Tea Time

This year we had our 5th annual back to school tea party on the second day of school. Shelly had her first day of gymnastics on the first day of school. So we opted to hold off on our celebration. 

Waiting for the guests

Our tea included fruit, artichoke dip, bacon and cheese pinwheels, and cupcakes. Of course, we also had iced tea with lemon. The girls got their back to school gifts. A cute initial necklace for each, a pretty bracelet, and a box of candy. 

Gifts for the girls

Fruit, pinwheels, artichoke dip, and cupcakes

We enjoyed our afternoon tea and chatted about their day. Always fun to hear all of the news of the day. And, I like the idea of starting things off with a happy little party!

Happy faces, yummy food, and fun conversations

A Back to School Gift

I enjoy putting together a little something for the girls' homeroom teachers. It seems like a nice way to say "hi, I'm happy to be in your class" and start off on the right foot.

This year, I put together insulated mason jar mugs from Target filled with Hershey's hugs and kisses. Simple, but cute.

The List

Our list of summer fun ideas came down this past weekend. We made a pretty good stab at completing the list. 

My goal is not necessarily to check off all of the activities. It's just a good starting point to keep us from getting stuck in a summer rut. Each year it seems to help us and open up the idea of new and different activities. Sad to see the summer end and the list come down, but excited for a new school year and some fall fun on the horizon.

First Day

The girls are off to their first day of school this morning. Always a day filled with many emotions. The morning went well despite being awake at the crack of dawn for the first time in three months. The girls were happy and excited about their new year.

Lunch boxes and back packs ready to go

I was feeling a bit melancholy (as always) about seeing them go. I love the schedule and the opportunities that they will have at school. But, I will miss my buddies. 

Here's to a great school year filled with fun and new adventures!

Bunny Food

I picked some of our carrots the other day and this is what they looked like. It's been fun to watch our little seeds grow into veggies that we can actually eat. 

Meeting the Teachers

On Wednesday and Thursday night the girls had their Open Houses at their schools. They met their teachers and checked out who was in their classes. 

Ready for Lily's Open House night

Excitement!

We left with happy girls from both nights and now we are gearing up for a super school year. And this mother is happy to see smiles on their faces and enthusiasm about a new school year!

4th Grader ready to go

All smiles
We met Lily up at the elementary school...she had been there all day helping a teacher with her classroom

Getting her hair just right

Happy!

Calling Mom

Recently, I was talking to another mom about our teenage girls. She was discussing some issues she was having and how she came to a decision about the proper way to discipline her daughter. She made a tough but great choice and I asked how did she decide on this particular punishment. Her answer..."I called my mom". 

When I heard her say those four words I must admit, I was jealous. What a lucky person to have her mom in her life to help with the tough decisions of raising her children. 

Me and my momma

But then I remembered a post I had read earlier in the day about being grateful for what you have. And, I looked to the sky (the heavens?) and thought, my mom will always be there to help me with the tough decisions. I know that I was blessed with a mother who helped to show me how to parent my own children by simply being a great mom. A woman who set such a terrific example of how to be a mom during the great times and the really difficult times. 

Our family of 5

I'm thankful that I can recall her advice even if I can't pick up the phone and call her.

My wise mother

Scrapping

On our list of things to complete before the summer ends, we included scrapbooking our summer photos. The girls got to work and powered through for about three hours creating their books. 

They reminisced and discussed some of the activities that were highlights of their summer. It was fun to spend some time thinking about the fun times we had---Darius Rucker concert (and Shelly's first concert), Busch Gardens, Linville Caverns, Ikea trip, and so much more.

Slowly but surely we are working on closure. It's always hard to say goodbye to summer, but exciting to see what lies ahead for them.

Being Crafty

We are trying to squeeze the fun out of our last week of summer vacation. (Boo!) 

So, we headed to the pottery painting place and spent an hour creating. It was a rainy day and it felt good to relax and just paint. 

Then we purchased the supplies to create sand terrariums. They were pretty fun to make and they turned out nicely. We followed a tutorial from this site and I'm not 100% sure they're going to thrive, but we are excited to watch them attempt to live. 

With just six days until school begins we are hoping to continue to create more fun memories from the summer of 2013.