Emma's First Day of 3rd Grade...

Today Emma excitedly started school! She is even hoping for homework tonight. Gotta love the girl who loves school. As excited as I am to get some semblance of a routine here I am sad that summer is over. It means she is growing up (way too fast by the way!) and I feel horrible for wishing her life away.


Here's a look back from the past few years....
Preschool

Kindergarten

1st grade

2nd grade

Tea Time!

Emma and Molly's cousin Nikki (along with her grandmom, Aunt Carol) hosted an all girl Tea Party. 10 little girls all dressed to the nines showing off the hats they each made.

They showed off their practically perfect manners while enjoying all the delicious treats Nikki and Aunt Carol made.




How cute are these 2?!?!

It was definitely a fun day and something all of the girls enjoyed tremendously.

Camping with Grama and Papa...in Millersville!?!

The girls love to camp or at the very least stay in the cabins but the thought of dragging them far away is daunting. The local KOA campground is right around the corner from Papa and Grama's and provided for a getaway while not getting away too far!



Nikki, Aunt Carol and Gramps joined us Saturday afternoon for a bit.
The girls spotted this car at the campground and thought it was the best thing ever.

We ended Saturday night with by roasting marshmallows.
The girls really had a great time throughout the weekend. I would love to start taking the girls camping on a regular basis as it is a great way to get away and relax (well sort of as it really is a lot of work, but fun nonetheless!) Maybe next year we'll invest in a tent and hit the road.

Feeding Time

The other night Lucy made her way out to the kitchen while Blackie and Brandi were eating. She must have been hungry as she helped herself to a few bits of kibble!


She threw a fit when we took it out of her mouth. The dogs didn't seem to mind one bit. I can remember Emma doing this and freaking out and not even letting the dog food touch her lips. I guess we've learned to relax over the years.

Emma and VBS

Emma has always loved to go to Vacation Bible School in the summer. She thoroughly enjoys the music, time with friends and most importantly the messages. This year she has spent the past week at not one but two VBS's. In the morning she went with her friend Lizzie to the "Emma Church". The church is the Emmanuel Lutheran church and we'd pass it every day on her way to preschool, she nicknamed it that. She loved going there and she came home saying it was the best VBS ever. She got a ton of goodies and a new CD that she has been singing along too. She even made this cool shirt there (once I find the camera cord I'll post a pic!), the theme for the week was the Rainforest.

At night she attended VBS at Jenkins Memorial. We love Jenkins, everyone is always welcoming here and it's right up the street. I hope to actually attend services with the girls on a regular basis this fall. But anyway, she has been going here since she was 4. The volunteers all know and love her. She gets a big kick when we run into someone at the grocery store and they recognize her! This year Mo tagged along for the 1st 3 nights and did surprisingly well. The theme here this year was "Surfin through the Bible". Lots of cool crafts and goodies came home along with some really fun beach songs. Molly, Mama, Dada and I joined Emma for the last night. The kids sing the songs they learn, Emma even got a small speaking part and she did great! The program was followed by an ice cream social, perfect for Molly!!

Thanks Jane!!!

Emma and Molly were so excited when they opened a package that came for them and found these great "Tiggers" shirts!! They have already gotten a lot of wear. Thanks Jane, and Jim too!

Tonsils and Adenoids and Anesthesia, Oh my!!

Molly, Grama and I were at the surgical center bright and early yesterday. We met with the nurse, Mo's Dr. and the anesthesiologist all who were very nice and took the time to explain things to Mo. Mo was not happy and all she wanted to do was go home. I finally managed to get her in her gown and cap, isn't she cute?!?



When they took us to the operating room Molly was fine until we had to get her onto the table. It took 4 of us to hold her down and keep the mask on her face to get her to go under. Once she was under, I left, found Grama and we waited. The surgery took about an hour. The nurse came and got me and was telling me that Molly was awake and very agitated. Boy, were they right. Molly was thrashing around in the bed, kicking and screaming. At one point she tried to jump off the bed. What a difference between Emma and Molly. Emma came out of anesthesia perfectly, she just sort of woke up and was ok with the world around her. Molly asked for Grama and the nurse went out and found her in the hopes it would settle her down a bit. What did settle her down was the pain meds, they took the edge off enough for her to sleep a bit. Even sleeping you could tell how unhappy she is (she really is sleeping and not faking it)!!

I have to say that even though the time at the surgical center was horrific once we got her home she has been a great patient. She is taking her medicine when needed and she is eating a lot of ice cream and popsicle sticks. Her and I have spent the down time coloring, reading and watching a few movies. It's been wonderful to slow down a bit with her. Today has been a good day as well. The only way you can tell she has had anything done is by her voice, she sounds slow and swollen.

Keep your fingers crossed this helps her sleeping habits!!