End of School

May 2016: End of School Sing

For the 2015-2016 school year, the oldest 3 kiddos attended Lexington Baptist Preschool. Banks and Blakely had a fabulous year with Ms. Kim and Ms. Renee's 3yo class. Katy Ellis had an amazing first year of school in Ms. Elaine and Ms. Lisa's 1yo class. We truly were blessed with some great teachers!!

To cap off the year, we attended Blakely and Banks "Spring Sing" event.

Blakely and Banks class were on the front row!!

I had picked out a different dress for the night, but Blakely insisted that it was "very important (she) wear a princess dress!"

Blakely did a great job!! She stayed focused and listened HARD to the teachers the whole time!! She knew all the words and all the motions!! She was amazing!!

Isn't she just the cutest?

This was what Blakely's face looked like in EVERY pic we took! Bahaaha!!!

These two are just the BESTEST of friends!!! It has been so great to know that they have each other in the classroom!! This is their 2nd year in the same class, and they are still the BESTEST of friends!!

1 more year together in the 4yo Pre-K class, and then Blakely is OFF to Kindergarten!!! (Insert sobbing mama here)

Congrats Ladies on finishing the year well!!! Now... lets BRING ON SUMMER!!!!!

Soccer!!

March-May 2016: Soccer Season

This was the first year that BOTH Blakely and Banks were eligible for soccer, and we have been dreaming about them playing on the same team!! They had a great season, and had so much fun with their team and Coach Katy (who is a very patient woman).

Soccer Try Outs!! The kids had to go to a skills assessment workshop to get "placed" on a team. I found this comical, as our obvious skill level was ZERO!

Blakely did FABULOUS at her assessment! She did every thing that she was asked to do, and she never got frustrated! Proud of my girl for trying something new!!

The games were fun (read challenging), but everyone loved practice!!

Blakely's favorite part of practice was learning how to do "hands in" and "go team." They did it over and over and over at practice!!

Predictably, their favorite time of all... team snack!

I always had to make sure to pack a juice box and snack pack for the 10th "member" of the team... Katy Ellis!!

Getting stretched out and ready for their first game!!

"Hi Mom!!"

Getting ready for Kick off!!

There was a lot of running...

...and more running...

...but mainly confusion as to where the ball was.

These two mainly just followed the pack of kids... and OCCASIONALLY made contact with the ball! ;)

KE's game side entertainer!!

Go Pumas!!! Good job!! So proud of these kids!! They had to play in some REALLY HOT conditions, and they barely complained!!

There were a "few" pre-game starbucks runs! ;-)

Buddy Shot!!

Thank you Coach Katy for an awesome first soccer season!!! The kids had an amazing time, and it was so fun to cheer them on together!!

Just Keep Swimming

May-June 2016: Swimming Season!!

Now that the weather is warm, and the pools are open... we will be spending our days either on the lake or in the pool. My girls both LOVE to swim!! Katy Ellis will do about ANYTHING to get to go swimming!! As soon as that is what we decide to do, she runs into my room and grabs the beach bag! That girl is READY!!! I've discovered that I MUST sunblock her and put her ring on in the parking lot, because there is no slowing that train down once it gets through the pool gate!! She is my water bug!!!

First BIG pool day of the Season with GG!!

What is the pool without some princesses?

When we can't make it up to the pool or there is swim meet, we set up the Redneck Water Park in the backyard! Always a hit!!

Katy Ellis has become obsessed with goggles! She literally WILL NOT take them off!! She kills me!

First trip to the new splash pad at the zoo!! Super fun!!

Blakely: "Banksie is my cousin and my best friend!!"

Little Fly!! She knows no fear!!

Pool time with Daddy is ALWAYS a hit!!!

GG's new pool!!

First boat ride of the season!!!

This crazy blue floating mat is EVERYONE's favorite place to play!!

This thing ALWAYS wants a blankie on boat rides!!

First Mate Walker reporting for duty!!

Never to be left out, Katy Ellis gets in on the action too!

Golf cart riding with Auntie O and Uncle RyRy!!!

First Mable ride of the season!!!

Everyone's favorite new edition this season... the ladder on the end of the dock!!! Now they can climb and jump in OVER AND OVER AND OVER again!! They love this!!!

CC teaching Blakely how to cast a line!!

Sunsets on the lake require no filter!!

This little "baby's" favorite thing is to be ALLLLLL wrapped up in a blankie!!

Meet Quackers!! On the last day of school, we decided to have a Lake Swim Party!! As soon as we started swimming, this baby wood duck came and found us! He followed us around, and kept trying to get to the kids. He had been alone of the lake for 3 days, so we decided (after talking to Carolina Wildlife Rescue) that he was in need of some help!!

He swam straight up to kids as fast as he could. He had been very lonely all by himself.

The kids were mystified by this baby duck!!

As much as they wanted to help, they weren't always careful. In particular, Quackers imprinted on Walker... the LEAST careful of all the kids! He literally chased Walker up on to the rocks. Quacks LOVED Walker!!

Blakely named him Quackers, because he was duck and ducks quack... good logic.

The kids keeping guard of Quackers while we got read to take him to Animal Rescue!!

Such an amazing learning opportunity for the kids!

Quackers was rehabilitated at Carolina Wildlife, then sent to Bird Sanctuary in Charlotte to live out his life in peace. Good Luck Quackers!!! We will miss you!!

So far Summer is off to a GREAT start, and we are just getting started!!!! The biggest event of Summer is coming in July.... BABY LAWSON IS COMING!!