Just a day at the park

This first full week of school was crazy busy--we have to get used to being back in the swing of things and get our routine down again. Hopefully life will calm down a bit soon, but just in case this next week is hectic, we decided to enjoy a restful afternoon at the park.

The last time we fed fish at my parents' pond, Benton ate the stale bread himself. We were thrilled he shared with the ducks this time. Potty trained and not eating animal food--wonders never cease!

Pretty bald baby at the park! She is getting mobile and is hard to keep contained these days. Lindsey and Benton both started sitting up and crawling right at eight months, so we are thinking we have very little time left before Kate is into everything. The nursery attendant at church said she is crawling, but it is more of a scoot.

Benton has a slight obsession with tractors these days thanks to an adorable book he has about an old orange tractor named Otis. This orange tractor was parked at the entrance to our neighborhood this weekend, so we had to pull over and let Benton "pet" Otis.

And finally, our two thumb-sucking girls. Lindsey thinks she has quit sucking her thumb, but sometimes when we check during the night she is inadvertently sucking away on her thumb. Because she is headstrong, she told us to take her picture and prove it to her. Here's the proof.



Kate, on the other hand, proudly flaunts her thumb sucking. The only difference in these two is that Kate sucks her left thumb.



And she's off!

Lindsey made it through her first few days of school and still loves the place! Tuesday night we went to Open House, and David forgot her school supplies (I was in charge of bringing three kids; David was in charge of school supplies. Guess it is better that he forgot his stuff than if I had forgotten mine). Open House was a bit chaotic with all those people in the classroom, so I'm hoping very few people noticed that I had a streak of poo on my shirt (Benton's, not mine). But on that note, Benton is potty trained! One week ago we put him in underwear and we haven't looked back. He's doing great except for the poop thing, but he'll figure it out.

The morning school started David and I both planned to take Lindsey to her class, so he took Benton and Kate to the sitter while Lindsey and I went to clock in at my school. Then we met up at the Perry's house and got pictures of the girls before the first day of school. Look out PHES, here they come!

Lindsey, Campbell, Abby Grace, and Madilyn. Lindsey and Madilyn are in the same class.

Walking in with dad on the first day of school

 

Outside her classroom. Miss Natalie and Miss Tina are her teachers.

 Although we took Lindsey to school her first day, she rode the teacher shuttle to my school at the end of the day. The teacher shuttle is a fabulous perk for teachers in the county that is basically a school bus that runs between schools for teachers' children only. Lindsey was excited about riding the bus to my school. The first afternoon buses run late, so I wasn't concerned when 3:45 rolled around and Lindsey was not at my school yet. Around 4:00, I got nervous. I was standing guard at the front door of the school. Then sweet Anna Grace, another teacher's child, jumped off bus 370 and the bus drove off. Panicking, I grabbed Anna Grace and asked if there was a precious little kindergartener on her bus. She had not seen anyone that matched my description. I was searching for a Xanax as another teacher at my school walked up from another bus holding Lindsey's hand. My sweet child had gotten on the teacher shuttle and gotten off at the first stop, which was the middle school. Although I have a bone to pick with the driver who let that innocent child off at the wrong stop, I was so proud of my daughter who realized she was at the wrong school, walked into the office, told them she couldn't find her mommy, and then told them her mommy is Mary Kylie Ruff and she teaches at Desoto Central High School. The secretary put her on the next bus headed to my school. If Benton had gotten off the bus at the wrong school, he would still be in that office insisting that my name is mommy. Luckily, the last three days have been much smoother and Lindsey now gets off the bus with Anna Grace. Getting on the bus has been trickier the past two mornings, but she will get adjusted. And nothing beats ending my school day seeing that little bundle of energy running down B hall at my school. For the first of what will be many times, I'm one proud mama.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow

Yesterday, my nephew Charlie Lindsey was born. He looks precious in pictures and I can not wait to hold him soon. Every time a baby is born, it reminds me of the three days in my own life that have changed my world for the better. David says that those three days are the three best days of his life, but I tell him that he can say that because he was not the one responsible for getting the children out of his body and into the world. Babies are just the most precious things on earth, and I'm thankful to have three of them to call mine. I'm also thankful that I no longer have to endure pregnancy (weight gain, back pain, swollen nose, swollen fingers, constant bathroom trips, hours in the OB office, and "You're huge!" "That's got to be twins!" "No way you aren't due until December!"), labor/delivery (I won't include details for those faint of heart, but fainting with two of the three births tops the problems with labor/delivery for me), post partum (still looking pregnant, still having a swollen nose, no clothes fitting, baby eating around the clock, baby pooping around the clock, baby not sleeping around the clock).

Today. Nine years ago today, it was hot. It was the hottest August on record since 1980, which my mom reminded me often during August 2002 since it was hotter the August I was born. Nine years ago today, on a hot Saturday, I woke up and went to the salon to get my hair fixed. I emerged an hour later with lots of bobby pins and hairspray. Then I waited, and waited, and waited. I remember being so lonely that day, because I was not allowed to see David, my parents were at the church setting up, and my bridesmaids were working on the top-secret scrapbook. So I sat on the swing in the backyard with Dixie. My parents came home and took a picture of me in the backyard with that nasty dog while I was wearing my veil. Later that day I finally rode to church with my mom, put on my beautiful white dress, and got the scrapbook from my bridesmaids (I still have that book on the list of things I would grab if my house were to catch on fire). Then I got to see David. After nine months of being engaged and the two previous years of dating, we were getting married. That day was hot, but it was perfect. The past nine years have been filled with oh-so-many memories, both better and worse, richer and poorer, sickness and health, and I thank God that I have spent each of those years with David.

Tomorrow, our Lindsey starts kindergarten. I am a teacher, so I understand and respect the school system. I am thrilled with the teacher that Lindsey has this year and excited about the school. Last year she went to pre-school at the same school and we were extremely pleased with the experience, and Lindsey is looking forward to starting kindergarten tomorrow. But for some reason, even though I thought this would not happen, I am sad to see her go. As I watch Kate (Lindsey's little clone) get up on all fours and start rocking or sit in her high chair and say "da da da da da", I am reminded of how quickly they grow up. It sounds hokey, but something about having our baby hit these milestones as Lindsey starts kindergarten makes me want to freeze time. But as soon as I feel that way, Benton tee tees in his "unawares" and Lindsey starts sobbing because I will not let her wear a striped bow with her floral skirt and Kate spits up green peas on me.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow--we are blessed.