Playing Soccer

We were a bit late, but we were able to get Will signed up to play soccer here.  His first practice was Thursday evening. It was the team's last practice before their first game so they organized a game of kids vs. parents! 

GOAL!!  (for Will - I just couldn't catch him!)  : )

Will's First Day of School

Will's first day of school was Wednesday, August 21.  He was rather nervous the day before during orientation, but while he was there he met a girl who would be in his class so he was excited to see her again.

 

I had explained to him beforehand that he would have to wake up earlier than he normally does to get to school.  Actually it's a lot earlier.  School starts at 7:50 so we leave the house by 7:30 or 7:35.  As Will has said before, he's not a "get up and go" type person so he has to be up by 6:30 (his normal time is between 7:30 and 8!).  I asked him how he'd like me to wake him up.  His first thought was for me to give him a wedgie!!  That seemed funny to him right then but since I was pretty certain he wouldn't see the comedy in it at 6:30 a.m., I tried to help him think of a different idea!  He then decided he wanted to wake up like daddy, so we put an alarm clock in his room.  Jerry showed him how to hit the snooze button to turn off the alarm.  I was really surprised that he heard the alarm because he never has before (at hotels, etc.).  It worked really well because he hit the snooze button and got to lay in bed to wake up a bit before I came in 10 minutes later. 

 

The first day went really smoothly.  He was smiling going in and coming home.  I smiled until he was out of sight then cried!  Thankfully Jerry had taken the day off with me, knowing that I'd be having empty nest syndrome.  Isn't he the best husband ever?!  I am so blessed! 

 

The second day was a different story.  It was like preschool all over again with the tears.  His main complaint was not wanting to leave so early of course.  But like preschool he recovered quickly.  That afternoon we talked about it and opted to try to get to bed earlier.  : )

 

By Friday he was back to himself again and went off to school happily.

 

I have been thankful because unlike preschool, he had actually been willing to talk about his day - some.  I don't get a lot of detail but I did learn that he spilled his milk on his friend Sarah's shoe the first day, but she wasn't mad.  : )  He liked recess, played with red bouncey balls (kick balls) in gym, recited for me the months of the year song he learned, watched Bearenstain Bears Too Much Birthday, sits on the green line while waiting for his name to be called for dismissal at the end of the day, and he missed ice cream on Friday because he mistakenly thought that if he got in the cafeteria line during snack time he'd have to get something besides ice cream, "like fish or something."  Poor kid!    

 

 

A big smile on his first day!

Still smiling at the end of the day.



Our Time Before Kindergarten

I decided to forgo unpacking and organizing in favor of spending time with Will before he started kindergarten.  I tried to make sure we did something fun each day to make the most of the time we have together.  It felt like I counted every hour since I knew things would be so different once school started and we would be apart the majority of his waking hours. 

On August 6, we packed a picnic lunch and walked on Cherry Blossom Trail.

 

Our lunch was interrupted by quite a few of these HUGE bees.  They weren't
really bothering us but they were too close for comfort so we moved on!

After our walk, we went shopping for school supplies.  We ended up with three bags full,
including pencils, markers, crayons, folders, baggies, tissues, and TWELVE glue sticks!
All together it cost $50, plus his book bag!!  Thank goodness we've only got one kid!

On August 12 we spent some time at our little creek and Will actually
found salamanders and this little crawdad!!  Afterward I turned over
a rock and found a HUGE one - at least three inches long.
I was amazed they were living in our little spring!

On August 14 we went to the West Virginia State Fair with mom, granddad, and grandma.
Will spent the whole day navigating granddad's hoveround.
It was his favorite ride!

We watched the pig races and Will was chosen from the audience to cheer on one of the
pigs.  His pig won so Will won a pack of Oreo cookies (the treat the pigs were
running for).  I couldn't believe he volunteered to cheer for a pig!  I
guess Oreos are great motivators for everyone!

I hope I won't regret taking Will to see the bike show.  I can see him trying
this at home!   

After the hoveround, Will's second favorite ride was the ferris wheel
with grandma and granddad.

He also enjoyed the inflatable tunnel in the pool, thanks to the money
Kristen gave him to spend at the fair!

I had to laugh at this sign.  It was posted beside a ride, and after a moment of thought
I realized it was indicating that you could ride if you were "with and adult OR
with someone."  Apparently at the fair the word "are" can take the place
of any other word that sounds similar in your local dialect.
Last year at the Huntingdon County Fair the following text was
spray painted across the bumper of a demolition derby car...
"For Are Mother"

On August 16 we participated in a program through Nature Investigations.
The kids caught various bugs then examined and learned something about them.

On August 17 we were out shopping and I got a good laugh
when I looked more closely at Will's pants!

On August 18, Aunt Carol, Uncle Greg, and grandma came by for a
visit.  Will was glad to let Uncle Greg take a turn on his four wheeler!

On August 19 we went to Troutville park to play and then to Greenfield
Recreation Center's parking lot to ride bikes.

 

On August 20, the day before school started, I took Will to
Splash Valley to swim.  I think I was bordering on
hypothermia by the time we left but we had lots of fun together!!

Lindsay and the Kids Came to Visit!!

On August 7 Lindsay brought the kids for a last minute visit before school started for Will and Natalee.  We had such a great time visiting - oh and the kids did too!!  We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends!

Amie and Will enjoyed playing in the mud.

Empty boxes and packing paper made great toys!

Amie had to try what everyone else was doing!

Painting provided a little down time after playing at the park.

Brady was brave!  He touched the Hercules beetle we found!

We enjoyed dinner at Abuelo's

Amie really enjoyed the cheese dip!

On Friday before they left we visited Natural Bridge.

It was HOT and HUMID!  These were three tired little hikers
but they were still as cute as ever!

And we made it all the way to the end!

On the way back we let the kids play in the creek to cool down.  They didn't play
long before Will spotted a snake.  We didn't get a close look at it, but
based on the number of copperheads I've seen at Natural Bridge before
it's likely that's what it was!  Good spotting, Will! 

Settling In

The movers finished unloading on July 23 and thanks to mom, Grandma Margie, and Grandad our new house was livable within a few days.  Despite the fact that mom just got married on July 5, she still spent weeks helping us move.  Grandma Margie helped me clean before the furniture arrived, and Grandad mowed and trimmed the lawn (a chore which I couldn't fully appreciate until I attempted it myself the following week!)

We were spoiled by the two guys who moved us to PA four years ago.  Those two men moved ALL our furniture, including the baby grand piano, and the only damage was a cracked plastic wheel.  They were terrific.  This time around was totally different!  Poor packing, lazy workers, damaged items, and just a bad experience over all.  NEVER utilize Young Moving!!!

Despite the extra headache the movers caused, we are still enjoying our new home.  Most of all we're enjoying being back together as a family and living closer to our extended family.

We discovered our asparagus patch and found a late harvest of two spears.
Will enjoyed them after I microwaved them!  Hopefully next
spring there will be a few more to share!

Mom and Grandma Margie working hard in the kitchen cleaning the fridge.
I am so blessed!!

I even caught Jerry helping Grandad empty the central vac!

Will enjoyed arranging his shelf.

Well, actually he enjoyed being the boss and telling Grandma where
he wanted everything to go.  She is so indulgent and I was thankful
for it because Will was needing the attention during the
chaos of the move.

Jerry was overcome by the mountain of paper...

Then it turned into paper wrestling!

 

My backyard at sunrise.

 

This is our visitor from under the kitchen sink.  Will and I thought he was
adorable, but Jerry was less impressed.  At any rate, it seems that he must have been
a bachelor because to Will's dismay we haven't caught any others.

Will's new toy!

 

 

Jerry "walks" him around the yard with the dog leash attached to the
kill switch on the 4-wheeler.  Too cute!

MY COWS!!!!
Well, not really MY cows, but their field adjoins my backyard!!  I LOVE them!

This 2" long Easter Hercules Beetle scared the pants off Jerry when he flew
past his face.  Now he thinks we moved to the Amazon! 

I loved her though because she reminded me of my dad's giant bug collection.  : )
(and I do know it was a female because males have a large horn on their heads)

Will is really skilled at climbing the rope in the huge oak tree. 
I'm sure it won't be long before he realizes he can use the rope to
climb onto the branch!

We discovered a spring that runs over the hill in our front yard.  Here Will
is showing off the mud pie "cookie" he made.

Sunset in our front yard.

Aunt Carol and Mom brought Grandma Margie over after we settled in a bit.
She and Will enjoyed a game of air hockey.

The weather ruined our plans to play on the water slide when our friends Nathan and Kristin
brought their kids over to play.  Fortunately, a mattress and lots of packing paper
made an immensely fun diversion in the basement!