Cranky

Ben & Calvin have been working hard on our crown moldings! (pictures to come...it looks so pretty) So Friday night I took the girls to Aunt Kay's house to get them out of the boys way. We stayed a little too late and Gabby started crying as we were leaving.

Me: "Why are you crying?"
Gabby: "I'm not crying, I'm just cranky!"

Seriously, I have no idea where my kids come up with half the things that come out of their mouth!

Getting Ready for Pre-School

Charley has one more year before she starts kindergarten, and we decided to sign her up for pre-school. The pre-school we decided to send her was through the school district. Not all of the elementary schools offer it, but we were lucky that the one in our neighborhood did. It is 3 hours a day, 4 days a week, and it follows the district calendar. We felt like it would be a better transition for her into kindergarten. We know she really doesn't need to go, and it wasn't that we felt she needed extra help before kindergarten, but it would be more of social learning....making new friends, playing in groups...and learning when it was time to be quite and not talk (she can talk your ear off!). Plus she loves learning, and thought it would be fun for her.
Last Thursday was an open house at the school. So we went to meet her teacher! She is a new teacher, they just hired her....they opened a 3rd pre-school class a few weeks ago, and she got the new teacher, and her room wasn't quite ready yet. But she was there and was really nice. Charley wont start school until after Labor Day, so she'll have plenty of time still to get the room ready.
But Charley was excited to see her name on the door to the class and in her little cubby where she can hang her new backpack and coat.
Ben and I were talking one day on how we wanted to do something special for Charley when she started school. She really is a great girl, and sometimes with a younger sister that can steal (demand) a lot of attention, it can be hard. So we came up with the idea of having a 'Charley's get ready for school day.' We were going to get a babysitter, but since my mom was in town, we took advantage of her watching Gabby. Ben and I took Charley out to lunch, just her and us and then we took her to get her school supplies.
Our original plan was then to drop Ben off home and then me and her go shopping, but since Nana and her aunts was there, it ended up being a 'girls' shopping trip. But we made sure to let Charley know it was for her. She got a few outfits (one modeled above), and 2 new pairs of shoes.

The few people I heard her tell about her special day, she was always sure to mention that she got to go to lunch with mom and dad "without Gabby". I know she loves Gabby, but I know she loved getting all the attention from Ben and I.

I think as the other 2 girls get older and start school, we'll just take turns on different Saturdays and take them each out to lunch before school starts and get their school stuff. My hope is that it will be something that they can look forward to and get them excited for going back to school.

'Lawyered'

The other day I had to drop something off to Ben at work. The girls were playing in his desk and found his candy and change drawer. Ben filled their pockets with the extra pennies from the drawer.

On the way home this was my conversation with Charley:

C: I love my money
Me: Well, money doesn't love you back.
C: Yes, mom, but I love my baby dolls and toys and they don't love me back!
Me: *Silence*.....*still nothing*.......
Jordan: you just got lawyered! (Jordan is here visiting)

Charley is only 4...but I think we got a future lawyer on our hands!.....until then I think I'm in trouble!

Beach Babies

Warning: Picture overload of my girls!...
Above, Ben and Charley boogie Boarding

Daddy's girls

Cousin Love

Schramma Love

And brotherly love...bonding with xBox

Beach fun...

Picnic on the Beach

Sand castles

Gabby's smile cracks me up!

pretending to camp, and roasting marshmallows.

Playing at the park


It was very hard to pick through 384 pictures I took the other week at the Schramm Family Reunion. It was so much fun. We are so happy we were able to go this year. It was an adventure flying out there, but well worth it. The girls loved it, and every one made it out except Jared.

The first day the girls were a little scared of the ocean. I was barely able to get their toes in. But by the end, they were mad when I took them out to go inside. In fact one day Gabby was running up and down the beach yelling "This is so much fun!" "This is the best day ever!"....I later realized she was quoting the movie "Tangled."

7 years

Ben and I celebrated 7 years of marriage last weekend while we were in NC. Schramma & Schrammpa watched our girls so we could go out!

Here's to many more!...cheers!