Guess what?! Baby is here!!! I'm so excited to share more but wanting to catch up on a few special moments before the big arrival ... like Lyla's first day of preschool!
Boy was it an adventure trying to find her one this year. The 3 different schools our kids have been to in the past all closed down at the end of last year. It left us on the hunt for a new one and are thankful to have stumbled upon one she is loving! She gets to go three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), has two teachers (Mrs. Karena and Mrs. Celeste), and 7 new friends in her class! Look at how grown up this cute girl looks on her first day!
I can hardly believe my favorite not-so-little guy is in FIRST GRADE this year! It has been quite the adjustment for us all having him gone all day. Lunch time is quieter, Lyla asks me every 10 minutes "Is Liam coming home soon?!" because she misses her best friend and playmate, and I feel like I am constantly checking the time thinking I'll miss the bus and it is still hours away. One thing I can say for sure is, distance makes the heart grow fonder. I can't wait to see him at the end of the day and hear all about it!!
The school district boundaries changed at the end of last year so he is at a new school. When we went to his open house he told me he was surprised "his teacher was so old" (haha!) but he is liking her so far. We also checked his class roster and didn't recognize a single name from our neighborhood so I helped him meet a new boy in his class and encouraged them to sit by each other so they would have one familiar face on the first day. Made my mom heart so happy when he came home and told me he made his first friend in that boy and that "he plays subnautica" like me!".
I sent him with cold lunch the first day that he picked ... carrots, grapes, a yogurt, and a half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I opened his lunchbox when he got home to find he had only eaten his grapes and 2 carrots! The next day same thing ... he wanted to try hot lunch ... pizza, corn, mixed fruit, and chocolate milk. I also sent him with pretzels for a snack during class. He got off the bus telling me he didn't feel well and I immediately asked him what he ate. The chocolate milk and fruit ... that was it!! Crazy kid. I'd be starving too!
He wasn't looking super forward to school starting after not loving it that much last year. I think it was because he was so bored academically in Kindgarten and his teacher just had him using iPad programs all day since he already knew all the content. I was hopeful that this year would be different for him learning all new things and so far he has had much more positive things to say. Like less worksheets!! No homework! And getting to read a ninja book during class. ;)
Love this boy so much! So handsome for his first day!!
He is stoked to be riding the "blue" bus (his favorite color!). Every bus has a color so that the kids don't have to remember the numbers. The bus has been significantly late in both pick up and drop off this first week. I know they are getting to know their route but he didn't get home until 5:00 on Friday which is our dinner time! It's just such a long day for a 6 year old but he is doing really great with it so far.
It seems hard to believe but back to school is quickly approaching! Liam starts the third week in August (so only two weeks of summer left) and Lyla begins her second year of preschool right after Labor Day weekend. I remember loving back to school shopping as a kid ... new school supplies, backpacks, and clothes! It turns out it is just as fun for me as a mom. I always picture buying long sleeves for the school year but the end of August/September are both still too hot for that so I've gotten them a few new clothes to transition into fall but they'll mostly use their summer wardrobes at first. I thought I'd share a little back to school style and wardrobe inspiration for toddler girls and for boys ...
Well, thank goodness for semi-waterproof phones these days because I dropped it in the lake this morning and fingers crossed, it is still working! Especially because I haven't gotten all of the videos and pictures from the last month off of it yet.
Here are some June favorites ...
Lyla suddenly became obsessed with wearing Uncle Brendan's old football jersey. It goes down to her ankles and is the cutest on her! She is my coordinated athletic one and has the best hand-eye. Can't wait to get her in her first soccer season for the fall and maybe she'll be interested in trying flag football in the next year or two?!
I'm pretty sure he was counting down the days for the last couple months of the school year but finally, on June 10th, Liam graduated from Kindergarten! While he didn't get an actual graduation ceremony at school and his last day family picnic was canceled due to the rain, we made the most of it and surprised him by checking him out of school early on his last day. He told us he always wanted to do "parent pick up" once and that it was the best day ever!
It was quite the year for him ... from virtual school initially, to mask wearing every day, and not loving it because it wasn't challenging him enough ... he was trooper through it all! He participated in a class that taught coping skills for putting out your anger fire with his counselor and grew so much from it. He made several friends! We were proud of him on so many different occasions with the good choices he made in challenging social environments like the bus. He mastered every Kindergarten concept and began reading chapter books!
Last day ...
A few memories from May ... like the time Lyla built her first 50 piece puzzle all by herself! So proud of this smart girl but the best part was, she was even more proud of herself.
Considering we are halfway through the summer, I figured it was about time to share Lyla's last day of preschool. ;) I know life will only get busier when this third baby comes!
My favorite thing that I'll always cherish about these preschool days are the "MOMMY!" followed by the running hugs I'd get when I would pick her up from school! It made my day every single time knowing I was missed!
Lyla grew so much in so many ways this year! I was shocked when I looked at her first day and compared it to her last ... she went from being my almost 3 year old toddler to a big girl full of life and so very smart.
First Day ...
Last Day ...
She adored her teacher, Miss Melissa, and still talks about her well into summer. I know she will miss her so much when fall rolls around since she won't be teaching next year. When it wasn't a preschool day, Lyla was crushed. She wanted to go every single day like Liam. This year she learned all of her colors, many shapes, how to count well past 20, and that her name starts with the letter "L"! Her obsession with puzzles was born! She talked all the time about her preschool friends and I later learned that she befriended her teacher's son the most who was doing virtual school at home. She'd say, "I need to go check on Maddox real quick," leave the classroom, and come back to announce that he was doing just fine. haha Such a little sweetheart!
She's already counting down the days until she gets to go back in the fall, my big girl!
