First Week of School

While Patrick and Finnegan were back at school, Sully and I had a great week with lots of his buddies.

We had playdates at parks...

 afternoon ice cream treats with Nannie...

 preschool orientation..

 fun at the spraygrounds...

 and "Little Brother Bonding" at the playground.

It was a great way to end Sully's summer vacation!

First Day of Second Grade

Today was Patrick and Finnegan's First day of Second Grade!

Plus, it is the first year that the boys are in separate classes, 

so it was an especially big day!

I can't believe how fast everyone is growing up!  The boys came home from school with big smiles.  Patrick and Finn saw each other at recess and lunch and were happy to share experiences about their big day!

The Night before School

Tonight, after the boys were bathed and in their PJ's, we cuddled up together and read the back to school books we've read for the past couple years.  Every time a book mentioned "Kindergarten" we changed it to "Second Grade".  While I can't believe my big boys will be second graders, Patrick and Finn seemed excited and ready for their big day.

Sweet Dreams, Second Graders - there are big adventures ahead!

Summer Fun Week 8

This was the last full week of Summer Vacation for all the boys together.

We spent lots of time at the YMCA waterpark.

 We had awesome playdates with lots of friends!

 including the pool with Drew and Even...

 and a great day at the Waxhaw Beach with Bridget and Emily

 And, because it was the last week of vacation, 

and I promised the boys I would, I took them to Chuck E Cheese!

The boys had a blast!

 Gill and I took Patrick and Finn to 2nd Grade orientation 

while Sully stayed with Nannie and PopPop. 

After, we had a pancake breakfast together.

 We ended our final week together getting new shoes with Daddy.

We had a wonderful summer together and I have to say that I wish it wasn't time for school to start again.  I love having the boys with me all the time, setting aside all the obligations and just enjoying time together.  I know they are going to do great in 2nd Grade and Pre-K, but I'm already looking forward to their next vacation!

Summer Fun Week 7

This week was filled with lots of friends

Monday

Patrick and Finn went to their pal Bennett's pool for an afternoon of swim and play

while Sully and I had dinner and swimming at our pool.

Take A Trip Tuesday

We went to the Raptor Center today with the Cozier Girls.  

We explored the birds, walked the trails, had a picnic lunch...

and had a far too close encounter with a turkey!

Wet and Wild Wednesday

My guys splashed in the pool for hours today.  

They kept showing me their new under-water tricks and cannonballs.

I'm so proud of how well they are doing in the water this summer, quite a change from last year!

Thursday

Today our house was filled with lots and lots of....GIRLS!!

That's right, in the morning we had the Poole Girls with us.  

The kids played super heroes, in full costumes, of course! 

In the afternoon, Kara, Bridget and Emily stayed with the boys so I could work a party.  I wish I had pictures, but even before I left for work, the 5 kiddos had filled the downstairs with pop-up tents and were imagining they were at Legoland!

Fun with Friends Friday

 We met some new friends in the morning.  

A new family, with 3 children, moved into our area and we met at 

the spray ground to get acquainted.  All 6 kids got along beautifully 

and had a fun morning in the water.

 We had a special lunch with Nannie and Pop Pop today.  They invited us to their pool!  Pop Pop brought delicious sandwiches and fruit salad for everyone and we had a great afternoon and lunch with them.

After Patrick's Tae Kwon Do class tonight, we met Jenny, Charlotte and Nathan at our favorite pizzeria.  Not sure what the fascination was with their reflections in the window, but it sure was fun to watch! 

Saturday

We spent the afternoon at the Coziers.  The kids played, visited with the chickens, rode the zipline, and enjoyed dinner together.  Such a great family day with good friends!

Summer Fun Week 6

Sunday

We started the week off with a wonderful dinner at Christine & Pierre's home.  These wonderful friends of our parents, invited us to join them for dinner.  Not only was the food delicious, but the boys enjoyed feeding the koi in the large pond and all the special games that were set up especially for them.  I was even surprised with a birthday cake!  Such a lovely evening.

Monday

The boys and I went out for a wonderful lunch with Nannie at Ilios Noche to celebrate my birthday.

 In the afternoon, Meredith and the boys met us at the pool (with delicious cupcakes!).

Such a wonderful way to celebrate the day!

Take a Trip Tuesday
We took the train uptown today with Meredith and the boys to Imaginon.

The Children's Theater was presenting Cold Blooded Encounters and the boys loved seeing the snakes, reptiles, lizards and other gross things!

After the show and lunch at the market, we went back to Imaginon to explore the children's library before heading home.

The rest of our afternoon was spent creating lots and lots of legos!

Wet and Wild Wednesday
An impromptu playdate led to hours and hours at the neighborhood pool with Patrick and Finn's school friend, Anderson, and his little sister Alivia.  The 5 kids swam for over 4 hours before we had to pull all our little fishies out of the pool!

Think about it Thursday
Today we learned a very important life skill.  Yes, it took us quite a while to learn, yes I resorted to a You Tube video for help, but finally we conquered it...
We learned how to tie our shoes - HORRAY!


We went to visit PopPop in the afternoon armed with a cake, presents and flowers for Nannie to celebrate his 74th Birthday. Happy Birthday PopPop!

Friday

The boys had a special day today with Mom and Dad, complete with a sleepover!  

Our initial plan  to do a birthday outing with friends had to be rescheduled 

but Gill and I decided to enjoy the day together just the two of us.

We went out to a great lunch... In Gill's GIANT new car!

Gourmet pizza and local craft brews

Then, we spent the afternoon at Treehouse Vineyards.
It wasn't great weather, but we enjoyed the quiet and the view.

What a week!