Wordless Wednesday {Flips, Bounces & Bows!}

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and so many others have not been doing this week!

Monday...again...I tried to deny it last week, but it's back! Monday's are not especially harder now with school in session...but that means you might not find me taking a walk, sipping an iced coffee, or maybe not finding me still in my pj's! I'm not just a little sad, though...and I do not miss Alex and Emily a little...just a little!

We did not have a fun Saturday strolling around the grounds of our favorite nursery {Dan's second home!} looking at the beautiful flowers and plants, while Dan did not get some more trees for planting in the Fall! {He loves his yard!}









We did not get a tour around the tree farm in an old pick-up truck...play with the friendly nursery pets...or "awwww" at the newborn kittens!

This is Kitty Mama...


Because of her...we are not bringing home a kitty just like her in about 4 weeks! Not us! We haven't even named it Whiskers already, either...because she wasn't just too cute...so she will not have a great home at Martin Manor! The kids are not super excited about it! Skipper...well, we haven't told him the good news, yet! Hope he likes surprises! {I hope I have not made a mistake...gulp!}

Before all the fun we did not have at the nursery, we did not stop at a favorite drive-in diner along the way! Because we were nowhere near it, I didn't stuff the biggest, greasiest, most delicious onion rings I've ever had in my mouth...or wash them down with a large marshmallow coke! I absolutely did not do that! I eat much more healthy foods than that! {My mouth is not watering right now thinking about it!} Yum! I will certainly not need my cholesterol checked after that! {Burp!}

Speaking of food...I did not get caught at a different Chili's eating establishment {my second home!} by one of our favorite servers! We've missed him at our hometown Chili's and wondered what happened to him... well, we did not find him! {apparently he moved!} It was not a little embarrassing for me that he discovered that we do not sometimes frequent other Chili's restaurants when there are other places to eat...like home! But we did not love that he still remembered what we always order...chips and salsa... with a side of ranch {for Emily} ...diet coke {for me} ...and root beer in a bottle {for Alex}!

{I thought I was done with this post...hang in there! This just in...}

Alex has not finally accomplished something we set a goal for a big first grader to do...





Success!



He did not finally learn how to tie his shoes! {Yahoo!} It did not take lots of patience and several tries before he could do it all by himself...it did not take a little more encouragement and incentive {$1} to keep his motivation strong! {Boys are not much different than girls...whew! And he is not a lefty! Everything is not a little different for a lefty!} Awesome Alex!

What did you not do? Don't tell me about...or do! Happy Monday!

"You're Gonna Miss This...Moment" First Day of School

Time to join Pam and share the moments we're going to miss one day...because life is so short! Sometimes it's hard to find those moments among our busy schedules, but that's what I love about participating in this...it makes me stop and think about it and appreciate them so much more! Be sure to stop by Pam's and share your moments with us!

It's official! I now live with a first grader and a kindergartner!


I thought that I would really, really miss my babies...but they were so excited and ecstatic, that I was happy and thrilled to send them off to school! They will be in great hands and I look forward to watching them grow and learn this year! I didn't even shed a single tear or have a lump in my throat! {It really, really helps when you have chatty neighbors to wait with at the bus stop!}

Emily loves riding the bus! I couldn't even get her to look back and wave good-bye to me...she was too excited to get on that bus! She told me it was very noisy, though and it gave her a headache, but I have a feeling she will be a part of that noise before long! She said she sat with Alex on the bus {awww!} and he helped her by showing her which door leads to her classroom! I love how much of a big brother he can be for her! She had a great big smile on her face when I picked her up, told me about her locker, some new friends, and brought home some cute artwork for me!





Alex looks so much older this year...I do miss his sweet little chubby baby face...but he's matured so much and I am proud of how much he's accomplished since kindergarten! I love their enthusiasm for school...I will never miss that!









It's just so hard to believe that it's the beginning of a new school year already...the summer went too fast! Now that the kids are in school...I will cherish our summers so much more! I'm gonna miss these fun, early years of school when they are so eager to learn...and don't look forward to school being all about what they are wearing and who is the most popular! Let's hope that doesn't happen...especially not any time soon!

Have a great year!

Wordless Wednesday {Just Another Rainy Day}

I ♥ Faces - Week 29 "Funny, Silly Faces"

I ♥ Faces is a photography site focused on the art of capturing faces and their various emotions. Each week, people from across the world have the opportunity to enter their favorite face photos into two categories ~ kids and adults, and sometimes pets!

This week at I ♥ Faces the theme is silly faces! What kid doesn't like to make funny faces? Emily is usually a hard one to capture with a camera...she either wants her picture taken or she does not! This picture was taken recently over the summer when she was definitely acting silly with her crazy pool hairdo!


If you'd like to join us just click here! It's easy to enter, not so easy to win {so many great photos}! But lots of fun!

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and so many others have not been doing this week!

It is not Monday again! It just isn't...I refuse to accept it! The very last Monday before my babies start school! Really, they are just babies, and babies don't go to school! Okay, they are wonderful, smart, big kids who are more ready for school than I am! They are not super-duper excited about it and Emily cannot wait to see what the inside of the school bus looks like! I will not enjoy some quiet mornings soon...I'm not maybe a little excited about that!

We were not enjoying one last fun playdate with friends on Friday afternoon swimming and eating popcorn...that we did not even know that this was in our 'backyard'...


Apparently...the driver of this semitrailer did not somehow drive up the steep hill just on the other side {yes, up a hill!} ...through a fence and the line of trees to end up in the pond in our neighborhood! Ouch! {there is a busy interstate that runs just along the other side of the trees...and he was ok!} It did not cause lots of neighbors, traffic, big trucks and heavy equipment to take over the neighborhood to get the semi out of the pond...and it did not take until midnight for it to be pulled out! {I'm totally not a night owl...and did not see all the trucks still working with their bright lights on!}






I certainly do not still have my suitcase lying on my bedroom floor fully packed from our vacation a week ago! Of course not! I'm much more prompt at putting things away back where they belong...and not just getting things from the suitcase when I need it!

I did not spend Saturday doing absolutely nothing! No way! After all, I still do not have suitcases to unpack, and groceries to buy and laundry to be done. I would not spend that time sleeping in until 9:30, not showering and jumping off the swings with the kids! I am so much more efficient with my time! Therefore, I definitely do not have sore thumbs from playing Alex's Nintendo DS for hours and hours trying to pass all the levels of Super Mario Bros. Really, I don't! It does not frustrate me endlessly when Mario falls into the lava over and over again...I do not promise Alex "Just one more time!" over and over again!

I will not shed a few tears or get a lump in my throat this week as both my babies get on the bus on Friday...I will not! {sniff, sniff...sobbing...tissues will be secretly waiting in my pocket...just in case!}

Happy, happy Monday!