Joshua started Kindergarten!!!

On Monday, August 29th, I walked Joshua to his first Kindergarten class and what an exciting moment it was!  No tears from me or from him. We were both just so excited to be starting a new adventure.  It was fun to walk with the neighborhood kids too!  He's finished a week of school and he's been doing great so far.  He seems to really enjoy it!  He goes from Kindergarten to another private school for Kindergarten enrichment and after school care. It makes for long days for him but I think he's stimulated enough and enjoying his teachers and meeting new friends that he hasn't complained. Bedtime is pretty easy because he's pretty tired by the end of the day. 
He's been getting stars every day for good behavior and is looking forward to that prize at the end of 10 stars.  His favorite subject is art thus far that he gets at his private school. We are having a little bit of challenges figuring out our schedule in the morning with Kindergarten starting so early, Joshua needs to be dressed and eat breakfast pretty early and Aiden sometimes hasn't even woken up yet.  Luckily, all our street friends walk at the same time so Joshua has plenty of friends to walk with if I or Daddy can't take him sometimes. 
Enjoy the pictures!!

Old Joshua - under 3 months old

New Joshua - walking into the school on the first day

Joshua with all his street friends

Joshua sitting in his seat

Joshua and I at orientation

Daddy helping Joshua put on his bookbag

Aiden walked with us one day

Joshua and I are on the first day

Joshua's Kindergarten Party

I decided to throw Joshua and some of his friends a 'Get Ready for Kindergarten' Party right before school starts.  We had 6 kids all together, 3 boys and 3 girls and it was a good mix of kids.  I made it a drop off but one daughter's Mom stayed to help out.  I made special rainbow cupcakes for their dessert and they had hotdogs, smoothies, fruit, cheese sticks, etc.  We made several crafts, I took a picture of a few of them, watched a show and the kids just ran around playing all together. 
Enjoy the pictures!

Special goody bags the kids made that we filled with special surprises

Joshua's friends - Elena, Chase, Allie, Ethan, Tessa and Joshua

Special Rainbow cupcakes I made

Joshua's Graduation from Preschool Aug 2011

Joshua graduated from his preschool program on August 19th.  Justin and I drove into Tysons to witness this special event.  The Daycare team put together a really nice slide show presentation of their time at the daycare over the last 4-5 years.  There were pictures of Joshua when he started at age 2 even.  We had food after and the kids played on the playground one last time. Check out some pictures:

Some of Joshua's preschool class

Joshua and Annabelle

Joshua and Mr. Boris

Joshua with Pat, the Director

Summer Beach trip to Rehoboth Beach, DE

This is probably my last blog for the summer season as we're starting to get ready for football season, start of kindergarten, etc.  but I'm ending it with our trip to Rehoboth Beach, DE.  We went with the Tydlacka Family.  Neither family had ever been but it's definitely a place to go with kids!  There was lots to do there - the boys loved the beach as always especially jumping the waves and digging for crabs, (Aiden loved getting lots of snacks on the beach), waterpark,  the Boardwalk where there are restaurants, bars, ice cream, snow cone places and the best - games for kids and rides for kids!  They loved the rides and games almost too much.  Aiden (and even Joshua) had a few meltdowns leaving the area.  The weather was wonderful actually - nice breezes on the beach and it wasn't 100 degrees, we were really lucky.  The Daddys went out a few nights to play poker and even the Mommys went out 1 night for poker.  It was an exhuasting week especially being 19 weeks pregnant but most weeks that are fun are usually exhausting!
Well - that about sums up the trip but enjoy the pictures!

Family pic from Rehoboth Beach

Boys in the front of the ocean

Aiden loved this stop sign - asked me 'what does that sign say Momma' every time we walked by it

Joshua in front of the lifeguard stand

Aiden playing in the ocean last night there

Joshua and his buddy Allie - two peas in a pod most of the week

Best attempt at a group picture of the 4 kids - Allie, Hunter, Joshua & Aiden

The kids were playing in their pool of sand until a wave came up

Joshua and Allie

More of Joshua and Allie - they were cooperative with picture taking

Aiden loved the merry go round

Justin and the boys were overtaken by a wave

Aftermath of the wave...

Justin and I stopped to pose for a picture

Allie got Joshua on this tea cup ride - I think it was faster then Joshua realized - he looked pretty scared throughout the ride

Joshua enjoyed the swings - an old favorite of mine

Aiden's favorite again - Merry Go Round

Joshua's and Aiden's first ride at the Boardwalk

Joshua and Allie at the Jungle Jim's Waterpark - Aiden got into trouble for not listening and didn't get to go

Joshua and Allie leaving the Waterpark

Aiden on the beach

The boys playing with their new sand trucks

Joshua and Allie showing off the crabs they found - the obsession of the week was digging for crabs - kept them busy!

Aiden found a crab too