First Day of Third Grade

Little Alex started 3rd grade this year and we couldn't be prouder of him!  His class this year is a bit more challenging as he entered the advanced academics program at his school, but it has been good for him.  He has to work a little harder, spend a little more time on homework and projects, and get used to online math textbooks.  His teachers are very sweet and he didn't have to change schools, which is a plus.  There are students from 5 surrounding elementaries in his class and he's been helping to show them the ropes at Sangster.   Abby has been riding her bike down to school in the morning and afternoons to drop off/pick up Alex, which is good practice for her.  Here's to a great year!

Safari!

Once Jackie and Scott returned from their honeymoon safari in Africa, we were eager to go look at some of their pictures.  The shots were amazing and we couldn't believe how close they were able to get to these wonderful animals.  

Abby has taken a liking to picking the basil in Scott and Jackie's garden and making pesto.  She refuses to taste her creation but it is delicious and we always look forward to bringing some home for chicken or pasta.

Last Raft Night

The last raft night of the season was a rainy one, but we were determined to get over to the pool.  We were, in fact, the only rafters there.  The kids enjoy Wednesday raft nights so much, as usually you cannot have floats in the pool.  Time to deflate them and store til next summer!

New Bern, NC

Living on the East Coast has its perks, like being close to family friends!  We drove down to New Bern, NC, with a quick stop in Raleigh for some barbecue, to visit family friends the Comers and Grandma Eileen.  

I had taken Alex to visit Maureen and Jim back when he was 2 and while he loved the beach, wearing a life jacket was his most least favorite thing, and boy did he fuss about it!  This trip, we couldn't get the kids off the boats!  It was great to tool around the Neuse River in their deck boat and watch the kids play hide and seek on their "big" boat while it was docked.  We even got to take a night ride, with Tater the dog on board.  

It was great to see their "new" house, post-Hurricane Irene renovations, and to spend time with my Mom as well.  Everyone loved the beach at Emerald Isle and enjoyed having Daddy there to ride the waves too!  Brad and I even snuck in a date night at the lovely Persimmons Restaurant, where we'd also had a big family brunch earlier that day.  The kids got a kick out of riding the boat all the way from the backyard, right up to the dock of the restaurant in downtown New Bern.  So. Much. Fun!

Summer Fun!

Summer is so much fun!  We have a pretty free flowing schedule that includes a lot of swimming and play dates.  Getting frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog is a special treat, as is running a lemonade stand!  Abby has adopted a section of the playroom for her "Baby Daycare" and she (Emily) and I (Leah) work hard to keep the babies happy and fed while we "work" there.  When Brad (Joe) is home, he helps us too.  Alex wants nothing to do with the daycare so he doesn't even have an alias!  As a reward for completing the summer reading program at the library, the kids each earned another free pass to Pirate's Cove Waterpark so we used those up the last week before school started.  

Visit to Houston

In early August, Brad needed to take a business trip to Houston and we were quick to tag along.  Brad's office here in VA will be closing and relocating to The Woodlands, TX, conveniently located near our dear friends the Talleys!  Unsure of the timing we were working with, the kids and I took advantage of summer break to poke around a few neighborhoods, check out a few model homes, and swim endlessly with the Talleys in their new pool at their new house!  Alex and Brady are like long lost brothers, close enough in age to have similar interests, and easily pick up where they left off.  Abby and Catie have no trouble finding things to keep them busy and could play dress up every day all day if we let them.  Nathan plays nicely with all of the kids despite the age difference, he's a good egg.  

Becca was nice enough to drive us around a little the first day, pointing out schools, neighborhoods, etc.  I feel like we have a much better sense of the area now and when we look at homes online things seem more familiar.  I spent the second day touring model homes solo and getting a feel for the new build options up there.  Note, the school districts vary, sometimes even within the neighborhood so if you have a high school in mind, ask lots of questions :)  The Woodlands is beautiful and whether we go next summer or the summer after that or years later, it will still be a lovely, family-friendly, master-planned community.

The day we were set to leave, I took the kids to Kemah Boardwalk to ride the rides and have lunch.  It was blistering hot so we opted to watch the rollercoaster speed by our window from inside Saltgrass Steakhouse for lunch.  I even drove the kids past our old house in Bay Glen on the way to the airport.  Sadly it is not being well-maintained (on the outside anyway), but that was a great first house and we miss our neighbors terribly.  

We are looking forward to seeing the Talleys again in October on our adults only trip to the Dominican Republic to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary and their 40th birthdays!