Silly Photography

I love when I find extra pictures on my phone.  These are a few silly pictures that Reed took one evening.  Thanks for the giggles, buddy.

Jiu-Jitsu Gets Real

The boys loved Jiu-Jitsu this evening.  Sensei had a Fort Worth police officer that he had trained and worked with over the years come to class.  The officer worked with the children about real world situations and how to take down a "bad guy". 

I loved the smiles on the boys' faces and their excitement tonight.  It was great that they had a blast and started connecting what they are learning to real world actions.  

Foot Massages

This is too much.  Our children are spoiled rotten, and it is so cute.  Everyone loves a great foot massage.

UA Football

And just like that, football starts.  There are lots of mixed feelings about this sport and the competitive spirit that is all around us in Southlake.  We are hoping this will be a fun opportunity for Ryland to learn about the sport and have a great time.

Ryland's first game was on a dreary day that quickly turned wet and muddy, which he loved.  Any excuse to get dirty is an awesome opportunity for Ry.  The game was a total mush of kids running all over the place and missing catch after catch.  It was much like herding cats.

New Truck

This fun never goes away!  Our crazy, fun Friday night is learning about our new truck.  Same excitement as when we were younger, just a much better new vehicle.  

Roughing It

We made a family trip out to the hunting ranch to help John Chris finish up a few projects before hunting season arrives. It is pretty primitive.  I looked out the window to see John Chris taking care of his business in the wilderness.  This has got to be a guy thing.

First Day for the Littles

Reed and Ridley started school this morning.  They were both excited to move to a new class and meet their new teachers.  We are all looking forward to another fantastic year of fun and learning.  

Sweet Little Momma

Ridley and I made a trip to Toys R Us while the boys played at the hunting ranch.  She was in major need of some girly toys.  After going up and down all the isles, she found a baby stroller and a set of baby bottles that she had to have.

I loved watching her take care of her babies all afternoon.  She pushed them around the house, fed them bottles, and rocked them to sleep.  She was so kind and gentle, which melted my heart.

Great Wolf Lodge

Ryland's treat for a full year of great behavior at school was a trip to Great Wolf Lodge.  We were all excited to check this place out and enjoy two days of family fun.  

The facility was awesome!  All the kiddos were given wolf ears and howling was encouraged.  Our room had an area called the Wolf Den that was the hangout/sleeping spot.  The indoor water park was amazing.  We all had a great time sliding and splashing indoors and outdoors.  It was the perfect time of year, because there were no lines.  We could slide down, climb back up the stairs, and slide again.  John Chris and I loved playing and being silly with our little wolves!

Soccer

Reed is a soccer maniac!  He had a blast this morning with his team, and he was all over the ball.  He has been looking forward to playing for weeks, and now he gets too.  I love watching him have fun and excel.  Go Sidekicks!

Bye Bye Paci

We have allowed Ridley to keep her paci months longer than necessary.  It seemed like there was always an excuse why we did not need to take it away.  We finally decided to stop procrastinating.  We tied it to a balloon and let her let go of it.  We told her she was sending it to the tooth fairy.  We all watched it float away, and there were no tears.  Cross your fingers for tonight.

Update:

Ridley did great without the paci last night.  She fussed a bit, but she slept through the night.

18 Month Well Check

Miss Ridley is 18 months old and going on 18 years old.  She had a great visit with the Pediatrician this morning.  She weighs 26.2 lbs, which is in the 75% range.  She is 33.75 inches tall, which is 90.66%, and her head is 19.25 inches, which is 94%.  She met all the milestones, and the doctor is not concerned with her speech.  He told me to continue forcing her to say words instead of whining.

Ryland starts 1st Grade

Every new year and major milestone make it obvious that time is flying.  I can't believe that my little baby boy has gotten so big.  Ryland is off to First Grade at Old Union.  He was excited and looking forward to seeing his friends.

Reed was excited as well.  He was thrilled that his bossy brother was out of the house.

Ridley just giggled and said "Bye bye". 

Meet the Teacher

Ryland is ready to start the new school year.  We had Meet the Teacher this morning, and he is very happy.  His buddies, Grant and Graham, are in his class, and he can't wait to hang out with them.

Ryland's first grade teacher is Mrs. Amy Evans.  She also happens to be our new neighbor, just a few doors down the street.  She seems like a perfect fit for his personality, and he is crushing on her already.

Another Tooth

Ryland has lost another tooth.  The upper left tooth beside his front tooth is ready for the Tooth Fairy to pick up.  It seems like his teeth are coming out every week! It is crazy how fast the change from baby teeth to big boy teeth is happening.  He is getting so big!

Melted Ice Cream

It is hot and ice cream doesn't last long in August in Texas, but it is really hard to explain that to a 1 year old.

Shoes

Ridley loves to try on my shoes.  It is a constant chore to pick up my shoes, because she does this everyday.  She really enjoys modeling shoes and then digging out jewelry to pile on.  I find it hilarious that she is this way.  Such a girlie girl!

RainForest Cafe Date

While Dad is at the hunting ranch, I took the kiddos out for a special evening.  I picked the boys up at gymnastics camp and told them we were going for a surprise dinner.  They knew it was RainForest Cafe when we pulled in the parking lot.  I love seeing them get so excited.

We had a great meal and enjoyed the atmosphere.  We were treated to a balloon artist, and we selected tree frogs.  We all enjoyed our time together. 

Urban Air

Summer is almost over, and we had a few more things to check off our summer list.  One was a visit to Urban Air.  We invited Ryland's buddy, Grant, to jump with us to burn off a little energy.  The three big boys had a blast bouncing Ridley around on the trampolines.  They thought it was hilarious.

She wasn't complaining.  She laughed and smiled all afternoon.  Loves those big boys!

Too big

Reed is a fun loving kiddo.  This afternoon he decided that he would set up some obstacles and roll around on Ridley's princess ride. I think he is just a little bit too big for it, but he was having a blast.