2018 - Week Thirty-Four Photos

Another great week and weekend in the Hawk house! The next two weeks are a bit busy and the weekends involve some traveling as we're gearing up for some adventures and some FUN!

Monday, August 20 - Best Monday Ever

When one of your students walks in on a Monday morning with homemade cupcakes, you know it's going to be a great day. I devoured one and let the boys split the other one. They were delicious!

Motivational Monday quote on my letter board at school for the week was...

"You can't have a positive life with a negative mind." 

Tuesday, August 21 - RF's First School Library Book

He was so excited to be able to bring his first school library book home! His daddy read it to him and his brother before bed and he spent some time looking for his sight words in it as well. I cannot believe my baby is working on learning to read. 

Wednesday, August 22 - Morning Conversations

After getting ready for school, Ellis decided to lay down and chat with Gus. He told Gus that he was headed to school and then asked Gus what he was going to do today at home...he loves his puppies...

Thursday, August 23 - Big Helper 

In the afternoons, the custodial staff begins cleaning the classrooms on my hall as RF is hanging out in my classroom before we leave to go get Ellis. RF saw our custodian emptying the trash from each classroom and decided to help her. He emptied the trash in the classrooms while she swept and tidied up. He has such a kind heart.

Friday, August 24 - A Great Week

 The proof is in the agenda! RF's teacher makes a notation in his agenda each day to let us know how his day was. Five days of smiley faces make this mama happy. :-)

Saturday, August 25 - Pink Rose

When your husband brings you a pink rose off of one of your rose bushes in the yard... :-)

Sunday, August 26 - Gracie Day!

 Eleven years ago today this sweet girl came into our lives! She has the heart of an angel. 

A busy week is upon us with a few classes at the gym for Mama, a Cub Scouts meeting for RF (he decided last week he wants to join), and then Aunt Hartley comes in town on Friday to hang with the boys while RA and I head out of town for the Labor Day weekend. 

Our family hopes you have a fantastic week, friends! 

2018 - Week Thirty-Three Photos

We made it through another week with the kiddos in big-kid school! We have spent the weekend relaxing without a single thing on our to-do list. It has been glorious!

Monday, August 13 - Motivational Monday

This week's food for thought...

Tuesday, August 14 - First Homework Assignment

Ellis completed his first homework assignment by answering five important questions about his family. He's such a big kid!

Wednesday, August 15 - Morning Car Rider Line

Having a little fun in the car rider line Wednesday morning. I'm so proud of how well this guy is adjusting to Kindergarten! 

Thursday, August 16 --- Potato Soup

RF came home Wednesday afternoon and it was clear that he had picked up a round of the crud - runny nose, congestion, slight fever, and fatigue (he's never tired, so when he is I know something's up). Wednesday night was rough as he was incredibly restless all night long and by 4:30AM I knew that he needed a day of rest at home. I put in for a sub and made plans to spend the day getting my oldest boy feeling better. He ate a lot of popsicles and lounged most of the day while I accomplished quite a few around-the-house tasks on my to-do list including making a big pot of homemade potato soup to help get him to feeling better. 

Friday, August 17 - Stuffed Animals

Ellis likes to collect things. Cards, marbles, and even stuffed animals. This is how I found him Friday morning as I woke him up for school. Apparently, one or two stuffed animals isn't enough, he needs 15+ in order to get a good night's sleep.

Saturday, August 18 - Afternoon Rain

We were already spending the day being pretty lazy, but when the afternoon rain set it we had even more of an excuse to stay on the couch and watch movies together...

Sunday, August 19 - Facebook Memories

THREE YEARS AGO? My goodness...they were so little...

Have a great week, my friends! We have another pretty calm week on our calendar as we continue to adjust to our back-to-school routine. :-)

2018 - Week Thirty-Two Photos

Our first full week of school is a wrap and the second full week is upon us. We managed to survive this week with both boys in big kid school, mama working, daddy working, squeezing in a few afternoon trips to the gym, and keeping our morning and evening routines as consistent as possible.

Our morning routine looks something like this...
RA is up at 5:00, I'm up no later than 5:15 to make sure lunches are packed and clothes are ready (both of which I more than likely did the night before) and make breakfast. The boys are usually up by 6:00, although Ellis likes to lay in my bed and stretch/play with the dogs for a few minutes before he officially gets up and gets going. They eat breakfast, get dressed, and brush their teeth. We have a no TV during the school week (morning or afternoon/evening)  rule, so the boys usually play in their room while I get dressed. We are all out the door by 7:00. RF is at school about 7:20 and I'm at school by 7:30. RA drops off Ellis about 7:30 before heading on to work himself.

Our afternoon/evening routine looks something like this...
RF rides the school bus to my school and is usually to me about 3:15. My work day ends at 3:40 and RF and I head out to pick up Ellis about 4:10. We are usually back home by 4:45. I prep dinner while the boys play - sometimes inside, sometimes outside. Three days a week we head to the gym for my 5:30 spin class and by the time we get home about 6:30 RA is home from work. We have dinner together and then the boys have a few more minutes to play in their room while RA and I catch up on each other's day. At 7:15 the boys take their bath and begin their bedtime routine. RA usually reads to them for 20-30 minutes and by 7:45, they are laying in their beds snug as bugs in a rug drifting off to sleep. They've recently transitioned to their own twin beds (they used to share a queen bed) and it has made a HUGE difference in their ability to fall asleep all by themselves. RF is usually zonked within 10 minutes of lights out and Ellis is usually about 20 minutes behind RF. RA and I spend the evening straightening up and getting things ready for the next morning to start the process all over again. And he and I are usually in bed by 9:30 or 10:00 at the latest.

Monday, August 6 --- Motivational Monday

A little motivation for the first Monday of the school year. I change the quote each Monday so the kiddos have something to think about the whole week...

Tuesday, August 7 --- Muscles

He walked up to me after dinner and said, "Mama, look at these muscles! You definitely want to take a picture of them. They are really big." 

#heishilarious

Wednesday, August 8 --- School Prayer

The hardest thing about this transition to big kid school is that I can't control the elements of the world with which he comes into contact. That is a really hard thing to cope with as a parent.

We have to pray that we've raised him to be a confident, smart, kind young man who will do good and make the right choices.

Thursday, August 9 --- Keeping Watch

They are such beagles. They love to sit and watch all the things (there is nothing...) in the backyard that could try and enter their territory...

Friday, August 10 - Safety Patrol 

Thursday was the first day that I dropped RF off in the car rider line and he walked himself to his classroom. There is a team of students who wear safety vests and are called, "The Safety Patrol Team". They are upperclassmen at the elementary school and their job is to help monitor the halls and make sure that the younger students are getting to their classrooms. RF made a friend (Jake, I think) who is one of the safety patrols and when he came home Friday he asked me to make him a safety patrol sash (out of his snake stuffed animal) so that he could pretend to be a member of the safety patrol team. He said, "They are super cool, mom. I want to be one when I'm one of the big kids in my school."

#goals

Saturday, August 11 - Bedtime Story

Each night he lays in one of their beds and reads to them. Tonight's choice was "The Wind in the Willows." RA even does voices for each character. The boys think its the best thing.

Sunday, August 12 - New Light Fixture

I didn't like the light fixture on our front porch, so RA found me something more our speed - a railroad lantern. The Boston & Maine Railroad was in operation from 1836 - the 1980s and this particular lantern (and it's pair that will be hung on our back porch) was used on the Boston & Maine Railroad in the 1920s. He's so good at finding me things for the house that fit our style. Thank you, RA. :-)

Thanks for checking in on our family! We hope you have a great week! 

2018 - Week Thirty-One Photos

Back to school! This week included Open House + the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL for both of the boys and mommy!

Check out Mr. Ellis's birthday post here, his LEGO birthday party here, our full month of July recap here, a full post about the First Day of School here.

Monday, July 30 --- Open House

 Ellis wasn't having it at Open House for his Pre-K class. 

#grumpy

 RF was super excited, albeit quite shy once we got to the school. He talked our ears off on the way, but once we were in the building and he saw all of the people and the hallways, I could tell some nervousness kicked in. 

Tuesday, July 31 --- Packing Lunch

 Cue the tears. Yep. I cried the ugly cry while I packed RF's lunch box for his first day of Kindergarten. It absolutely blows my mind that this day is here...

Wednesday, August 1 --- First Day

 He handled it like a champ, y'all! I held it together on the way to school and while I was walking him into his class and getting him settled, but once I got back out to my car and started my drive to work, more of the ugly cries came out. 

#imgladibroughtmymakeupbag

#shouldhavewornwaterproofmascara

 Ellis was very upset Wednesday morning when it was time to leave the house for school. This is the first time that the boys have gone to different schools and Ellis wasn't ready for his ride to school without his brother. He stood by the car and said, "But mama best friends go to school together. RF's my best friend. What am I going to do?" He is such a sweethearted little boy and he LOVES his big brother. Luckily, his teachers were able to get the smiles out of him once he got into his classroom and they got their fun first day of Pre-K going. 

Thursday, August 2 --- A Better Mood 

 Someone was in a MUCH better mood Thursday morning. He jumped up and said, "I gotta get dressed mama. I'm a big boy and it's time to go to Pre-K." 

As cute as he is, no, I didn't let him wear the sparkly red hat to Pre-K. Silly little boy. 

Friday, August 3 --- Ice Cream

 No doubt that making it through the first few days of school deserves a sweet treat on a warm Friday afternoon. 

Someone rocked his first three days of Kindergarten, including riding the bus from his school to my school each day. Such a big boy...

Saturday, August 4 --- Never Too Big

 He might be 40lbs and a big Pre-K boy now, but he knows that he will never be too big to nap in his mama's arms. 

Sunday, August 5 --- Science Kid 

When you capture a wasp in the house and your science-loving kid asks you to leave it under the glass for a few minutes so that he can study it before you release it back outside.

Cheers to the upcoming first FULL week of the school year!

July 2018

Our last full month of summer break has come and gone. We had an absolute blast hanging out these past few weeks. I sure am going to miss my boys all day once we are back in school on August 1.

Sunday morning gloriousness...

OUCH! A wasp sting on the bottom of my big toe. Ouch, ouch, ouch. 

He now knows how to work the remote, so its only natural to start training him to make his own breakfast, right? 

Sweethearted angel girl...

When you're waiting on your morning biscuit to cook and decide to sit and watch it in the oven...

Red, white, and blue! Gearing up for the fourth of July with festive nails...

Sweet beagle boy...

A little decor with some undeniably true words...

I'm pretty sure I'm obsessed with the hammock in our backyard...

A happy little sheriff's deputy swinging with me in the hammock...

Fourth of July cookout - ribs, baked beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, and corn on the cob...

And homemade peach cobbler...

Sparkler time!

He had so much fun this year with the sparklers!

:-)

RF enjoyed the sparklers, too! 

Hanging out at the end of the driveway waiting on the fireworks to start. The boys decided to do some artwork while we waited. 

Happy Fourth of July! 

Someone found a miniature John Deere windmill at a local antique store and he LOVED it! 

We've got pumpkins growing!

A day trip north of ATL to go to the Tellus Science Museum - it was a big boyfest - dinosaurs everywhere!

A really awesome display of the elements of the periodic table. 

Polished spheres of different minerals. RF said some of them looked like different planets. 

Touching the inside of an amethyst geode...

RF is obsessed with sharks. He LOVED the Megladon jaw. A museum staff member was in this gallery while we were exploring and he started talking to RF about the Megladon. RF said a few things and the staff member said, "I think you know more about this megladon than I do." :-)

Ellis like turtles...

"I'm on the moon, mama!"

Paning for gemstones! 

Discovering artifacts as archaeologists...

Playing with a little magnetic remote controlled crane...

Sweet Gracie girl...

ARGH. A nail went through my shoe and into my foot while I was chasing the two beagles through the woods when they escaped our yard. 

It hurt so bad...

RF said, "Mommy, you're hurt, so I'll clean up so that you can rest." I found him deep cleaning his bathroom.

This little boy loves his magnets and is such a silly little guy...

He likes puzzles, too! 

And he loves his sweet Gus! 

Playing Legos while mama props up her foot...

Boo-hoo...school supplies arrived for RF...I'm not ready for this...

A little DIY for Ellis's birthday shirt! 

Our vicious watch-dog...

Rose of Sharon is blooming! 

A day trip to Athens always includes a walk around north campus...

And a stop at Little Italy for a slice of pizza...

Time to celebrate sweet Ellis! 

He's FOUR!

Sweet brothers! 

LEGO cake! 

Present time!

A little afternoon baseball...

Big smiles! 

Then, back inside to build more LEGOs...

Over the river and through the woods to Nana's house we go...

After sitting up for a while, then they decided to lay down...

Then Gus decided he needed to see out the window...

Then he decided to wanted to lay on his sister...

The boys spent a week with Nana and Babu and had so much fun!

They love to be outside...

And they love to squirt each other with the waterhose...

And Ellis likes to squirt himself...

Helping Babu in the yard...

Talking to Nana's turtle...

Spending some time with Junior, the turtle...

Hauling his recycling all over Nana's yard...

He made some sort of battle station. He said that the pipes on the ground were his water supply...

Helping Nana trim some flowers...

Cooling off with a popsicle...

And then back outside to play in their bucket of water...

He's clearly not a baby, but this is his chair when he's at Nana's house. 

Active beagles at Nana's house...

Taxiing to the runway to take off for Houston! 

Gorgeous views on the flight to Houston...

Handprint bookmark while I read on the flight...

Descending into Houston...

Wheels down in Houston! 

View from my hotel room of a nice green space in the downtown area...

When you're traveling alone, you pick up a pizza and a slice of red velvet cake and eat it in bed while binge watching re-runs of the Big Bang Theory...

AP Annual Conference!

Happy Birthday, Ellis!

FaceTiming early in the morning on his birthday! 

Giving his mama big smiles while she sang Happy Birthday to him! 

When you're with your Nana on your birthday you get spoiled BIG TIME...

Birthday cinnamon rolls! 

And birthday cupcakes! 

Fishing at Aunt Cricket's house! 

They LOVE to fish...

Waiting patiently to hook a fish...

I had a few more days in Houston and this was the view as I wandered around downtown...

FaceTiming with my big boy!

Last night in Houston called for homemade fettucine alfredo and spinach and artichoke dip in bed while binge watching more episodes of the Big Bang Theory...

Conference was AMAZING, but I'm ready to go home! 

ATL bound! 

When you've been out of town for five days and you're husband organizes a date night for you when you get home. Thank you, RA! 

While we were in the restaurant the bottom fell out! There was hail and everything. Luckily, it let up and we could venture back to our car.

Reunited with my boys! 

A week away makes me miss these boys a whole bunch! 

RF went with Nana to the Dollar Tree and picked out these two items as presents for me. He said I needed a paint roller and a measuring cup...thank you, son? 

Checking out his archaeology site...

A big boy in a tree! 

Brothers in a tree! 

I love this face...

Watching Wall-E and eating his big sucker from his birthday...

The sucker is as big as his head! 

The squirrels have discovered the birdfeeders on the back windows...

Ellis waving to the crazy squirrel...

Apparently he's hungry and is willing to go anything to get to the birdfeeder...

They watched it for about 10 minutes...

They talked to it and then imagined up a story about it...

Eat up Mr. Squirrel. I'll refill it in the morning...

Big boy snoozing it up in his mama's bed...

My youngest sister had a baby --- Toby is here! 

I got to FaceTime with Aunt Hartley to see his sweet face! 

Hi, sweet boy! 

Breakfast date with my oldest! 

Smiling! He ordered three scrambled eggs and some bacon! 

Making letters with the jelly packets...

And then he made a train...

RA hung with the boys one weekend so that I could drive down to AL to get my hands on my new nephew! 

Look at that sweet face...

Snuggles with Aunt Heather...

Hi, Toby! 

Get comfy, big boy!

Making pancakes with daddy!

I held him for HOURS. I love newborn snuggles...

Time to head back to the ATL and I grabbed a dozen hot nows for the road...

I did really well and didn't eat any of the doughnuts until I reached standstill traffic in ATL...

Open House for our Pre-K boy! 

And Open House for our Kindergarten boy! 

Wow. Just wow. 

Packing your oldest child's lunch box for their first day of Kindergarten is wildly overwhelming. How in the world is it time for him to go to big kid school? 

July was awesome, but I am so excited about August - the beginning of the school year + we have nothing on our calendar until the end of the month when RA and I are headed on a getaway for a few days. We intend to enjoy the afternoons and weekends as a family as we adjust to our new normal - having both kids in school! 

Thanks for checking in on our little family! I hope everyone has a great start to the 18-19 school year!