End of Summer Vacation & First Day of School

I really thought I posted this already...but I think it was just a draft and then I deleted it. So...yeah. Killing it over here :)  Again.... no time. Here's some pics!

One of the last days before school started. Classic childhood thing to do, right?

How we spend our mornings. Playing cars in the sunshine.

This guy. 

Afternoon outdoor play. They're camping obviously. We totally miss camping.

Some art outside. No need for paper - what a money saver...

They have a blast outside, this will be my hardest winter for sure.

Umm....possibly we drove over to Portofino some night.
Often Sunday and Monday nights, I don't have it together enough to cook. 

I went down to Madison for a playdate and we went out for lunch to a cool old-school diner/cafe. They were going nuts!

On the way home from Madison, we found a park.

Oh. And a Culvers.

I NEVER thought he'd go up that far!

Night before school, I think. Our pool is closed now....we didn't get there much, but we love it.
Also, this was by myself. Not my favorite way to enjoy a pool. 

They were pooped.

First Day of First Grade!
She's so pumped.

Oops. No haircut yet.

She's riding the bus. For now. 

We made it out the door - hurray!

What the boys did with Katie gone...

Home from a great first day!! Outside playing with the boys until supper.

School so far is great! The teacher she was assigned to took a different job 2 weeks before school started....so they were scrambling. But they moved up one of the Kindergarten teachers and that is who Kate got - Mr. Gassman. I don't know much, but he seems nice.

No homework so far! (which was surprising and is nice!) She has talked about some inappropriate stuff on the bus, we are not loving that. She wakes up okay. Up before her alarm the first two days, wanting to sleep more since. But it doesn't take much to get her up. She loves school. Our battle in the mornings is HAIR. And her wanting to watch TV and then not moving fast enough. But when Ayden is fussing and going crazy, I like to turn it on to distract him while I get her out the door. We'll figure that out.

Ayden wakes around 6:30 a.m. pretty consistently now, he is there to wave at the bus. Collin sleeps until about 8:15 a.m. Kate gets on the bus at 7:08 a.m and gets home around 4 p.m. Long day.

Dance starts next week - ah! It will get busier for sure. We are going to church every Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. and that is when Kate's youth group meets. Kate and Collin LOVE going to church. Ayden usually ends up screaming and we have to go get him, he was very happy but mischievous last night, so cute but so naughty!

Kate is very concerned about her birthday and birthday party, we will be moving around that time (post to come!) and she is not thrilled. She has also requested a Laura Ingalls Wilder party....how awesome is that!

Okay, need to run...another quick post coming soon...