Not sure why, but...

Eli ate pizza tonight...WITH the cheese on it...
WITH. THE. CHEESE. ON. IT.

There were no complaints, proddings, bribes...
No shrieks about a microscopic piece of cheese still lingering on the crust...

Just a room full of strangers (and a few friends) in Chloe's school cafeteria.
Curriculum night...PTA Back to School Dinner...

He sat at the big lunch table and ate his pizza...BOTH SLICES...with the cheese on them.

Big night. Big deal. Big boy.
So. so proud of you, Buddy.

Chloe's #6 Party Pics

Her first sleepover!

(this picture should be at the bottom...to be sequential...but it is here instead.)

Sharing Hello Kitty cupcakes with her classmates

Boa Bowling with Eli, Abi, and Ali

Sometimes waiting your turn is super duper hard.

All on her own.

Such a poser.

The girls.

Ready for cake!
(DQ ice cream cake by request)

Such a funny six year old!

Eli helping with breakfast.

Kevin is the KING of cool pancakes!

A very happy Birthday Girl!

Chlo, we love you.

You are growing into such a lovely little lady. This year has a lot of change in store for you, and you are ready! We will be right by your side, cheering you on!

You are one very special girl, and we are blessed to be your Mama and Daddy!

My Luke

Eli is missing his best buddy these days.

a.k.a. My Luke.

They have been BFFs almost since conception.

Luke's parents, Scott and Lisa, lived with us in the apartment behind our house while we were pregnant with the boys. So, while they were unaware, they were destined to be friends.

Born 25 days apart.

Separated only by a few miles once they moved to their first house.

Played together at least once a week for their whole lives.

But, now Luke lives in Scotland.

Only he doesn't.

He lives in Portland. But Eli is certain that it is Scotland...

and we need to get on an airplane and go to his house so that they can play trains together.

Missing them so. so. much.

*Pictures taken in April 2010. One of their many days of discovery.

Big Mistake

Some unsolicited advice:

When potty training your child, DO NOT buy a candy that YOU love as rewards.

Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms = BIG MISTAKE.
Can. not. stop. eating them.

Retro Blogging...GO!

Doing some retro blogging as promised...
Click on the month of July for a while for updates on our time in Washington.

Meanwhile...back at the ranch...
Somebody turned 6 this weekend. 6.
Can. not. believe it!

Hope to get that up on the blog soon too.

Teaser...
Boa bowling. Hello Kitty. Sleep over.
Pure 6 year old fun.

"Best Day of My LIFE!"

These were Chloe's first words after school today...
Something about the library, Book Buddies, and magic and making a mess in the library...
It was THE BEST!!

Even though I don't have a clue what she is talking about...I will take it.
Absolutely. Take it.

*I should note that Friday was also the best day of her life...at least aspects of it.
Fun Friday in gym class to be exact.
Coach let them do whatever they wanted after they finished their exercises...
She chose to DANCE!

_________________________

Also...her birthday is coming up in four days.

Her birthday list:

IPod Touch. (get in line)

Nintendo DS

Camera

American Girl Doll

Kevin added it all up and decided for about $1,300.00 we could make her birthday wishes come true. He said he could sell his car and then get her gifts...

She thought that was a GREAT idea!

Tidbits...

Not getting a whole lot of info from C about her days at school...
Not getting much info from anyone for that matter...

What we have gleaned:

- Juan Carlos has cried all day for the past 3 days
- Tadpoles can grow legs in a day and become frogs overnight.
- C and 2 other girls played Beauty Shop at recess...they did oneanother's hair
(or they did Chloe's...theirs is in tight braids and beads...maybe I should try to apologize to their moms if C did anything to their hair...)
- The class is LOUD. (C can not WAIT for rest time...for some QUIET!)
- Money is the dirtiest thing ever. You should wash your hands after touching it.
- Stephanie is sweet.
- Ella is tiny.
- We MUST NOT ever forget Rosebud (current fave stuffed animal) at home again. Ever.
- "R.E.D. spells red. Firetrucks are red. Stop signs are red too. R.E.D. I can spell red.
(the actual tune and words are a little off I am guessing...but she can indeed spell red.)
- C must not be hungry at lunch...because it has returned almost untouched for the past 3 days. Nerves?

_________________________

I fear it may be official...
I am one of THOSE parents.
I thought I swore I wouldn't be...and maybe I won't be soon...
But currently...I AM one of those parents.
Ugh.

Chloe, When you read this years and years from now...after you have developed into this amazingly brilliant and captivating young woman...please know that all my crazies were, in fact, love in disguise. I am confident that at this point my stressing about your Kindergarten experience is but a vague memory...and you had a fabulous year. But maybe when you read this...you will see into your Mamma's heart and see just how much we wanted the very BEST the Lord had for you from the very beginning. And letting you go into this great big world is and always will be a challenge and a joy...

_________________________

And in effort to pretend that my life does not revolve around all things Kindergarten...

Eli walked into the room yesterday with the kiddie toilet seat on his head.
That is how well potty training is going.

First Day of Kindergarten!

The first couple pictures are from Open House

August 5, 2010

An Enota Red Elephant

(for you out-of-towners...that is an elephant stomp...)

Growing up.

Will be 6 in 11 days!

First Day of school

8/9/10

(COOL DATE to start school, huh?)

(also Mommy and Daddy's 13th wedding anniversary)

Boppi took you shopping for your outfit.

You LOVE it!

(btw... you didn't wear your flip flops to school)

YOU'RE IN KINDERGARTEN!!!


Teacher: Ms. Todd

Para Pro: Ms. Llonch

Student Teacher: Ms. Sanchez

13 boys

8 girls

Puddle...

Okay...to be fair...overall good first day of Kindergarten.
Despite the fact that another parent called and complained about Louba being in the classroom...ending in no. Louba.
(Booo. Do NOT get me started.)

Unfortunately the final 20 minutes may be embedded in Little Miss's memory for good.

I arrived early...too early I thought...so I waited in the car for 10 minutes.

Walking into the foyer of the school I find out that we have crossed the invisible line of 2 o'clock and we are no longer allowed to walk to our children's classrooms. We must sign their name in a book, show our I.D. and wait.

If you are me...you wait and wait and wait and wait and wait...
If you are me...you see 30+ students reunited with their parents...
and you continue to wait...
Afraid of being one of "those" parents you continue to wait....
Until you are now standing with 5 other parents (and sweating like a man in 100 degree heat)and you are now ... what's the word...ummmmm....
Frustrated.
If you are me...you finally say "Hi, I have been here for 20 minutes and my daughter has still not been released. " (no. I was probably not that polite.)
Apologies. apologies. "Please come identify your daughter."

I stroll into the cafeteria...scanning all the Kindergarten faces and finally make eye contact with mine....
who is crying. scared crying.
We are separated by the sea (or the lunch table) ...I can not get to her fast enough.
We finally meet at the end of the table and melt into a puddle of tears.
Both of us.

Tears have been coming easily all day. And this sent me over the edge of holding it together.

I know that she has been listening to her name being called.
And she had NO IDEA what to do.

I tell her I am sooo sorry. I know she must have been scared.
I know she has been wondering where I was.

I was RIGHT THERE!! I HAD BEEN THERE!!
But still, she suffered.

Broke. My. Heart.

Milestones, milestones...

Eli is passing milestones (doesn't that sound funny...passing stones....) at a neck-breaking speed.

Used our accidental-leaving-of-the-beloved-pacie-on-the-plane coming back to ATL as the launching pad for a no-pacie life. Bed times have been a little hard...but for the most part he is being a super big boy about it.
"Mommia...I wan my paacie." just a few times a day.

Also, Daddy is making a very successful push toward a no diaper house. E man has pee-peed in the potty several times over the past couple days...currently walking through the house nakey... such a big boy these days! (There is some debate with the little guy about the name of each of the bodily functions...he seems a little turned around...he is adamant that #1 is #2 and vice- versa. We are confident this confusions will be all cleared up by the time he goes to college.)

Louba

Walking into the school we were a jumble of nervous. excited and faking that we were more excited than we were...because we (Mom and Dad) were mostly just freaking out inside.

Chloe notices something on the ground. A button? A rock? Neither, really, but it has the outline of a flower on it. Chloe's trademark.

Is that You, Lord? Showing us You are here...Knowing we are needing You near...Reminding us that You are in control?

100 degrees outside and even hotter inside my heart...

How is this happening already?

"This is exciting!! My elementary school didn't have a garden...how cool is that?!?"

Are we doing this right now? Taking our Baby Girl to Kindergarten?

"Let's get your picture in front of the school!"

Oh, my gosh...She is so sweet. So little and so big all at the same time...this is it...

"Okay, let's go find your class and Mrs. Todd."

Walk to the left....then right...then left again...Room 109. Deep breath...

"Hi! This is Chloe Williams..."

From here we fumble with papers and agendas and small talk for a minute and then we meet her...

Louba.

Louba, which means love in some foreign language, is the class pet. A gentle 6 year old Golden Retriever...obviously freshly groomed with yellow polka-dot bows in her hair...she will be in class with the students every day.

Chloe is sold.
Hook-line-and-sinker.
She had just asked me a couple days ago if I thought there would be a pet in her class.
Of coarse I had no idea...maybe a hamster...or a turtle...or maybe a hermit crab...
but a GOLDEN RETRIEVER?!?!?

Thank you, Lord.

"Mommy, I want to stay here forever! I'm not scared anymore!"

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Lord, for Mrs. Todd. For Louba. For Yohanna and Carson and Luke and Sam and Juan Carlos... Thank you for watching out for us and showing up and calming her fears. Please keep calming mine...

Kinder...

Kindergarten. Chloe is starting kindergarten.
There. I said it. My throat gets tight, my nose starts to tingle and my eyes start to burn at the word.
Kindergarten.

So many said this was going to go fast...and they sorta lied...
Because honestly, up until this particular milestone...most days kinda felt like they crept at a slow crawl...but now it all seems like a flash and next year she will graduate high school...

I'm a bit of a mess. And ultimately, as a friend helped articulate, I'm afraid. I am afraid of the unknown. Afraid of her losing innocence. Afraid of mean kids. Afraid of not being in control of her days. Afraid of others influencing her choices throughout the day. Afraid of public school. Afraid that we are making a terrible mistake. Afraid that I am letting her down by not homeschooling her.

But this is the decision we feel we have been lead to make. And I must Trust. Trust the One that IS known. That is her Protector. Who IS in control. Trusting that our influence will be stronger than the influence of others. Trust the One Who will never let her down.

And I do. Most moments.