Quick 5

And just like that, August is out the door.

1. Bria had her 2 1/2 year old well check visit at the doctor on Monday. Here's a fun fact: neither of the other girls had a 2 1/2 year check up. Because I didn't know it was a thing. But the doctor's office insisted it was, and a friend assured me that insurance covered it, so in we went. It was easy because there were no shots, and we talked all things Potty the whole time. Whatever. We like our doctor. And Bria is still super tall.

2. We've settled into school routine like we never left. Except we added one key element: Bria screaming. Most days I can leave her home with Daddy while I do morning drop off, and on those days she screams like I'm leaving on a two-year trek through Antarctica. But on the few days that I have to take the sisters with us, she waits until Alaina gets out of the car at school, and then she screams the whole way home. She's inconsolable. It's cute that she loves her sister so much and so annoying. She is always so happy to see Alaina at the end of the day. This year she definitely misses her sister.

3. Alaina decided to shed a little weight this week:

 Maybe technically I forced her to pull the tooth. The dangling tooth was grossing us out, so she let me pull it. And now I have to cut up her food like I did when she was a toddler. She's so proud.

4. Joya has a new friend:

She had asked me to make her a unicorn. So I did. Obviously it was inspired by the unicorn in Despicable Me, and yes, she runs around the house now yelling, "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!!" And to keep the peace, I just might have to make one for Bria.

5. The Kimble House had a procedure done this week. It's not fully completed yet, but as soon as it is, you'll see what I mean.

Welcome September!! No 90 degree days allowed for you.

Quick 5

Welcome back, busy days!

1. Saturday was the busiest day ever. Alaina's school had an all school work day. Since each family is required to do 40 hours of volunteer service for the school each school year, Lee and I went and spent 5 hours painting a hallway. One side was almost completely cinder block, so I spent the whole time brushing the cracks while Lee rolled the whole thing. It was so much work. But it looks nice now.

2. While we were painting, the girls had the funnest day ever. Grammy and Grandad came and whisked them away for a day of donuts and the splash park. I can guarantee they had more fun than we did, even if we DID get free pizza for lunch.

3. The first day of school came and went without a hitch! It helps that Alaina is in the same classroom, with 17 of the same kids she was with last year. Her class only got two new students. And she already knew her teacher from last year. So it was like no transition at all. The only difference is I have to deal with parents who either don't know or don't remember proper drop off/pick up etiquette.

4. Tuesday was a first day for the little girls too. They really miss Alaina. Bria still asks where she is quite often. It is not far from my mind that this is my last year having Joya home all day either.

5. Awana started up on Wednesday. Joya is in her last year of Cubbies and Alaina is in her last year of Sparks. Next year I'll have a Cubbie, a Spark AND a T&Ter. 

Routine is good for us.

Quick 5

Summer is over.

1. We had a great time at my nephew's Super Hero birthday party on Saturday. Here is how Joya dressed for the event:

Every super hero needs a princess to save, right? My niece was a Super Hero Princess, but Joya was just a princess...it's important that you get that detail right.

2. On Wednesday we had a play date with Alaina's buddy Owen. We went to a park with fountains, and I tried to get the girls to wear their swimsuits. They declined. But Owen and his sister were wearing their suits and therefore jumped right in the fountains. And then so did all three of my girls. Fully clothed. There was a little stream they all played in too. Even Bria. In her cloth diaper. They were wet and happy.

3. We went to Back to School night on Thursday and met Alaina's teacher. The fun thing about being in a small school is that Alaina already knows her teacher, Mrs. Capolungo. She cheered when she heard that she would be in her class. AND it turns out that Alaina's class will be in the exact same classroom that they were in last year. Alaina is a little less excited about that; she was looking forward to being in a new room. But I think it's because for some reason, the 2nd grade is the smallest class, and it just works best to have them in there. (P.S...there is still room at Alaina's school! If you are looking for a great charter school, with small class sizes and strong parental involvement, Collegiate Academy has space in all classes!)

4. I'm equally happy and sad about school starting. We like structure around here, and I can tell that Alaina needs to get back into the swing of learning and being around kids her age. But I did like the relaxed days of summer, when we didn't have to go to bed or get up quite so early. I've had to remind myself that summer is not real life...summer is break from real life, and it's time to get back to it.

5. Go Broncos!

Peace out!

Quick 5

Hot, dry, crunchy August.

1. The girls got to go to a birthday party at Home Depot on Saturday. We had never been to one of the kid workshops at Home Depot, and I knew they would love it. Building real stuff AND cake is kind of a winning idea. I did have to take Bria, which means she had a super short nap, and she was difficult, as I knew she would be. But the good news is while she was sitting in her chair hollering about the injustice of it all, everyone else was banging away on their projects. So no one could hear her. It was awesome. By the time we had cake she calmed down, though.

Bria is literally shaking her fist in this pic, screaming "No picture!! No picture!!"

 2. Joya was so proud of her project that she wanted to take it everywhere and show everyone. When I said that wasn't a good idea, she used her noggin and asked if I could take a picture of it on my phone and show everyone that way. So I did. And she made sure that I kept up my end of the bargain at church, showing everyone her project.

3. On Monday we had a Cousin Day in Colorado Springs. I don't have any pictures, and I'm a little proud of myself for that, because our generation feels compelled to document EVERYTHING in pictures. But instead I just enjoyed. We went with my sister and her kids to their neighborhood pool, and it was delightful. It's a fantastic pool for little kids. I'm also quite proud of the fact that it was my first time ever taking the girls swimming all by myself. Alaina is very trustworthy in the water, and Joya is too. Bria, not so much, due to her lack of experience. And her stubborn will. But we all had fun, and Aunt Jamie's brilliant usage of fruit snacks made even leaving a peaceful experience.

4.  Supplies have been purchased, registration fees have been paid, and her school picture has been taken. Alaina is ready for 2nd grade. Next Thursday is Back to School night when we get to see her classroom and meet her teacher. Alaina is ready to be with all her friends again. And she's looking forward to all the new challenging work. (Her words, not mine. She really is.)

5. My garden just might be a failure this year. I can't decide if I'm watering it too much or not enough. Maybe both. My zucchini plants have lots of giant blooms every day, but none of the blooms are the fruit producing ones. My tomato plant is totally lazy. My sugar snap peas dried up at the mere sight of the sun. However, my pepper plant has at least 10 peppers on it, and we're getting raspberries. I've been able to pull off three or four berries every day, and it looks like soon we might have a whole bunch at once. That is the most exciting to me. I don't know where I went wrong with the zucchinis, but maybe next year.

Peace out!