It's the most wonderful time of the year

First day of school pictures with friends.
Cami... ready to go to school. She is excited that she gets to go 5 days a week, this year. Last year she was only doing 2 days. She feels so grown up.
Gloria and her good friend.
Gloria At school with her friend.
"mini-me"
Here we are, ready to walk out the door to school. Daddy gets to come with us on the first day.

Wow!! It's that time of the year... last year, I cried. This year, nope. I gave a little whoopee!! Now, don't get me wrong- I LOVE my kids. I love spending time with them. They are genuinely good kids. Very obedient and helpful. I love them. However,I am excited to get back into some sort of routine. Summer has been Crazy, and out of control. I can't handle chaos. Really, I can't. I am also excited to have special one on one time with my baby. She has never had this luxury. She has always had siblings home with her. Well, this week... she was introduced to time alone with mom. We have had so much fun so far!! And... wait for it... when she naps- SO DO I!!! Someday she will start sleeping through the night, and when she does, I probably won't need a nap, but until then- I will enjoy my nap time.
All 3 of the kids love love love love love school. They all enjoyed their friends, their new teachers and the projects that they are already doing in school. It makes me happy to know that they are so happy there.

They are growing up so quickly. They are all just the best kids.
Gloria is almost 7. She is my big helper. She will take all of the kids into her room and keep them entertained for hours, literally! She loves to help and carry the baby around. She likes to practice being a mom. This summer one of her goals was to learn to do the splitz... and she did it!! She also learned to do a cartwheel. She read 6 chapter books and countless books to her siblings. She really improved her diving and learned a few new swimming strokes.
Grayson is more than ready for Kindergarden. He reads, writes, does math and is very social. He asks all sorts of intellectual questions.. why is the sky blue? how does the car turn hot air into cold air? What makes our eyes different colors? How do all the cars know how fast to go? and so many others.. his mind is always working. He really excelled in his swimming this summer. He is diving and can swim underwater from one end of the pool to the other. He started Karate this summer and loves it. He is such a great big brother. Olivia thinks of him as her personal teddy bear, and he loves it.
Cami is miss personality. she loves people and she loves routine. This summer she really took an interest in cooking. She spent a lot of time in the kitchen with me. She loves to read... she can sit on the couch for an hour and read to herself. She is also officially banned from any sort of writing instrument at home. I had to hide all of the markers, chalk, pens and crayons in our home. I have never had to do this with any other child. she has been grounded from coloring so many times this summer. Travis and I joke that someday she will be an artist and then we can frame all of the furniture she has decorated.
It was a great summer... we have all grown and had fun... now, it's back to school for another great year!!