First Day of School Eve

It is the eve of the first day of school.  I have far too much on my mind to sleep and that is why I am up blogging instead of curled up in my bed.  I have mixed emotions about what tomorrow will bring.  Tomorrow is the beginning of a new season in my life; a season that includes two school aged children and no more little ones running around the house.  I will be the parent of a third grader and a kindergartner, something that happened seemingly overnight.  On one hand I am delighted; excitedly anticipating some time to catch up on house work and "me" time without being interrupted by someone tattling, or arguing in the background.  On the other hand, I will be sad to see my baby off to school for the first time and will ultimately miss the sounds that would normally drive me crazy.  It is hard to let go.  So, instead of laying in bed awake I thought I would make better use of my time.  The following are some pictures of how we occupied ourselves during the last week of summer.

On Tuesday we packed a picnic and met Steven at a park over his lunch break.

It was a gorgeous day and Madeleine wasn't going to allow her brace to stand in the way of enjoying herself.  She found the one play structure that allowed her to keep her leg straight and had a ball rocking back and forth on it!

 

Audrey played on everything, but not before saying "Madeleine, I wish you could run and skip"! 

On Friday Madeleine decorated a frame.  It came in kit that she received for her birthday and the extreme detail work kept her busy for awhile.  I think it turned out beautifully.  She has already chosen a picture to put in it; a family one taken at her favorite location on our CO vacation.

 While Madeleine worked on her frame, Audrey somersaulted around the house.  This is something she does often, making sound effects as she goes.

Sorry for the blur.  I still have a long way to go before perfecting the art of action photography.

On Saturday Audrey and I attended the birthday party of one of her friends.  Her friend happens to be the daughter of one of my closest friends, so it wasn't only fun for her but an opportunity for me to catch up with a good pal as well.

Audrey with her pal, "A".  The theme of the party was "Hoowaiian" (the adorable way in which "A" pronounces Hawaiian". 

My friend, Amy, and I.  A little disclaimer (not that Amy needs it) is that we had been swimming just prior to this photo being taken.  This explains my wild hair and lack of makeup. 

So, with that I should be off to bed.  I have an early day ahead of me and no doubt an emotional one as well.  While I can't sleep due to nerves, Madeleine couldn't sleep due to excitement.  At 11:00 she walked out into the living room, declaring with bright eyes, "I am ready for school"!  She thought it was morning and was enthusiastic about her first day of school.  Knowing that Audrey shares the same enthusiasm makes letting go a little bit easier.