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! 

Our Summer To-Do List Recap

 As I do before the start of each new school year, I enjoy looking back at our Summer To-Do List. I am happy to report that we crossed off every single item: 

1. England (Bakewell!)

2. Ocean Isle Beach

3. Rodeo

4. Piedmont Aviation Snack Bar

5. Bowman Gray

6. Cupcake Cuties

7. Practice new skills (biking, swimming, volleyball)

8. Indoor trampoline park

9. Stone Mountain

10. Visit Daddy at work

You'll notice that an 11th item was added to the list, and we absolutely checked it off. We didn't just have some fun; we had A LOT of fun! I may even say that 2024 has been our very best summer yet! We are entering the new school year with full hearts after a wonderful two months together!

Last Week of Summer

The 2024 Olympics are underway in Paris, and nothing helps to chase away the end-of-summer blues like watching all the sports and chanting "U-S-A" at our tv screen! Most evenings, we tune in for the primetime coverage, and it has been fun to explain the different events to Emmy and Eli. The women's gymnastics (my favorite sport!) took home the team gold medal, and for the first time in sixteen years, the men's gymnastics team took home the bronze. We've loved cheering for Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, and all the other Americans. In addition to the Olympics, we have tried to fit in all of our favorite activities one more time during our last week of summer. You'll see some of the same familiar backdrops: the pool, Reynolda Gardens, and the Science Center. We've also had special treats, like peach cobbler, Bundt cakes, Twin City Sweets, smoothies, and Dough Joe's. We might have to cut back a bit when the school year starts!

My third kid having fun at the Science Center :)

One of our favorite traditions at the end of each summer is visiting Daddy at work. He works so hard all year-round, and it is probably not very fun to get up each morning during June and July while the rest of his family is still snoozing. We appreciate how he provides for our family. On Wednesday the 31st, we stopped by his office for a visit, and after saying hello to all of his coworkers, we took him out to lunch at Rowdy's Cafe in Yadkinville. I got the Chicken Philly with onion rings, and Boomer got wings. It was delicious! I enjoyed looking back at the photos from all of our visits over the last eight years. Wow, the kids are growing up so fast! 

Today both Emmy and Eli started fall ball through Walkertown Little League. After a successful spring season with Kernersville LL, we (mostly Boomer) wanted them to continue building their skills as we wait for basketball season this winter. After doing some research, we found Walkertown has a softball league, in addition to t-ball. (KLL does not currently have a softball league.) Emmy is playing on an all-girls team, the Rockies, and she has quickly adjusted to the bigger ball. Eli is so excited to be an Oriole, and as soon as he found out his team mascot, he began wearing Daddy's old Orioles hat around the house. We were at the ballfield today from just before 9AM until about 1PM, with a break for lunch in between the two kids' practices. They surprisingly still had energy left for some BP in the backyard when we got home. Looking ahead to the rest of August, I'm hoping I can keep up with all of our commitments - it's gonna be busy but lots of fun!