Back to School: First Day of 3rd Grade

For so many parents, the beginning of school is a time of celebration.  And I'm not judging those friends of mine who feel that way.  I just don't look forward to the start of the school year.  I am so lonely when my kids are at school.  Yes, I work and stay busy while they are at school.  But, I sure do love the days of summer when we spend so much time together.  So, while Chloe was so excited that she could not stand it, I was dreading it. 

On the day we came home from the beach, the letter was in the mail from her teacher.  Mrs. Hill.  All during vacation, she kept saying that she was not ready for school to start.  But as soon as the letter came from Mrs. Hill, all of that changed.  Drop In and the First Day could not come quickly enough.  I had to facebook and text everyone to see which of her friends were in her class. 

On Monday, we shipped brother off to Grandma's so that we could have some time together uninterrupted.  It is a tradition.  We always spend the last day before school starts together, just us girls.  This time, we visited Linda at Lula Nails.  Neon pink fingernails, and zebra toenails were on the agenda.

Drop In (or Open House as the rest of the world calls it) was on Monday evening. The Varsity was on site to provide dinner. How exciting! What more could a family ask for? Drop In AND Frosted Orange?!?!  Thanks, Lakeview Academy for making the already exciting event all the more so!

Tuesday was hair day.  Aunt Sha to the rescue!

So, the day arrived.  The first day of school.  I woke up extra early and cooked her breakfast (cinnamon rolls- her request), made sure everything was ready, drank my coffee, and woke my big girl up for her first day of 3rd grade.  Honestly, I got teary eyed a couple of times.  I'm getting teary eyed now thinking about it.  How could it be that MY BABY GIRL is in 3rd grade?  Can we just press pause, please?

We do a photo on this spot every year.  It is fun to see how much she has grown.



The backpack.  Very important!



Beautiful girl.

Ready to run out the door!

 She dreamed that it was the first day of school and she was late because I took too long taking pictures.  Bless her heart!  She knows me well!

Posing beside her backpack on its hook.  Can you tell she is excited?



Sitting at her desk.  Ready to start the day!

After taking her in (yes, she still wants Mommy to walk her in), Cohen and I got into the car and headed to Cumming for therapy.  I cried.  Then I called Sha.  Cohen and I both could not wait to pick her up. 

3:15 took. an. eternity.  After Cohen enjoyed sneaking up to Sissy's room to play uninterrupted, we could finally pick her up.  She bounced into the car and could not stop telling us about the day's events.  So proud of my big girl. 

Chloe's first days of Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade.

More Vacation Adventures

Waiting on dinner on the boardwalk...

...and waiting...

...and still waiting...

Say cheese!

"Me do, me do, me do!"

Seriously?

Cohen provides the entertainment.  The sprinkler.

Green and Blue Eyes

Waiting to ride the ferris wheel.

Such a Daddy's Girl.

A little nervous as the gondola begins to move.

Mommy's Boy.

Not so sure about this thing.

And it is over!

Fun in the Sun

The kids loved spending the entire day on the beach.  Chloe's favorite things to do were wave riding, looking for seashells, building sandcastles, and digging gigantic holes.  Cohen loved playing in the water, burying himself, and looking for "I shells".  He would not call them seashells, but instead insisted that they were "I shells".  Don't ask me why- maybe he was thinking that we were saying "she shells" so his were "I shells"?  Who knows?! 

 

 

 

The pools also offered hours of fun in the sun.  Between the kiddie pools, the lazy river, the lap pool, and the regular swimming pools, there was plenty to keep us entertained.

 





No Green Jackets Here...

Tuesday evening at the beach, we went out for dinner at a HORRIBLE seafood restaurant.  Then, off for a game of put-put (or miniature golf, as most people call it).  Put-put is one of those things that regardless of where we are, or how hot or cold it is, we always make it out to play once while on a trip.  Since I have NO patience for this game, and someone has to take photos, I chose to keep score. 

The winner:  Drew. 

  Most improved: Cohen (he actually finished this time and didn't lose his ball).

  Cutest: Chloe.

But most importantly, we had a great time! 

It is always fun to go out and act silly.



To the Beach We Go!

Finally!  Drew had a break in production and we took off for five days at the beach.  For those of you who have heard the radio commercial, YES!  CHLOE'S DAD is FINALLY TAKING HER TO THE BEACH!  The kids were beyond excited.  We left early Sunday morning, August 12.  After "how much longer until we get there?" for the hundredth time, we finally made it around 2:00 pm.  We grabbed breakfast and snacks on the way, so we were ready for some lunch.  We went to Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, which was right across the highway from our resort.  After our first seafood meal, we were ready to check in.  Let me say that the North Beach Plantation was amazing.  We absolutely loved that place.  The condo, pools, beach, and amenities were exceptional.  The first thing the kids wanted to do was go play on the beach.

After playing a few hours on the beach, we headed out for groceries and dinner.  We ended up bringing dinner in and watching the Olympic Closing Ceremony.  I have to add that I LOVED seeing the Spice Girls.  Brought back some fun memories from high school. 

First day was a success.  Can't wait until tomorrow and a full day of play!