This year is a BIG year over in our household. We have both kids back on one drop off/one pick up - at the same place with Nora is in Kindergarten! Sniff sniff, and yay yay! She was SO ready after watching Liam love the last years of elementary school and being her teacher's helper in Pre-School. And she is still loving it two weeks later. :)
See back to school pics 2017 (and Liam going to Kindergarten here) and 2018.
Liam started school - reunited with all his buddies in one place - a few days earlier. They staggered Kindergarten to start a few days later which was nice. Liam was ready to go back - he likes school, I think he just loves recess, but either way - glad he gets up excited to go to school each day. Nora was very excited to take him to his first day, knowing she'd join a few days later!
Nora's big day came a couple days later after a parent-teacher conference to warm the kids up to the classroom the day before. Spoiler alert, she warmed up real quick! Like I said, girl is ready! She loved all the centers and bounces from the reading nook, to the art center to the STEAM section of the class.
We are also super thrilled with her teacher, as she got the same teacher that Liam had his Kindergarten year - and it was a magical year! Excited for this year with her!
And then at the end of their first Friday at their same elementary school together, I made them pose for another picture. I bribed them with popsicles.
After a very cold and snowy winter and then a very wet spring, we threw ourselves into summer as fast as we could. Parks, picnics, sprinklers, the pool and a lot of SUN just within the first two weeks caused for some very sleepy evenings and much needed afternoon quiet time. My kids don't nap anymore, so we enforce quiet time - which most of the time they complain incessantly about the entire time (so... not very quiet). This past weekend, after pulling them in from the pool for a much needed break from the sun on their fair, fresh from winter skin, I had a surprise for them.
We are HUGE 'How To Train Your Dragon' fans in our house, watching the first two on repeat. They are movies not only both my kids can agree on (a small feat), but ones that both my husband and I enjoy watching, too. So, now that How To Train Your Dragon 3 is out, we had to do it right.
Walmart has an extra special version - How To Train Your Dragon 3 Walmart Exclusive DVD Gift Set that includes 2 Funko keychains - and with the extra bonus of t-shirts and dragon toys this was a real treat for the kids. We popped some popcorn and all took our rest time immersed in the movie. Liam had already seen this movie in theaters, but it was the first time for the rest of us - and we were all so excited, especially Nora, to see a female dragon!
The movie is full of action, love and friendship, and looking for solutions. I love that the movie includes unconventional leaders and path that is constantly re-assessed as the end goal changes. I think it shows my kids that anyone can step up to be anything they want and challenges along the way doesn't mean it's over. Not to give too much away, I have to say my favorite part was the end. A happy ending for all (though not the one originally envisioned) gave us all a good feeling as we ran back out into the sun!
Nora's hair is super prone to tangles. So much so that we dread the post shower brush-out and it's a huge fight from her to let me finish brushing her hair out. Her hair is semi-curly (seems to be getting less curly as she gets older, which makes me sad...) doesn't seem coarse or anything, but it just catches against itself, I guess.
So, after a lot of trial and error - I have found a product routine that has taken the struggle out of brushing her hair and I had to share in case anyone else out there is chasing their kid trying to brush their hair.
1. Recently, I got this new Dove ultracare repair conditioner that is legit. Not only does it smell good, but really gets her hair silky (I use it, too, to repair my ends!). Her tangley hair above looks 10x better than it did getting out of the shower before this stuff.
2. While rinsing the conditioner out, I have her brush hair with this hair scalp massager. (bonus - feels great!)
3. After the shower, we dry her hair with a cotton t-shirt instead of a towel (there is also this anti-frizz hair towel if you don't want to use a t-shirt). I do this with my own hair, and Nora wanted to wrap a t-shirt around her head like mama. But I actually think this has helped! The terry cloth of the towel roughs up her hair too much as she dries it.
5. In addition, she has silk-like pillowcases that she sleeps on each night. This helps her hair stay smoother longer (since we don't wash her hair every night). I have these same pillowcases (in white).
This marble tray is my favorite way to corral products (hand soap, lotion, hair products) in a bathroom/near a sink.
Instead of movie night with popcorn, we turned a Sunday morning into waffles and Netflix! You would have thought I just filled our house with Legos, LOL dolls and puppies when I broke out the Eggos and Reddi-Wip for a waffle bar. It's moments like this that makes me remember that it's the simple things in life that bring so much joy to children.
The waffle bar allowed for each kid to choose their own waffle kind and top it however they wanted. I love when I can give my kids the freedom of choice. And I also love when we can all find a fun show that has a positive message and instills inclusion, problem solving and friendship. Nora got us all hooked on "Spirit Riding Free" on Netflix, and it was the perfect morning compliment to our Sunday waffle bar party. The series is about a girl named Lucky who moves to a new town, makes new friends, and has new experiences, stepping outside of her comfort zone. And shows how she has all she needs within herself!
We often make our own waffles, but I have to tell you... shopping at Walmart for Eggos allowed us to purchase multiple varieties for more options, and gave us more time to spend together eating and watching Spirit (check out these show-themed activities!). The Eggos toast to golden perfection in just minutes, and are warm, fluffy and delicious! I also really excited my kids with Reddi-Wip as part of our spread, and I personally was excited to try the non-dairy version made with high-quality coconut cream. Reddi-Wip uses less hydrogenated oils than other frozen whipped toppings, so that makes me feel good.
After this sweet morning, I vow to do more surprise and delight type things with my kids more often. Celebrating the everyday and spending time together.
We do family photos about every year and a half, so that I can capture my family in different seasons with enough time in between to see a real difference in their growth. You can see our family photos taken in 2017 (Spring) and 2015 (Fall), and how quickly these babies of mine are growing!
This year we bounced around the River Market, and I was very happy with how well my kids cooperated. You never really know - especially after a long day of work/school, and in that witching hour for that magic light. My trick is little candies that can eat as we walk in-between locations (nothing that takes too long to eat, like suckers - that was a past mistake). My favorite candy to bring is mini-Twizzlers.
This has been a big year of major growth for my kiddos. They both sprouted up in height, they've lost teeth, each learning a ton for their respective ages, and have mastered getting their own cereal (yessss!!!). But.... would love time to slow down a bit! These little people of mine just might be teenagers the next time I turn around.
