Hello, August! What a full month this was with all kinds of fun!
We started the month with soccer try outs/evaluations for the big three kids. Clayton wants to play soccer SO, SO bad, but he's not old enough yet. Dawson, Carter, and NK all did great at evaluations.
This summer has been the summer of Lego, if there ever has been one.
All four kids have been Lego obsessed this summer. This was the latest project completed by the big boys...the Capitol. They were excited about this one since we visited in June.
Another item on the summer fun list created by the kids-go bowling at Stars and Strikes...so fun!
I think this was our first time bowling where it seemed like all 4 kids actually enjoyed it.
One more BIG FUN item checked off the summer fun list. The week before school started we took the kids to visit Point Mallard Water Park. We weren't really sure what to expect but we had SO MUCH FUN!!!!! Everyone did really great. John, Dawson, Carter, Nora Kate, and I ALL went off the high dive-it was SO high! I couldn't believe how brave everyone was! The water slides, lazy river, wave pool, and all the little play areas were all big hits!! The kids are already asking when we can go back!
Lolly came to visit the week before school started. We had lots of fun taking her swimming in our neighborhood pool, taking her on a Ranger ride, going to the Botanical Gardens...
this was at the botanical gardens
Botanical Gardens with Lolly
at the pool with Lolly
The last day of summer break, we decided to do something brand new to us! We went to High Point Climbing Gym in Huntsville. Their website claimed that kids as young as three could do and enjoy high point, and I was skeptical but they were right-even Clayton could do it and all 4 kids loved it!
So fun!
Carter and Nora Kate are pictured above on their first climbs of the day.
I really shouldn't have been surprised at how great all 4 kids did-they've all always been climbers. Here are Clayton and Carter bouldering (that is climbing not clipped in on a wall specially made for bouldering.)
This was one of the favorites...it was several big tall buildings that the kids could climb up...all 4 loved this!
Nora Kate was really good at it too!
All four in their harnesses and climbing shoes!
It was a fun and new way to spend the last day of summer break.
We were all oh so sad for this wonderful summer to come to an end. We seriously had one of the best summers-kids agree. We loved being able to travel so much now that the kids are at such easier stages for traveling and everything is fun for everyone. While we are all really sad to see this summer end, we are all a little excited for this school year to begin.
This school year is going to be totally different for all of us. I have been interested in homeschooling the kids for a while, and Dawson, Carter, and Nora Kate were accepted to a hybrid school this year where we will get to homeschool and then utilize six hours of school a week in a building and utilize clubs and specials from their school also. I'm so very excited about more time with the kids and getting to teach them...and more time for our family to be together.
We had all of their school supplies and first day shirts ready!
The week before school started we had to go pick up MacBooks at school. I wanted to snap a quick picture after getting the computers with the kids. This picture cracks me up. Boys standing front and center with MacBooks posing. NK decided to wear shades and sit-hah! these personalities -I love it!
The night before kindergarten we had to read the book that I've read to each kindergartener at bedtime...The Night Before Kindergarten. She was obviously letting her fingernail polish dry as I read her this bedtime story. My sweet and fancy kindergartener....she thought it was funny that the parents in this story were crying when they told their kindergarteners goodbye at school-hah, this girl!
First day of 4th grade!
Sweet, sweet second grader!
First day of 2nd Grade!
First day of Kindergarten
(how is my one and only little girl going to kindergarten...and she's SO excited about it)
Nora Kate with her teacher on the first day!
After we got home from dropping of the big 3 at school, we had to let Clayton do a little photo shoot of his own. He will get me to himself a few hours a week while the big 3 are at school. I've been looking forward to this Clayton time!
Clayton's favorite thing to do during the time that the big kids are at school is go to the "dinosaur playground" as named by Clayton. Here he is enjoying his picnic lunch at the dinosaur playground
He also likes feeding the ducks at this playground.
Look how big these three look coming out of the school building after their first day. They go from 8-11 then stay from 11-11:30 for lunch. I just thought they looked so big coming down those steps!
We picked the kids up from their first day and they said, "we know what we don the first day of school-GET ICE CREAM! So of course we had to make a trip to Sonic!
The kids have to log P.E. hours for school each week...we have been enjoying utilizing the pool for P.E.
Our goal each week is to work REALLY hard Monday through Thursday and then have a "fun Friday!" Everyone is on board with this and it keeps us focused Monday through Thursday. It hasn't worked out every week due to workload (especially the 4th grade work load-whew!), but the majority of the weeks so far we have gotten to enjoy a Fun Friday! This particular Fun Friday we went to Let's Play which was the only item on our summer fun list we never checked off, so it was a good first Fun Friday!
Dawson was excited to complete an experiment during our homeschool time. Celery and food coloring learning about how plants and veggies absorb.
Clayton's very favorite thing as of late is sorting...everything and anything but especially his hotwheels cars by color.
John took the boys golfing.
They have actually gotten in a lot of golf time lately as they also played at the end of July when Grandad was here and went with them too!
We went to the Piney Chapel Tractor Show (doesn't that sound about as Alabama as it can get?! hah), but it was seriously a lot of fun for the kids. They loved the goats and the boys loved the tractors.
It was so hot there, so some Ritas cooled the kids off!
John's work had a booth set up there so the kids enjoyed this too!
There was a cool machine the kids could operate the move rocks-also a hit with the boys!
One day while the big kids were at school Clayton found some facepaint from NK's 4th bday party and requested I paint his face. He wanted a turtle and was moving a ton, but he was thrilled with his turtle when he looked in the mirror! HAH
The heat index is well over 100 and that must mean that soccer season is here-hah!
Clayton turned his chair over and opted to hide under it like this to find a little shade! HAHA
Although I guess this was technically September 1st, I've included it in August accidentally.
The Sunday of Labor Day weekend we drove up to Chattanooga. We had a great day visiting the aquarium!
touching a snake
the butterfly house is always a hit
more snake time
penguins!
this is Clayton's favorite part-where you get to touch a sting ray!
wonderful day!
After the aquarium we let NK and Clayton do something they have begged to do everytime we have visited the aquarium-we packed swim clothes and let them play in all the water/splash area outside the aquarium. So fun! While we were doing this John and the big boys went to see an IMAX and they also loved their special time.
A little fun in the green space outside of the aquarium!
