First Day of the 2012 School Year!

Technically this is Bradley's third day of school, but it is Daniel's first day.  They were both pretty excited to head out this morning.

This is also pretty typical of Bradley to make bunny ears.

Outside the school

 

Daniel sitting at his desk.  He was very excited about getting started.  They have a delayed start for the kindergarten.  That means they only have a few go each day for the first 4 days.  That way they can introduce them to the school and test them in smaller groups.  Starting Friday they will all go to school.  Daniel had the same teacher for kindergarten that Bradley had, so he already knew her.  I think that helped a lot to alleviate some of his nervousness.

 

Aug. 29, 2012

Expressions of Love

Not only do the following pictures show our love for the 'Wild Kratts', but it also shows how much our Aunt Janna loves us.

She is the one who made up the design and the Creature Power Suites.

Eliza and Daniel do love each other as well.

"Saving the world with creature powers!"

This one of Daniel and Nathan is pretty typical.  I was trying to get something done and Nathan was starting to fuss.  I asked Daniel to give him his binki.  Nathan quickly quieted down and this is what I found a few minutes later.  Daniel was snuggling with Nathan while they watched a movie.  It was so sweet!  (Nathan is 9 weeks in this picture.)

Last but not least.  I opened a new jar of peanut butter to make Bradley a sandwich for lunch and this is what I found.  Andy is good to leave me little notes especially if he knows I am struggling with something.  I have to admit that I have been struggling a little with school starting this year.  We love our Dad too!

Another Turtle Spotting

We always love to find turtles in the yard.  This one we found out by the garden.  I think it is the same one we found last year, but we can't tell for sure.

Daniel was excited to get to hold it.

Eliza wasn't quite brave enough to hold it...yet.

Nathan was indifferent to the turtle.

Eliza finally got brave enough to hold the turtle just before we set him lose back out by the garden where we found him.

He was sitting here under the cucumber leaf and I called the kids over to see him.  I pointed to the turtle and asked them what they could see.  At first all Daniel saw was a spider on the leaf.  He was going to step on it, so I had to stop him and point out the turtle under the leaf.  He was excited when he saw it.

I know that these last two are not turtles, but they are cool!  We walked out of Aldi and saw this cool car parked near the van.

Daniel was pretty sure we needed a picture of the car.  He was my photographer.

Appropriate don't you think that they are UNC fans!?

 

These are apparently the owners of the car.  Bradley thought the car looked a little bit like Cruella DeVille's car. 

What do you think?

Happy Durth Day to You!

  Bradley turned 7 this year.  I can't believe he only has one more year before he gets baptized.  He is growing up too quickly.  When I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday this year he said he wanted to go back to the park with the rides.  I told him he could invite one friend and he picked Clyde, a friend from school.  So we asked Margaret to come with us, we picked Clyde up and headed to Burlington, NC!  The kids were very excited to ride all the rides.  The first ride was the train.

Bradley was so excited to have Clyde there with him.

Eliza was very excited to ride the train and chose to ride with Margaret.  Daniel jumped in a car by himself.

Nathan wasn't sure what he thought about riding a train with those wild kids.

(I just love the look on his face!)

After the train we headed over to the trucks.  Eliza was so proud that she was big enough to sit by herself this year!

 

The boys chose some off road vehicles!

Next up the airplanes!

Eliza and Daniel chose the helicopter.

Yes, Nathan is the center of my universe right now, but he does have some stiff competition from some close orbiting planets!
Nathan waiting patiently while the kids rode the carousel.

 

Clyde picked a pig to ride.  I knew I liked this kid!

Bradley hanging on for dear life!  Crazy kid.

Daniel ran clear around the carousel to find an ostrich!

Eliza picked a horse.  No surprise there.

  

After the carousel we headed over to the airplanes again.  The kids had to do their favorite rides more than once.

 

Daniel loved the bi-plane with the eagle on it.

Obviously Bradley also loves it because he chose to ride with Daniel even though their were other planes available.

Eliza was excited to ride alone.

Clyde in the police chopper.  This kid is too funny. 

He was continually trying to see how small of a space he could fold himself into.

 

He made it!

We had to hit the cars again. The guy running the ride actually let the kids go around two times in a row with out giving him more tickets since no one else was there at that time to ride.

 



Bradley taking his turn driving the fire truck.

 

Clyde scrunched into the back of a small jeep.

Margaret helping Eliza out of the back of the jeep.

Then the kids got to pick new vehicles to ride in.

Daniel, Bradley and Eliza

Daniel's turn for the fire truck and the front of the line.

Eliza enjoying the front this time.

Clyde bringing up the end of the line!

 

 

We had to ride the train one last time.  We decide the kids should ride the train alone so that they could pick one more ride to end on.  I told the boys one of them needed to ride in the some car as Eliza and Clyde volunteered to do it.

Clyde, Eliza, Bradley and Daniel waiting for the train.

It is funny to see Clyde and Bradley stand together because Clyde is so tall. 

It was hysterical to see Eliza thrown in there too!

Here comes the train!

 



Clyde and Eliza

Daniel and Bradley

There is one point on this ride where the train goes through a little tunnel.  The boys like to squeal like little girls as they go through.

Since I wasn't on the train with them they continued to squeal, very loudly, all the way around.  Crazy boys!

Daniel and Eliza wanted to do the carousel one last time, so I took them and Margaret took Bradley and Clyde on the airplanes.

Eliza picked another horse.

 

After we left the park we headed to the nearest Wendy's for lunch.

Bradley was excited to finally be able to open his birthday present from Clyde.

I love that he wrapped it in comics.  I remember when people used to do that more often.



The kids with their lunch.  They had a lot of fun visiting and playing.

Nathan, again, patiently waiting for his food.

We did Bradley's presents after we got home.

He has been wanting a Lego set like the big kids use. 

Bradley with one of his new sets and his new watched!

Once dad got home Eliza had to make sure he got in on some pictures too.  They took turns taking pictures of each other.

Bradley's birthday cake.  When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday he said an ice cream cake with oreos!

"Happy durth day to Brapley!"

That is how Eliza sings it.  We get a big kick out of listening to her sing. :0)

The cake was pretty good.  Happy 7th Birthday Bradley!

We love you and are so grateful for the last 7 years.  He really is a good example for his younger siblings and he has taken on a lot more responsibility since Nathan was born.  We are so proud of you Bradley!

 

Aug. 21, 2012