How can I keep up with ya?

I will post pictures of Ava all in one day. Please see how many outfits she wore in the single day. She dressed herself every time. She also was playing babies and teaching the babies to go potty. Since Ava can go potty now her babies need to learn. Enjoy.

Kindergarten

So my oldest baby started Kindergarten this week. What can I even say about this. I knew this day would come for 5 years but I was not prepared for how Hayden would react. I thought he would be scared and I would have to coax him in. I thought he would be so unsure, that we talked about it all summer. We went to the library got books about starting Kindergarten. We talked about all of the fun things Kindergartners get to do. How special it is to go to Liberty Elementary. We said it is OK to be scared but he would have a blast. Well I think all of the reassurance was for Mom and Dad. We walked him to school the first day and he just smiled and waved bye. I picked him up and he told he his first day was awesome, and he can walk to school by himself tomorrow. I quickly informed him that would not be happening. We were able to walk him to his class for the first week. We did this Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday we were going to take him to the end of the hall and let him find his way by himself. But as we were walking to school on Thursday he said he could find it himself, he was a Kindergartner, and didn't need me to get him to class. I choked back my sob since I had not cried to this point because I was so proud of my little man. We get to the school door and I said "OK you sure, I can walk you in." He just hugged and kissed me (at least I still got a kiss) said bye. My face must of showed how scared I was for him. He got to the front door turned to look at me and walked all the way back, and gave me a thumbs up and said "Mom I will be OK, I can do it I'm Big." And off he went. So there I am standing there trying to be so proud of my little man and at the same time trying to hold it together because he didn't need me. As I started my walk home I couldn't hold it in any longer. I started to cry. I cried because I was sad he didn't need me, he was no longer my baby, but most of all how proud I was for him. He is such a wonderful little boy, son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. I am so excited about this journey in his life. I hope and pray for him every night that he has a wonderful adventurous life. For him to grow up being a wonderful man like his father. I wish him the best this school year.



School supplies
In my class
With Ms Nelson putting things in my locker
Crossing at the crosswalk
About to head out Ava is so excited for him to go to Kindergarten
Lets go now!!!!!!

Rough Rider Game

Last night we went to our very first Rough Rider Game. They are the minor league team here in Frisco. Hayden plays baseball and has been asking to go to a baseball game for some time. We finally got around to going (thanks to tickets from Chris). We decided to take Hayden and one of his friends. We didn't think Ava would have to much fun just yet. Plus we wanted to make it special for Hayden, since we start Kindergarten Monday. We invited his friend Gaston. Wow did the boys have so much fun. They both play baseball and were having these little conversations about the teams and their positions. Mike and I could not quit laughing at there stories with each other. We had all of the traditional baseball food. Hot dogs, brats, pop, chips, dip n dots, cotton candy, ugh my belly hurts just writing all of that. We brought our baseball gloves to catch fly balls and there were a lot of fly balls to catch. I think the best part was the baseball park had a playground. Hayden and Gaston loved loved loved the playground. Hope you enjoy the pics.
Hayden and Gaston as soon as we got into the park

Cotton Candy. Can I fit it all in?

This slide rocks

I'm Going again


Dip N Dots

Waiting for a foul ball

That was an awesome time!

New Craft Projects

I decided last weekend to make the kids some new stuff for their rooms. Hayden is starting Kindergarten and has no hook to hang his backpack on. So off I went and found a shelf painted it added the decorations and we have a backpack hooks. He loves that it is his height and in his room.

As for Ava. She has this adorable chair in her room that she sits and reads to her stuffed animals and babies in. She goes to the playroom gets books and brings them into her room all of the time. We are constantly picking up books and redoing the bookshelf in the playroom. So I decided she needed her own book basket in her room. Found this wooden crate and painted the letters. Ava now has her own book crate.

VBS Boomarang Express

This summer we were lucky enough to go spend a week with Betsy. She invited Hayden to go to Vacation Bible School at her church. Her church First United Methodist in Mansfield does an enormous VBS. Betsy has been a teacher at VBS for years and Hayden loves to go. This year he got to do tons of things he loved going every morning and every day had to make sure with Betsy that they were going back the next day. One thing he talked about was the fact that they had a charity project where they brought coins in the house to donate to a charity. He loved loved loved putting the money in every morning. It was girls vs boys and boys won!!!!!!!! He had a program the last night and I have a few pictures. We are so blessed to have a wonderful Aunt who loves Hayden so much.

Rewards and Chores!!!!!!!!

We decided since Hayden was starting Kindergarten that it was time to give him some chores. We were not sure if we should give an allowance or a reward for doing chores. After some discussions we decided that chores are part of living in the house and daily responsibilities that needed to be done. Hence no allowance for chores. But we did decide to add a Reward side to the chore chart. He is rewarded for good behavior, manners, listening the first time, and helping out above and beyond. On his reward chart he has 3 levels, first bronze star, second silver star and last the gold star. When he gets enough stickers for a star he picks from a set of cards that has rewards. Some are stay up 20 mins past bedtime, pizza night, movie night, night out with mom or dad, no chores for the day etc. This system has seem to work really well so far. We are about a month into it, and Hayden now wakes up every morning making his bed, getting dressed and feeding Parker. He is so proud of himself. I am still amazed every day how big he is. I just hope and pray he will be a wonderful man when he gets older.

P.S. There is a potty chart for Ava attached. She had to put stickers somewhere.


















These are the chores









Picture of what my chore and is expected





















This is the reward chart with the stars