"First day of school" pictures - Violet (3rd), Calvin (1st) and Vanessa (preK)

** POOF ** 

Just like that, another summer has flown by.  I'd characterize this summer by highlighting some of the favorite regular activities the kids enjoyed doing:

- legos

- blow up pool on deck

- Byrnes Pool

- gardening (picking beans!) with Mama Row

- Violet a first-time camper at Willowbrook

- Giant bubbles

- Michigan with cousins

- Eli "coming alive" after turning 2, starting to talk, and developing interests.  Right now it is airplanes and "choo-choos". :)

Violet in her snazzy new "faux button-up plaid-skirt dress"
Teacher: Miss Rosenberg

This year isn't a spectacle that Calvin is starting at "Violet's" school, it is his second year there already. 

First day of first grade for Calvin!
Teacher: Miss Schoonhoven

Vanessa started at OHCP for her second and final year at preschool right around the corner.  I can't quite imagine her starting kindergarten in a year's time.
Teacher: Mrs. Nuece 

Reports from all their days were all positive.  Vanessa has the same teacher as last year (yayy!!), Mrs. Nuece, who knows her well and is a fantastic teacher!  I picked her up and she said with a relieved sigh, "Oh it's nice to see you!" while she climbed into her car seat. ha ha!!   I asked her lots of open ended questions and she answered a few with little effort and said she didn't want to talk about it anymore.  Overall nothing seemed much different than last year, other than the fact that her good friend from church, Max Erisman, is in her class this year.  I hear there are 22 kids in her class.  I missed open house night and the parent meeting because we were in Michigan so going to preschool was like going "cold turkey" for her.  

I spent the afternoon finishing up school supply shopping.  A few things were unavailable on Amazon when I ordered them. 

Violet and Calvin were happy when I picked them up in the afternoon.  Calvin's shoe broke, so we'll be shoe shopping for him soon.  He wore socks and crocs on his second day.  hehe