Rainy Soccer

Katherine had another good report at school today! I was so excited!  She really seems to be adjusting to her new room well.  Her teacher asked me yesterday if Katherine had any bows at home.  I quickly atold her that she has several bows but she will not keep them in.  They had put her hair in a little pony tail yesterday so this morning I asked her if she wanted mommy to fix her hair and she said yes and even let me put a bow in it.  I was shocked that it was still in when I picked her up this afternoon.  Maybe, we have turned a corner in the hair area.  Luke had a pretty good day.  The Pre-K teacher is very strict and a stickler for rules.  I know it is good to get him ready for school next year.

I took Luke to soccer practice tonight.  Just as we were walking to the fields it got very dark and windy. I wasn't sure what to do, but kept on toward his practice area.  They did practice even when we had a quick rain shower.  Luke actually loved playing in the rain and did really well tonight.  He listened to the coaches and enjoyed the scrimmage they had.  Everything was going along great until practice was over and he and Connor took off running without Holly and me.  She had Lillian, a stroller, chair, ball, etc.  I was trying to help her and carry all of our stuff, too.  We yelled and yelled for them but they did not stop.  They have a habit of running to this big rock at the top of the fields, but they kept going this time.  We were livid.  By the time we got to them they were running around the concession stand.  Even one of the coaches tried to help us.  They knew they were in big trouble.  Luke got a lecture all the way to the car and all the way home.  We came home and went straight to the bathtub and then to bed.  I am still not sure if he understood the severity of his actions.  I told him it will not happen again. 

What?

 

We hit the ground running again today!  Mondays always come around too quick.  We had a good Sunday.  I had to pick up the items that were left from the consigment sale at the kids school.  Overall, I thought I did pretty well.  I had less than 10 items left which was nice.  Since I did not want to make another trip to Hendersonville today we killed some time after church until the 1 o'clock pick up time.  We ate at Subway, of course, picked up the groceries for the week and a few other things.

 

It was naps for all when we got home and we watched the LLWS game.  Goodlettsville lost but it was a journey to remember.  Luke had soccer practice tonight.  Paul took him while Katherine and I stayed home.  We had some fun girl time.  We changed the baby's clothes several times, read books and worked puzzles.  She was excited when Paul and Luke got home, though.  The practice went well and Luke seems to be enjoying playing. 

Some Firsts

Luke was super excited Lydia watched his game

Luke was "captain"

# 8 in action!

We had a couple of firsts today. Luke had his first playdate at our house!  Lydia's mom dropped her off before Luke's soccer game.  She did great!  We left for the park as soon as she got here.  The coaches advised us to arrive 30 minutes before the game.  This was Luke's first soccer game!  I didn't put a lot of empahsis on people coming to watch because we had no idea what to expect, where we were going to be or how it would be having "three" kids at the fields.  For the record, Lydia and Katherine did great! They played Barbies, colored, layered on the sun screen and downed some water. 

Luke  also did great!  Paul and I were not sure if he would even know what was going on or try to get the ball, but he proved us wrong.  He chased after the ball, dribbled and passed it. He did not score a goal but we were impressed!  His team won!  The other little team never scored a goal and barely made it on our side of the field.  One of the coaches sons is really good.  He looks like he has been playing for years and he is the same age as Luke.  There are 6 kids on the team and I think 3 of them scored so that is wonderful!  The sun was hot, hot so we were glad when the game was over.  Luke was worn out, but excited.  It took us forever to get our stuff packed up and  back to the car.  We took the kids to Chik-fil-a for lunch and to play on the playground.  When we got home the three of them played trains, kitchen, worked puzzles and otherwise entertained themselves.  Lydia left around 4 and Luke and Katherine were both fast asleep within a few minutes after that.  We watched the Goodlettsville team win the US Championship in crazy fashion!  It was an amazing game -- they play for the international championship tomorrow against Japan.  What a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those boys!

The rest of our night was chill.  We had sandwiches for supper and played with the kids.  We also have a praise. Paula got her latest scan results and they were very positive!  The tumor is the same size so we believe this chemo combination is working!  Praise God!  She will have three more rounds of this chemo three weeks apart before the scan again to see how it responds.  The doctor increased the intensity of the chemo she received yesterday afternoon so she is pretty puny today.  We are just thankful for positive news!

Unexpected Detour

Watching the tortillas being made at Chuy's

Watching Kids TV in Gymboree

Paul called shortly after I picked the kids up this afternoon.  We were not fully decided on where to go for dinner.  I suggested Chuy's at Opry Mills.  I was a little hesitant about going to the mall on Friday night but it turned out to be an excellent choice.  We got a seat fairly quickly and enjoyed another yummy Chuy's meal.  The temps are a little more like normal August weather but we sat on the patio anyway.  We walked around after we ate.  I had several coupons for kid's stores so I hit some of those while the kids and Paul entertained themselves.  Luke was ecstatic when Paul let him go in the Lego store and...gasp...buy something!  Legos are quickly overtaking Thomas around here.  I must say I am fine with this new development.  I feel like we have been Thomas maniacs forever! 

I found a few summer clearance items for Katherine and they both got new Crocs.  We have actually misplaced Katherine's other pair somewhere.  We did not leave there until almost 9 but it never really seemed to have the sterotypical "Friday night mall crowd".  Hopefully they have cracked down on that since re-opening. 

One Proud Mama!

 

I worked my tooshy off today.  I dropped the kids at school and ran several errands.  You know all those things that stay on your to-do list and gnaw at you until you can finally mark them off?  That was the kind of day I had.  I picked up and shipped two baby gifts.  (It is a baby boom around here; a lot of our friends are having babies) Better us than them, haha!

I also cleaned like it was my job today - scrubbing cabinets and floors, did 6 loads of laundry, found homes for some of our items from Kitty's, hung some pictures, etc.  I was worn out when I went back to get the kids.  Both of their teachers had glowing reports for them today!  That made my day great!  Katherine has been visiting in the 2-year old room this week and seems to be making a seamless transition.  They tell me she naps well, eats well and plays well with all the other children.  I think it is going to be so great for her to be the same age as everyone in her class instead of being the oldest.  Luke's teacher also told me how impressed she is with his vocabulary and comprehension.  She also said she used him as an example several times today about how to act to the other children.  She is going to work on "grooming" him to be a leader in the classroom...wow!  I sure was one proud mama!  I was so proud I marched us right over to the Italian Ice shop for an after-school treat!

We had an even more fun night.  Supper was ready in the crock pot when Paul got home.  It was so nice...clean house, happy kiddos and yummy supper!  We topped that off by watching the Goodlettsville All-Star baseball team win their game and advance to the Little League World Series United States Championship game!  What an awesome accomplishment!  We are so proud of our town and team!

Ice Cream!

 

Messy, messy!

 

We enjoyed one of our Sunday nights at BopNene's tonight.  We went to see Kitty's house first.  The cpainting and carpet install was done this week.  It looks so different!  The house is basically empty now with just a few more things to do. 

 

Paul grilled burgers for us while we fixed the sides.  The kids played and played.  After supper they each got a mini nutty butty.  Katherine made quite the mess, but she loved every minute of it!

Busy Day

Today was a busy Saturday.  My friend Laura's grandfather passed away.  Mom and I took lunch for their family to have after the service.  It was nice to see everyone, but hated it was under such circumstances.  I made an early exit from there to get a long overdue hair cut.  It has not been cut since April!  That is a long time for me, although I am letting it grow out a bit.  After that I came back home where both kids were asleep upstairs with Paul.  Apparently he wore them out playing outside!  We did some things around the house before getting ready for a dinner party in Hendersonville. 

Mom suggested that both kids spend the night with her so Paul and I could have a night out.  What a great idea!  We had fun at the party.  We saw a lot of people that we only see at those type of events.  We thought about leaving early and going to do something else but we were having such a nice time we stayed until too late to do much else.  It was nice coming home to a quiet house!

Friday Night Out

She was not scared by the hibachi grill

Both kids were fascinated by the volcano

As I have shared numerous times before we normally go out to eat on Friday nights.  Tonight, Paul wanted to go to Kabuto which is a Japanese hibachi grill.  They are not my favorite type of restaurant, but Paul loves it.  We all had a great time.  The kids loved it!  It was so entertaining.  Luke did really well trying the different veggies.  Katherine, not so much....We all left with a full belly and a good experience. 

After that it was really too early to go home so we drove around for a while.  The kids enjoy looking out their windows and pointing to different things.  We are ready for the weekend!

Supportive Sisters

Lillian and Katherine "watching" the boys practice

Luke worked up a sweat!

The days are so busy!  I picked up the kids from school after work.  Luke moved to the pre-Kindergarten class last week and is doing really well.  His teacher said she had to correct him a couple of times because he would not keep his hands to himself.  This is a long-standing issue with him.  Then when I picked up Katherine I was told she had been in time-out because she would not pick up the three bins of toys she dumped out on the floor.  She also repeatedly took her shoes off when the teachers asked her not to.  She has been in a multi-age class since the first of the year and has done really well.  In the past couple of weeks she has started not listening and disobeying the teachers.  They keep reassuring me that she is "bored" because all but one of the children are younger than her.  I hope this is the case and it will be remedied when she transitions to the two-year old room soon. 

We had a long talk on the way home about listening and so forth.  I am not sure exactly how much she comprehends.  And, Luke is fascinated by Katherine getting in trouble at school and wants to lecture her, too.  Of course, I find this humorous as he pretty much mimics everything I say.  I hate when the kids misbehave - it makes me have a pit in my stomach. 

So, I was not in the mood for soccer tonight.  And, it is so rushed.  By the time we get home after 5, get supper fixed, eaten and cleaned up it is time to go to the park.  Practice was much more enjoyable tonight.  It was just Luke's team on one field.  We found out there are 6 players on the team.  They practiced the skills they learned Monday.  Luke did ok, but was still more interested in playing around with Connor.  We and Connor's parents told the coaches they have our permission to discipline them however they need to.  They said they will try to keep them separated and see if that helps.  Luke does seem to like it and he really gets a work out!  Katherine and Connor's sister play well together.  This is just the beginning of our time at the fields!

The other big news is the Goodlettsville Little League team is in the World Series!  When we left the park tonight there was a huge crowd watching the game on some big screens they had set up at the quad!  We came home and finished watching the game -- they won!!!  It is so neat to see the hometown boys playing on such a big stage!

Two Year Well Visit

We went to see Dr. Patterson for Katherine's two-year well visit.  Surprisingly, she has not been to the doctor since her 18-month visit.  She did really well.  She talked to Dr. P.  She identified some shapes in a book and talked about "the kitty".  I really did not have any concerns to be addressed except Katherine's recent venture into independence.  She has been saying "no" when we ask her to do something and has had a few issues at school.  Dr. P assured me it is normal for this age but gave me some great, practical advice which is why I love her so.  Katherine is growing well but is still "petite".  She got two shots - one was the flu.  Hard to believe we are already preparing for flu season!

Height - 33"
Weight - 25#

She is 4 # lighter and a 1/2" shorter than Luke at this age.  After our visit I drug Katherine on several errands - Target, bank, baby store and so on.  We came home for lunch and then both took long naps.  We played for awhile this afternoon before we went to pick Luke up.  We had a fun day together!

First Hair Cut

Katherine did not make a peep!

 

Paul was taking Luke to get a hair cut tonight.  Katherine and I decided to go.  Since we were there we decided to have them trim her hair a bit.  She did wonderful!  She sat right in the chair and did not flinch.  I wouldn't say it is a great hair cut, but it will do.  Hopefully this will stimulate some faster growing hair.  It is still so fine and not really long enough to do anything with.

Ready or Not...

Paul and I have debated when to start Luke in an extracurricular activity.  We opted out of t-ball this summer so when we knew fall soccer was starting we signed Luke up.  Tonight was the first practice.  We had absolutely no idea what to expect.  Neither one of us know much (if anything) about the game.  Apparently, Monday practices are going to focus on skill development.  Several age groups and teams are all on the field together with one "coach".  I honestly do not know how she did it!  Luke and his friend Connor or on the same team.  Not sure how this is going to pan out, but we will roll with it.  They were more interested in chasing each other around than doing what they were supposed to.  It was obvious we were newbies. We did not bring chairs so we stood the whole time. 

Katherine did great!  She played with camera the whole time -- she walked around asking everyone to say "cheese". They will practice two nights a week with games on most Saturdays.  It is going to keep us busy!  I just hope Luke has fun and enjoys himself.

Sunday In The Park

 

We are still loving the unseasonably cool temperatures. It has been in the 50s at night with very little humidity during the day.  It was a perfect day to go to the park.  We made a couple of laps around for some exercise before we went to the playground.  It was pretty crowded.  Apparently we weren't the only ones that had the good idea. 

The kids had fun.  Katherine wanted to do everything Luke was doing.  We kept them off the "big" playground because there were a lot of older kids playing.  Luke was not too happy with us when we told him it was time to go.  He pitched quite the fit which we had not seen in a long time.  Despite his  bad behavior it was a nice little afternoon.

The Smith Reunion

Luke was excited to see Ryan again!

The Smith Cousins:
l-r Stan, Scottie, Bonnie, Rhonda, Steve, Mom, Beverly, Aunt Sheila, Barbra, Larry and Chester

Uncle Pete and Uncle Harb

She loved the park!

This morning we made an early trip to Academy Sports to get Luke's soccer gear.  He had fun trying it on and so did Katherine.  After that we headed to Lynchurg for the Smith Reunion.  I hate to say that Paul and I have only been once since we married and have not been since we had kids.  It was great to see everyone and it was a good turnout.  We did a little perusing of the square before we went to the reunion.  We met at a building on the square and there is a playground close by the kids enjoyed.

We enjoyed delicious food and chatting with the family. We all went to Nanny's to visit before the reunion.  It was a very busy Saturday.  The kids slept most of the way home since it was well past their bedtime.  We had to say good-bye to Andrew and Mandi, but won't have to wait long before we see them again. We are beach bound in September!!!

Fun Visit!

Andrew and Luke reading

She's all smiles!

A new outfit for Bitty Baby!

Katherine will be cheeing on Auburn in style this season!

We are so excited Andrew and Mandi are here for the weekend!  It is a very quick trip on their part; but we are happy they are here!  Mom took the day off so she offered to pick the kids up from school.  Paul and I went to Mom's after work.  Andrew and Mandi got there shortly before we did.  Mom cooked a great supper and we enjoyed catching up.  Katherine opened her presents from A&M and loved them both! 

Pop's Birthday!

Katherine helped Pop open his present

Luke got the candles ready

The kids swapped seats on the ride home

We met Bill and Paula at Casa Veja for birthday dinner.  It was a good time!  Luke has started visiting his new room at school and will be in there permanently starting Monday.  We are keeping him at the same school and he will be in the Pre-K class.

Katherine definitely continues to test her boundaries.  A couple of days this week she has gone to time out at school!  What?!?!  I know...I was really surprised the first time it happened. The main issues has been her dumping out several bins of toys and then refusing to pick them up.  I couldn't believe it since she loves to clean at home.  She should be moving in to the 2-year old room and we think that will help.  Hoping this phase is short lived.

New Stool

Katherine is making good use of some of the things from Kitty's.  She loves this little stool and thinks it is just for her!

Lydia's Birthday!

The kids had a blast!

This picture shows how hot and sweaty he was



This is the best pic I could get...



No fear for this girl!

Face painting

Little sister had her face painted, too

Luke has been looking forward to Lydia's party for weeks!  It was at our church in the Family Life Center.  I am ashamed to say I had never been in there.  They have a great indoor jungle gym that the kids loved!  There is also a party room.  The party had two attendants who coordinated everything and did finger painting and balloon animals for everyone!  Katherine had a blast -- she thought she was as big as the big kids.  She would go all the way to the top and would not even let me wait for her at the bottom of the slide - "no, Mommy, no".  She is growing up too fast.

When the kids and I were walking out of school this afternoon we had a great surprise -- Paul was pulling in!  I knew he was going to try to make it to the party but the last I heard he was called out on a job and was going to be really late. It turned out the crew figured out what they needed to do so he didn't have to go!  The kids were so excited to see him!  So, we all went to the party.  Paul and K left to go eat supper while I stayed with Luke.  It was fun chatting with all the parents, Today was Lydia's last day at the school.  Luke is so sad --  she is his best friend.  She is going to a private school for Pre-K which is where her brother attends.  We are giong to miss her!