Back to School ...

And we're back. 

Back into our school routine ( although homework hasn't started yet - yay!!) 

We had our annual Back to School Feast which is becoming a fun tradition I like to do with the kids. 

Our theme for this year is " I can do hard things." 

Hard as in school work or hard as in doing the right thing even when its not easy. 

B was put to the test the second day of school and I have to brag she did amazing and is making us so proud. She really is coming into her own and watching her grow into this little 7 year old lady is so fun. I think Im gonna love age 7. 

Something new this year is we decided to homeschool Boden and Brooklyn. 

Our reasoning wasn't that Im trying to be super Mom or get an award for doing it all. 

It simply came down to what would work best for our entire family this year. 

2 kids in a good preschool is expensive and after having one child in school I realized once they start K it goes so fast and they are gone A LOT. 

I wanted to savor this year with both Boden and Maye at home together before next Fall when Bo starts K. They are super close and I know Maye is going to miss him so much next Fall. 

So far things have been going smooth. The kids are excited and cooperative. 

Im enjoying the flexability we have which I think will be nice once the baby comes too.  

Kindness Matters.

 With Summer coming to a close,  I have to admit the ending of this season left me feeling defeated. 

This Summer wasn't an easy one.

 It was difficult for a lot of reasons and of course it could always be worse but, overall I just felt let down in how our Summer played out and was left questioning my parenting. 

I felt all Summer all I did was correct, discipline, yell, and take away privileges. 

Still the kids were giving me a run for my money. 

This last week though, I got the boost I needed from some unexpected places. 

A few acquaintances and strangers randomly over the course of the week complemented the kids and their behavior. 

A stranger in line behind us, a family friend, and a older gentleman. 

Parenting is tough. 

Many times you don't see the results of the hard work and sleepless nights for months or even years. 

These small but so important acts of kindness came at an exact moment for me transiting into this next season. 

My goal for myself is to do the same going forward.

Many times in Target I have seen a new mom walking the isles with a crying newborn and keeping her cool. I have thought " She's got this." Instead of keeping these comments to myself my goal is outwardly encourage and praise people when I see them doing a great job. 

If its my own family, kids, or strangers I think these small comments of encouragement and kindness can go a long way. 

We started school Wednesday so Ill have a post up about that and our back to school feast! 

Savoring Summer... Kinda.

I love living in New England where the change of seasons is dramatic and with each season it brings something new. 

At the end of last Summer I remember sitting on the beach at camp with Maye and thinking about what an amazing Summer we had and how I didn't want it to end. Matt had tons of time off, everyone  relatively got along, we had awesome adventures, and peaceful downtime. 

I really wanted to freeze time. 

Summer 2015- all those curls! 

But since I hadn't quite figured out how to do that we started school and moved forward with Fall and 1st Grade. 

Here we are again in the throws of Summer with one month left till school starts and I can't help comparing this Summer to last. 

Im less patient with less energy.

 Matt has worked so much. The kids are all fighting.

I miss last Summer and am honestly so disappointed with how this Summer has gone. 

( Fitting for 2016 but more on that on a another day ha) 

In no way do I ever want to wish away time because as the kids get bigger I realize just how fast it goes but I have to say with Fall coming I can feel a huge sigh of relief in finding our routines again and maybe a little more peace around here- as much peace as can be found adding a newborn to the mix ha. 

Recently, I have started a few new rituals in our day to possibly help things run a little smoother. 

We'll see. 

Bristol on her last Day of SPCA camp with our dog Gage for show and tell...

Ending our days with Yoga while I make dinner. 

We have had lots of library time this summer which has been fun.

We have a few more trips planned, one more camp for Bristol, and a few odds and end things fun Matt and I wanted to do with the kids. 

We will see if time allows. 

With my mailbox getting filled daily with Back to School magazines and sales I can feel the pressure of school starting in about 3 weeks ( !?!?!) so I want to try and make these last weeks as relaxing and fun as possible. 

July Camp Trip

So before I bombard you with pictures of my kids smiling and doing adorable things I want to preference that their was indeed crying, fighting, and whining. 

Im pretty sure the above mentioned cannot be avoided when you put a 7 year old who and I quote 

" has no one to play with" ( don't get me started...), a 4 year old who's emotional sensitivity is that of a 13 year old girl, a 3 year old (enough said),  and a almost 30 week pregnant Mama into a 30 foot camper for a week. 

( Oh and poor Matt is just caught in the crossfire.) 

Okay, on with vacation recap. 

We had mostly good weather with the exception of a CRAZY Thunderstorm. The kids did great  besides not wanting to run to the outhouse in the middle of it. 

Don't really blame them. 

We spent a majority of the 6 days swimming, boating, building massive car tracks, Paw Patrol Houses, and horse habitats. We all ate way too many s'mores and hot dogs. 

A hammock and a sunk canoe provided hours of entertainment. 

Making muffins during the thunderstorm ha. 

Playing nicely - def picture worthy. 

They kept playing Scooby Doo so they set a trap and caught Daddy haha. They were giddy laughing ha. 

"Yeah Babes" 

Matt asked for a little more light ... be careful what you wish for. Flash lights for days. 

28 weeks and our token pictures that were actually here because we are never in pictures ha. 

Good morning! Coffee on the dock. 

What quiet reading time alone looks like ha. 

Happy Camper for sure! :)