Parties Done....My Baby is Three!!!

It's unbelievable to me, but my baby boy is Three Years Old today.  His Cars birthday party is over, which means I've made it through another late August of birthdays.  Thank God.  I am so exhausted by the night of Daniel's Birthday, I just want to go to sleep!

 What a fun birthday.  It was wonderful having both sets of Grandmas & Grandpas, Auntie Becky & Uncle Nick, Uncle Bobby & Kelly, Billy & Tommy, Uncle Brian & Tracey, Uncle Chris, & Auntie Michele here to Celebrate with us!


We just had Brats, Hotdogs, Cupcakes, Chips & Caffeine Free Soda, a real treat for my kids!  Daniel got loads of Cars Presents, some were repeats, so we just sent some home with Grandma Barb & Papa Farm for their house.  Daniel had a great time & got to play baseball outside with Uncle Nick & Uncle Bobby & the boys...he was so happy.  Nice & simple, he couldn't be happier :)

 Cars Cupcakes with Daniel's own Mini Cars Cake!

 A definite FAVORITE toy from Auntie Michele...he loves Mater & will not put this one down.  

 Rachael got a couple too, from Uncle Chris (her Godfather) and Uncle Brian & Tracey!

The Cake & cupcakes.  He loves the rings & is so happy.  We haven't even touched the cake yet...we'll save that for tomorrow :)  


Thanks to everyone for making both of my babies' birthdays special....Six & Three, where has the time gone?!

Soccer Games & Pictures from Rachael's Birthday

We like to give a little gag gift with our presents.  Rachael's friend Carson gave her toilet paper at her birthday party, which made her laugh so hard.  Daniel & I gave her a bar of soap!

 She also got a Tangled Water Bottle for Soccer & a Sandwich Holder.  

My parents gave her Silverlicious, so now she has the complete set of Pinkalicious books, her favorites!  She got the Pinkalicious Dress, gloves & handbag from Auntie Kelly, Uncle Bobby, Billy & Tommy!

Daniel gave her the Tangled Wig that she wanted so badly, she wants to be Rapunzel for Halloween, and got the Dress for her kid Birthday Party, she really wanted the hair. 

 

   She went nuts when she got it & squeezed Daniel, shouting "Thank You Daniel, Thank You!"  Daniel says, "No problem."  It was the sweetest exchange between them.

That is some SERIOUSLY long hair!  She looks so strange blonde, it was like some other child standing there in front of me...she LOVES it.  She asked me on the calendar today how far away Halloween is :)

 A Lady Bug Pillow Pet that she's wanted for 2 years now, I finally gave in.  I just don't understand it, and thought for sure it'd be a passing craze just like any other popular toy...but for Rachael this silly Pillow Pet has been on her list for Birthdays & Christmas.  Now we can check that off the list!

 Finally, I made her a ladybug cake with Daniel's help with the mixer.  I thought it'd be more difficult, but it was actually pretty easy.  Turned out pretty good!  I love ladybugs, and I call Rachael bug or buggy sometimes, so I thought the ladybug cake would go along with the ladybug pillow pet I knew she was getting.

Today we both had soccer at 9am.  Rachael's team, The Sharks won, like 20-2, Rachael scored a goal!  In the picture she is on the blue team, the only one with white shorts, dribbling the ball.  My dad said that they were definitely out to win & have a very good team.  Most of our games will not have a conflict so I will be able to Coach both teams now.  


Our team won 3-2, with our goalie accidentally punting the ball backwards over her head into the goal.  Otherwise we would've won 3-1!  Very proud of the Purple People Eaters!


After soccer, Rachael & Daniel had their friend Tyler's Birthday Party to go to at a bowling alley.  Wow, that was definitely overload.  Too loud, too many kids, too much chaos.  Rachael got her fingers pinched in between bowling balls, so she was balling.  As I was dealing with that, Daniel decided it was a perfect time to take off running into the nasty bar connected to the bowling alley.  Too Much.  We left early, without cake, with two crying kids, home for naps.  They woke up MUCH happier.


Tomorrow we have Daniel's Birthday Party, unfortunately, all his little friends we've invited are sick!  His cousins Billy & Tommy are coming, but he's going to be pretty disappointed when I tell him about his friends.  I will upload pictures tomorrow night.

Rachael Rose is 6 years old TODAY!!!!

Unbelievable, but Rachael turned 6 years old today.  We made cinnamon roles this morning, EARLY, so that we could make it before school.  I was awakened at 4am, by Rachael to "Mommy, am I 6 yet?  Just look at your phone and tell me if I'm 6 and then I will go back to bed!"  UGH.


She got a call from Geoffrey Giraffe from Toys R Us wishing her a happy birthday this morning.  This evening, at 7:01pm, Snow White will be calling to Wish her a Happy Birthday as well! 


It was a special day for her at school too, as this is the first time she's been in school on her birthday.  We made up little goodie bags for all of her classmates and teachers.  She was sure excited to hand them out.  Friday is always spirit wear, so she got to wear he Paideia T-shirt & Jeans.  We went to Broadway Pizza after school for a special birthday lunch with Boppa. Tonight we're going to Applebee's for dinner for a joint Birthday dinner for both Rachael and Daniel.  


When we get home, we've got a few presents to open, a ladybug cake to eat...I'm hoping it hasn't melted in the heat!  I will add those pictures tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning we have our first soccer games so we can't stay up too late!  I was up very late last night finishing that Birthday Sign for Rachael...I was able to get everyone in her families' names on there!  Took me a while!!!

Ears, School & Soccer

First off, Daniel has been in a lot of pain lately with a very bad ear infection.  We went to the ENT yesterday & he said this fall he'd like to remove the blocked tube, in the right ear, the infected one, and take his Adenoids out.  He will also put in new tubes.  Poor Daniel got my ears, don't drain properly & ear infection after ear infection.  I know his pain well, so it hurts me so badly to put those darn ear drops in his ears.  I remember my mom holding me as I screamed while she put them in.  Ouch Ouch Ouch.  Poor Little Guy.

Now Paidea for Rachael.  She's having some trouble adjusting to going to "real school" everyday.  They also have no 'play time' which she misses from preschool.  Her school is very academic which is good, but is a definite departure from her preschool schedule.  She makes little comments that she doesn't want to go, or that she wants to wear her normal 'cute' clothes instead of a uniform. I'm hoping that she adjusts and realizes it is what it is and that she will be going there for the next 8 years!

Soccer is underway.  Rachael had practice tonight, and it is HOT outside.  It's been really comfortable lately, low 80's, today was much warmer, which the kids were not loving.  Out of the whole team of 7, who was the biggest whiner....my child.  Her first game is Saturday @ 9am.  My team that I am also coaching happens to be playing at the same exact time, so I will have to miss Rachael's game, although we're on the next field, so I can keep an eye on them.  Rachael's Team is called the Blue Sharks, my team is called the Purple People Eaters.  Hopefully it's not too cool Saturday morning or I'm sure she will be complaining about that!

Tuesday Night

Tuesday night, after the Second day of school, Rachael was doing her Spanish homework.  I was sitting with her & kissed her on the forehead telling her how proud I was of her.  She felt REALLY warm.  She has had a cough for a couple of weeks, that I thought was just allergies, or maybe a little cold.  She'd made it through camp with it, but the temperature was new.  I talked it over with my mom & we decided she should be seen the next day by our pediatrician.  


So, Wednesday morning I called Rachael in SICK to her THIRD day of school (I'm sure they love me already) and took her in.  The doctor said after a chest x-ray that she had Bronchitis.  Poor Baby.  Just like that, my big girl turned back into my baby girl who felt sick & wanted me to carry her, make her soup & cuddle her in my bed.  She had to use her nebulizer with 2 different medicines 3 times daily & a strong antibiotic.


By Friday afternoon she was feeling much better & was able to go to one of my best friends' wedding.  We had a great time & grandma & papa picked them up at 830pm.  


She is VERY excited to go back to school tomorrow.  She will have the energy to pay attention & participate again!  Tomorrow evening soccer starts for her again.  We're going to go, but she can't play until she gets rechecked by the doctor.  It will be fun to meet her new team though! 

First Week of School...or two days.

I have to tell you, I used to watch those moms who cried as they left their kids at preschool for 2 hours & think "why are you crying?!"  I would wonder what the big deal was.  Rachael's first day of preschool was a whirlwind of me pushing her into the classroom & me dashing out to pick up a prescription for Daniel who had just had his ear tubes put in that morning.  I didn't have the time to think about being sad.

The first day of Kindergarten was different.  I felt it in the pit of my stomach as I closed the van door & started the ignition.  As I looked in my rear view mirror, my little girl was not so little anymore.  It seemed that overnight my little preschooler had become so big!  She looked so grown up in her uniform, so pretty. 

As we drove the tears welled up in my eyes & I tried to hide them.  Rachael said "Mommy, why are you sad?  I'm the one going to Kindergarten?!"  And I knew that it was her who was beginning this journey, but this was also one BIG step mommy was taking with her.  I certainly didn't feel prepared, but as I pulled up & let her out, she turned around, gave me a huge smile & said..."I'm ready!"  With that, my little girl walked into Kindergarten all by herself alongside the kids who were holding mommy & daddy's hands.  My girl, was definitely ready.

Paideia Academy

Today was Rachael's orientation day at school.  She met her new teacher, Mrs. Rothstein, and saw her classroom.  She also had school picture day & picked up her "spirit wear" t-shirt that I had pre-ordered for her last month.   Every Friday they get "out of uniform" days, as long as they have a "spirit wear" shirt on with jeans.  

Rachael was VERY disappointed that her best friend, since they were tiny babies, Ella Arntz, who lived next door to us in the condo, isn't in her class.  First of all, it's amazing that they even both got into Paideia Academy with how competitive it is to get in!  Originally Ella got in & we had not.  Late July we got a call that Rachael got in!  We were so excited, but that had me struggling to quickly reschedule our August.  She was supposed to be going to her last week of YMCA camp August 8-12.  But, Paideia starts school August 8!

So, even though it kind of screwed up August for us, and it was a struggle to pay for her uniforms with such short notice (man, are they expensive!!!!) we are excited that she got into such a WONDERFUL school.  It goes from K-8, and now that she is in, Daniel will automatically get in.  It will be so great for Rachael, we're excited for school to begin!