Not Quite As I Planned

So, I thought I'd be able to be a great mom, fantastic wife, A+ student, volunteer extraordinaire, an everyday blogger, and a few other daily/weekly task master however it just doesn't look like all that is going to be possible...DUH!  I'm just a bit crazy sometimes :)  I thought I'd jump on here and let you know how the first week of classes has gone for me--fantastic!  I'm excited for my classes this semester--Public Speaking and Personal and Community Wellness.  I'm getting in shape this semester! Last week I completed 5 days of working out and I've already tackled today's workout.  Public Speaking, well, that's a bit challenging but I appreciate the importance of it and how I can definitely benefit from the course.
Enough about me.  The kids completed their first full week of school last week too.  Penelope did her 2 days, one of which was all day.  She has asked daily to go to school despite being told she only goes 2 days a week.  The boys have some great teachers and are off to another wonderful year.  Alexander has already done some research and completed a report on the subject of himself.  John Paul has brought home some papers covering various reviews of last year's work.  I love his handwriting and listening to him read.  The boys are having fun competitions each evening as we review math facts. And, Stella is crawling! Eight months old and crawling! No teeth, no rolling over, CRAWLING!
Check a few of these out
Get some quick extra nutrients in your diet at Green Thickies
Was so excited for her baby announcement.
I'm excited to check out this site with the kids.  Did you know PBS Kids and Whole Foods have teamed up to create Fantastic Organic?
Have a beautiful week! :)

80th Anniversary of Lego

It's the 80th anniversary of Lego!  What have you created lately? Over the weekend, Alexander created a board game using his bricks and guys.  We've enjoyed playing it a couple of times.  John Paul watched a tow truck load up a car on Friday and then recreated the tow truck using his Legos.  Legos truly are endless possibilities for imaginative play and creation.  Here's a short video about the history of Lego.

During the Blog Vacation

Just some of what we did during my blog vacation in no particular order...

Despite the crazy drought and heat, we have had a pretty good garden this summer.  It was our first time to grow okra.  This is a picture of the okra bloom. It's a beautiful flower that lasts for a vary short time.

The kids had fun creating their very own bows and arrows.  And then shooting them off was even more fun!

Our trip to Chicago...Jaime and I became god parents again.  This is my teeny tiny niece, Hailey.

Chicago 'burbs cousins

Chicago cousins

Auntie time.  Can't wait to meet the newest cousin...arriving in January!

Curiosity

Exploring Curiosity

After watching a video of Curiosity, Alexander went and built his own out of Legos :)

Back Again :)

Hi everyone...if anyone is still around after my month long break.  School and life just got busy there for a little while.  I'm hoping that with this upcoming semester I can keep up here a least a couple of times a week. My family and I went on a fantastic vacation to Chicago.  Jaime and I both have sisters that live in Chicago and the suburbs so it was great getting to see both sides of the family for the first time in 2 years!  We went to the beach, the Children's Museum, and other fun Chicago things.  If you've never been there, we highly recommend visiting. :)
The start of school is quickly approaching!  The 3 older kiddos start next week.  It'll be Penelope's first year of preschool and she is more than ready and extremely excited.  Alexander starts 4th grade and John Paul begins 1st grade.  I start back on the 20th and will be taking 2 courses this semester.
Pray for rain and enjoy these last days of summer!