August 2020

 The month of August flew by, likely because we actually had concrete plans on our calendar again.  

We started the month with John getting a new truck!

The kids and I visited the UAH Duck Pond.  It seems like an entire lifetime ago that I went to school on this campus.  The kids enjoyed feeding the ducks and seeing the turtles.

Their friends had them over to swim and spend the night!

Clayton with his buddy Ruby!

I love getting pics when they're at sleepovers.  I loved seeing these pics of their smiling faces at breakfast.

Nora Kate has loved playing with two other girls on our street during all these months at home.  They have played outside or in the garage, so they did hairbow makeovers this particular day in the garage.

Duke loves to be near the kids.

As a side note, I initially said Duke could not be allowed on the furniture.  You can tell how long this lasted.

Nora Kate ordered this cardboard house back in May with her own money.  She has enjoyed coloring it for the past 3 months.

One day Clayton told us he wanted us to take his training wheels off so he could go faster.  I was hesitant but John said we should at least let him try it.  Well, we took them off and Clayton flew away on his bike...without training wheels.   We could barely keep up!  Ever since this day he's been awesome on his bike with no training wheels.  I'm so impressed with this boy! At age 4 no training wheels!

We visited the Botanical Gardens again this month.

We walked trails, visited the butterfly garden, and of course played in the water.

Leaving the Botanical Gardens.

One of the two girls that NK has been playing with since March on our street had a birthday in August, since these 3 girls had been playing together all quarantine we figured it was safe for NK to go to her donut birthday party since they were the only kids there.  Nora Kate had a blast.

Boys being boys and playing football in the backyard one evening.

I sat this one out as my thumb is still recovering.

We were excited that after almost 6 months of being closed our church reopened for services only requiring masks, and only allowing families to sit together, ever other pew blocked off...but still we got to go back! It is so odd to sit in church with no one near by and sing in masks.

Sweet boy reading in his room.

We are still loving the pool days!

We have been still getting to spend a lot of time swimming.  We use it as PE time in our school breaks and before school was back in session we were still going several days a week.

Our friends the Willhites invited us out on their boat one Sunday.  It was a fantastic time.

We started the day with water skiing.  I LOVE skiing! I was thrilled that Dawson got right up and nailed it! This was his first time successfully skiing.  I kept thinking how proud Pop would be since he loved water skiing.  Dawson made it look easy...even holding on with only one hand at times.  Show off! Hah!

Then we switched from skiing to tubing.  SO FUN!

Nora Kate started back to gymnastics this month! She is LOVING IT!  We have nicknamed her the cartwheel queen because she is ALWAYS doing cartwheels...anywhere and everywhere!

We are still loving our sweet boy Duke!

We think it's hilarious that he crates himself for naps when he's tired.  He likes his crate.

When we put the kids to bed for the night, Duke is sad. He sometimes lays outside their doors.

Our girl and her dog.

We signed Clayton up for his first time ever of preschool way back in February before Covid.  We were torn with whether to send him or not, but after talking to the school about their procedures we decided to send him.  We got his backpack and first day of school shirt ready!

One Sunday afternoon they had an open house and he got to meet his teacher and find his name on the door.

Clayton was SO excited for his first day.  I can just see that proud look in his eye.

One more kiss for Mommy before he goes into his first day!

First day of preschool.  He goes two mornings a week the exact same hours that the big 3 are at school.

It's very convenient that their schools are only 2 blocks apart.

Walking in with his backpack looking SO big!

Pretty proud of a backpack.

"Can you believe it!? Your baby is going to pre school, Mama?!"

Walking in to his class.

When I grow up...

The conversation leading up to this went like this...

Mommy: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Clayton: Naked!

Mommy: You can't be naked when you grow up.  You'll have to wear clothes. What do you want to be?

Clayton: A doggie day care man.

Then it was time for Nora Kate's first day of school.  We are doing the same hybrid school as last year where we homeschool but they go to the building two mornings a week for 6 hours total weekly to do project based learning.  This picture was their actual first day going to the building.

When I grow up I want to be a farmer.

5th grade?!

Time slow down!

A 3rd grader!

When I grow up I want to be a vet!

When I grow up I want to be a fisherman and a farmer.

This year the kids are required to wear face masks at school all the time.  

So here is what they'll really look like in the building.

4 big kids!

Oh my heart.

My girl.

PE is our favorite class...definitely this teacher's favorite! 

This was our first day of homeschool which actually occurred before their first day at the building.  Duke wants to be right with the kids.  We said he's our class pet.

We had a fun Friday and went to the Cook Museum.  We had it to ourselves!

Clayton gets spoiled by having 3 older siblings.  Clayton told Dawson he was tired of walking and I look over at soccer and see Dawson carrying Clayton. HAH

Nora Kate got a gift card for her birthday from Aunt Emily and was thrilled to buy a caboodle!

Nora Kate is looking and playing like such an athlete on the soccer field this year.

We needed a fun weekend things have been so incredibly busy for John at work since March and so we went to Chattanooga for the weekend where we enjoyed cardboard sledding by the river.  The kids love this so much!

They beg to go to hotels all the time.  They love to travel.  Clayton says hotels are one of his favorite things.  They were thrilled to stay in a hotel in Chattanooga.  This picture was in our room which is why their masks are down.

The hotel had an indoor pool  You could reserve it for yourself because of covid no one else could use it with you...so we took advantage of our own private indoor pool for a late night swim.

The next morning Grandad and Nana drove down from Maryville and met us to visit the aquarium.  Our membership was about to expire so we wanted to get in one last visit!

Clayton's very favorite thing there are the sting rays!!!

Outside the aquarium.

FAVORITE animal

Homeschool...searching for certain letters then using fine motor skills to thread them on pipe cleaners.

Clayton was supposed to be napping one day. He asked if he could get up, and I opened the door and he looked like this yelling TA DA I made my bed, so I can get up! He was pretty proud of himself.

Duke and Clayton.

At the end of the month I went on a girls weekend with Melanie, Kelly, and Jennifer to the lake.  It was so relaxing and fun! Here's  a view from our dock.

One more view.

August was a busy month with school, soccer, scouts, band, gymnastics, and John's work schedule continuing to be very busy.  We have enjoyed having more things to do (cautiously because of covid).  

Obviously we also celebrated our sweet girl this month for her birthday, but that's in another post!