First day of school update

Jansen absolutely loved her first day of Kindergarten and said she had lots of fun. They must have done a lot because my usual jabber-jaws of a child was very tired and eerily quiet when we got home - which would usually excite me, but I wanted to hear all about her day!!! What I did get out of her was this:

• She saw 2 girls from her gymnastics at school (VERY exciting for her!)
• Some kid, whose name she didn't know, gave her a small Baby Ruth candy bar at lunch????!!!
• She didn't get in trouble (yeah!!!)
• She overheard 2 teachers say she was cute (as if she needs an ego boost??!!!)
• She made 1 friend but couldn't remember her name
• Mrs. Blevins-her teacher- is really, really nice

All in all a good day! This morning we just did the drive-thru drop off and she was out the door and up the steps into the school in no time. So far, so good! Let's hope it stays this way!!!

KINDERGARTEN!!!!!

Today we hit a major milestone for all of us....Jansen's first day of Kindergarten! Though we were all excited this morning, it was also a shock to our systems with Jansen in school now, we had to modify our morning schedule just a bit! So today we got up 30 minutes earlier than usual and the kids ate breakfast at home (which they usually do on the run in the car or once they got to preschool!!!)

But we managed pretty well and even got to school before the 'early' bell at 7:45! Jansen couldn't wait to get to school this morning...when I went in to wake her up, she hopped right out of bed and exclaimed 'I LOVE this day!!!'. Then she promptly got dressed in her bumble bee shirt and cute skirt with silver sandals, then headed to the kitchen for some Fruit Loops!

The school drop off was in classic 'Richardson' style - Me, Mikey, Hudson, Auntie Shan and Auntie Franny and Grandma Deebee...you know we travel in packs!

Jansen did GREAT with drop off and didn't have a second's hesitation. She sat right down in her seat and was ready for the day to start. And then to my surprise, I didn't even cry! I think I was just too darn excited (and proud of her) to even think about crying!

I can't wait to get home tonight to hear all about her day!!!

Getting ready to head to school!

She's a Yale Roadrunner now!

Always a family affair!

Even Grandma Deebee came to wish her well!

Luau!

Jansen and Hudson's pre-school, The Octopus Garden, is always up to something fun and they are so good about sharing pics from the neat events they do during the school day. Hudson's teacher took this picture of the two of them at a Luau they had a few weeks ago....my little Hawaiian babies!!!

Ella Grace!

Mike's Sister and Husband (Tammy and Shane) were blessed with the adoption of their beautiful daughter Ella Grace who was born on May 13, 2010. We went to her baptism in Shreveport a few weeks ago and stayed (and played) in their beautiful lake house! We had a blast on the lake and hanging out with the family and most of all, loving on my new niece - she is such a doll!!!

What a good lookin' crew!!!

Cousins! Hudson, Ethan and Jansen

Meme with all of her grandkids!

Jansen with her Meme and Auntie Tammy

Meme, Ella Grace and Tammy

Big Sisters Can be Torture

Thank goodness Hudson is a good sport and thinks the world of his big sister. The other night Jansen called for me to go into the bathroom where she and Hudson were taking a bath. I walked in to find that she had found a new use for the shaving cream I gave them to play with...Don't you love Hudson's 'bedroom eyes'???!!

Hi, I'm Shalon....and I'm a mom

Like most other mothers, I'm guessing, I go through every day just doing business as usual and do the things that mom's do without even thinking about it....take kids to school, make sure clothes are clean and try to get dinner on the table at a decent hour. But every so often there is something that hits me like a bolt of lightning and makes me think 'wow, I really am a mom'.  This happened to me this morning as I was trying to get everyone ready and out of the house:

• I remembered that Jansen has Tee-Ball practice tonight, so I thought I should throw something in the crockpot for dinner...prior to kids, I NEVER thought about dinner before I  had had the chance to eat breakfast!
• Then while I was cooking the brown-sugar glaze to put over the ribs in the crock pot, I figured I'd throw the few dishes from the sink and start the dishwasher. Dishes before work ALWAYS make me feel very mom-like.
• Then as I was reaching for something out of the pantry, I noticed the pile of towels and wet bathing suits from swimming all weekend piled up on the floor and threw them in the washer so they'd be ready for the dryer when I got home tonight.

Crockpot - Dishes - Laundry....all before 8 am. Hi, I'm Shalon and I'm a MOM!

Isaac's 2nd Birthday

Shannon and I have been so blessed with wonderful In-Laws and extended family and the fact that all of our families are so accepting of each other. This past weekened we celebrated Shannon and Bobby's nephew, Issac's, 2nd birthday. They had a bounce house at their home and everyone had a blast - even the adults!!!

Isaac and his mommy, Janis

Kennedy, Jansen and Zack (Isaac's brother)

Kennedy and Jansen ADORE Zack and he's such a good sport with them!

Hudson in the Bounce House -

His shirt says 'Lock up your Daughters'. It cracks me up every time I see it!!!

Bounce House buddies!

Me and my babies!

Me and my boy

Our favorite girl!

Kindergarten Round Up!

Yesterday was Kindergarten Round Up/Registration for Jansen. It's so hard to believe that she is ready for Kindergarten....how on earth did we get to this place????? When she was born, Kindergarten seemed soooooo far away, yet here we are now. It is sad and exciting at the same time. She is beyond thrilled to be going. Last night while Michael and I filled out paperwork and learned about the school and procedures, Jansen went with her fellow classmates to a Kindergarten class and had story time and did a craft. When they asked the kids to go with them, she was the first to jump and run to the line...she didn't even say goodbye or look back at us! I love that she's so excited and ready to go, but it was hard to see her walk away from me like such a big girl without a moment's hesitation. This is going to be so much harder on me than her!

Here she is in front of her new school - Yale Elementary. It is just down the street from us, in our neighborhood and is ranked as an Exemplary school. We are so lucky to have such a great school right in our own neighborhood!

Spring???? Maybe not....

Supposedly yesterday was the first day of Spring. Well, I guess Texas didn't get the memo because we had a semi-snow storm last night and it feels more like January! The kids played for a while, but it was so cold they came in before I got to take any pictures of them. The dogs loved it, so I got some pics of them and then of the kids enjoying some yummy hot chocolate!

Milestones

Milestones for the kids are always bittersweet. It's amazing that they have accomplished yet another amazing feat, but at the same time it is sad because it shows how much they are growing up. This morning Hudson went pee pee in the potty for the first time. Jansen, Michael and I were all in the bathroom with him (most things with us are a family affair!) and we cheered for him like he'd just won the superbowl...there was clapping, dancing, jumping and candy and he was so proud of himself...he even went to school and told all of his teachers! While the prospect of not buying diapers is very appealing, a little bit of my heart broke this morning as my 'baby' turned into a little more of a big boy. That being said, I am so proud of him - WAY TO GO HUDSON!!!!

Charge it!

A little Jansen funny from yesterday...

As I was paying Jansen's gymnastics tuition yesterday, the lady pulled up  our account and told me the total due was $69. Tuition is $65, so I asked her why there was an extra $4 due. She told me it appeared that there was a $4 charge and pulled it up. Turns out that the last time Jansen went there for Parents Night Out, they let her charge $4 worth of snacks!
Anyone who really knows Jansen also knows that she is the 'Snack Monster', as we call her because the girl LOVES snacks. God help us now that she apparently has a line of credit at the Gymnastics place and knows how to use it!

Adult Night Out!!!!

Mike and I never forget that mommy's and daddy's need to have fun of their own! This past weekend we joined a great group of our friends at a local bar to see a band called Poison Cherry. They're an 80s cover band and they are GREAT! They get totally into 'character' with the big hair, ripped jeans and groupies. It's always a good time!

We had a little funny when we told Jansen we were going out:

Me: Jansen, you're going to have a babysitter because daddy and I are going out tonight
Jansen: Where are you going? Can I come?
Me: No, it's just a place for mommy's and daddy's
Jansen: Oh, so they're going to have WINE there??!!!

She cracks me up!!!!!

Me and Mikey!

Oh yea, I still got moves!

Sisters!!!!

Some random guy jumped in the picture. Check out Bresha's face!!! I LOVE it!!!!

Ice Princess

Jansen is ever the adventurer and loves to try out new things. Her latest endeavor is Ice Skating. She's taking lessons at the Galleria and is in week 4 of 6. I can not believe how good she is! She is definitely the best in her class (if I do say so myself!) A future Michelle Kwan, perhaps???

On the Ice!

Waiting to skate

Can we skate yet??!!

Look at her go!

She's got skills!

And down she goes!

Earrings!

Jansen has known for a year that whenever she wanted to get her ears pierced, she could. She hasn't been all that interested, but this weekend she decided it was time. The whole family packed up and went to the mall where she picked out some beautiful Hello Kitty earrings! She cried a bit for the first pierce, but was a champ with the second one.

After she had it done, she told us 'I got my earrings just in time for kindergarten!'. She is killing me!!!

She is so proud of them and shows them to everyone we see. She's growing so fast and is such a big girl!

Just because they're cute

Some recent pics of the kids. I love these two so much!

My favorite picture ever

One of my mom's oldest and dearest friends sent her this picture recently and it immediately became my favorite picture ever. This is a picture of my mother when she was 7 months pregnant with me. Just look at her...silly, beautiful, full of life....everything that my mother is. I am so thankful to have this picture and to have my mother. I love you more than life mom!

Gymnastics Girls!

Kennedy just started taking gymnastics classes at the same place Jansen does. Friday was her first night and she was a bit apprehensive at first, so they let Jansen do the class with her. It didn't take her any time at all to fit right in and she did great! We may have some future olympians on our hands!!!

Mutton Bustin'!

This weekend, the kids got to enjoy some good 'ole fashioned Texas fun and went Mutton Bustin'. For those of you not from around here, Mutton Bustin' consists of suiting the kids up in a vest and helmet and plopping them on the back of a sheep and telling them to hang on dear life - it's a lot like bull riding! They let the sheep out of the pen and the kids hold on for as long as they can.

The kids had a blast and it's the funniest thing you've ever seen! Jansen, Kennedy and Hudson all did it and they can't wait to do it again!

Prior to the ride

You want me to ride what???

Kennedy, Jansen and Hudson in their gear

Hudson getting geared up

Janen and Hudson are ready to ride!

Hudson after his 'ride' - they just put him on and then lifted him off

Jansen riding - she did GREAT!

Kennedy riding

Kennedy fell off, but she was a trooper!

Heartbreaker Cowboy!