Just Jace

Jace is a little comedian.  He is always cracking us up with the things he says.  I only wish I could write them all down, because by the time I get to blogging I've usually forgotten them.

He had two funny ones about Rylee's birthday that I forgot mention (shocker!).  The first was a couple of nights before her birthday when the kids were getting ready for bed.  Jace made this observation:  "Rylee, you're getting old.  Soon you're going to move out of the house and your bedroom is going to be mine."  Rylee was aghast!  Lol!

The second was the night of her birthday during cake.  Apparently, Jace didn't like it, because he announced: "this cake isn't my jam."  Ok then!  I told him it tasted the same even though it looked red, but he wasn't buying it.

Luckily, he made it up to me the next night at the mother/son dance.  You may remember that last year when Jace and I went to our first mother/son event (movie night), he was a little miffed that it didn't include a dance.  He kept asking, "and now we're going to the dance?"  So when I saw that the city was having a Super Hero themed mother/son dance, I knew I had to sign us up! 

But first the kids had pajama day at school for Fun Friday (which reminds me of another witty thing Jace said!).  "Mom, are you sure it's pajama day?"  A sarcastic jab at my sending Rylee to school in her pajamas last year on the wrong day.  Epic mom fail!  Needless to say, we all double checked the date this year.

So that night was the dance.  Jon was golfing so I dropped Rylee off with Ray and Jeannette (the kids extra set of grandparents that live down the block).  They were so excited to babysit for the first time.  Rylee took some pictures of Jace and I before we left.  She's a better photographer than I am!

Wonder Woman & The Flash

When we got there, they had lots of super heroes you could take pictures with.

Jace's friends, Oliver and Reese, were there with their moms.  

Jace and I were the most enthused as you can see!

The boys...

They had several super hero themed games

where the kids won little prizes and candy.

Then they had a sit down dinner.  The boys wanted nothing to do with that so they ran around, played more games, and even started boogieing on the dance floor.  After dinner, they got all the moms and sons out on the dance floor.  We did group dances, dance games, and then had a slow song with our sons to end the night.  Jace took it so seriously.  He spun me around and twirled me and all the rest.  It was a beautiful moment.  Then each boy gave their mom a light up rose.  It was so sweet!

Jace loved the whole thing!  The city organizers said they are thinking of doing a video game themed dance next year.  Jace is already talking about it and the costumes we could wear!  Love it.  I'm in!  :)

Sept (aka the month of Rylee)

The tradition of celebrating birthdays for two days has been extended over the years.  It's pretty much a month long event at this point.

Labor Day weekend was the kickoff then of Rylee's birthday month.  Jon made her ribs one night and crab legs the other.  Yum!

That Thursday was her birthday.  They have a new program at school so her birthday was on the marquee.  We took a picture after school.

When we got home, Rylee created a schedule of events for the evening.

As you can see, she is a very responsible 10 year old.  Shower, homework, and dinner BEFORE  presents!

Rylee went through a Harry Potter phase when she was in Kindergarten, but could only get through half the movies.  The rest were too sad and scary.  This summer, we watched all 8 movies and now she is OBSESSED.  Most everything Jon, Jace, and I bought her had something to do with Harry Potter.  As a joke, I also made sure she had 10 presents this year.  I had to stretch them pretty thin.  One present only contained the Gryffindor tie!  

With her robe, Hermoine's wand, and outfits for her dolls.

Jace bought her a Harry Potter lego set.

We had fun facetiming with my parents while Rylee was opening presents.  They got her an echo dot for her birthday.  We are all enjoying that gift!  :)

After dinner, it was time for cake (even though we teased her that it wasn't on the itinerary!).

She wanted a red velvet bundt cake.  

Helping Daddy light the candles with her wand.  Lumos!

10!  Say it isn't so?!

She is growing up too fast.

Happy Birthday to the sweetest, kindest, most responsible kid I know.

We are truly blessed by you, Rylee!

Aug (The Rest)

The next couple of weeks were a blur.  Busy back to school stuff.  Not much to report.

Rylee starts golf lessons soon.  She did a little shopping to get some necessities.  I don't know who is more excited: Rylee or Jon.  Not sure if she'll be any good, but she sure looks cute!  :)

Rylee also made her first solo omelete one weekend.  Delish!

Jace stuck with scrambled eggs.  :)

Aug Recap (Oz)

Saturday was Diane's daughter, Sofia's, birthday party.  She was in the Wizard of Oz this year too (though not in Rylee's production) so they had her party at another museum that had a Wizard of Oz exhibit.  It was so cool!

Dorothy, Glinda and munchkin Caroline!

Emily was there too.

Dun, dun, dun, da, da, da!

Ruby sneakers and cowgirl boots!

Scarecrow Rylee!

Jace's turn!

Welcome to Oz!

Making paper mosaics...

Time to go because we all know...

There's no place like home!

August Recap (Back to School)

Monster Jam was Saturday, Saturday, Saturday!  (Works better with Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, doesn't it?)  Jace and Rylee wanted cotton candy (one of the things they didn't get at the fair) and this Grave Digger mask came with it (it should have come with even more since it cost $20 a bag!). 

Jace looks pretty scary!

It was a smaller venue (the stadium right next to our house), but still a fun time.

And we could walk there.  A lot easier than fighting the traffic in and out of Miami!

The kids got to spend one more day with Diane on that Monday.  

Rylee loves being a "big sister" to Baby Caroline.

Jace and Julia playing games.

Rylee's best friend, Emily, lives in the same neighborhood 

so she spent the day with them too.  Bonus!

Tuesday was sneak a peek so the kids checked out their new classrooms and spent the day with Daddy.  Wednesday Aug 15th was the first day of school.  Boo!  

(Jace made his sign and accidentally wrote 1th grade.  So adorable!)

Showing off Jace's new backpack (which turned out to be a bit of a dud.  

It started ripping on week 2 and we officially replaced it by mid Sept.  Lol!)

Rylee loves her old backpack so she opted to keep it for another year.

The kids don't have to wear uniform bottoms this year (only tops) so Jace wears basketball shorts every day and Rylee has been going between jean capris, shorts, and leggings.  These were their first day outfit picks.

Jessica's son, Oliver, started going to our school this year.  He and Jace are in the same class.  She took this pick of them reading in the hallway on the first day.

On Friday, we celebrated the end of the week by going to the museum after school.  Rylee's other bestie, Maddan, and her sister went too.  They had a new area where you can slide into a pit of pool noodles.  :)

Candy cane jail!  It reminds us of Wreck It Ralph!

King Candy Jace!

The kids love their new teachers.  Rylee's homework is insane (2 hours a night and weekends), but she hasn't complained.  She budgets her time and makes sure she completes everything.  She doesn't really need me anymore.  :(

August Recap (& Blessings!)

So we're in the middle of the back to school rush.  The first quarter is always brutally busy for me, plus we don't have the extra help of my parents. (Much needed side note: Mom, Dad, thank you guys so much for all you do for us when you are here!  Having that extra support for pickups, homework help, babysitting, errand running is amazing.  We really do appreciate it and so do our kids.  They get less stressed out parents when you are around!  Lol!  Plus two more people to love them.  We are blessed to have you!)

August is back to school, but there were some fun things and surprises too.

We had a fun first weekend back with Jon, playing in the pool and on our redneck water slide (one of the things my kids miss when they are in MN).  That Monday, we had back to back activities. The kids attended a back to school kickoff lunch with me and the other team leaders and their kids.  It was a social lunch off campus at our reading coach's house.  We ladies had fun and the kids (there was quite the pack of them) did too!

That afternoon, Lisa (one of my besties and the kids fabulous Kindergarten teacher) had invited us up to her place for dinner.  When we got there, she surprised us with some very unexpected guests: Melinda, Brendan and Savannah!

Here's Melinda (in the middle with Lisa and me)...

...Brendan and Savannah with my kids

I have truly been blessed with wonderful people in my life and Melinda is another one of them.  I always say that without her, I wouldn't have been able to take time off when the kids were little.  

That was back in the day when I was only teaching part time and I worked both of Melinda's maternity leaves (six months when she was our media specialist and 4 months or so when she taught kindergarten).  And then when I was pregnant with Jace, I did daycare for Brendan and Savannah.  They moved to Germany the following year, so the kids and I haven't seen them since Brendan was 3 and Savannah was 1!

The kids played in the pool all night, while the adults visited (the hubbies were there too, they just didn't make the photos.  Lol!).  It was such a fun night and wonderful surprise (and I don't get surprised much at my age!

The rest of that week was back to work for me, while the kids got to spend time with another friend who has blessed my life, Diane.  (Diane is one of two stay at home moms who watch my kiddos during planning week every year.  I don't want to leave Jessica out of my list of blessings just because she didn't watch my kids this year, because she deserves to be recognized too.  Especially for the one time when she watched the kids and Jace was still potty training and she had to take him in and out of the pool a gazillion times to try going to the bathroom!  She deserves an award just for that alone!  Lol!  But I digress...)

Back to Diane.  All that week, she took my kids to amazing places with her three little girls.  The first day, they went to a nature center and explored the outdoors, played games back at their house...

... and went swimming at their community pool.  

(My kids didn't look very hard in their bags so they thought I hadn't sent flip flops. 

They are both wearing Diane's flip flops here!)

The next day they went to a state beach and looked for sea critters.

The next day they went to a nursery that was having a back to school event.

They played games...

... rocked out...

... and had more fun back at their house.

Not only do they go to amazing places, but they have so much fun with Sofia and Julia.  

They love to play creatively and make up all kinds of games.

Good people, good friends, good times!