August marked the end of summer vacation and the start of school and soccer season. Here’s the recap:
On August 1st, we met Alisha and her boys at the Creekwood playground for a little while. Abigail tried the swings and was pretty indifferent about the idea ;)
There is never a shortage of helpers to make sure she is swinging high!
Carter, Brooklyn, and Savannah had fun on the tire swing…
…but it didn’t take long before everyone was pretty dizzy!
It was a hot but fun morning. There was a sign on the bathroom door about a lost dog named Roo Roo, so after the kids saw that, they spent the rest of the time looking for Roo Roo and “finding clues that she’d left behind”…haha.
Later that afternoon, the girls all wanted to show me how they could do jumping jacks. Brooklyn learned how to do them in P.E. last year, and although she still can’t do them right, she thinks she can ;) And, of course, the other girls think they can do one too. Abigail’s feet don’t even leave the ground…haha. It was very entertaining!
Sweet sisters looking at library books together…
Brooklyn and Savannah love to paint! On August 2nd, Savannah worked on painting some Melissa and Doug magnets from a kit she got for her birthday (I think), and Brooklyn painted a house.
Abigail is way too wild to be trusted with paint (even washable paint!), so I gave her some water and a piece of paper instead. She wasn’t amused ;)
Couch buddies :)
Mommy needs lots of help keeping the floors clean in our house. Abigail and Savannah to the rescue!
Proud to wear Daddy’s shoes!
Time for a bedtime Bible story…
Typically, when I go in to get Abigail in the morning after she wakes up, she has thrown all of her friends, blankets, and pacis out onto the floor. I guess that’s what keeps her entertained while she waits on me to come get her :)
“What’s so funny, Mommy?”
It’s always nice to be entertained by your sisters after breakfast :)
One of the perks of being small for your age is that your big sisters can carry you around the house!
Even Savannah can pick her up!!
“Sometimes I really wish my sisters would let me in so I could play too!”
On August 5th, Brooklyn had school orientation where we got to meet her new teacher for 1st grade, see the classroom, and drop off her school supplies. We had found out the week before that she would be in Ms. Carter’s class this year. We were all excited to meet her!
We walked to the school, which turned out to be a great decision. There were cars everywhere. We got to Ms. Carter’s room, and she was standing outside of her door. Brooklyn walked up and gave her a big hug, and then gave her a second hug before we left. She also gave her a picture she’d drawn. Brooklyn found her desk, and we got her school supplies all organized. Mrs. Carter seems so nice…I think it will be a great year! Brooklyn said she wished she could start school today…haha!
Puzzle time after we got back from the school!
August 6th was our last day of summer vacation, so we decided to head to the neighborhood pool for one last morning of swimming.
It was a fun way to end the summer!
That afternoon, we even had popcorn for an afternoon snack…we were really living! ;)
August 7th was Brooklyn’s first day of 1st grade!
She was so excited that she woke up all on her own at 6:15 AM. I wasn’t too surprised about that :)
First day of kindergarten vs. first day of 1st grade…a year makes a big difference! She’s looking so grown :)
I walked Brooklyn to school that morning, and Travis stayed home with Savannah and Abigail. It was a good idea to walk with all the traffic, and a lot of other families from our neighborhood had the same idea. I just love where we live! We saw Mrs. Patterson outside the school directing traffic, and Brooklyn ran up to her, gave her a big hug, and said, “I can tie my shoes all by myself! I can even do the double knot!” She has been telling anyone who will listen that she can tie her shoes now ;)
Brooklyn was totally fine this year and didn’t seem upset or nervous when I dropped her off. I gave her a big hug, took a few pictures, and then left. She said she had a great day, and Mrs. Carter’s class is a lot of fun. She said the hardest part of the day was staying quiet when they lined up…haha. I asked her if she made any friends, and she said no. I think it’s just because she couldn’t remember anyone’s names ;) She saw her friends from last year at recess and was excited about that. She also took an “All About Me” bag to school with 3 things in it that represented her: a picture of her in her soccer uniform, a drawing of an apple (her favorite snack and her favorite color…red), and a cupcake liner because she loves baking cupcakes :)
Even though Brooklyn didn’t have too many first day jitters, she still enjoyed drinking the Jitter Juice that Ms. Carter gave everyone ;)
I’m so glad she had such a good first day!
Meanwhile at home, Savannah wanted to play board games after Brooklyn went to school, so we played a few games of Guess Who. It was weird for the first day or two with Brooklyn gone, but not as weird as it was last year was when she started kindergarten.
On August 8th, right after school, Brooklyn had her FINAL appointment with Dr. Lawley about her arm. We got a great report! The angle of the bone is now at about 10 degrees…much improved from 40-45 degrees like it was right after the injury. He said this fracture heals a lot faster than a lower arm fracture does. The bone should be totally straight in another 6 months from now. She is cleared to do full activity now!
When we got home, Brooklyn went straight outside to ride her bike and scooter for the first time in over 3 months. She was so excited! She and Savannah played outside all evening until it was time for baths.
I told Travis that it felt like things were back to the way they should be now. Brooklyn really didn’t enjoy playing outside too much this summer when she couldn’t ride her bike or scooter, so the girls didn’t play in the backyard a whole lot. Things are finally back to normal again! Brooklyn is also excited to play soccer again!
A normal sight after school – Brooklyn comes home and immediately takes her shorts, socks, and shoes off…haha. She has never been embarrassed to run around in only her shirt and underwear!
Abigail wanted to scooter after school, so Savannah helped push her around the back patio :)
So sweet!
Brooklyn decided that she wanted to play soccer again this fall. She technically wasn’t cleared to play until after the first Saturday practice of the season, but she was good to go for the second practice on August 10th. The first few practices of the season are skill sessions for all the girls of the same age before they split up into smaller teams. It was hot, but Brooklyn enjoyed getting back out there for the first time in several months!
After soccer was over, we hurried home to eat lunch and get ready before driving to Nashville for the wedding of Travis’s cousin, Steve. The flowers were really pretty at the venue where the ceremony was held.
It was SO HOT, but thankfully we weren’t outside for too long before going inside for the reception.
The girls enjoyed the doughnuts they had before we left to go back home!
Savannah participated in Bible drill class for maybe the first time ever (I think) on August 11th. We had been asking her for a while if she wanted to go, and she always said no. She finally worked up the courage to say “yes” and has been going ever since! So proud of her!
I took the girls up to Bridge Street on August 12th. We always enjoy seeing the fountains while we are there…
…and eating fruit snacks, of course!
Travis stayed home with the girls after work on August 13th while I went to 1st grade curriculum night at school. When I got home around 6:30 PM, Savannah was fast asleep sitting up on the couch…haha. Back to school is exhausting for everyone, that’s for sure!
On August 14th, I volunteered to help out during kindergarten lunch (they always ask for parents to come help for the first 2 weeks of school), and I decided to stay for 1st grade lunch too. It was fun to see Brooklyn and meet many of her classmates for the first time!
Another school year…another day of walking home from school!
Out of our three girls, Savannah is the most content to play by herself. Sometimes she just prefers to go in her room and shut the door rather than playing with her sisters. She loves puzzles and board games, so this is a frequent sight.
Brooklyn went to another soccer skills session on August 15th. This one was conducted by Challenger coaches, and the girls had so much fun. We also ran into a girl from Brooklyn’s class named Avery who was also signed up for the fall season. This was just the start of a big friendship…Avery is now one of Brooklyn’s best friends at school!
Brooklyn truly has a gift at making friends so easily and making others feel welcome and special. Avery’s mom shared with me that Avery had been struggling for the first couple of weeks at school because this was her first year at Mill Creek and she didn’t know anyone. Brooklyn acted so excited to see Avery at practice that night, and it was like they’d been best friends for months. I was always shy as a child (and still don’t feel like I am great at making friends), so this is an area where I really admire Brooklyn!
Huddling about their strategy for the 4v4 game…haha!
Travis took the day off on August 16th, so Brooklyn and Savannah got to scooter to school–something they always look forward to!
He usually has a honey-do list on his days off, so hanging this beast was the project for the morning. I ordered this custom chicken wire frame from a local guy who makes furniture and sells it on Facebook. He had never made anything like this before, but it really turned out great. It is huge (5 ft by 3 ft), and we completely filled it up with all of the hair bows we own!
I am so excited about how it turned out! This is the first time we’ve been able to store all of our bows in one central location, and it’s so much easier to pick out a bow when you can see all of them at one time. After the girls are no longer wearing bows (sniff!), I’m thinking I will use it to hang 4×6 pictures of family and friends.
It is hanging in the hallway outside the girls’ rooms, and it is the perfect spot for bows. I am so happy with it!!
August 16th was also a special day because it was Abigail’s 2nd and Paw’s 72nd birthday. Paw and Rae Rae came up that afternoon for a little birthday celebration!
Abigail was definitely more interested in her gifts this year than last. Her favorite gift was a set of Daniel Tiger toys, and she shouted, “Tiguh! Tiguh!” when she saw them :)
Abigail also got new sandals and tennis shoes, a Daniel Tiger book, a ladybug backpack, and a Skip Hop placemat for the table.
“Hey! Aren’t these MY presents?” :)
It was fun to help Paw open his presents too.
She looked so cute wearing her new backpack!
Oh, that face :)
Mom bought cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes for dessert, and they were delicious!
Abigail didn’t know what to do with her candles. She just sat there and never attempted to blow them out…other than trying to touch one with her finger. Ha!
She definitely approved of the taste though!
It was the “best birthday ever!” – according to Savannah :)
Another soccer skills session on August 17th. I think we got spoiled by the relatively cool weather during the spring season. It was so, so hot out there, especially the first month or two of the season.
Brooklyn and Nathan with their “Good Works toolboxes” that they got in Bible class :)
We broke out the water table after school on August 19th. The girls enjoyed splashing around in the water.
Travis was out of town this week on a business trip, so we spent a lot of time outside :)
Last year, Savannah rode to school in the stroller, but then I usually let her walk on the way back home. This year, she has been walking (or running!) both ways and loving it :) The privileges of being a 4 year old!
Totally relaxed!
Letting that belly hang out ;)
Brooklyn got her picture taken at school on August 20th. She is looking so big compared to last year’s yearbook picture!
“Take our picture, Mommy!”
So sweet – all ready for Bible class!
We walked Brooklyn to school the next morning since Travis was still out of town, and then we walked over to the greenway. I pushed Abigail in the jogging stroller, and Savannah scootered along. I was trying to get in shape for the Liz Hurley 5K and running about 3 times/week. It was a slow jog, but better than nothing!
On August 22nd, all of the kids who were new to Mill Creek got to draw for their house color. The kids from the red house all sat together in the cafeteria and snapped a picture with Ms. Buchanan, the principal, who is also in the red house!
What a hard life with your sisters pushing you around everywhere! ;)
Brooklyn had her first soccer game on August 24th. She was on Coach Craig’s team again, but it was a mostly different group of girls other than Darby, Craig’s daughter. Craig recruited Travis to be the assistant coach, so that was fun to watch him out there with the girls.
Brooklyn moved up to the 7U division for the fall, so their games were twice as long as they were in the spring. (Two 20 minute halves instead of two 10 minute halves). It was a long, hot game, and they only had 1 sub. The girls were definitely tired by the end.
Brooklyn struggled with her attitude during the game. She was upset that she didn’t get to score, and she was not happy even when her teammates scored. I don’t remember this being an issue in the spring, but it definitely was during this game.
We made it our goal after the game to talk to Brooklyn about being a team player, not being selfish, and playing to have fun (not to win or score). Good life lessons! :)
For the each of the girls’ birthdays this year, we decided to do a family day trip in lieu of a birthday party. We went to a children’s museum in Chattanooga for Brooklyn’s birthday, and we went to the Nashville Zoo for Savannah’s birthday. We had thought about taking the girls to the new Cook Museum in Decatur for Abigail’s birthday, but with soccer every Saturday morning for the next few months, we weren’t sure. Since we would have to go after lunch and afternoon naps, we knew we wouldn’t have much time when we got there. We ultimately decided to just take the girls to Let’s Play instead, the indoor playground in town. We already had passes, so we didn’t feel any pressure to spend a long time to get our money’s worth :)
As you can tell from these pictures, Abigail had an absolute blast. She loved this carousel…I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile so big for such a long time. It was the cutest thing!
Brooklyn and Savannah had a great time too. As usual, Brooklyn disappeared and we didn’t see her for a while because she was off making friends and playing in the big kid area :)
Abigail also loved playing with a pink balloon and tossing it up in the air. She even befriended a big kid who had fun tossing the balloon back and forth with her. It’s the simple things that are sometimes the most fun!
Check out that big kid in the blue shirt in the ball pit! :) Brooklyn and Savannah thought it was hilarious to pelt him with balls while he sat in the corner.
Brooklyn and Savannah even convinced me to go on the big kid obstacle course with them, and I was reminded that I’m not as young as I once was ;) It was a fun afternoon and a great way to celebrate Abigail turning TWO!
On August 25th, we celebrated Abigail’s birthday at Cici’s house. Abigail giggled the whole time everyone sang happy birthday to her. She still didn’t understand how to blow out the candle, so Brooklyn and Carter helped this time. She loved the chocolate cupcake she had for dessert, and she got several new books from Cici and the Loveless fam :)
Brooklyn was really interested for a while in making crafts she found in an arts and crafts book for kids. This one looked pretty simple, so I told her we could try it after school on the 26th.
She was able to do most everything herself with only a little help from me.
The frog turned out pretty cute! She was excited :)
This month, Abigail was also starting to enjoy coloring with crayons.
Tech time at school on August 27th
On August 28th, Brooklyn woke up at 4:30 AM saying her tummy hurt, and she threw up once. Thankfully, that was the only time! She stayed home from school and acted like she didn’t feel great that morning, but by mid-day she was feeling pretty normal and eating good. I’m thankful it was a short-lived thing and not the stomach virus again like we had back in April!
By that afternoon, she was feeling well enough to beg me to do another craft with her ;) This time, we made salt dough, cut it into various shapes, and baked it in the oven.
That night, we kept everyone home from Bible class just to be safe in case we were dealing with a stomach bug, and Travis decided to go for a run around the neighborhood. He invited Brooklyn and Savannah to bike while he ran, and they were excited to tag along :)
There they go! Poor Savannah got so upset because she thought they were leaving her behind (she couldn’t pedal as fast as Brooklyn). She was hysterical screaming and crying. They had to bring her back home not too long after they left, and it took her forever to calm down. Hopefully next time will go better! ;)
“Why can’t I come too?”
August 30th was the Friday before Labor Day, and Brooklyn only had a half day of school. Most half days are Mill Creek are “house days”, and Brooklyn was excited to go to Ms. Waite’s class and be with her house family that morning. She even drew Ms. Waite a picture!
She had a fun day!
Savannah enjoyed playing with an assembly kit that belongs that Brooklyn that morning. (Shh…don’t tell her!) ;)
And, after school, Brooklyn worked on painting her salt dough creations, while Savannah painted some more magnets.
Brooklyn’s tomato plant produced lots of small tomatoes this summer. So many that we weren’t sure what to do with them all…haha. Cici volunteered to take the excess tomatoes and turn them into tomato sauce. It turned out really good, and I used it to make spaghetti one night. Brooklyn was excited about it!
Brooklyn had her 2nd soccer game on August 31st…
This time her team didn’t have ANY subs, so Brooklyn and the other girls on her team all played the entire game.
Her team, the Rainbow Unicorns, was wearing blue that day :)
Brooklyn had a much better attitude today! She tried hard, gave Darby hugs when she scored, and didn’t give up. She said she had fun out there even though she didn’t score. We were so proud of her!
Quotes and Notes from August:
- 8/1/19 – Today is the first day that Brooklyn has really been confident about tying her shoes, and it helps so much! She feels like she can do it, so she doesn’t get as frustrated and just works at it. She is doing great and with some more practice, she will be a pro in no time. It’s amazing how much a change in attitude can help.
- 8/3/19 – Brooklyn declared today that she wants to take showers instead of baths from now on. Tying shoes and taking showers all in the same week…my heart can’t take her growing up like this! ;)
- 8/4/19 – We were leaving Cici’s house after lunch. Brooklyn and Savannah were telling Cici ‘thank you’ and giving her hugs. And Abigail hurried over and said, “Hug! Hug!” and gave Cici a big hug. Then she said “hug” again and gave her a second hug. It was so sweet!
- 8/6/19 – Brooklyn has really gotten into mazes over the last few weeks, and she is getting pretty good at them. I need to get her a big book of mazes or something!
- 8/7/19 – We were going over Savannah’s Bible lesson this afternoon. I asked: “How did God make Eve?” Savannah replied: “From Adam’s ribbon!” Haha! :)
- 8/8/19 – Today was the 2nd day of school. I walked Brooklyn to school again this morning (with Savannah and Abigail this time). When we got to the front door, Brooklyn said she wanted us to come inside with her, so we did. We turned to go down the first grade hallway, and we got about 1/3 of the way down the hall, and Brooklyn announced, “That’s far enough, Mommy! Don’t go any farther. I know where to go!” She headed off down the hall totally fine without even a hug or kiss. I’m proud that she is feeling so independent, but it makes me a little sad at the same time. I’m not quite ready to not be needed ;)
- Abigail is hilarious these days when we pray. Savannah says the same 4 line prayer word-for-word every time. “Dear God, thank you for this beautiful day. Thank you for all the blessings that you’ve given us. Thank you for Mommy and Daddy. In Jesus name, Amen.” Abigail has memorized it and has started saying Savannah’s prayer out loud with her (at least certain words). At the end, she will raise her arms up in that air and shout “A-MANNNNNN!” It’s really hard not to laugh every time :)
- 8/8/19 – 2nd day of school: Brooklyn came home and said, “I made a new BFF today…I think her name was Makayla!”
- 8/9/19 – Savannah (at the grocery store, in the canned goods aisle): “I see chocolate beans, Mommy!” I guess she’d never noticed the black beans before ;)
- 8/16/19 – Savannah: “Daddy, do you not like it when we ask lots of questions or make a lot of noise?” Kids are very perceptive, aren’t they? :)
- 8/23/19 – Travis was gone to Seattle all this week. It was a long week with him gone from Sunday to Friday, but we survived. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be overall, but we were definitely happy when he got home! Abigail thought it was great when she got to Facetime Daddy during the week and was so excited to talk to him. Brooklyn said multiple times during the week, “I really miss Daddy”, and she made him a sweet book that she gave him when he got home.
- 8/28/19 – Abigail says “su-ro” for super-hero. (We have little super hero figures that the girls got from the treasure box at Dr. Lawley’s office). So, Abigail is always taking about her “su-ro”.
- 8/30/19 – Savannah declared this week that she was tired of sharing a bathroom with Brooklyn because Brooklyn never puts the top back on the toothpaste after she uses it…haha. So Savannah moved her own toothbrush into Abigail’s bathroom and decided to share with her instead ;) The drama is just beginning around our house!
Thanks for reading!
