Jacob's 1st day of 1st Grade, Gwyn's 1st Ballet Class, and Annie's a potty training dropout!

What a busy week we have had, and I know this is the calm before the storm!  Once activities start gearing up for the Fall, I know how fast the calendar gets filled.  We are having a very fun ride, and I am really looking forward to this year.  With Jacob in first grade, and Gwyn and Annie in preschool on the same days (3 days/week), it will give me some much anticipated "free time."  Although, I know how lucky I am to get to do so much with my kiddos, I foresee those days filling up fast with volunteering at Gwyn and Annie's school in the library, being Jacob's room mom, organizing at least one class party for each of Gwyn and Annie's classes, and keeping our home happy!

Jacob met his teacher last Friday, and then had his "Special Day" with just me and him, followed by meeting Brian for lunch at his favorite place...chicken with sticks (Pei Wei)!  I had done a special day with him last year before Kindergarten, where we met the teacher, went school shopping and then met Brian for lunch and he remembered it for this year and asked to do it again.  It is actually a great thing to have a boy because ALL back to school shopping can be done in one place...Academy, I need some stock in that company!

 We followed shopping up with what every stressed out soon to be 1st grader needs...a new hair cut with a hot towel massage...he was in heaven!  It was pretty funny, he thought he was super big stuff!

 We met Brian for lunch, and yes, Jacob does have a very large Dr. Pepper.  We followed that up with a quick stop at Baskin Robbins before heading home to get Gwyn and Annie.

 Yes, this backpack is enormous...hopefully he doesn't fill it up or he is going to have some serious back problems:)

 Jacob at his desk on the first day of school.  Gwyn, Annie and I walked him in and I think he was a little too cool.  He wanted to get to work.

And here is a video of Jacob getting off the school bus, which was 45 minutes late the first day (I called the school), but all was well and we got him back at the end of the day:


 In other news, I attempted to potty train Annie over the weekend.  In a few simple words: it did not go well.  At all.  Her face in these next two pictures pretty much sums it up...as cute as her little toosh is in those itty-bitty panties, it wasn't worth the number of accidents she had and cleaning up all the pee she left all over the house.  We shall try again in a couple of months.  We've switched to pull-ups.  My goal is still 3, so we've got a couple of months, so wish us luck!

Sweet little precious Gwyn.  Brian came home at lunch one day and took her on a lunch date.  She got to pick, and she picked Carrabbas.  Brian said she talked the entire time, mainly about when she grew up she wanted to live in a house across the street from us:)

 Gwyn had her first ballet class with her two little buddies Avery and Isabel.  Gwyn has been talking about wanting to do ballet for at least 6 months, but as soon as it was time for me to step out, poor thing started crying and saying she didn't want me to go and didn't want to do it.  I told her that I used to be like that when I was little, and as long as I got the courage to try something, I usually liked it.  So, I left her in there and watched from the window as she bit her nails for about 10 minutes before she FINALLY started to participate and of course, she LOVED it!

 Love that sweet face!

 I had to get a close up to show that yes, my sweet little ballerina is wearing skull and crossbones earrings that my mom bought her from Target...thanks for that Nana...she won't take them off.

I love this sweet little girl!

Jacob got his new 20" BMX bike.  He was super excited and has done surprisingly well on it since it seems so much bigger than his 16".  He has been pretty excited about it and Brian has taken him on several rides.

Here is a video of him getting on it one of the first times:



Gwyn and Annie also had orientation this week at their preschool, Gwyn will be a Turtle and Annie will be a Ladybug.  Gwyn is super excited about school, they will officially start next Wednesday after Labor Day, and I'm almost giddy at having some time without kids to get some things done...I'm already starting an Excel spreadsheet of "things to do" like maybe clean my house, clean out my cabinets, doctors appointments for myself that I've been putting off...wow, that sounds all like super fun!

I had to document this little swim video of Annie, we will still be swimming in our pool through September, but hopefully she retains some of this for next year...it would be SO nice for me if she was swimming at the beginning of the year, next year.  I loved how Gwyn and Jacob were cheering her on, and at one point Jacob says, "come to Papa!"



Brian and I went with a group of parents from Jacob's baseball team to the Woodlands last weekend to see Journey, Pat Benatar and Loverboy.   I have not been to a concert in years, probably 10!   It was pretty fun.

Funny things the kids said this week:
Gwyn:  Why do when people get old their hair turns white?
Gwyn:  Why do boys not wear shirts when they swim?
Gwyn:  Can you turn it upper?  (She says upper or downer when she wants the volume turned up or down)
Jacob (after coming home on a brand new bus this year):  I  guess you just get a new bus every year.
Annie:  I'm Mama's baby. (Annie still calls me Mama, so sweet!)
Gwyn:  I'm Daddy's girl.
Gwyn:  Can I have those aminal crackers?  (I love that she says animal like aminal!)