Last Company picnic with Grandma

Every year, in September, we go to the hospital picnic with Grandma (my mom). It's great because there is tons of stuff for the kids to eat and play on, and the best part about it is the FREE ice-cream bars!!


Grandma loves parading her Grand kids around and stuffing them with all the cotton-candy and ice-cream that they want. With her retirement this year, it brings the end of the hospital picnic.

The tire swing was a huge hit with all the kids!

Can you see the look on Pay-Pay's face? Can you see the look on Daddy's? He probably begged her to go on the ride so that he could go along. Adults were not allowed without a kiddo with them.

I love this shot! Auntie is carrying all the sweaters and had stuffed Payton's croc's into her back pockets for safe keeping. I don't think she knows we took this picture (Hee, hee!). Thanks for your help Auntie R!

Big L and H girl were not in any pics?? I guess they were to busy to pose for the camera??

Thanks for the sugar...and the memories Grandma!

No more crib!!

It's gone! Pay-Pay has moved out of the crib and into the "big girl" car bed. That's right we have given it away, it has not been taken down to store for the next baby! It has physically left the house for good. We have been giving away tons of baby clothes, toys, shoes and blankets, and for the most part (there are a few things I can't part with!), I have been okay with it, but the crib was hard to get rid of. Hard for me, not for her!

Her sisters decided to help "make" her bed and tuck her in. She actually loved the idea! They set it up like a fort, and I think it still gives her the security that the crib did. She slept all night, and at about 7:45am she opened her bedroom door and just stood there, shocked that she could just come out of bed on her own (after over 3 yrs of us coming in to get her). It's sad for Daddy and I though. Every morning we would hear her stirring and one of us (usually me) would knock gently on her door. She would say "who's dare?" and I would say "It's Mommy", she would then always say "Mommy come in". It was so sweet. Anyway, her face on that first morning of freedom was priceless. I sure wish I had my camera handy!

On a side note, her pull-up has been dry every single night and morning since she has been given the freedom to get up and go when she needs to. So....she has now gone 3 nights without a pull-up!

She is becoming such a "big girl"!

Pay-Pay's First Day of Preschool

His Mom had her hands full with baby and some co-op stuff, so Dev, Pay-Pay, and I went ahead and started walking to class. Not sure who's idea it was to hold hands, but it sure was so stinkin' cute that I had to have them stop for me to take a pic.
Pay-Pay and Lil' L seemed to love singing and clapping at circle time with Teacher C. As you can see by his face, this is not Dev's favorite part of the day.
Lil' L checking out the tool bench.
(Thanks for taking the pics Auntie A!)


Pay-Pay fell asleep while we were waiting to pick up big sis Em from Kindergarten! She had way to much fun for 2 hours (Yes, her school is only 2 hours long and she was completely exhausted afterward!).

Em's First ride to school on the Bus

She got out of the car and darted for the bus. She didn't even look back once....

I was pacing in front of the bus door and the bus driver finally waved me on and said she had a few minutes so I could come on the bus. I couldn't resist and had to make sure she was safe in her seat with her sisters.

Not an ounce of nervousness...all smiles!

First Day of School 2008

Okay, so it has been 2 weeks since school started, and I am finally coming up for air!


H girl, Mei-Mei, and Em started on Tuesday, September 2nd, and Pay-Pay just started this past Monday, September 8th.I can't believe that H girl is in the 5th gradethis year! I know this is going to be a milestone year for her. I can already see so many changes in her, socially and physically.

This was the first year that nails needed to be painted before the first day (sigh).

Here she is on the morning of the big day.

Mei-Mei is starting 2nd grade and as you can see, she still LOVEs Scooby-Doo. I think we bought this lunch box on day 2 of the summer vacation!

She could hardly wait to get to schooll to see her best friend "B" and cousin Big L!

Em was ready and waiting for the rest of us (She put lip gloss on without telling me!) with her shoes on and backpack in hand. She was very excited to start Kindergarten!

Here she is 15 minutes after I picked her up from half day Kindergarten. She was exhausted! She woke up with a pool of drool on her dress.This was not Pay-Pay's first day of school, but she couldn't be left out so we had to take her picture with her backpack. She came with me to get the kids settled at school on their first day (I drove them, and had them start the bus on the next day).


Em's teacher, even let Pay-Pay decorate a gingerbread cookie just like the big kids did! (She ate the frosting and candy and left the cookie on the table!)

All in all, it was a very successful first day of school!