How We Did August

We went down to see Mary Alice and Eric and go to the pool! This weekend was the weekend Griffin decided he wanted to use the potty (instead of "I only want to wear diapers and wipes, Mommy")

Claire doing her Ariel pose :)

ice cream at the pool-one of my favorite things!

Claire's self chosen ensemble :) 

Claire said that this would be the advertisement for Go-Gos :) HA! 

We went to Busch Gardens for the day, compliments of Ryan Homes. The kids loved the rides and Griffin especially loved seeing all of the Sesame Street characters! I know my girl is growing up when instead of watching the Sesame show, she and Daddy rode a roller coaster 5 times in a row :)

This cracks me up. Griffin said he was being me-notice the camera and a bra that he is has around his neck. No, this is not how Mommy photographs. :) 

Lots of bike riding. Claire loves for me and her to ride her bike around the neighborhood instead of just up and down the driveway. 

What is this you ask? These are holes in all of my Keurig cups. Griffin got into them and one by one, put them in the Keurig and pulled down the lever. They were still useable but it definitely made me chuckle every time I used one. 

playing dress up at Grandma's house 

my little Buzz 

Claire and I before she and I headed out with Griffin to the Pirates vs. Princesses Disney Junior Live show!

Who is this kid you ask?? My fully POTTY TRAINED little boy! We are DIAPER FREE in the Ellis household! About 3 weeks before his birthday, Griffin was potty trained and only wearing a pull up overnight. As of about a week ago, he is now sleeping in underwear! 

We love Doc McStuffins around here. Claire said, "The Doc is IN!" 

So excited! Claire is playing soccer this fall for the first time! She is SO excited.  (and so am I!) 

Griff has an obsession with band aides. This is not an uncommon sight. 

How cute are these shoes? She picked out the pink-shocker. We have been practicing outside a lot in the evenings. 

THIS. so adorable! Throw back to the umbro shorts! I didn't even know they still made them. 

Do you love free Pinterest printables as much as I do? Check out these cute little lunchbox notes for Claire's lunchbox. 

Claire and I went to her school for an Ice Cream Social. She got to talk to her new principal, Mr. Mudd, play on the playground and get some yummy Italian ice! 

Sweet dreams! Claire has taken to liking nightgowns, specifically if they have Disney princesses on them. 

Woody and his Christmas dress clad sister :)

A rainy day can't come soon enough-how cute is this raincoat? 

Claire in her kindergarten classroom! Last week we went to her Kindergarten Orientation where she got to see her room, meet her teacher and tour a bus, the library and art room. While the principal addressed the parents, the teachers took the kids to their room. Claire said, "How did Mrs. Applewhite know that I like Cinderella?" (there was a Cinderella book in her box). Below are some pictures of where she will be spending the year! 

23 kids in her class-14 boys and 9 girls-wow! 

Here is their story rug. Claire said that they read a story when they got to the room. 

Her name on her spot at the table. 

Claire's teacher is named Mrs. Applewhite. When we got to orientation, Claire found out the name of her teacher and was given a colored piece of paper. We were told that when we went into the cafeteria that we should look for balloons in the same color as the paper she was given and that's where her teacher would be. When we met Mrs. Applewhite, Claire told her, "I am SO excited for kindergarten." It was precious. Her teacher has been teaching kindergarten for 10 years and is probably my age or a year younger. She has a 16 month old little boy and seems so sweet-I have a good feeling about her being a good match for Claire! Claire also showed her how she has her loose tooth :) 

Yep. And I will be in attendance. Boo-hooing away! There was a moment when they dismissed the kids to go with their teachers to their room where it was a little chaotic and Claire lost sight of her teacher and the rest of the line of her classmates. I saw that panic in her eyes and the look that she might cry....I got up and said her name but of course she couldn't hear me and thankfully a teacher's aide helped her and the rest of the kids following behind her, get back with the rest of the group. Sigh of relief. I know there will be more times like that, but thankfully I will not be there to see them...and I know someone will be there to help her as they were that day. And the best part of it all-Claire didn't remember that at all-she said she was just SO excited to see her classroom. :)

Claire checking out the bus. We found out that as expected from what our neighbors had said, her ride would be 50 minutes to and from school-and we live 8 minutes away. While we will let her do the bus thing for the first few days so that she knows how to do it, we will quickly switch over to taking her and dropping her off ourselves! I was impressed that we got a letter in the mail from her bus driver, requesting information, sharing her route and sharing the rules of the bus. 

Claire could have stayed in the library all day! She is very excited to go to the library once a week. 

Claire sitting at her seat! 

I have had a wonderful summer with these two! 

This went by faster than I ever expected. Cherish every moment you have with them in your little bubble. I am SO  incredibly excited for Claire and what the future holds-but it will be so hard watching my sweet baby girl get on that bus on Tuesday. Prayers appreciated :)