Friends & Fall Ball

We now have completed three weeks of school, wow! It seems like we just took those first-day pics! The kids have transitioned well to their new classes. Each day, they come home with positive (and often entertaining!) stories from the day. I am proud of them for making new friends, working hard, and getting good reports from their teachers. So far the year is off to a great start. Here are some pictures from life in 2nd Grade. 

On the weekends, we have tried to balance some much-needed rest with fun family activities. On Saturday the 17th, we went to the annual Honeybee Festival at 4th of July Park. We made the loop through the park and looked at each of the vendors. As you can guess, many sell honey/honeybee themed products. The police department was giving away free stuffed animals, and the kids were thrilled to get new squishmallows. Emmy also won a t-shirt from a radio station by spinning the wheel. You can see Boomer loaded down with a big haul of stickers, coloring books, hats, and more! 

Emmy has had some fun activities with friends lately. She was invited to a pool play date with her friend Peyton, and she celebrated her friend Natalie's birthday with a princess-themed party. In the parking lot, there was a big monster truck with wheels that were taller than she was! It made for a funny picture with Emmy in her pretty princess dress next to the huge truck. 

Fall ball has continued for both kids with practices during the week and on Saturdays. This past Saturday, they had team pictures. Daddy did a great job getting pictures of Eli. We were a little more rushed getting pictures of Emmy. I snapped a quick one as she changed out of her dress from Natalie's party, transforming from princess to ball player. It's really neat that the jerseys have their last names on it this year. Go #8 and #12!

One other bit of excitement, Emmy lost a tooth, bringing the total tooth count to 9 (I think!) She couldn't wait to put it under her pillow for the Tooth Fairy. She had remembered that the Tooth Fairy did a scavenger hunt last time, and she excitedly told Eli "We're gonna have a scavenger hunt in the morning!" Oh boy, lesson learned about going above and beyond! She lost the tooth on Sunday night, so we were a bit rushed on Monday morning as the kids ran around the house to find Emmy's money. The reward was $3, and Emmy went off to school excited to show off the new hole in her mouth.  

We are looking forward to the Labor Day weekend ahead and for the return of football. Here are a few other pictures from August. 

Emmy's First Day of 2nd Grade

All the Kennedys are officially back in school. Emmy had her first day on Monday, and I could tell that she was excited to start 2nd Grade. We received the supply list in the mail a few days beforehand, and we made a special trip to the store to buy the items she needed. Much like at Claire's, she made careful decisions about each of the items. Unfortunately the Open Houses across the district were cancelled last Thursday due to the tropical storm, so we were not able to meet her teacher ahead of time. Thanks to a video from Aunt Megan, Emmy did get a sneak peek of her classroom and at her desk. On the first day, I met Megan and Maddox in the school parking lot, and Emmy got to walk in with them. I know that she enjoys being a 'staff kid' in the mornings. Throughout the day, I loved getting pictures from Megan of Emmy with her teacher and with her friend Natalie at lunchtime. Her first day's assignment was an "About Me" bag. She eagerly collected her items Monday night. She chose: a small pink elephant (for her favorite color), a seashell (for something she collects), a 3-D drawing (for something she likes to do - crafts), a few coins from England (for something she did this summer), and a picture of our family. She couldn't wait to share her "About Me" bag the very next day. I pray that she always has her passion and excitement for learning. It's going to be a great year!

(Day 3)

Emmy wasn't the only one with a first day this week. I had my first day today, and I'm kicking off year 16 in education. Again this year I am working at both Forbush HS and Starmount HS. I am spending two days a week at each school and rotating every other Wednesday. It is such a relief to not also be starting an internship or a new graduate school class. Whew I'm glad those days are behind me! 

In addition to school, we've continued with practices for fall ball and gymnastics. The kids are noticeably improving their skills, and they seem enthusiastic about the sports they are involved in. Boomer and I really enjoy watching them as they learn and grow. With all the practices and busy evenings, we often find ourselves scarfing down fast food before going to the field or to the gym. In some ways, it feels like summer didn't even happen - we are right back to our routine from the spring. Everyone has been in good spirits this week, and we are chugging right along to the weekend. Eli was all smiles this evening at Taco Bell before his t-ball practice.  

Eli's (Last) First Day of Preschool

Eli had his last first day of preschool on Monday. It is hard to believe that this time next year, he will be entering kindergarten. (Let's not think about that just yet!) This year Eli will be in the Frogs class with Mrs. Jennifer. We attended Open House on the previous Friday, where Eli was able to meet his teacher and check out his classroom and his cubby. Emmy had her last year of preschool in the very same classroom, so it is neat to be once again dropping off and picking up in the same familiar location. When the first day came around, Eli wasn't too excited to be woken up for school. Both kids have finally acclimated to sleeping in until around 7:30AM, and sadly we have to transition back to the earlier wake-up time of 6:15AM. To coax Eli out of his grumpy first-day blues, Emmy offered him one of her squishmallows as his sleepy friend. That quickly turned his frown into a smile, and he was pleasant through pictures and drop off. Emmy and I took him to school for his very first day, but for all the other days, we will otherwise follow our routine from last year with Boomer dropping off Eli, while I take Emmy to Aunt Megan's. This year will be our third and final year of this routine, and I am trying to savor its comfort and familiarity. These preschool years sure have been special. 

Photos from Open House 

Photos from the 1st Day

Much like Eli got some one-on-one Mommy time in June while Emmy was finishing up the school year, roles reversed, and it was Emmy's turn to enjoy a few extra days of summer with Mommy. On Monday, we treated ourselves to the Kernersville Bagel Shop. Then we did a very girly thing: we went to the mall! It was Emmy's first mall experience, and we did a bit of window shopping before going to Claire's. Emmy had a $10 gift card that she had from her birthday, and she was excited to spend it. She very carefully looked over everything in the store, and after much deliberation, she decided on a make-up kit. I had Teacher Workdays beginning on Tuesday, and Emmy tagged along with me on the optional days, and then she spent Thursday and Friday with Grammy and her cousins. Unexpectedly we experienced high winds and heavy rains from a tropical storm on Thursday, and Eli's preschool was closed. Grammy and Grandpa watched all four cousins for a short time until Boomer and I were released early also due to the weather. Thank goodness for grandparents!   

Summer may be winding down, but we haven't stopped the fun. Thinking back on the week, I can't believe we fit all this in! We went to a Dash game with our Sunday School class last Tuesday...

When softball and baseball practice was cancelled on Saturday morning (from the flooding of Tropical Storm Debby), we walked around Wake's campus and had lunch at Reynolda. 

On Saturday evening, I made the trip to Morganton for my 20th class reunion. Wow has it been that long since I graduated?! It was a very nice event, with food, dancing, and even trivia. Although I was only there a few hours, I enjoyed the time in my hometown; it will always be a special place to me. 

And then finally, today we went to the Wyndham Golf Tournament. We tagged along with Grammy and Grandpa, and we enjoyed all the perks of Grandpa's status as a volunteer. It was Emmy and Eli's first golf tournament, and they were especially entertained by the putting green that was set up at a spectator tent on Hole 10 green. When we were at 1 Tee, the kids got the special job of holding the signs to quiet the crowd. Eli even got a ball from Argentine golfer Emiliano Grillo. (Grillo is in the background teeing off, while Eli looks on with the ball in one hand, sign in the other.) It sure has been a fun Sunday, a fun weekend, and a fun summer. 

As we adjust back to the routine of the school year, we are always so thankful for the weeks during the summer. We cherish the slower days, the extra time with family, fun get togethers with friends, and trips to new and old places. Bring on the school year, we're ready!