Kindergarten Kickoff Dinner

Last Tuesday night, I, along with another friend, hosted a Kindergarten Kickoff dinner for all of our friends from the club who are starting kindergarten this fall.  The Country Club has quite a group of kiddos starting this year, and I wanted to do something special for these kiddos! I think we invited 19 and we had 13 able to come. It was a fun night celebrating!

We had a table on the porch for all of the kids and the families all sat in the dining room. I put a big piece of construction paper at each table setting to use as a placemat/coloring paper while they waited for food.  I cut out a bunch of stars and scattered them all over the table.  I hit up the dollar store and got a ton of goodies for the table as well...

I got these yummy cookies from Trader Joes that are alphabet cookies and I scattered them down the table as well.  The kids all munched on these while waiting for their food to arrive.

All set up and ready for our guests!

I made this big CLASS OF 2028 sign for the kids to take a picture with. I decided to hang it up and it was driving me crazy that it was off center.  I sent it to my friend asking if I was crazy to be bothered by the off-centered-ness of it and she said "I would be more bothered by it saying ASS OF 2028..." #thankyoujulie. 

So I moved it down.  It is hard to see in there with the sun shining behind it, but it was bright in the room. Cal posed for a picture in front of the sign.

 A few final touches and I was sweating-- oh yeah, there was no air in the room.  I was a HOT mess in there! Oh, and Cal and Andy were playing tag in the dining room while I was doing this.  I may or may not have told Cal he would have to sit out his own kindergarten dinner....

Ready for kindergarten!

He has been all about his croakies lately... he wears some sweet shades around his neck.... hahahahahaha

 Cal with Maggie!

Some of the sweet kiddos hanging out. 

Part of the group.  These kids were SO well behaved! Like, way more behaved than I was anticipating!

Right after they ordered their dinner, I had them all run outside to take pictures of the class... 

I would love to be able to take another one of this group in 2028...! Can you imagine?? Someone suggested I save this sign and have them hold up the exact same sign when they graduate high school.  Yeah.... I am not sure I am that organized.  But maybe...?

After dinner, the kids hit up the ice cream bar and played some before it was time to head home! It was a super fun night celebrating these sweet kids!


 

Weekend Update!!

What a fun weekend! Summer is winding down and we certainly soaked it up this weekend.  I have so many posts to catch up on from last week and last weekend... we will see if I can get my act together to get them up!

Be ready for picture overload..

Friday, after Popup by the pool, Mr. Walt came down and was talking to everyone.  My boys loooove Mr. Walt! Cal was constantly messing with him and he finally asked if he could throw Cal in the pool fully dressed.  I said sure! He threw Cal in and then Andy ran and jumped in...fully clothed.  They were laughing so hard-- it was worth the wet clothes to listen to them laughing.

After some pool time, we ran home to shower and then went to Chuck E Cheese for Brad's birthday party! Andy Williamson loves this place. He talks about it constantly and wants to go here every single day.  It is his happy place.... see?

He's a little bit small to do it all all by himself, so I had to kind of follow him around for some of the rides/games.  He was so much fun to watch though, because he was just SO happy the whole time!

Cal sat next to Jackson-- his buddy who we found out is in the same kindergarten class (!!!!). They are so cute together. 

Sally's dad comes to her kids' parties and takes THE best pictures! He got this one of Lee and Andy-- love their crazy smiles!

(just realizing I didn't get one picture with Cal and the birthday boy...!!! What in the world?!?!)

 

 After Chuck E Cheese, we ran home to do a quick clothes change and then we met up with some friends at the club before heading to UNC Women's Soccer game! My boys clearly love them some Corley Boys!

The older boys really watch after my boys and I just love their friendship.  They rough house like brothers...but they all really adore each other... it's really neat....and I am grateful! 

We had a big group all plopped in the middle of the stands...

We looked over and saw the UNC basketball team sitting right next to us.  T, who broke his arm that am had a fresh cast on and the players were happy to sign it for him! (please note Andy in the bottom picture...)

So, Andy wanted to have his shirt signed too... right on the gut.  He got 4 signatures and was thrilled...

And then these two dumped water on their heads and acted like crazy people. 

We went home and the boys crashed hard.  I sat outside the boys' doors for bed time and this big white dog does.not.leave.my.side.  He is always about an inch from me.  He sits right there with me why I wait.  

 

 Saturday morning, Andy had tee ball.  When it was time to leave, Cal was still asleep, so I stayed home with him.  I got this picture from Eddie-- it was "medal" day.

Cal and I took Bruce for a walk and when Eddie got home with Andy, we hit the pool! It was SUCH a fun pool day! A bunch of fun kids, fun moms and fun dads! Everyone was in great moods and it was just one of those days that makes you happy when looking back on it-- so cheesy, right? Everything was just great! hahaha
Andy and Jane played super heroes together....

We came home from the pool and the boys showered up and cuddled up on the couch.  It was a low key night and it was lovely!

We headed to church Sunday morning. Seeing these two dressed up made me one proud momma.  They got some new kicks last week during some back to school shopping-- they were in need of church shoes!

After church, we walked across the street for lunch at Sutton's... 

We headed home and the boys went on a bike ride (their obsession) while I took Bruce on a long walk.  They were ready to go in the car! #safetyfirst

They came back from the ride (Andy wiped out and took out a pre-existing wound which re-opened and looks nasty.) The boys rested on the couch while I headed to the grocery store to stock up for the week.  I planned out the dinners for the week-- shocker!!-- so I had quite a list. 

The boys rode their bikes to the neighborhood pond to go fishing (do you see a trend here? There is a post about biking coming up soon....).

After dinner, the boys asked to take a bath-- they usually only take showers, so I said sure.  Andy got in first and then Cal came running and all but belly flopped in the tub.  His poor knee looks so awful.  He doesn't care. 

I can't believe they can still fir side by side in the tub.  They had the best time laughing, splashing (way too much) and being crazy boys.  

It was a GREAT weekend and a great way to wrap up summer.

Most schools are starting today. Cal's school starts, but they do a gradual entry for kindergarteners.  Monday and Tuesday, kids have one 30 minute appointment for an assessment and then Wednesday, kids with last name in the first half of the alphabet go, Thursday kids with second half of the alphabet go and then Friday the whole grade goes. SOOoooooo, Cal won't have his "REAL" first day until Thursday!

Prayers (for both of us!) will be appreciated! hahaha

 

 

#carriedaway: week 31

Week 31:

 Day 212: I'm gonna need you to stop growing up, hmmmkay?

 Day 213: nug was thrilled to be getting love from Cal this morning

 Day 214: never a dull moment

 Day 215: serenading me with "our" song. #bestillmyheart #ihatehisfuturegirlfriends

 Day 216: Hank loves the love

 Day 217: school days are coming. Doesn't Andy look thrilled?

 Day 218: sitting down to read with a friend on my lap.


 

A really, really good day.

Tuesday this week was a really great day. 

Me and the boys took a walk in the morning, with me pushing the double stroller.  It can be totally NOT fun to take them on a walk, but for whatever reason, they were so so good.  They each got out and ran a little ways, Cal racing cars as they passed us, and then hopped back in when they got tired.  No one complained.  I listened to an audio book.  It was pretty awesome.  It was drizzling rain at one point...and no one complained.  Let me repeat: no one complained. 

As I was complimenting them on being so good on the walk, they said "well can we get a treat from Dunkin?" And truthfully, I wanted a tea, so I said "sure!!" Cal goes, "seriously?!?! You never say yes! I thought you would definitely say no again..."

So while I drove to Dunkin, I thought about saying YES more.  Being a YES mom.  I decided to try it on Tuesday.

We went to Learning Express to pick up some birthday presents for friends.  As we were leaving, they wanted to play with the water balloon demo they had out front.  I wanted to say NO immediately and make them walk away.  Instead I said "okay" and I watched as Cal helped Andy figure out how it worked and they had to help each other to fill up the balloons.  I didn't particularly want to be standing there...but I am so glad I did.  It was nice to watch them.  

We ran a few more errands and then came home so I would work on an art project.  When the sun broke through the clouds, Andy said he really wanted to ride his bike.  He can now start and stop himself with zero help-- this is huge--- and it is ALL he wants to do now...! He asked if he could leave skid marks in the driveway.  I said YES.  He told me many times that the skid marks were the kind on the driveway-- not the kind in his pants (omg).  

Then Cal wanted to play driveway football. And it was hot out.  But I said YES.  And we played.  And we played and we playyyyyyed. I was SWEATY! But he was so happy.  Andy asked to take our picture...again, I said YES.  Glad I did.  I want proof that he had a momma who played with him!

Then Cal wanted to take a picture of me and Andy... so I said yes. 

He told us to make "tough guy strong" faces.... I look like I am pooping.  

 They wanted to ride their bikes to the mailbox.  I said we could. 

We brought the mail home and they reallllly wanted to ride more.  I said yes. 

 And they high-fived at my answer.....!

So off we went, through the neighborhood.  If you know me, you know I do not run.  Like, at all.  But I was trying hard to say YES so I ran behind these two little bikers.  And they did great! They stopped at stop signs and went to the side when cars were coming. 

When we were finally done riding, we were HOT AND SWEATY! Cal said "we should go to the pool!" so I said "yes!" I told them to go upstairs and get on bathing suits.  I could hear them talking in Cal's room after a few minutes, so I walked in to tell them to get suits on if they wanted to go to the pool... but they already had them on.  And were working on a PUZZLE...together..... whhhhaaa???? Who are these children???

We went to the pool and the boys asked me to go off the board.  I haven't been off the board all summer, so I went.  And I actually had fun.  They dared me to try a flip.  So I did... and it wasn't too bad! Eddie showed up and said he was impressed...!

We took showers at the pool and came home for dinner and bed time.  As we were reading books, Eddie told us all to run outside.  It was the most perfect, brightest rainbow I have ever seen.  

And here is where it gets cheesy.  But y'all, I swear I could feel Molly sending me those rainbows... like it was her way of saying "I am so glad you are soaking up those kids because I sure wish I could soak up mine more...." Maybe she wasn't sending me a sign... but I felt her presence...and I needed it.  I have been missing her lately.  And she would give ANYTHING to have another day running behind her kids.  So I need to do this for her.