What's In a Name?

While being pregnant with this sweet little peanut, my mind was littered with names. I had no idea what her name should be. Of course I had some names that crept to the top of my list only to fall short after a few weeks of consideration.

Finally my list consisted of three names: Cora, Jillian and Charlotte. I was certain it was Cora, then it fell from grace and Charlotte took it's spot. I still wasn't feeling 100 percent about it and that's when Jillian came up. I told everyone I was just going to have to wait until I meet her to know what her name is suppose to be.

The night she was born, she was all kinds of nasty and goop covered. The nurses whisked her over to the weighing table to get her cleaned up only after I got a quick glance of her perfectly spherical head and counted all ten fingers and toes. I hadn't had that bonding moment where I looked into her eyes and announced to everyone in the room that her name is.....

As they were cleaning her up one of the nurses asked what her name is. Before I could respond Theo says, "Charlotte!". I felt like my thunder was knocked out of me, I hadn't had time for my revelation to kick in yet. But I relented and just went with the flow. Once the nurses started to clear the room and leaving Theo and I to ourselves with our new family addition he asks me if 'Charlotte' was okay. I felt that even though he announced it to a room full of nurses that we will never see again and we haven't signed any Social Security papers that the name was already established.

It's still hard for me to call her Charlotte, not because I don't love the name, but because I feel like she was suppose to be called something else. Unfortunately it isn't one of the other 2 names on my list either. I can't be bitter about it because with all our kids I have asked Theo's opinion on their names and he has always left it up to me. Now with our 5th and final baby he really wanted the name Charlotte.

I think I love the idea that he named one of our babies more than any name he could have picked. So Charlotte it is.

Renki the Magical Elf

Do you see him?

This adorable Elf is from the cute kid's book, "The Elf on the Shelf". Some of the girls I teach in my Sunday primary class were talking about it and I remembered hearing about this before. I thought it was such a cute idea that I went out that Monday and got the kit from Books-A-Million for a fun FHE night.

We read the book and named the Elf; Renki. (That's 'Ikner' spelled backwards, Theo's brilliant idea!) We went around the room introducing all the kids. Tobie very cooly replied, "What's up?", Miriam gave an energetic wave accompanied by a giggle, Emma growled at the unwanted attention from the doll and Hannah just sweetly waved.

They believe in this Elf's magic so earnestly that I believe he could have jumped up and done a jig, but that would be against Santa's law, so he sits obediently on his perch and quietly watches the kids while making mental notes to report back to Santa with.

The night went smoothly. The kids were more helpful, more obedient and showed love and courtesy towards one another. If any one of them got out of line, the other would gently remind them, "Renki's watching you.". Which would quickly snap them out of their bout of disobedience.

It was all going well....until it was time to go to bed. When the lights go out, apparently that cute little Santa's helper becomes a minion of the Dark Lord's. It worked out alright as far as the two girls were concerned. They were paralyzed with fear to their beds. But we had to deal with Tobie sprinting across the house to our bedroom as he kept checking behind him to make sure that the possessed doll wasn't following him. Each time we had to chase him back to his room, and each time he came back just to let us know how much "dolls that move FREAK ME OUT!".

After a night of sleeping on our bedroom floor, he has gotten use to the idea of Renki. All the kids have, and they love waking up the next morning having to find where his next sitting spot will be.

Even though I'm glad that they got used to Renki, that also meant they got used to his presence and their true natures have come out already. That slight reminder that Renki is watching, doesn't hold as much power as it did at the beginning of the week. Oh well, I guess that's better than thinking Renki is out to bite their legs off or something gory like that.

Nearing the End

As I get closer to the end of my pregnancy I get less and less motivated to make a posting. Mainly because I have no pictures to share. I may one day get around to posting some of the random pictures that my Theo has taken, but right now my brain isn't functioning on all cylinders to stay focused as I wait for the pictures to load and then come up with some informative description of what is happening in said pictures.

When the new baby comes I guarantee that there will be pictures.

On another note about pictures, I have always been envious of people who take awesome pictures to post. It makes me wish that I could be there participating in their picturesque holiday. But then I see that one picture of the questionable Uncle, or the Grandmother that I know uses too much Dollar Store powder on her face and I wonder;

"What do they smell like?"

And then my curiosity is curved. What can I say, I'm a smeller. I will hold my breathe when walking past questionable looking people just so their smell doesn't penetrate my nostrils.

Am I the only one that does this?

My Little Runner

Last Saturday was Tobie's first run! He was so excited! His school even started a running program this year called the Star Chasers, where after school on Wednesday's they run around the field getting a charm for every lap. Twice around is 1 mile. On race day he was more than ready. His Dad had just ran the 10K, but still got in line with Tobie to run one more mile with him. My main concern was that he wasn't going to make it. But apparently all that worrying was for nothing. Theo said he was racing different kids the whole way. He would get beside a kid and keep his pace, picking it up turning it into a one-on-one until the other kid finally pooped out and fell behind. Then Tobie was on to the next kid in front of him. I thought I had plenty of time to walk down to the finish line and get a great shot of him crossing it, but just under 10 minutes Tobie goes flying by me! He wasn't even winded when he got to the end. He even asked me, "Is that it?".

I think it is absolutely wonderful that he has taken such a liking to running. I've only become a runner in the past few years, but my whole life I secretly wanted to be athletic. I would cover up the disappointment in myself by telling people running was against my religion. It was all funny, but deep down I so wanted that life for myself. Now my son is picking it up at such a young age, and I know that Theo and I have been a big influence on him, but seeing his enthusiasm is going to be the motivation I need to keep it up.

And the next King of England is....

He may not have been able to pull the sword out and stake his claim on the kingdom, but he definitely rules my world! I sure do love that man!!! =)
I think he failed because of the way he executed his plan. I'm sure if he gripped the sides it would have come out, no problem!
This is Miriam giving it all she's got! Look at her strained face! Priceless!
Emma's is concentrating so hard! I think she is trying to use the powers of the mind to get the sword out.
Now that's just plain adorable! They need to just give it to her for her level of preciousness. Imagine the countries that would bow to this little girl after being defeated by her blinding cuteness! She would be unstoppable!

Autographs Galore

We decided once we got to Disney World that an Autograph book would be a good investment as soon as we saw the short line to see Ariel and Prince Eric. Of course I couldn't get just one, I got 2 of them. I know next time I won't be able to get away with not getting one for Hannah, I barely made it out alive because I didn't think she would notice or care too much about the book. Boy was I wrong!

So many mixed feelings swirl around meeting all these famous Disney characters. The kids were so excited until we walked up to them, that's when the eyes stayed on the ground, they lost the ability to speak and Hannah even went into convulsions a few times.

Still, those books were very treasured, and I'm sure that they will be again once I fill it with these pictures.

Apparently Emma's hands tasted just too good to pull them out of her mouth for a quick snap shot. Tobie was dragged in by Prince Eric, I guess he figured if he has to stand there in the costume Tobie could endure a few moments embarrassment.
Hannah looks so excited to see Princess Aurora! But Emma is still cautious. She's cutting her eyes like, "Don't make any sudden movements.".
I guess she trusted Cinderella more and even decided to mimic her pose. Too cute!
She really warmed up to Belle. She even ran back after this picture was taken to give her a hug!
Hugs all around!!! See Hannah clutching that autograph book? She didn't really care about the autographs, she saw it as a drawing book. Mean Mommy had to keep taking it away as soon as she learned how to click the pen open.
Who knew Mickey was near-sighted?
The whole family! Hannah is trying desperately to put some distance between herself and the costumed freaks. This is one of the convulsions I was referring to.
Okay, I can't look at these pictures of the fairies without feeling a bit of rage boiling to the surface. We waited 45 minutes to see them, when we finally got in Emma and Hannah refused to get in the picture. Not only refused, but screamed like someone was twisting their arms and tried to hide behind my dress. Then at the end when we walked out, I saw that Tinker Bell signed just one book and the purple fairy signed both. I don't even know the orange fairy's name since she didn't sign either books. I was crying I was so livid! I almost marched in there and demanded that they all sign the books, but figured my pregnancy hormones might have induced that revenge induced tantrum and decided not to. Besides getting kicked out of Disney World was not on my agenda.

At least Tinker Bell was the only one who came out to TRY and coax Emma into a picture. The other two were just like "Oh well!".

Again you'll notice Hannah on the outside of the group trying to get as far away from the gigantic bunny as possible.
This was right when the park closed at midnight and we just happened upon Donald Duck. Emma just woke up and I shirked on my protective Mommy duties and tried to get Hannah right beside him. That was another of her convulsions. She is screaming "NO!" and trying to pull away. I tried to shield her as much as possible, I'm not completely heartless! I told her to say bye-bye and as she is shaking in my arms and half crying she starts waving and saying "bye-bye!". It was so sad and funny at the same time.

Ah, good times.

Emma's 4!

My third child, Emma just turned 4 yesterday! I kind of feel like I have been so focused on Hannah and the pregnancy that I am completely missing her growing up. =( If anyone is going to suffer from middle child syndrome, it's going to be her. But Heavenly Father blessed her with a very independent and strong headed spirit (a lot like her Mama!), so I'm not too worried.

I know several of my friends have a tradition of waking up the birthday kid while singing the birthday song and showering the groggy kid with presents. Not me. Call me a mean mom, but I make them wait ALL DAY LONG! Then after they have had their birthday dinner we pull out the cake and presents. I guess it's because I love surprises, maybe more than the actual surprise itself. Several times Theo wants to tell me what he has gotten for me, but I won't let him tell me. I savor the moment for as long as I can, and I do the same thing with my kids. They don't know any better, so they are very patient! Or they have inherited their Mommy's love of surprises as well.

We love the "Pinkalicious" books, so when we saw they had the costume stuff with purse and gloves included at Wal-Mart we just couldn't pass it up. Can we say Halloween costume??? ;)
All the gang. It was a nice little celebration with my Mom and Dad coming over for cake and ice cream.

Happy Birthday my little 4 year old!!!!

Beluga Love (Disclaimer: It's a little racey!)

Two weeks ago we took a trip to Sea World and Disney World with the whole family. It was loads of fun and the kids were troopers. On our first day to Sea World we were all educated in the mating rituals of the Beluga Whale. This big guy had his eyes set on that female and he was determined to make it work. We were just missing some candle light and a little Barry White.
Emma's look is priceless! This is the look of innocence being shattered. Actually I'm just kidding, she had no idea what was going on. She did wonder why the boy whale was being so mean to the girl whale though. Luckily her attention was diverted by some fake ship props that included a climbing rope that was about as tall as I am. All the kids quickly lost interest, I tell you what, Beluga love making is very frustrating. Apparently you have to be very precise because they are constantly swimming around. He'd get so close, and then....miss! There was a small crowd forming of adults that was aware of what was being attempted. We all started to cheer him on, then moan in frustration for the poor whale when his efforts kept getting thwarted.
I guess that's what led to this. When all else fails, bite her....I guess.

Lesson Not Learned

Tobie is starting a new phase in life. The annoying disobedient, defiant, back talking snotty phase. I loose my cool on a daily basis due to his sarcastic quips and hissy fits. Last night I thought I had the opportunity of a lifetime to teach him the important lesson that you better come when Mama calls you.

We had our quarterly Relief Society Meeting last night. It was really good overall, even though I have started fighting a really bad head cold and Theo was out of town for the evening which means I had to bring the kiddies with me.

When our evening was over and it was time to head home I started rounding up the kids. I say it all the time, but trying to get your kids to do what you ask all at the same time is like herding cats. They always go in different directions. I'm usually pretty good about getting them under control and out the door in a timely manner...usually. Last night I had all my girls ready and waiting, but where was Tobie?

He was running around the church all sweaty and yelling like a lunatic. I hollered at him to get in the car, that we were leaving. So he does the obvious thing and runs into the Primary room and shuts the door, still screaming like a madman. I sent Miriam down the hall to tell him to get a move on. She tells him several times to come until finally I tell her to just leave him and lets go.

I get the girls all strapped in the car and we wait....and wait....and wait. I came up with an idea to move my car so when he DID come out he wouldn't see the car and freak out a little. So I move the car and wait....and wait...and wait. Still no Tobie.

Then I got an even better idea, I'm going to leave him for real! Of course I wouldn't leave him without a way home, so I pull up to the door and a Sister was coming out who just happens to pass my neighborhood on her way home. I stage the scene telling her to go talk to him and let him know that she just saw me pull out of the parking lot, but not letting him know that I set him up a ride home. I pull out with my girls feeling very proud of myself for thinking of such a grand scheme that would certainly teach this boy a lesson.

I got home, get the girls out and wait for this Sister to bring him home. They finally arrive. I'm expecting red puffy eyes filled with tears and a heart full of repentance. Instead I find a nonchalant boy who thought it was cool to ride home in this Sister's front seat because she is able to turn off the airbag. *SIGH*

She told me when she went to get him and told him that I had left, she asked him didn't his mother tell him to get in the car? His response...."No, she didn't tell me even once!".

First Day of School

My kids have actually been in school going on 3 weeks now, but I finally got in the mood to post these pictures. That seems to be the other pregnancy side effect. I have to be in the mood to do anything before doing it. But enough about my crazy, this post is about the kids.

Some people say how they can't believe how old their kids have gotten that they are now ready to start school. "How is this possible?" "Stop growing!"

Not me. Miriam is my little bookworm. She is super smart and soaks up knowledge like a sponge! I couldn't wait for her to start kindergarten and when it came time for the big first day it was like a relief of "FINALLY!". She was so ready, and I feel like I am ready to watch her excel.

Tobie is a different story. This boy has enough energy to power our house for a week if a hurricane ever came through. I always tend to say a little prayer under my breath when he goes in, hoping that he doesn't get into any trouble. He's been doing really good so far, but with a little hiccup yesterday. Apparently he didn't head his homework paper correctly and had to stay inside from P.E. Then I get a note from his teacher saying that he couldn't focus and wasn't paying attention. I have to say that taking away P.E. privilege as a punishment is the WORST idea for my Tobie! He has to move, he has to expel all that extra energy! Of course he can't focus when his legs are about to take off without him! I really like his teacher so far, and I explained that he NEEDS his P.E. time. Hopefully he can control himself, and hopefully his teacher can see how vital his exercise time is.
I know the uniforms are awesome, right. And let me tell you, I love what it does for my wallet! There's no headaches, no worrying about what's cool and they are all cheap but durable fabric.
Tobie took off to his class before we could get any pictures. Miriam is so cute! You can just see her excitement radiating from her in this picture. The second day I told Tobie to walk her to her classroom, and she said very matter of fact, "I know where my classroom is!". Well excuuuuuuse me! See what I mean, she is so ready for this.

My Eyes Are A Broken Faucet

Yes, I know it's the hormones, but I can not for the life of me get myself to stop crying once I get started. I've had this problem before being pregnant, but now once the waterworks start flowing it takes a good hour AT LEAST to stop.

For example, Tobie thought it would be funny to point the kitchen faucet at me and let Hannah turn on the water. I was drenched! I felt the tears coming on, but it was kind of funny at the same time. Theo came running to see what I was yelling about and after looking at his wet dog of a wife he busted out laughing. That was all I need to let the dam break and the tears started to flow. Of course I was laughing at the same time, but I just couldn't turn off the tears.

Another example was when I went to Winn-Dixie the other day. I really like this Winn-Dixie and it's music choice. They are always playing great 80's music like The Cure, and that group that sings "Under The Milky Way". (My best friend from High School would be ashamed of me if she knew I forgot who sang that song.)

Any who....when I happened to walk in that day they were playing "This Must Be Love" by Madness. If you haven't ever heard this song you should Google it. Really...it's an awesome song.

But to explain what makes this song even more special to me we have to take a little time traveling trip to when Theo and I were dating. We were discussing music and what songs best describe our feelings for one another. (I know, such a lovey-dovey dating thing to do.) I can't even remember the song I choose because Theo's choice blew it out of the water when he played this song for me. I still love it after 11 years, and I consider it to be "OUR" song.

So back to the present, a few days ago, and I'm in Winn-Dixie. I text Theo to tell him that they are playing our song. He texts me back saying that he asked them to play it for me. AAAWWWWWW!!!!

On any other day I would have chuckled and thought, "He's so funny.". But something overwhelmed me with that one little text message. All the love I feel for that man welled up in my eyes and right there in the middle of the store I was bawling like a little baby! Thankfully my two younger kids who were with me were preoccupied with the amazing Lady Bug cakes at the Bakery and they didn't notice my blubbering of "Ohhh"'s and "Ahhh"'s at their excitement.

I had to walk the aisles a few times before composing myself and heading to the cashier to check out. Man, I really hope these hormones level out really soon!

When I Am Baptized

Wannabe Entreprenuer

I have an itch.

An itch to own my own business. To build something from the ground up, something that I can mold into something greater than I could ever imagine, which would someday lead to a special on TLC.

Whenever I pass an abandoned building, or a business store front up for rent my brain hamster starts spinning that wheel and ideas of grandeur whisk me away into "What If...." Land.

I know these ideas will never see the light of day, and besides with 4 kids and one on the way I have more than enough grandeur to create in the future of my children. (blah, blah, blah)

But there is one very important reason why this dream will never solidify.

I have no idea what I would sell.

The Dark Side

So I haven't been blogging much, and since I have 4 kids and 5 months pregnant with my 5th, you are probably thinking; "Well, she's got a lot on her plate right now.", or; "She must be exhausted! Poor thing!".

Well you would be right, I'm freakin' spent! But something else has crept into my life that has divided my attention and made it near impossible to post.

I have crossed over to the Dark Side. That's right, I started playing World of Warcraft.

Crazy! I know! But Theo has been begging me for awhile to join him in this virtual world and one night he won out.

After checking Facebook and email I was at a loss as to what to do next. He casually suggested, "Well...you could start playing WoW." *HUGE SIGH* from me and then submission, "Fine".

I created a character, and was hooked. Now all I can think about is leveling up, my dreams are filled with running around completing quests and killing monsters. I wake up exhausted, just waiting for my next WoW fix.

Now as soon as the kiddies are tucked in their beds I eagerly walk to my computer and log in to my virtual world. It really is a lot of fun! And considering that at the end of the day the only things that can really still function are my finger tips, it's a great getaway.

Now I have to go, I've wasted enough WoW time by writing this post. Gotta play!

Car Accessories

For our move down south last summer we purchased a Rocketbox to hold all our luggage since we drove the whole way from California to Alabama.

The funny thing is that you see these types of luggage holders on LOTS of cars in California. There is so much outdoorsy things to do there that people just leave them on their cars and when the time comes to go camping, or canoeing or hiking, they just pack them and they're off. Makes sense to me!

But if someone was like us and just has it on top of their car because it is a real hassle to take it off, you would never know. You could just assume they are the active type that is always prepared for whatever outdoor adventure comes up.

People don't really think that way here. I have had several people ask me why we still have our box on top of the car, some have asked if we are going on a trip and some have even teased me about my car's accessory.

Sure we have only used it for one camping trip since getting here. But I tell you what, I never loose my car in a Wal-Mart parking lot. So the Rocketbox stays.

Are We There Yet?

This past Sunday in my 9-11 year old girl class in Primary our lesson was on the Isrealites in the wilderness. Moses had just taken them out there, freeing them from a wicked Pharaoh with the promise that they are going to a wonderful paradise that God has created just for them. Unfortunately it was going to be quite the journey, but with a little faith God would help them through it. They were there for 40 years. The people murmured, and some lost faith.

I tried to explain this in terms that my girls could understand.

"Imagine you are on your way to the most magical place on Earth. You are going to Disney World! But you have to drive because airfares are too expensive for you and your whole family. At first you're all pumped up to go, then the hours drag on. You've watched all your DVD's and gotten bored with your DS's. Now your getting cranky and you start to whine, "Are we there yet?". You KNOW you are going to this wonderful place, and yet because you don't have the patience you start to loose faith thinking you are never going to get there."

I thought it was an excellent analogy, but let me explain something that sets up an even more present scenario. Whenever one of my girl's is having a birthday I buy doughnuts. Not just any doughnuts, Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I even ask the girl's in advance what their favorite is so I can bring those in. We had a birthday to celebrate this week and a fresh box of sprinkle doughnuts were on the table. Some of the girls were focused on the lesson, but there were some where the fragrance was just too much too handle.

After my awesome Disney World analogy one girl raised her hand. I called on her thinking she may have some insight to my example.

"When are we going to eat the doughnuts?"

Seriously? This was the perfect example! You know you are going to get doughnuts, they are right there. I bought them, displayed them and promised we would have them and yet the few minutes she had to wait for the lesson to be over was just too much to bare. She started to murmur, she wanted her doughnuts right now.

I compared this to the Isrealites. They know they are going to this wonderful place, but they just have to wait a while. And here my class just has to wait a few minutes before they can partake of the food paradise that I have provided.

I think of how this applies to today. The Lord has promised us blessings untold. All we have to do is stick it out while on this earth and keep the commandments and then...Wa-la! Paradise! But we get so caught up in wanting things NOW, that whole instant gratification thing. And if it takes too long we give up, some going so far to lose all faith that there is a God at all. It really is unfortunate, but we have to stick with it. In the words of Nike, Just Do It! And in the words of Pres. Hinkley, Do It Now!

Have you ever looked back on an opportunity you missed and think, "Why didn't I just do what I needed to do then, and I could be enjoying the benefits now?". I know I have, but how horrible is it going to be when we look back on our lives and think, "Why didn't I just do what I was commanded to do then? It wasn't as hard as I made it out to be, and I could be gaining the blessings from it now.".

Hopefully my girls got that message, and hopefully I'll follow my own advice so I won't be looking back on my life with the regret of frivolous priorities.

The Crawfish Cake

This has got to be one of my most favorite cakes I have made so far. My friend Amber asked for a unique cake for her husband's birthday/crawfish family get together. When she told me it was a crawfish party I immediately got the idea to do a large crawfish. I was super excited to do this and I think it turned out pretty cool. The inside was white cake with cookies and cream filling so that it looked like the poop vein inside the crawfish! Hahaha!

The best compliment though is that Amber told me she had the cake on the table with decorations around it. Her family kept looking at it until she told her it was a cake. They were completely surprised, they thought it was just a center piece for the table!

That was one fun cake, and thanks to Amber for giving me the opportunity to do it.

Family Home Evening and Reenactments

Two weeks ago we had the missionaries over for Family Home Evening. Even though they were told they were in charge of the lesson portion of FHE they gave me blank stares when I turned the time over to them. They were troopers though and came up with an awesome idea to reenact when Nephi and his brothers went back to get the brass plates. You can read the whole story HERE.

Apparently all my children are playing Nephi and the other two missionaries, Elder Morrison and Elder Metcalf are his brothers, Laman and Lemuel. In the first picture Elder Krieser is telling them that they have to go back to Jerusalem to get the plates of brass from the wicked King Laban.

When they get to Jerusalem the brothers decide on Laman going to King Laban to ask for the plates. Elder Tolley is King Laban, and I'm pretty sure the pillow on his head as his crown was his idea.
Of course King Laban says "No Way!" when Laman asks for the brass plates and sends his guards after him. That's a sweet picture with Elder Morrison jumping clear over that chair to escape Theo, the King's guard.
When Laman told his brothers about how King Laban turned him down they figured they had a lot of riches at their house and maybe they can bribe him with them. Here they are showing King Laban their precious things in hopes that he will give them the brass plates.
He says, you guess it, "No Way!" and sends his guards after them all and tells them to kill them all AND take their precious things.
The guards chase them out of the city, but are unsuccessful in killing them. Phew!
The Lord tells Nephi to try one more time and He would deliver King Laban into his hands. So obediently he returns to the city to find King Laban passed out drunk in the street. The Lord tells Nephi to slay him, Nephi is hesitant at first but then the Lord SAYS, "It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in disbelief." for the plates of brass was scripture that they needed to take with them on a long journey. So Nephi slays the wicked King Laban, with some mad pillow fighting skills, gets the plates and returns to his family in the wilderness.

THE END.

And then there were 5....

For those of you who guessed it by my hinting around in a previous post, you are correct. I am in fact pregnant with number 5! I've actually known since the pictures of us at our camping trip. I have to admit I was in denial for awhile and a little afraid that I may not in fact be pregnant. Despite the crippling fatigue and constant nausea. But all doubts were laid to rest last Tuesday when I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time, and then yesterday the baby got it's first pictures.

Theo and I are super excited and feel that this little spirit was destined to be with us. I thank my Heavenly Father constantly for my wonderful children, no matter how much hair falls out of my head each day. Now I can look forward to this glorious addition, that I believe will finally complete our family.

My Joy School Graduate

Miriam graduated from Joy School today. Joy School is when a group of mothers take turns teaching each others kids. It really has been fun, but now my little Miriam is moving up with the big dogs and is starting Kindergarten this fall. I can't say that it feels like time is flying by for me. I guess it's because Tobie has been in school for a while now and it seems to have taken forever for her to join him. Also she loves learning so much that I have been chomping on the bits to get her into a real classroom to let her really spread her wings.
The Joy School cake that I made for the occasion. I actually used the picture off of one of the school posters we have used all year. On the poster version each window has one of the kids picture on the back and behind the door is a wheel with the different teachers. When the kids come in they turn their pictures around to let us know that their minds are open and ready to learn. It's a great concept and it's been really fun for the kids to do throughout the year.
They all look relieved now that the formal festivities are all over. They are such a cute bunch of kids. I know they are all going to do well this fall. Great Job Graduates!