Office Time

On the first day of school, when photos were snapped of the big boys, I brought the camera into work so we could catch some Reid moments as well!  Kind of like a day in the life of working with Mom.  Reid and I get to the office around our normal time of 8:30, and he starts playing with the large amounts of toys he has here (as if there aren't enough at home)!  He has recently mastered the ball popper and loves to push that red button several times a day!

Somewhere around 9am Reid starts to get a bit fussy and ready to nap, but I love to stretch it as long as I can (I like to tell myself they sleep longer...haha).  We turn on some Elmo to make it to the 9:30 mark.

Reid likes to look through the diaper bag and find snacks to make the day go by faster...this child can eat!  Snacking is something the big boys like to do here as well...thinking maybe I pacify with food while I work...mmmmm.

After morning nap is lunch and play time!  This can include wandering the hallways, or playing on the floor with me.  Reid gets tons of attention from the ladies and men at the office!  He shows off his Little Gym skills, his running and his talking!  He likes to walk into each office and say "Hi", smile a little, reach his arms up for them to hold him and then bang away on their keyboard.  Oh they spoil him!  Reid also gets to roam the hallways and give some protection when the boys are away!  He takes his toys and walks around, up and down....

greeting his Gomer in the afternoon...a pleasant addition to the empty hallway!

playing the bzzzzzzz boom game on his nose!

I think writing this post has reminded me of what an awesome and unique situation my boys and I have each day.  I am so lucky to work with family that loves and understands me and the boys.  I am so grateful for the flexibility that allows me to be a great mom to my kids, and a great woman in business at the same time.  I am so lucky to have such supportive and loyal employees that make working fun and easy at most times!  And finally I am so blessed to have such amazing little boys that like to come to work with their Mommy!

Vacation time!

In early August (see I told you I was behind) we traveled to Grapevine TX to visit Great Wolf Lodge.  What a great place FOR KIDS!  I am laughing at myself right now, as I have kids so it was a great place for all of us.  Great Wolf Lodge has an indoor and outdoor waterpark, fun games to play in the hotel (which makes for KIDS everywhere) and great restaurants.  Our friends, the Hamners, invited us to come along on a vacation planned for their kiddos birthdays and a wedding they were attending in the area.  I am so glad they did, and it was a great way to end the summer.  The trip was all about pleasing the boys, and that we did.

Ayden passed out in Reid's stroller at dinner on night one.  Speaking of dinner this place was great with allergies!  The chef came out and talked to us about how he would cook for Mason and separating everything in the kitchen!  WOW! **I just realized I don't think I have blogged about Mason's food lately~mental note to do that when I have time!

The outside portion of the waterpark was a lot of fun for Reid.  It was warm and sunny, and had plenty of place to walk around in depths he could master.  He loved walking on the shallow shelf that spanned the length of the pool and walking right off the edge, trusting that a bigger person would be there to scoop him up.  He could of done this all day long, and big brothers would of been just as happy to run and guess where he was going to fall off and scoop him up!

There were several great waterslides all over the park!  The ones on the inside would loop around and go outside the building and then back in again!  So much fun!

Our little water boys were in the water several times a day.  It was so awesome to be able to run up to the room and rest or eat, and head back down again.  Every day at check-in was a nut house, and the place was packed like sardines, but the cool water and perfect fun bundled into one place made it all worth while.

Probably one of the biggest water mushroom type features I have ever seen.  This thing actually hurt if you didn't know it was coming, I was constantly worried it would start pouring water when Reid was right in the line of fire.  It surely would of knocked him over.

Shift parenting was a definite must when we were here.  Glenn and I would take turns in the room or with the boys.  Several times I was on my own because our AC in our van went out!!! WHAT?!?!  Yeah there was no way we were driving 4 hours home in August without AC so Glenn was on the car patrol and got it fixed at a wonderful Honda dealership in the next town...reminder write them a thank you letter for being so great and efficient!

Reid just wanted down to explore the entire time.  He is a true water baby just like his older brothers, and I would not be the least bit surprised if I was posting even more swimming photos and videos of this little one next summer.

The hotel had a game throughout called Magic Quest.  You bought a wand (yes for $20-50 dollars each depending on the bling) and walked through out the hotel pointing it at different pictures, photos, chests, lights, etc to hear clues, see sights and complete the quest.  GENIUS I tell you.  We were smart though and only had the wands activated on the demo mode.  This greatly helped our exhaustion level as we didn't have to wander the hotel "completing" the quest for out little ones who were too young to go it on their own.

Demo mode allowed the wand to activate all the items in the hotel, but didn't give you clues for the next item, and didn't keep your score AND it also saved you the $12 activation fee!  These people have got be some of the richest around.  There was not one kid in that hotel without a wand.

Wow, I got lazy, excuse the red eye.  This light up star was right outside our room and a big hit with the boys.  There was always a run to see who could get there first!

Story time and visiting happened in the lobby and entrance.  The story time was animated and very exciting.  The rooms were decorated in the "lodge" theme and the boys had a semi private bunk bed nook with their own tv and log walls.  

Walks through the hotel were about as much fun as the waterpark.  By the last day, when we were exhausted from swimming, we walked, played arcade games and continued out "quest."

Can you believe this is our only photo of the indoor waterpark?  And it isn't even a good one!  There was an indoor lazy river, kid pool and slides, wave pool and several large slides!  This is a definite Texas family vacation and we are so blessed to be able to go and experience such an awesome place.

First Day of School

Take a depth breath...I have a kindergartner!  Yes, that means family that reads this (you know pretty much the only ones :) you are all older, just like I am.  You either have a nephew, grandson, or great grandson that is in Kindergarten!

And of course we must mention the middle son!  He has a beloved teacher of Ayden's from two years ago and we couldn't be more happy to be guided by her sweet teaching.  (the boys are still at the same private school, this is our 4th year!!!)

The first day of school was exciting and full of anticipation.  It takes a bit of a miracle to get out of the house without tears, breakdowns, and bickering, and God gave us this small miracle for the first day of school.  I held it together as a new mother of a kindergartner until I watched him in his new class.  He had big responsibilities from the moment he walked in and he looked at me with big eyes after sitting at his desk, not wanting me to go.  I whispered "God is with you wherever you go."  You will have a great day, as a I fought back the tears creeping into the corner of my eyes.  He calmed and began opening his supplies!  He is going to have a great year.  He has a caring, kind and firm teacher.  She knows his challenges and his strengths and had some interaction with him last year.  He has a fresh start with new kids in his class and is adjusting to the differences.  We are very proud of Ayden and are so excited to see what He has planned for this wonderful year of beginnings!

I jumped over to Mason's class after leaving Ayden, and Mason wanted to know why he had to go second...we are fortunate with the boys classes being directly across the hall~ easy drop off.  It was a cinch to calm his tiny nerves and get him settled with his choice of center play.  We are so excited to see how Mason will embrace the new skills he will learn in preschool and can't wait to watch him shine!

**quick look at how our littlest is man-handled at every turn!

SMASH!

It is my fall back opener...I can't believe how far behind I am.  Several weeks ago we prepared for Reid's upcoming birthday and had a photo session with Eye Candy By Candace.  You know the set up, cute cake, fun diapers, pretty balloons, and matching outfits for the family of five!  I forgot in my quest that this was going to be work!  I forgot that I had a walking/running 11mth old and we would be hard pressed to keep him in one spot.  I forgot how HOT it is here, even at 8:30 in the morning!  Candace was simply amazing, how she got so many good shots out of my fussy little guy, I will never know.  Reid really did not like his cake, ran away from it, and got upset about being messy.  I am remembering Mason's first and he was the same way!

THANKS for the precious memories Candace!