Thank you card

Look what I made at Shutterfly:

3x5 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Summer in Review

It's been way too long since I've made an appearance here.  My last post here was of Gideon's last day of kindergarten.  On the evening of that day, we measured the newly-promoted first grader's height; he was 47 5/8 inches.  Jeremy planned to measure him the first day of first grade, and even though Jeremy had to be at work too early on that day to see Gideon off, and even though I'd completely forgotten about that proposition, the first grader bounded downstairs that morning in his new school clothes, and asked - first thing - if I'd measure him.  He was 48 1/2 inches.  Almost one inch in just over two months.

Road trip

Our summer flew by, even though we didn't have near as many play dates or complete near as many science experiments or art projects as I'd intended or expected or hoped.  The second week of the summer break, we discovered I was pregnant - not an accident, but still a surprise, given our history, my age, etc. - and within a couple of weeks, the first trimester exhaustion and nausea (generally in the afternoon and evening - a new experience for me) set in, and my energy and enthusiasm waned.

In the end, though, it didn't seem to matter.  The boys played together pretty well and were satisfied with occasional trips to the library, Chick-fil-a or Panera, Target, and afternoons spent in our one-step-above-baby-pool inflatable pool.  There were swim lessons and audio books in the car (Titanic Crossing, The Penderwicks Summer Tale, and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - all highly recommended).  We made our second trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and remain enamored of the place.  We spent two full, hot weeks with family in Texas, logging over 1200 miles on rental cars and staying in the homes of five different generous, welcoming family members spread from the Centroplex to the Metroplex to the Panhandle of our great home state.

Panhandle sunrise

While I am eager for the coming of fall and I am able to get a little more done around the house with only one child under foot and not two now that school has started, I was sad to see the summer end and shed just a few tears as the bus pulled away on that first day, missing already having both my babies with me and knowing every moment of what goes on in their lives.  The sweet pause of summer was over and the reality of that growth that never really stops had revealed itself yet again.  Summer, was indeed, "over and gone, over and gone," once more.

The Outer Banks

Ghost crab

Cape Hatteras

Early morning kite-flying

At Home

Watching TV (not usually this sweetly)

Baking

The sweet spoils of hard work in the kitchen

Afternoon water play

Texas

It's hot here

With Memaw and Papa B

Cousins

Great friends whom I miss dearly

Palo Duro Canyon

With Memaw and Papa A

The End

First day of first grade

Gideon finishes kindergarten

He got the "computer whiz" classroom award.

 

With Mrs. Miller

This kid...

likes to eat:

 

It often ends up everywhere:

 

Even more growing up (when will it stop?!)

In one weekend, Gideon lost the other top front tooth, got a buzz haircut, and subsequent to both of those, aged 3 years in one day's time.  Please make it stop.

Gideon Reads

Gideon was invited to a read a book to the current pre-Kers at his old preschool.  He chose the book and we practiced reading it every day for a week.  After the reading, the students were encouraged by the teachers to ask the "big" kindergartner about kindergarten.

Whatever Wednesday: Mother's Day