Preschool begins

Both kids will attend Oakland Baptist Day School this year.  Blake has gone for the past year and a half and had the teachers that Delaney will have this year, they are so wonderful!  I went to OBC Dayschool as a little girl and my mom actually help to start it in 1980, we have a lot of roots here, it's exciting to be a part of it and have a second generation.
Monday we went for Open House and met Blake's teachers Mrs. Helms and Ms. Nikki that he'll have Monday and Wednesday, we also got to drop in Delaney's class with Ms. Leane and Ms. Jennifer briefly.
Tuesday, after handbell practice, we visited with Blake's Tuesday and Thursday teachers Ms. Tina and Ms. Allison, then we went for another visit to Delaney's class lasting a little longer this time and we got to meet a couple friends.  This is the beginning of the "ease-in" schedule they have for them this week.
 

Wednesday Blake went from 9-10am for his first day without mom and Delaney went from 10-10:45. Blake cried when I dropped him off, but they said he just stuck beside Ms. Nikki, who he was around at Early Drop off a lot last year, and was fine after 15-20 min.  When I dropped Delaney off she started to play with Ms. Leane so I sneaked out.  She was fine for 15-20 min playing with the other kids and doing great, then she started to cry when she looked up and realized I wasn't there.  They said she went off and on like that for the next 20 minutes.

What a weekend!

We had a full day today!  Nanny and Grandpa came in to visit last night, we were so excited to spend time with them for a little while since we have been gone and haven't been able to see them as much.  Last night I was fortunate enough to spend several hours with three of my closest friends, Brandy, Jessica, and Tracy.  I enjoy spending time with just the four of us and catching up without kids and husbands, we always have a great time together and have such a strong friendship allowing us to talk about anything and everything.  I look forward to raising our kids together, we've already had a good start, and many more talks on the porch, no matter whose porch it is!  lol

We woke up this morning at 7am, which is very late for us, we were so excited everyone slept in.  We ate breakfast and headed to Glencarin Gardens for a photo session with Kelli, Red K Photography.  We got some great shots and had some wonderful ice cream, I know it was only 9:30am, afterwards.  Nanny and Grandpa left at nap time.

After all four of us had a great nap Delaney and I headed to a birthday party for Taylor Warren, she's already 1, I can't believe it!

Blake and Daddy went on to the Sunday School party at David and Pam's house, Delaney and I were only about an hour late.  We had a big water slide for the kids, which Delaney jumped right on!
It took Blake a while to get warmed up to it.  Delaney went down with me once and then went down with some of the big girls instead of me, I kept going though, it was fun!  Too bad the other adults didn't have a kid to have to go with to give them an excuse to go down, they sure missed out!  Blake finally went down after knowing that Delaney did, but I had to stick close for a while, after 4-5 times, he was off and without mom's help!  Go Blake!  We had a great dinner together, a shower for Wes and Carrie, and great conversation.  We are all headed on a marriage retreat with church late September, I can't wait, it gave us a great taste of what's to come!

We were excited to get back to church on Sunday morning, since we have missed a few weeks, well, all of us but Delaney who cried off and on all throughout being in nursery.  She did say Leslie and Max though, two of her Sunday School teacher's names!  She spent the last 15 minutes in my class though.  Hopefully school starting soon will help with her attachment issues she's had about a month now with mommy.

After church I joined the girls again, well, Tracy and Jess, to see The Help, a new release movie based on the book that I read this summer.  It was great!  We finished the day with some afternoon and evening family time running errands and playing with each other in the floor, some favorite moments now!

Another beach trip to end the summer

 The kids and I head to the beach August 15-27 for a couple weeks in the sun.  Wayne and Lynn Moody stopped by for a long weekend and Kevin came for just the weekend.  Other than that it was just my parents, the kids and I.  We had a great time!  Blake loved Dr. Moody's iPad, and Mr. Moody showed Delaney some videos on it.  I bet they'll be teaching me how to use it one day soon!  :)
Kevin loves riding with Blake on the boat now that he can move around and enjoy it.  Delaney falls asleep almost every time and is so uncomfortable in the baby life jacket.  But she seems to like it.

 Granddad had to go home a couple days to work, so he brought Coalson back with him when he came on Tuesday for a few days.








The kids all enjoy reading books in the big red chair with mama (Grandmother) each night before bed.
 Blake and Delaney both will jump off the side and go under water with their swimmies on and swim on their own.  It's great!  I hope they remember the skills for next year!

The Beach

Back at the beach remembering the fun from earlier this summer already: the sand, shells, and climbing the stairs

Granddad helped them "fish" in the pool, the $1 fishing rods were fun, but the fish didn't stick well.  Mr. Moody and dad had just as much fun with them I think.

Delaney loves to move, sometimes it is in a swing, but most of the time it's in the pool.  She'll pull on her clothes and grab her suit letting us know she's ready to get in.  Leave it to her to be the first of my kids to poopie in the swim diaper, a yucky watery change!!!

It's always a lot of fun with Mama and Granddad.  Mama likes to take the kids to feed the birds and Granddad loves getting in the pool with them.

The beach is always a new adventure, we enjoy looking for shells, jumping the waves, digging holes, but mainly playing in the sand.  Blake likes to have trucks in it, Delaney enjoys pouring water from one thing to the next and going to the ocean to get more.

Daddy visited for the weekend after his first week of school.  It was nice having him with us for two full days, wish it was longer!

Diva Delaney, she is so proud of herself when she looks so stylish.  Blake is not enjoying getting his sunscreen rubdown.  Have you seen this boy's tan?  His sister is going to be jealous one day!

I took this picture while enjoying a little tune in my head, "Life is good today, yeah, life is good today".  Actually, I sang this to myself all weekend!

A ride on the golf cart is always suggested.  This time we were on our way for...

...ice cream!!!

We tried getting a good family picture but the wind wasn't working on our side.  This one was the best of about 30 tries.  LOVE this one of Delaney and me.

Yummy Oreo Icecream that Mama made.  It's a favorite food at the beach, along with Vegetable Salad, gorp, and Popsicles!

Granddad had to go home for a couple days and he came back with Cousin Coalson!  We were all excited to have him!  Here we are out on another adventure with Mama to feed the birds on the dock.

Sometimes the birds come and don't stay around, but we had leftover hush puppies today!  They were all over us!  Blake wants to sit in the chair, but Coalson and Delaney are all over the dock.

Today was really cool, we were out there when a barge went by!  It blow it's horn for us and all!

I love my parents, they have been a huge help with the kids and the kids have so much fun with them.  We are so blessed to have a great family!

This was an active day on the beach with the kids running around.  But it was great for me, I took a chair and actually got to sit most of the time, thanks mom and dad!!!!

Blake is learning how to share in full speed this week.  He and Delaney live together and I guess have just learned to adapt to each other.  Coalson and Blake are like siblings in a good ways and bad.  They love each other so much and enjoy being with each other, but the sure fight and always want what the other has, well mainly Blake wants what Coalson has.  He shared his green bowl today, it was a major step and he was so proud of himself!  I was even more proud, especially since school starts next week!
We had to leave in a bit of a hurry Friday morning due to Hurricane Irene coming so we could beat the traffic out.  I thought we would leave about 8:30, but since Coalson and Blake were up about 5:20am we were up, packed, fed, and ready to leave at 7:30am.  The trip home went pretty well and we were home by 12 for lunch and naps as usual.