10 Years...

Today is our 10th wedding anniversary.  Seems "big," doesn't it?  Funny that I forgot until I read my mom's "Happy Anniversary!!" email this morning.  I mean, I didn't forget-forget but I also didn't remember-remember.  ;)  I tell Chris all the time that it doesn't really matter what day we got married-- or the year, which I can never recall-- because we're in this forever.  (And before my mom tells me that I should be better about celebrating properly and buying gifts, we DID go to San Francisco this summer to celebrate this big milestone and it was heavenly!)

Anyway, to Chris...

When we got married ten years ago today, I really had no idea what I was getting into.  No idea about real Army life and the packing and moving and relocating and saying goodbye to family and meeting new friends and saying goodbye to old ones and starting all over.   Or what it would feel like to say goodbye to you with a 10-day old baby in my hands as you left for Iraq for his entire first year.  Or what it would feel like to say goodbye to you two weeks after moving here with 3 crazy boys in tow when you left for Afghanistan.  Or what it felt like to welcome you home both times.  Or how I really can miss you while you are at work.  (I do!)  And how my heart still skips a beat when you walk in the door wearing your uniform.  I love the life we've made together these past ten years.  Our boys were hand-picked for us and there will never be enough words or time for me to tell you how much I love them.  I love the incredible friends we've made along the way and how they have become family.   I love that you provide for us, take care of us, and love us unconditionally.  You are honest, loyal, and brave and the boys are so very lucky to have you as their father.  I love that there is no where else you'd rather be than next to me.
Everything and always,
b.

1st Day of School!

On Monday, James started 3rd grade!!

Here are some of the kids who ride the same bus...

James, Ava, Nicolas, Brianna 

And here are some of the siblings who come out to "support" said riders...

Jonathan and Christian,
two of the boys' very best friends.

And on Tuesday, it was Henry's 1st day of Kindergarten (the school split the Kindergarten in half so 1/2 of the students started on Mon, and had Tues off, and 1/2 of the students started on Tues to ease their transition into "real" school.)

I have to admit, it did hurt my heart a bit to send Henry on that bus but he seemed great!  He hopped on like he'd done it 100 times before.  I know it helps that James is with him and, if you can believe this!?, Henry and Gabby are in the same kindergarten class AND James and Nicolas are in the same 3rd grade class!!  Crazy, isn't it?  So far it's worked out well since the big boys walk the little ones to their classroom first.

The bus stop (aka Cortney's house) is getting
busier and busier!

Best friends!

Yesterday it was just Mommy and Petey home all day...

We went to the gym, played outside, read books, monkeyed with the big boys' Legos, and then decided to make chocolate chip cookies to surprise the big boys!

Peter starts preschool at Holy Trinity next week.  His teachers came over to the house yesterday for a "home visit."  He seemed to enjoy meeting them and has talked several times about the special book they brought him.  Fingers crossed it goes as easily next week at drop-off time.

Something tells me it may not though... he is a mama's boy if ever there was one!  :)

Great friends, good times...

We had a wonderful few days with our friends, the Joneses.  We became great friends at West Point but unfortunately ended up across the country from one another-- they now live outside of Seattle, in Washington state.  Our kids picked up right where they left off (which happened to be our crazy Tybee Island Beach Trip of last summer, you may remember)... I wish we still lived around the corner from one another.

Summer, Me and Monique
with Peter and Audrey

Oh look.  More kids.

There were 11 children among us 4 mamas and while it was crazy and loud and hectic, I loved every minute of it.  (There was a time we thought Chris might divorce me, but no... he stayed.  Hee hee.)

Peter declared he "doesn't wear clothes anymore" so that's been a treat.  But... I happened to notice that my other two are partially dressed as well so.... I give up.

On Monday, Monique and her children and me and my kiddos all drove up to Virginia together.  They flew back home yesterday (out of Dulles) and we went up for my Uncle Charlie's funeral.  While it was an incredibly short trip home, I'm so glad we went.  The service was beautiful and it was wonderful to spend time with our family.

We returned home last night again, just in time for karate and football practice.  I feel like we have been going, going, going all summer but as we turned into our neighborhood, THIS is what we saw...

Two complete rainbows over our house.

We all stopped and stared and marveled at how beautiful it was.

What a wonderful world...

Birthday Party!

All summer, Henry has been asking people about the upcoming holiday season.

"Gabby [Or Daddy] [Or Miss Cortney] [Or Peter].  What's the next holiday?" he would quiz.

"Um.  I don't know... Halloween?" was a common response.

"NOPE!" Henry would say.  "Charlie's birthday!!"

To which the other person would always respond, "Ahhhh."

So my friends, you'll be grateful to know that TODAY, August 15th, is Charlie's 1st birthday.  You can all rest easy now that it's here.

Henry desperately wanted to buy him clothes (???) but we finally settled on this fancy bone...

and a hamburger from McDonald's with a french fry candle...

It's a pretty good day to be a dog!

Finally!

After an exceptionally hot summer, a massive thunderstorm rolled in last night and today the high was only around 80 degrees.  Which, after 95+ degree weather for months, it felt somewhat like fall here today.  Hallelujah!

And so I did what any good mama does.  I told the boys they weren't allowed to use their Iphones.  Or play on the wii.  Or watch TV.  Or play Minecraft on the computer.  I told them to GO OUTSIDE and play.   I told them they could go inside... but only if they were planning to read, play Legos, or nap.  Surprisingly, no one was interested in those options.

I was met with some groans and grunts and "Awww.... all day???" and a few "sneaks" of their phones but for the most part, we all played outside!

Here's a clip of the boys at the end of the afternoon... everyone's exhausted and milling around.  Ha ha.  Love it!  (And once Gabe and Ava showed up a few minutes later with water guns, everyone perked up and played for another few HOURS outside!)

Another bonus?  The boys ran Charlie RAGGED with bike race after bike race.  He's hardly lifted his head all evening.  And Peter literally fell asleep sitting up in the bath tonight.  But after yesterday's nap...

perhaps that's not all that shocking.  (Scary, though!)

The next few days are supposed to be similar, cooler weather.  I can't wait!

The Karate Kid...

Last week, Henry started karate lessons for the very first time.  The class is mixed ages and experience levels, so he is having to "catch up" a bit.  The instructor, Master Garris, is funny but tough.  Last night Master Garris discussed how many degrees are in a circle and used that to explain to the children how their bodies should align during the different moves.  Hmmm.  Perhaps that went just a bit over Henry's head...

Here Savannah, the most experienced student in the front, leads the "crescent kick" routine...

The children warm up for the first 15 minutes of class, with a variety of special kicks.

Towards the end of the hour, Henry pointed to his legs and then made "prayer hands" at his face meaning "My legs are tired."  Ha ha ha... I was afraid Master Garris, standing at the front now, would notice and make him do push-ups (the standard "punishment").

I must admit, I'm surprised that Henry has returned so willingly all 3 subsequent nights of practice because it definitely is NOT easy and there is almost no talking among the students, so it's a relatively serious hour, not to mention all of Master Garris's commands are in Chinese (or Korean??).  I don't know because I don't know what in the world he's saying.  Somehow Henry knows what to repeat though which baffles me.

On the first day of lessons last week, everyone was asked to go around the room and introduce themselves and explain why they are taking karate.  As you can imagine, several of the students said, "Because my mom is making me."  or "Because my dad is making me."

Henry's response:  "To beat up my big brother."

So perhaps he already has the fundamentals of karate down... focus and determination.

The draft...

After playing soccer every season since he was 3 years old, James has decided to give football a chance this fall.  (My fingers are crossed he returns to soccer in the spring!)  On Saturday, the coaches held a draft for each age group.

Here is James, playing in the 8 year old group of children...

James is in the red shirt and black shorts, running.
(And I assume you know he's the white one.)

Here he is towards the back of the line.

James waiting for his turn to throw/ catch/ sprint.

You may have noticed James was not only the tallest child out there, but the tallest child by at least a full foot it seemed!?  I mean, check out the little boy in orange behind James.

Chris and I are completely and fully aware that just because James is taller than every other child his age, it does not mean that he is any more emotionally or mentally ready to be pushed outside of his age group, nor would it be fair to do so.  We also realize that the enormous size difference will likely even out in the next few years.  And I usually don't agree with asking for exceptions to policies or special privileges for our boys, but....

I emailed the director (against Chris's wishes for James to remain in the 8 year old group), to see if James can be place in one of the 9-10 year old teams.  I haven't received a response back yet, but I really hope they move him so he can play with children his own size.

We'll see...

After the draft, we dragged James to (finally) get a hair cut.
Lucky for him, his hair dresser just got in blue and red
temporary hair dye for kids!  And Miss Cher always
does a faux hawk for James.  Cool!

*Update:  While the director's response back to me was very polite, he said they are unable to "age up" for football.  Hmm...

Counting Days...

Grammie Jackie sent 3 special gifts to the boys this week.  All in the name of... back-to-school (which rings as heavenly gospel to these mama's ears, by the way).  The boys were beyond tickled to open their new backpacks, school supplies, bracelets, stuffed animals, and the "cool kind" of crayons and markers as Henry said (meaning the fancy "twistable" kind).

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Grammie made enough
"survival bracelets" for James's entire
Cub Scout pack.

Henry was so excited to open
a new Ninjago backpack!

The fun crayons :)

What a happy face!

Desperately attempting to claim the frog
as his so Big Brother Henry doesn't steal it!

What a fun, unexpected surprise for the boys.  Thank you very much, Grammie.  Fingers crossed all of the boys' excitement lasts well into the new school year.  Only 16 days until the first day of school.

But who's counting???

Despicable Me!

While Allison was here, she came across this cute picture on Facebook of "Despicable Me" little minion cupcakes...

And we thought, "Our kids can do that!"  And so they did...

Pete and Clark helping Allison

Thank goodness there are 2 beaters!

Yummy!

Look how CUTE their Minion cupcakes turned out!

Henry

James

Connor

Gabby

Nicolas

Clark

I know my cousin David, a Story Editor on the film, would be proud!  :)