It's super quiet around here

I sent the three older kids off to school with their dad this morning and headed out for a run with Miss Chloe in my new jogging stroller. It was awesome! She loved it. It's way more of a workout to run with her. I'm sure I'll be sore in weird places tomorrow. But it's so novel to be able to run in the morning. I've been running at night for years, and I love that, but it's so great to have my run out of the way first thing. There's so much more freedom than I've had for years with just one kid at home. It's pretty amazing. Bill is laser-focused on finishing this semester, but it wouldn't break my heart scheduling wise to have Aaron in this fully day preschool all year. It's pretty amazing. I don't know what options will be offered elsewhere. I hardly dare write that though. I'm not in the game of forecasting finish dates anymore. We'll finish when we finish and it will all be good

Bill went to the temple with the youth on Saturday and midday I took all four kids to the lake to go swimming. It was packed with recently returned college students, but we had a great time. This is the lone picture I got of Chloe giving me a sand massage. I guess my leg needed to be exfoliated. 

This is a wonderfully beautiful sight, our new to us washer before we put the dryer back on top of it. I ran a load first to see if the hoses were tight enough and if it all worked. They needed some tape, so we fixed that, and now we're good to go. I didn't particularly appreciate having to get a new washer, but this process went ridiculously smooth. I tried two local thrift stores first to check their selection, then headed towards Greenville and struck out at one place that was closed, but the next place I went not only had a washer in my price range, but they loaded it in my van for me and when I came home I discovered that it was not just similar but exactly the same as the one I previously had, just a bit newer, and so I could switch the lids out and already have clamps setup to attach the dryer back on. I was sure we'd have to buy wood and build a platform for the dryer to sit on because they of course wouldn't match anymore. But we had a Kenmore and this is a Whirlpool and they have the same parent company, so same parts. I like the digital countdown timer too. Otherwise they're about the same, but it's nice to have that timer.

Aaron on his first full day of school. He was so excited and he absolutely loved it. He's already an early riser, so it's not hard to be ready on time, and he is just thrilled to be at the same school as the older two and to be able to ride the bus home. All his 4-year old dreams have come true.

Oh goodness I love my rainbow family. So many different colorings. Though if Chloe were in the picture, she and Spencer look uncannily similar with their piercing blue eyes and blonde hair. Love my clan.

We got Aaron some cleats and shinguards in preparation for his first year of soccer. I told him to strike a pose. Haha! He regularly decks himself out and happily runs around the house kicking his minature ball. Bill is actually going to coach his team, so good times will be had by all.

Chloe was sure we were going to buy her a pair of cleats. Sorry baby, they don't come in baby size 6.

This picture makes me laugh. Genevieve is doing better now, but the first few days of school she looked like the walking dead getting off the bus. She couldn't muster a smile the first day of school when she got home.

And my ever photogenic Aaron taking selfies with me.

Chloe is currently napping and my house is silent. I can't remember it being like this in recent memory. It's a breath of fresh air I needed, time to relax and regroup and be more available and on top of things when my clan comes back home.

First Day of School!

It's story time. Today is the first day of school. Spencer and Genevieve are SO excited. They've been looking forward to it for days. Spencer is in second grade and Genevieve is in first. And not pictured is Aaron, who is devastatingly sad this morning because it's not his first day of school. That will be Wednesday, and it will be a huge day for him because instead of the half-day preschool at a local Baptist church that we originally had him signed up for, Aaron is going to be attending full-day 4K at our elementary school with his older siblings, and he is ecstatic about it. But he wishes it started today. 

This all came about late last week. Thursday night we headed to back to school night. This is our third year at this school and I know and love so many people there. One happens to be the principal. We got to be friends through Spirit Night every month at Chick Fil A. She has a daughter Genevieve's age and a toddler that's close to Chloe's age. Turns out this year her daughter is in Genevieve's class, so we saw each other and started chatting and it came up that a spot had opened up in the 4K class just that afternoon. It didn't take long for Bill and I to decide that it would work GREAT for Aaron. He would jump at the chance to go to the elementary school. I had a glowing recommendation for the program from another friend of mine. And it's a big leap to all-day, but I think he'll thrive. He's so social and he could really use the structure he'll get there. 

So away we went. He qualifies because since we're doing the PhD we qualify for all the government programs. I'll appreciate the day that's not the case, but they don't pay PhD students well! So Friday he got screened and we took him to the school to meet his teachers and got him all signed up for the bus and lunches and registered. It was a whirlwind day, the last day before school started to get this all done. But he's in and excited and in two days he'll start with a half day then go full-day starting Friday. 

And I find myself a bit blown away to go from four kids at home all summer, with plans to have two gone and one where I had to do a drop off and pickup daily, to suddenly having them all gone until 3:25 every day and I decided to let them ride the bus home in the afternoons, so I don't even have school pickup. My schedule is suddenly wide open! Chloe and I can do whatever we want for hours and hours. I bought a jogging stroller off Facebook Marketplace this weekend because suddenly I have the flexibility to run in the mornings. What the what?? I haven't been able to do that since I only had Spencer. Weee! And because suddenly we don't have to pay preschool tuition, now I'm planning to sign the two biggest up for gymnastics and they're delighted. Basically it's an amazing change for us all.

 Chloe just about died when she realized that she couldn't go to school with her siblings. We mentioned first day of school pictures and she bolted to get dressed and her backpack on. Be still my heart! She is growing up too fast.

 Another run/bike in the books. Spencer is getting stronger and faster and every run he needs less help pushing up the hills.

 Sweet Chloe with her babies. She's such a baby lover.

 Library story time. All my kids on one door.

 Chloe usually naps on her brother's bed since he has his own room. But this day she decided she'd have nothing but to sleep on a huge pile of pillows and blankets and stuffies on Genevieve's bed. She's nothing if not opinionated. Haha!

Last week of summer

It's the last week of summer and me and all my kids are so excited for school to start again. I always think it's funny when people act guilty that they're happy their kids are going back to school. I personally think it makes complete sense. Nobody thrives just idling around all the time, and there's a goodly amount of that during the summer. School means growth and learning and new achievements and in our house it's super exciting for all my kids. Aaron starts preschool this year, Genevieve first grade, and Spencer second and they're all thrilled for all the fun they have at school. I'm thrilled for them and to be able to breathe in and out a get a bit of a break. We'll try to fit in a few more fun things this week to end summer and then school is looking great.

I continue to be amazed at how much Aaron looks like my Uncle JP. This is a picture of them at similar ages. JP is on the bottom left and I snapped this shot of Aaron yesterday. And speaking of resemblances, I'm seeing quite a lot of resemblance between me and my mom, top right, and also my Grandma Kitty, bottom center. I love seeing how family looks twine through the generations. 

 We went to the park with some friends a few days ago and ended up playing for two and a half hours! Talk about enjoying time with friends.

Spencer got a new shirt a few months back from his grandma that has constellations on it. He wore it for the first time yesterday to church. He put together this whole outfit and I have to say, he looks pretty snazzy!

 We did a new hike on Saturday, called Twin Falls on Reedy Cove Creek. It was awesome. It felt positively tropical. The kids rocked it. We climbed over a gazillion downed trees and generally had a grand ole' time.

 Chloe setup her own little breakfast table the other day, cute girl.

 Spencer and I did a run/bike together earlier last week. Four miles. He's a strong kid!

Not so many pictures

I've made a conscious effort in the last year to be more present and less always taking pictures of fun things happening but not participating in them. This makes things way more fun while I'm there, but lots less photos for this little ol' blog. Like on Saturday we spent four and a half hours at our friends' house on Lake Keowee. We swam and kayaked and went out on their boat and jumped on their water trampoline and ate good food and had a fabulous time. I didn't take a single picture. I didn't even have my phone out. It was wonderful. But I have nothing to show to document this event. All is well though because I really did have a good time, and that is more important than pictures of us having a good time.

I finished my latest paint-by-number last night. I like this brand. Their pictures are super detailed. It takes more hours than I can count to do them, but the pictures look like photographs turned into a painting. This is the fourth one I've done by this company and maybe the last I will do of theirs because I've done all the ones I like, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have an appointment for a haircut next Saturday. My curls are getting unruly, lol. I think my hair got a bit curlier after Chloe's pregnancy. It's fun to still have curls even with a pixie haircut. Which I love this length, I might add. It's SO nice not to have hair on my neck.

Trying to take a cute picture with Chloe. Got a nose picker one. Lol.

Genevieve's creation from Lego story time at the library last week.