Grandparent's Day

It's no secret that we have some pretty stellar grandparents... they are super involved in our kids' lives and they spoil them until they turn absolutely rotten and then we straighten them back out and they spoil them again. And we wouldn't have it any other way! We certainly do not take this for granted and are so grateful our kids have the fab four to support, love and spoil them silly! 

So when I made the phone calls to the grents for Caden's Grandparent's Day breakfast... it was no surprise they both accepted without hesitation!

Thursday night was a fun night for the kids... two of their favorite people both under their roof at the same time! Double grandma lovin' to spread around! A kids dream! 

Caden had a great time showing his Kk and his Nana off on Friday morning. The school was packed with grandparents so there are lots of great grents in this world apparently... but we still think we have the best!

Hands down!!

Kaki girl even convinced one of hers... to get a flu shot with her... and she convinced her to go first! :) Thanks for taking one for the team KK! :) She loved sharing her pain with you!! And the love... just not the flu... she's already done that once before... and hopefully never again! :)

Thank you Nana and thank you Kk for spending Grandparent's Day with Caden at school and loving on our Kaki-girl at home! We love you both so much!!

Baylor Game #2: No Sweat Involved

Last weekend we had the chance for ALL four of us to go to the Baylor game, thanks to AUnt Ree Ree and Uncle Tag who shared their tickets with us, and we got to hang out with G as an added bonus. They got invited to Judge Starr's suite so Cori, 37 weeks pregnant roughed it and decided to make it just one more game. She is a trooper!

We weren't planning on tailgating this time... with the weather being warm again we were going to learn from our previous mistake and take it slow. Drive in for the game and leave at half-time depending on how Kaki was doing so Caden and kaki both wouldn't be strung out going into a new school week. Midnight bedtimes are tough when you have to get up and do school on Monday! And church the next day! :) 

SO they took early naps and we got ready and headed out for our first family of four Baylor experience ever... it only took us three years! :) 

As we pulled into Waco it started to rain... and then thunder and lightening... this was not expected. It was raining SO hard by the time we got to the stadium and so we had a party in the parking lot until it passed! We were lucky enough to park right next to the Agnews so we smiled and waved and said hellos through the rain from our windows.

Bu the rain did not damper our evening at all, in fact, it saved it! The weather was beautiful... it was cool and still overcast... it was still spitting for the first few minutes we were in our seats, but after that it was dry and lovely. It was SOOOO fun being there all together. The stadium is amazing. The inside is even better than the outside. kaki loved looking around at all of the eye candy. She was so excited to see Bryce Petty and kept calling his name from her seat... she was sad he never could hear her. She was so wide-eyed at all of the action. She got to see Bruiser... her fav and the cheerleaders.. it was a great night for Kaki-girl.

And Uncle J had a fun time holding his nephew for the game! He was SOOOO crazy good. Just sat there and ate while he watched the game... like he's been doing it his entire life... and he has! :)

I was lucky enough to sit by the Baylor Program in the flesh... if I wanted to know who someone was I just leaned over and asked Caden. If I was confused...asked Caden. He knows it all. It is kind of ridiculous how much he knows Loved getting to experience a game with him! And through his eyes. He is an old pro... knows what to do for all of the chants and songs, and Baylor first downs... I kind of felt like a second rate Bear fan compared to him! :) I need to step up my game!

Even G has it down!!

By the end of the halftime show Kaki was getting a bit tired... but we still made it through most of the 3rd quarter! I'd call that a Baylor game success story! 

Ree Ree and Tag came down to get their boy before we all headed out and Kaki got to sit with one of her favorites... She has a soft spot for her Uncle Tag! And she's the only little princess in his life for now... :) 

It was fun to ALL get to be in a pic together as we walked into the stadium that evening! And one where we are all looking and everyone's eyes are open... don't mind the hair thing I've got going on... it was a Baylor miracle! :) 

Thanks for letting us use your tickets Ree Ree and Tag... Kaki and I had a great time and are hopeful for a year when we too will have tickets!! :) But until then we'll cheer our Bears on from wherever we are able and be happy to spend time with our Waco & Houston Bear Family! Caden and Justin are certainly the best fans of the four! The Bears are in good hands when those two are in the stands!

Sic 'em Bears!

Kaki's Turn... First Day of Pre-K

Kaki started school the Tuesday after Labor day. And at the school that she had never been to before... well, that's not exactly true. She goes to church and MOPS at her school, but has never attended school at her church... does that make sense? It's the same pre-k Caden spent three years at, and a great place. We originally switched because another place across town had a 9-1 schedule, which before Caden started school I thought would be a great schedule, Kaki could come home and nap and actually get a good nap, but after the first week of school I quickly realized that it wouldn't matter if she came home to nap after school because by 2:30 she had to be up anyway... And the school was a bit of a drive... so she would be lucky to get one hour... which is not far from what she would get if she attended a school where they do nap. 

My three-hour napper had also changed some this summer. Ever since we returned home from vacation she had not been napping very well at all. If she napped it was only for an hour or maybe just a bit over. She had gotten used to not napping or not napping until late in the day and then staying up late like she had many times this summer and it was hard to believe that this was going to be our new normal, but I was realizing it was. 

So that got my wheels turning... but I would have never thought about taking her out of school. I was genuinely excited about this new place and new adventure for her. A place all her own.

But we had an unfortunate first impression at meet the teacher.  No need for details, I am sure I will not soon forget. It didn't settle well and I knew it wasn't the right place, but I didn't say anything for two days. I told and acted the same... stayed the course... the school was great. It would be fine.  I thought and prayed and told myself I was just being silly, crazy and all of those other words you tell yourself when you are trying to fight something. Then Saturday night I mentioned something to Justin... I was dreading the approaching Tuesday and the start of school. I knew I couldn't send her there but I didn't know what to do. I had good friends who worked at the school who were excited to have us there. I would have to hurt feelings potentially, I would have to break a commitment, not like we had a contractual agreement type of commitment, but still... I said we would attend there. Not to mention I would have to tell Kaki that the place we took her just two days before was not the place. But none of that reason enough for me because I knew it wasn't right. At least not for us.  So when Justin said he didn't like it either but was stuffing his emotions down because he thought I thought it was the best fit for Kaki and he trusted me, I knew it was something we couldn't ignore. And next time... I told him not to trust me... I'm flying by the seat of my pants here... I am in no position to ever be assumed as right or smart or knowing what is best... or maybe I do know... but it takes me FOREVER to figure it out. I almost never take a direct path to get to any major decision. Never. 

So I did what any girl does... called my mom... and asked the inevitable, am I crazy? And told her...This is what REALLY happened at meet the teacher not the short, neat version I told you. This is how I am feeling. And asked again... Is this crazy? And while I am sure my mom thinks it most of the time she never tells me I'm crazy and makes me believe I am sane even when I feel the opposite. She's gifted that way. She said... start making phone calls.

So I called a friend who works at the school Caden attended... at our church and through tears I told her what had happened, what should I do? Do you know if you have a spot?

They did... they had two.

And we got one...20 minutes later we got confirmation from the director and we were done. 

Praise the Lord! 

So Monday I bought my SECOND round of school supplies for Kaki, ordered a nap mat from Amazon and we were ready to roll for the next day! 

BIG girl lunch!!

She was so excited to go and didn't skip a beat! She did not cry and neither did I. We were both confident in the class and the school and knew that this was right. She had a great first day and a great two weeks so far of school! She has even trumped her brother with sleeping on her nap mat at school!

The things Kaki has said about school:

Her favorite parts are lunch and going to the playground. She has mentioned a few friends by name but only after the second week. She loves her teacher and told me how she called her bluff one day on going to the bathroom during naptime and it was pretty funny. I love that she has a teacher who will do that. She isn't going to let those sweet grins fool her! She needs someone just like that! She loves going and is excited to see me when I pick her up! This has been an easy transition for her and shows me how grown up she is. She is ready to explore, to meet to people and make new friends. She is ready to soar! :) 

I am so proud of my Kaki girl and am so thankful for a place full of familiar faces and friendly smiles that remind, this at times anxious Mommy, that she is not the only person who loves Kaki. And more than that, that even when I try to get in my own way, God will help me get right back out of it... even if the path is a bit crooked. :)

Happy Pre-K, Kaki-girl!!

Out with the Old, In With McLane Stadium

I can think of no better way to celebrate the first week of school than with the first Baylor football game of the season. And not just any football game, but THE first football game in McLane Stadium.

The night before the game Justin and i were reminiscing ...

Our little football fans sure have grown... here are a few of the pics we found on our phones that we enjoyed!

Caden and Shawn!

Not sure if Shawn has grown, but I know Caden sure has... those shorts now rest just above his knees!

Two years worth of tunnels... growing, boy!

And these three... all have changed so much!

Kaki was prepping her dolls for the game... setting them up in the "stands"!

Sunday morning we went to church and then headed straight to Waco to celebrate sweet G-Dawg's  SECOND birthday! He has been lucky enough to have Baylor games fall on both his first and second birthdays! I would bet that he might be the only kid to ever do that! I wonder how we could find that out? :)

The kids were so excited to sing happy birthday to G and to watch him open his presents! And G was excited to see his cousins! That was present enough for him! Sweet boy! I enjoyed getting a "check up" with his new doctor's kit. Aunt Keetee, check up? Aunt Keetee, check up? Of course sweet boy, of course!

And then we were ready...

There it is!!

We sent Caden with Bop and Uncel Tag to get the tailgate spot set up and Justin took Kaki and I to our parking spot, because since we didn't have tickets for the game, Kaki and I were planning on leaving to head home soon after the boys went into the stadium to watch the game. But what we weren't quite planning on was the INSANELY hot conditions. August 31st in Texas... I know... what did we expect... but wow... not that! The Brazos River never looked so refreshing!

Kaki was pretty much hot and tired by the time we walked to the tailgate spot but we persevered and made it... and made it until March of the Bears! Of course that is both Kaki and Caden's favorite part of tailgating! 

We had run into some sweet friends from home and they made it into some of our pics too... Hey Les! Hey Lainey! Hey Drew! :)

Okay... but this next pic... please check out the little girl behind the guy in the white shirt in the middle of the picture? Her intensity is classic and awesome!! I love her! And totally get what she is feeling in that moment! She's ready to hit somebody!! Love it!!

One of two Bryce's!

SO it wasn't too long after march of the Bears was over that this little girl had had it... and it was a good thing we decided when we did because it would take us almost another hour to make it from the tailgate spot back to the car... 

We got stuck in pedestrian traffic on one of the suspension bridges over the river. The entire bridge was swaying and several people around us including u were contemplating their final fates... would their be alligators in the river? Would Jesus turn water into solid ground so we could walk across? Should we panic now or later? Should we say goodbye? It was a bit scary, but we made it! And Justin turned back about halfway to make sure Caden and he had time to get across into the stadium. I have my tunnel vision... or bridge vision on and I knew we'd make it... and if not we'd be singing with the angels in Heaven by the half. Luckily, Justin learned that the bridge is not the only way across the Brazos... so we won't make that mistake again... ever! Like ever, ever! 

So by the time we made it across the bridge... in one piece... I wanted to kiss the ground... but for fear of being trampled I didn't... we trekked on for our walk back to the Ferrell Center where our car was parked. We have one bottle of water in our stash we took from the tailgate not expecting to need such supplies, and we used it to cool Kaki off as we walked... she was SOOOO hot. I carried her on and off for the 30 minute walk...

We made it!

And not 10 minutes in... this was my girl!

I was so thirsty... like thought I might pass out thirsty because I had given Kaki all of my water and used our last bottle to cool her down... so I stopped once we got on the road, left Kaki asleep in a running, locked car... gotta love two sets of keys and ran into a gas station so I could see the car and grabbed a bottle of water... two actually... finished one in the parking lot and the other on the way home. Just as we were pulling back into town she woke up. We took showers as soon as we got home and got settled for the start of the game. At home... in the AC on our couch! It was a good end to a HOT day! :) 

The next day Justin and I both had heat rashes from our days... crazy! :) 

Despite the heat and the chaos of learning the new stadium, I am so glad we were there. I loved being a part of the next chapter for our great Baylor University! It is a special place, full of special people and fond memories. Thankful for our green and gold... and anxiously anticipatory of fall weather! :) 

Justin and Caden made it the entire game... 

got home just after midnight...

The first thing Caden did the next morning was turn on the recorded game ... and watched it everyday until the next game! The boy loves him some Baylor football. 

A few that found themselves at the end of this post... the three amigos... soon to be four... 

Sim 'em Bears!

First Week of School

The first week of school was FULL of activity! 

Allergy Shots!

Where Kaki wanted me to take a front and back picture of her blue sucker... Not sure what she was hoping for with the back pic, but she seemed pleased! :)

CHATTY! She came! 

We loved having Chatty here to play with us for a few days! She started her new adventure in Houston! We are thankful she will be just down the road.

The first week of school, Caden was ready at least 30 minutes early every day. Now, we are down to about 10 minutes early... which is fine by me. It creates a no stress environment in the mornings and I am thankful for that!

Chatty got to walk him to school... and give him some extra hair... :) HA!

And then she went with Kaki and I do get her haircut! :)

Pretty girl, with a fresh bob!

She had her hair washed in the sink for the first time... hilarious! It looks like her head is not connected to her body! Creepy and FUNNY!!

And so much for a hair cut because the next morning it was looking like this...

This hair has a mind of its very own! 

One day I spotted Caden from my kitchen window on the playground... it is very nice to catch glimpses of him throughout the day. Such a sweet advantage of this home! :)

Kaki's hair tamed... 

If only I could tame her... 

Kaki was ready for her Meet the Teacher night... Thursday night of the first week of school for Caden was her first night as a pre-k girl!

I laid her clothes out early that afternoon and she surprised us by coming out of her room completely dressed and ready to go! SO BIG!!

Excited about her new backpack!! :)

Meet the Teacher for Kaki is the beginning of another story... in short, where Kaki "met her teacher" on Thursday evening was not where she started school on Tuesday morning. Mother's intuition which I believe is the Holy Spirit, led us down another path and to a divine opportunity, landing Kaki in the place she should have been all along... but more on that later... :) 

Caden made it to Friday... his 5th day of Kindergarten and he thought a pic was in order! :)

And then we were off... to do our girl things...

Excited to surprise Caden with the BLING!!

And ready for a family THREE DAY holiday weekend!

A few things I want to remember about Caden and his first week of school:

He insisted on buying his lunch everyday. The first day of school he ate a Meatball Sub and came home with it all over his shirt and claimed it to be the best lunch he's ever had. He loved music and library time and couldn't believe they go to play with computers. He felt like a genius after the computer lab. He came home and announced, "I already learned how to work a computer!" After music (this was the third week) he said, "So mom, I learned to write music notes today, so I can pretty much become a song writer now..." Oh bless it... he wants to become a song writer... after he plays football at Baylor of course. Varied interests. He came home everyday with a new friend to talk about. His table... table #1 is the best in the class, obviously! :) He has done a great job keeping his clip on green and LOVES the ticket system! Positive behavior reinforcement works. He has learned syllables and math and prefers math so far. He loved going to the library and gets excited to take books home. He plays basketball and football at recess and has more of a tan than he ever has! In fact, last night we noticed a nasty heat rash on his back... school recess is for realz! :) He did the car pool line the third week of school and loved it. He refused before that. He walks in school by himself each morning like its no biggie. He loves PE and enjoys have a "Coach." He doesn't love homework... especially the way I make him do it. He approaches work with a fast and furious attitude and loathes it when I make him complete it to the BEST of his abilities and not just half-way. Having the right answer is not all of it... it's the following directions part too! :) It's going to be a battle... but I'm willing to fight it! :) He is noticing things that make us laugh... like the boy and girl drama. The things little minds think of is astounding! We have enjoyed watching him thrive and love everything about school. Our prayer is that he will always feel this way and will continue to be a kind friend, an obedient student, a hard worker and a kid with varied interests and talents!