Saturday Morning

The kids love Saturdays because they all get to hang together...here are some pictures from this morning...

Ava's Almost Two Months Old!

Ava just keeps on growing. Here are some recent pictures...

Tommy's Preschool Adventures

Last Monday (9/15) Tommy had his first day of school! Parents were able to come on the first day, and he invited Mommy to accompany him. We had a great time! After Mrs. Murphy sang a few songs with the class we were able to play at the different centers in the classroom. Tommy's favorites were the green center (filled with cars and trains wouldn't you know!), the yellow center (snack center) and the orange center (class library). After school we went out for a bagel to celebrate.

After picking Tommy up from school on Thursday his teacher told me that he is such a joy to have in class. She related to me that while he and some other kids were playing with playdoh that morning another child joined them at the table and couldn't find any playdoh to play with. Tommy immediately divided his playdoh in half and shared with this child - without even being asked! His teacher went on to say that he sets a wonderful example for his classmates. Way to go Tommy - you're growing up to be such a thoughtful and kind young man!

Soccer Season Has Begun

Well, I am officially a soccer mom. Yesterday began our fall adventure - Saturdays filled with soccer. Tommy practices and plays in the morning and Claire will have games every Saturday afternoon. It is awesome to watch them out on the soccer field having fun with their teammates. Hope you can see what a blast they're having in these pictures...

Tommy's team checks out a frog on the field

Post-game fun...soak the coach!

A Day of Firsts

Claire began first grade today....September 2, 2008. She was very excited this morning with the prospect of wearing her new school clothes and seeing old friends. It's hard to believe that she's already 6 years old and going to school for a full day. We will miss her at home but are excited for all of the adventures she will surely experience in first grade!

All set and ready to go...and it's only 7:15!

A happy and excited bunch

Claire and her friend Emily wait for the start of school

A New Little Sister

Tom is such a loving big brother to Ava. He enjoys holding her and making sure that she is content. Ava loves to watch him when he is playing - especially with trains. Maybe we have another future train builder on our hands!

The Wait is Over

What a great big sister Ava has! Claire has been a great help with Ava. Claire loves to hold Ava, help with her baths, pick out her clothes and play with her. Ava is blessed to have such a wonderful big sis!

Friday Morning

Sometimes my kids just make me smile...and that's no small feat at 7:00 am! This morning Claire and Tommy came out dressed in their t-ball shirts and hats from last season. Too cute!

Big Brother Luke

Luke is loving being a big brother. The first thing he does in the morning is come into the room where Ava is sleeping, give her a big kiss and say, "Hi Ava!" He is always the first to run and get me when she is crying. He is very thoughtful, too, especially when it comes to his toys. He doesn't want her to miss a single moment of fun...so he makes sure to show her all of his toys. Their new favorite is a small battery-powered light-up fan that he got from our friends, Rosie and Sascha. He likes to blow the air in Ava's face and shine the light in her eyes....and she loves it too....mom and dad make sure to supervise this game, though!

Ava Comes Home....and Sleeps!

Ava came home on July 25. In addition to sleeping and eating, she has been enjoying lots of love from Claire, Tommy and Luke. Here are some pictures of her first few weeks at home.

Tom's Great Season

This spring, Tommy embarked on the adventure of t-ball. We spent our Saturday mornings watching #8 Tom hit and field balls for the Angels. Tommy capped off the season with a homerun during the last inning of the final game. His love for the game of baseball is evident as he is already looking forward to next year's season!