his sister Jen, her husband Frank, and our nephew, Nate. We had a BLAST- the weather was cool, the lake refreshing, the kids had a blast playing together- it was SO relaxing and totally worth the 9 hr trip to and from there (due to traffic- sigh...). I had too many pics to just post- so here is a slide show.

Things I Learned From/About The Kids This Week

There were some random funny things I learned from/about the kiddos this week that are worth sharing and hopefully getting a good chuckle from!

Alden has a blue, super soft blanket he got when he was born. It has been his "Lovey" since he was about 6months old. At 1 year, he started called it NeNe. Since it was blue, we just assumed NeNe was a boy- we learned otherwise this week....

Alden: Mommy, go get my NeNe please. She needs me.

Me: "She"? NeNe is a girl?

Alden: Yes, Mommy (with that silly tone that says, of course you idiot!). I love NeNe so she's a girl!

Whew- glad to see that he loves girls already!!

There is a great, Grandma-ish lady at our bank. She has curly, gray hair and loves to give the kids multiple lollypops- thus she has a special spot in their hearts. We had just pulled away from the bank when I had this conversation with Addie.

Addie: Mommy, I want to write a letter and give it to that nice Bank Lady.

Me: That's nice. Why?

Addie: She knows Santa and I want her to tell him that I reallllly want a Barbie for Christmas.

Me: Why do you want her to help you and not me?

Addie: Well, Mommy, she knows Santa and that always helps.

Me: How do you know she knows Santa?

Addie: Mommy, did you see her hair? She's MARRIED to Santa, hehe!

We went to visit some friends on the Eastern Shore- and were all sleeping in the same room. The kids woke-up earlier than Al and me. Attempting to eek out a few more minuets of sleep, I was playing opossum. This is the conversation I overheard.

Addie: Whisper, Alden, if you don't talk quietly, you'll wake-up Mommy and Daddy.

Alden: Oh!

Addie: If you wake them up they will be cranky and we don't want that!

Alden: Oh no!!

Another Gift From God...

No, we are NOT pregnant. But God did give us another, amazing gift today- a new job for Al that will allow him to actually SEE and spend time with his family!!

Lowe's is a great company and Al has enjoyed working there. Lowe's is what allowed us to move back to Richmond. The Lord has used Al at Lowe's to touch people's hearts and lives that would never darken the door of a church. Lowe's has been a good place for the last almost 2 years.

The downfall is the hours. He was gone 13-14 hrs every day. He was usually only home for 1 meal. He only had 1 weekend off a month. And once I start teaching in a few weeks, he was only going to see us for 3 full days a month- yikes!

Al started looking for something else on-line, and nothing ever really came about, except for this one job.... This company was looking for a person with experience with flooring, who was organized, and had good people skills. He applied. He then got a phone interview! Then an in-person interview with the VP of the company- culminating with another face-to-face interview with the manager of the VA Beach branch. Then we waited- for what seemed like an eternity.

Yesterday he got "The Phone Call"- he wasn't being offered the job yet, he needed to take a drug test first, and THEN details could be discussed. Yay!!

Today, while we were on the road to visit family, he got "The Phone Call" offering him the job!! The salary is more than he was hoping, the schedule one that will get him home shortly after the kids and I return, weekends where he can actually go to church, paid holidays, 2 weeks vacation, and the list goes on and on!

We are super excited! This is beyond what we had hoped for.

There is a kicker, the last week of August/1st week of September, Al has to go to Atlanta for a week of training. This wouldn't normally be a big deal, but it's also the first week I go back to school and the kids' first week at their new school. Whew! Talk about trial by fire! Good thing we know that God knows what's best for us and He won't give us what we can't handle!

We are super excited about this next chapter and what it holds for us as a family and Children of God!!

Our Not So Little Future Linebacker

Alden has his 3 year check-up today..... He is the picture of perfect health and according to his stats, he has the makings of a fantastic future linebacker- something he wants to be, too!

Weight- 32lbs (55%)

Height- 35.5" (10%)

See what I mean? Short and solid. Addie is still ahead of him in both departments (3" taller and 1lb heavier).

The Tattooed Ballerina

Addie took a 6 week tap and ballet class at the local dance studio. She LOVED it (hint, hint Grandparents- dance would make a GREAT birthday or Christmas gift!!). Here are 2 snippets of what she accomplished! You can tell she's really concentrating - look for her tongue to be pushing her cheeks out! We are SO proud of her!!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Alden!

Today, my "Baby" turns 3. Where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday we found out that he was coming. He is such a joy- he makes me laugh every day!

Some things that Alden loves:

Food- he LOVES to eat- we joke that we will enter him in eating contests soon to help cover his portion of the food bill... As the slide show reflects, he is happiest when eating!

Friends- he has several special friends- Daddy & Mommy, Addie, Averys (yes, 2 of them 1 from DE and 1 here in VA), Hannah, Grayson, MarMars and PopPops- he is a little shy when he first meets someone, but given a few minuets, he will be wrestling, laughing, and acting as if he has known the person forever!

Talking- he talks a mile a minuet, and his clarity is increasing with each day. He has loved his speech therapist, Miss Elizabeth, and is excited to meet his new one at the new school in September.

School- he cannot wait to start school in September. He asks at least once a day if it's time to go!

Toys- he loves anything with wheels (Lightening McQueen, fire trucks, race cars, bicycle, etc), or is electronic.

Sports- he loves balls- and is pretty good at belting his T-ball or golf ball across the yard. He is also turning into a fish- he can hold his breath freakishly long. We aren't sure where all this athleticism is coming from, but we are going to do our best to encourage it!

Alden Peter, we love you and can't believe you are three! You are such a perfect addition to our family- you show your family new perspectives every day! We look forward to seeing what this next year reveals about you!!

Alden's 3rd Birthday Party

We celebrated Alden's 3rd Birthday a few day early- so Al could actually be home for an actual birthday party! It was a great day filled with friends and fun. Since food is something special to Alden, we decided to fix his favorite foods- appetizers of chips, salsa and cheese dip; dinner of hot dogs, pasta salad, baked beans, and corn on the cob; cake and ice cream. Yummy!

Thankfully the weather wasn't too hot, so the kiddos played on the swingset and we were even able to eat outside, too! Inside we colored pictures of trains, and then wooden trains with magnets on the back. Back outside, we played Toss the Package in the Train- each person at the party had a personalized bean bag- and they tossed them from various distances- into a train car. The kids loved it- throwing things! And once home, they will double as coasters. And what Train Conductor is complete without a tattoo? We added those as well!

The cake- it was amazing! A friend at church makes these amazing cakes as a hobby, and she was willing to make one for Alden- how awesome is that? He was thrilled when she delivered it- and even more thrilled when he found out it was 1)Blue (his favorite color), 2)Edible, and 3)Chocolate! Thanks, Sarah!!

It was a great day- and we are so blessed to have such a wonderful son (Addie is awesome, too!) and wonderful friends to raise him with. There were too many picture to do without a slide show- enjoy! (More pics to come on Tuesday, his actual birthday)

Sneak Peek

Weekend Fun

We had a blast this weekend doing a LARGE variety of activities. Since it was gorgeous, we made it a point to be outside as much as possible!!

Saturday we headed to Rocketts' Landing to watch Dagon Boat Racing. We weren't sure what to expect, but it was really neat! There were well over 30 teams (each team 22-25 members), several booths set-up with freebies, and a live band. The kids loved it!

Here is a winning team!

Watching a race from their own "Chariot"

We indulged in some face painting- Alden wanted Blue's Clues pawprint- in his favorite color- blue!

Addie has a pink and yellow butterfly- so cute, just like her!

This picture just melts my heart- they loved having their Daddy around!!

Addie decided Daddy needed his back rubbed- she is so thoughtful!!

The Boat Racing wore them out!

He is into being "cool" right now- even in his sleep!

Sunday after church and naps, we headed to a local park to unload the ton of bread heals that I had in the 'fridge. The kids loved it until a Canadian Goose waddled up to Alden (at the same eye level), gave him a "look" and then promptly snatched the entire piece of bread out of Alden's hand- freaking him out! Al went to shoo the bird away, but the bird wasn't scared, so Al actually pushed it off the dock and into the water! I'm not sure who was more shocked- Al or the bird!

Once the bread was gone, we played on the playground. It's kinda scary how even weight-wise, the kids are now! They just love this version of the see-saw!

Swinging with Daddy- he pushes much higher than I do! I actually don't push much anymore since they can both pump...

A tradition in our house is Sunday night dinner is something "fun"- this week, it was banana splits! They were allowed to eat in the playroom (on a beach towel) and watch Dora- what a treat!!

Alden is really into puzzles lately. He did all of these with a little help from me, and was so proud of himself!!

Gramma Jenny and Mr. Jim Visit

Recently, my Mom (aka Gramma Jenny) and her fiance, Mr. Jim, stopped by for a little visit! The kids were happy to see Gramma Jenny and to meet Mr. Jim- whom they loved! We had lots of fun- Al gave them a tour of Richmond, we played at our pool, we swam in their hotel pool, we ate yummy meals home-made and out, toured Carytown, colored, read books, and had lots of fun! Sadly, my camera didn't make any of the outings....

Here the kids are watching Gramma Jenny swim laps during an Adult Swim. They would cheer every time she swam by

Once Adult Swim was over, they had her playing games with them! Their recent favorite is being thrown... Gramma Jenny got a good arm work-out!

This was after our yummy dinner and tour of Carytown!

Gramma Jenny loves to read- and they loved having her read to them. She brought them several books- their favorite was Dr. Seuss ABC's.