Happy Birthday to ..... Me?!

I've had this blog for nearly 5 years now, and I don't think I've ever dedicated a blog post to my own birthday. Hmmmmm. Not really sure why that is because I always have wonderful birthdays. My family and friends definitely go out of their way to do special things for me each year without fail, but I've for some reason never felt it blogworthy. Next year is the big 3-0, and I'm quite certain I'll ignore it and pretend it never happened, so this year I'm taking the opportunity to break the mold and post about myself for a change. :)

My birthday was Thursday the 12th. It was a pretty normal as far as days are concerned. It started off with a long run (well, I use the term 'long' loosely.... long for me - 3 miles!). It was surprisingly cool and breezy and I watched the sun come up, so it was actually really nice! I came back home to kids that were dressed and eating breakfast. Carter's lunch was made, and he was all ready for school. He carpooled with Carson, so I didn't even have to take him! Definitely a nice break! And I got a free chicken biscuit from Chick Fil A, so I enjoyed that before heading out to run errands with Ella. My errands were at the mall, so after finishing those, I took a little bit of time to shop for myself. Then we headed to ride the carousel. We went around two times and she loved it, as I knew she would. Then we headed home for lunch. Carter was home a little while later, and we all napped. :) Later we all went out to dinner at one of our favorite Mexican food restaurant. Eric had picked up a yummy cake from Market Street, so we had that at home waiting on us after dinner.

The two highlights of my day, right here.

 Seeing her eyes light up at the sight of the carousel and the sheer joy she experienced from something so simple, obviously a highlight. 

And this needs no explanation either. My sweet boy.... love him to pieces. (And, Ella at the end.... "CAKE!!" while doing a happy dance.... yep, sums it up nicely.)

On Friday, Eric and I had a nice afternoon to ourselves. We enjoyed lunch, a little bit of shopping, and saw a movie. Then we headed to Arlington to the Ranger game. Big game for them, and they weren't able to pull it out, so that was disappointing. But still a fun day with my hubby. :)

We had great seats! 

Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to send me a text or a facebook message to wish me happy birthday. And thanks to my family for the spending money and gift cards. Definitely looking forward to a shopping trip! Love you all! And here's to my last year in my 20s! :)

Tiny Gymnast

So Ella has been doing a lot of this lately...... 

Anytime she finds a bar that is just above her head, she hangs like a monkey, and swings back and forth. I found her like that in my closet one day..... she had discovered that gap in clothing and decided to use it as a monkey bar. Cracked me up!! She also loves doing flips with our help. My friend Amy, who has Lucy that's 2, suggested we do a little gymnastics class together with the girls, and I thought it would be perfect for her, given her interest lately. So they started their "Tumble Bugs" class this past week. Ella liked certain parts of it, and wasn't so fond of others (including her teacher Ms. Betsy, helping her do anything). Overall, I know she had fun, and I think she'll warm up more to the other things she didn't like too much in the coming weeks. Here are some pictures of her in class....

Getting ready to run and jump into the foam pit.

Not too crazy about this part.... needed a little help from Ms. Betsy.

 Ella and Lucy sitting waiting their turn. I mean, how cute is that?!

 She enjoyed jumping on the trampoline!! 

Carter's First Day of Pre-K

Yesterday Carter started pre-k! He switched schools this year, so we have anxiously been awaiting his first day at his new school with his new teachers and new friends. He met his teacher beforehand, and we've been going to the church where the school is for several months, so he was pretty comfortable with his new surroundings, and I felt confident he'd do great. When I dropped him off, he really didn't seem too nervous about it, mostly just excited!

Here are a few pictures I snapped before heading out for his first day of pre-k!

So big, so handsome!

 And a few with baby sis, who was very excited for her brother, too!

 (I think she's secretly just happy he'll be out of her face for most of the day, 3 days a week!)

 

I figured he'd have a great first day, and he did! Today, he got a little teary eyed when it was time for me to say goodbye at the door, but his teachers assured me he got over that pretty quickly and ended up having another great day! Also, a sweet friend that lives very close by is going to school the same days, so we've decided to carpool! Carter is excited to get to ride with Carson two days a week! This morning was my turn, and it was quite a process. Since we don't have a carpool line, that means getting out and walking everyone (including Ella) inside, checking them in, and getting them and their bags to the right place. Lots going on.... 3 seatbelts to buckle and unbuckle, bags to carry and just wrangling of children in general. BUT, tomorrow is Lindsay's turn, and I'll happily be sitting at home most likely enjoying a cup of coffee while he's off to school. :) 

Lots of loudness and giggles in the car today, that's for sure!

 
Fingers crossed that tomorrow goes well to finish off a great first week! We are so impressed with his new school so far, and are looking forward to a wonderful year! The very last one before kindergarten. ;(