Off To Kindergarten

I started this post several weeks ago and never could finish it because I cried so hard writing it that I couldn't see the screen. So if there are lots of misspellings and things that don't make sense-well-just bear with my flowing tears!

Hannah had her first day of Kindergarten at Hyer Elementary, on August 27, but I'm not sure how that's really possible. When I purchased her purple My Little Pony backpack (with real hair), I thought there was no way that huge backpack could fit on my baby's shoulders. She cannot possibly stride that confidently up the front steps, purple backpack in tow, when only yesterday she was learning to crawl. How will she ask for help when she's still learning the vocabulary of her life? She can't wait to perfect the monkey bars, but it seems like only last summer that she discovered the blue toddler swing hanging from our tree. And how will she find her way without the companionship of Mary Aldon in her class-her very first school friend and classmate for the last 5 years?

I know my daughter is brave and she is determined. I know she has and always will accomplish so many amazing things. She has an uncanny ability to calm and comfort her sister and to teach her how to play nicely and use good manners. She writes her name beautifully and adds and subtracts in her head. And yet while she's grown too heavy for me to carry her up the stairs of our own house, she's still that tiny baby who loved to eat and loved to read and to listen to the songs her daddy made up for her. She's still that toddler that was so chunky but so tiny at the same time. She's the little girl who had her mommy by her side for every big "first"-her first words, her first steps (oh how much she wanted to keep hanging on to my pinky), her first big bed, her first trip to the beach (when I was convinced she would not go back because she didn't like the thought of dirty sand on her), her first roller coaster ride with her daddy (which quickly became her second and third and fourth and fifth...)

But for this first-her first day of kindergarten, all I could do was walk her to the front door, kiss her, let go, and hope and pray that I have taught her everything that she needs to know to be the most, sweet, compassionate, hard working, determined little school girl that she can be. As I watched through the door of her classroom, she looked both bigger and smaller than she ever has...and quite a bit blurry through my tears of sadness and joy and pride.















After school on the first day, she proudly marched out with her HP Scots shirt on. She saw Mary Aldon and then saw their new principal and they both ran over to get their picture taken with him.

Gonna Give It Another Shot

It has been far too long since I've been here. I don't think it's even possible to bring the blog up to speed, but I'll do my best! Life is good. Life is busy. And as everyone knows...life goes by way too fast!!

I'm here to report that the girls are BIG! Way too big!!! They are such precious blessings to us, both with their own spunky personality. They keep us on our toes, asking good questions (LOTS of questions) and making us laugh all the time. They both enjoyed their schools last year more than we could have ever imagined. They made new friends and both learned and grew so much.

We sold our house in March and were homeless for a few months while we remodeled our new house. We had quite the experience, first living in an apartment in uptown and feeling VERY out of place and then living out of a suitcase in a hotel. The girls were such troopers through the whole ordeal and although I don't think any of us would want to do it again, I believe we all learned a lot through the whole ordeal!

Just as school was out for the summer we did VBS at church. I taught the upcoming Kindergarteners and have a renewed appreciation for teachers! Whew!!

We have spent most of the summer getting settled in our new house. The girls love our neighborhood and have so many little friends on our block! Alice Anne has really surprised us and is quite the socialite! She has never met a stranger and doesn't see why a 12 year old boy might not want to play with her every day. She has no fear and knocks on everyone's door daily to try to find a new playmate! It has been so fun to watch her little personality grow. Hannah is such a social little girl too and loves playing with her friends but is a little more reluctant to put herself out there and meet new people.
We have spent most of our weekends this summer at the lake and have really enjoyed having that for us to get away and relax. One of our favorite things to do while we're there is to take family golf cart rides. A couple of weeks ago while we were there, Brett and I were getting dinner on the grill and the girls were playing on the golf cart. Hannah fell and broke her arm...2 bones! We had to drive 30 minutes to the nearest hospital and after surgery, pins in her arm and spending a long night in the hospital, my poor little baby is stuck with a cast on her arm and no more swimming for several weeks! She has been such a trooper and has had such a positive attitude about the whole ordeal.

Before sitting down to write this post, I went to grab my camera bag and quickly realized that my iPhone has pretty much been my camera for the past several months. So for today it will be all phone pictures but I promise to try to do better with both the pictures and the blog. I will try to give more updates on the girls in the upcoming posts.

For now, here is the past year in a nutshell:




Hannah and her precious teacher, Ms. McNamara

Baylor Homecoming

Daddy went hunting this weekend and we headed to Waco for Baylor Homecoming. The girls LOVED the parade Saturday morning and had so much fun tailgating before the football game...so much fun, we didn't make it into the game.

Hannah thought that she was the coolest thing on earth when she got to walk over to the Kappa room with cousin Linda and watch her do her pledge songs!

Is this the cutest baby you've seen or what? He's the sweetest little thing, too!

She LOVES Baby Henry!!!

This picture kills me it is so sweet! They were having the cutest conversations as they walked!

Sic 'em Bears!

I mean, he would not take those glasses off!!!

Sweet sisters!!

Trick-or-Treat

We had such a fun Halloween!! Both of the girls got to wear their costumes to school and at the end of the day I went and helped with Hannah's Halloween party. We had a major sugar overload, came home and tried to calm down a little bit before Daddy came home and we headed out for some more sugar!!

Both girls were Tinkerbell this year and they were very excited when it got dark outside and their tutus lit up! After a long day at school with all of their gear on, they opted to not wear their tights or tinkerbell shoes out to trick-or-treat in, so, these 2 Tinkerbells went out bare legged with crocs on!

My Baby Turns 3!!!

I'm a little late, but I couldn't not post about my sweet little baby's 3rd birthday! Alice Anne turned 3 years old on August 4. I have had a really, really hard time coming to the realization that my little baby is 3 years old! She reminds me of it day after day, and loves telling me that she's my "big girl baby!" She has really grown up this past year and she has a personality of her own! She knows what she wants, and she wants it her way, and she isn't going to give up until she gets it. She is my snuggler, my hugger, and my kisser! If I'm ever having a bad day, all I have to do it ask Alice Anne to give me a hug, and my day is always better. Ask anyone that she is close to, and they will comment on Alice Anne's hugs...they will light up any one's day because they are so genuine!

She is definitely my "hard" child! If I have any grey hairs, she's given me 99.9% of them. She will get in a funk every few weeks, and every time it hits, I know that I'm in for a long few days. Then out of nowhere, she'll turn it around, and her sweet little self returns. I try not to worry about it much, because all of her teachers at school, church and ballet have nothing but sweet, sweet, words to say about her, and to a mommy, how they act when I'm not around, is what matters the most! Brett and I have gotten some good laughs when he will tell the girls that if they are extra sweet, he'll bring them some candy when he comes home from work. If Alice Anne is in one of her moods, she'll look at Brett as serious as can be and say in her deep little voice, "I don't want your candy!!"

She is 100% opposite from Hannah, and I love that they both have their own personality. She ADORES her big sister, and does nothing more than try to be Exactly. Like. Her!!! At this point in her life, she's not my studious one. She would rather be running, or wrestling, or playing pretend with her baby dolls, than coloring or doing quiet learning activities. This is all new to me, since Hannah would prefer to sit at the table and learn all day long! If I'll have an athlete out of the 2, I think she'll be my little athlete, although she is very cautious! She has no desire to ride her tricycle, even though Brett and I have tried and tried, and she is perfectly content sitting on the steps at the swimming pool with her swim ring on. Again, she does everything on HER time!

My favorite thing to do with Alice Anne is our little bedtime routine. Every night after we sing songs and say her prayers, she gives me a big kiss, followed by eskimo kisses, butterfly kisses, "head kisses" (where we bonk heads and she is far from gentle--so much so, I've had a bruise on my forehead before), and then she gives me the biggest hug and always says, "tighter, mommy!!" That sweet little phrase will never get old!!

She is the best little eater!! She LOVES most any vegetable and fruit, and she will eat sushi and sashimi like it's going out of style! She loves school, church and ballet! She is the funniest little 3 year old you'll ever meet and she makes us laugh all the time!! For the longest time, she was referred to as "Bally," and we still call her that sometimes, but every time we do, she says very firm and loud, "My name is NOT Bally...I Alice Anne!" She has completely given up her naps, which is the main reason my blog is so far behind!! She has the sweetest little soul and she makes our family brighter day after day! We love you more than you'll ever know Alice Anne!!

I have no idea how she knew what they were, but she requested "funfetti cupcakes" at the grocery store, to have for her birthday breakfast. I LOVE this little smile!

She insisted on a Chuck E. Cheese party!!

She LOVES pizza...even at Chuck E. Cheese!

Sweet Sisters checking out the necklace Chuckie gave her