Off to School

Luke started 3-year-old preschool today. He's going to the same school as last year, and he was so excited to go back. His teachers this year are Ms. Angie and Ms. Shelby. He looked like such a big boy marching into the classroom this morning. He knows the routine, and he really seems to enjoy going there.

On another note, Elbow #1 is floating in the fish tank. Luke hasn't noticed, and I think I'll try to sneak another one in there so I don't have to deal with all of the questions. Is that bad? LOL

The Dinosaur Bed

For the past few weeks, we've been talking to Luke about putting a bed upstairs in his room. He agreed, so we set up a bed, bought a new (huge) mattress and new dinosaur bedding. Last night, he slept in it all night long! We've all been sleeping upstairs, since I'm too scared to put him up there alone. :) Luke's also really been wanting a fish tank, so that was his reward for sleeping all night alone in his new bed. He named his new fish "Elbow." I have no idea where that name came from, but Dale has been calling him "Elbow #1!" I guess he thinks we'll have to replace him a lot! Notice Luke's super short haircut in the last picture. He got scalped! LOL

Happy Birthday Emma Cate!!

I just can't believe our baby girl turned one! This year has flown by, and we had to plan a party before we knew it. We had a great time celebrating, and Miss Priss got tons of great gifts. She didn't eat much of her cake, but she did manage to gets lots of frosting in her hair!

Luke's First Sleepover

It's hard to believe, but Luke actually slept at someone house. We were at a friend's house playing one day, and Luke decided he wanted to stay. His friend, Isabelle, has been asking him to spend the night, but I just never thought he would agree to it. Isabelle's mom (and my friend), Alyssa, is an awesome mommy who made me feel very comfortable letting him spend the night. When bedtime came around, I sat by the phone waiting for a phone call to come get him. To my surprise, it never happened. Alyssa said he only asked for me once, and she told him I would be there to get him after breakfast the next day. He said, "Well, scratch my back." :) She rubbed his back for a few minutes, and he was fast asleep. We were so proud of him! I can't believe how fast he's growing up.

The Potty and the Necklace

Luke is finally potty trained! After he finally decided to poop on the potty, he was totally independent. By the next day, he wanted to do it by himself. After a couple of weeks, he even stays dry all night. So, finally, no more diapers for him!! Oh yeah, one more thing, he wears his underwear backwards so that he can see the picture on them. :)

Emma Cate has become obsessed with necklaces. I really never wear a necklace, because the kids pull at it when I do. Somehow she has just learned to put them on by herself. She is really fond of a big (ugly) strand of beads that Luke has had for a long time. She finds them and puts them on almost everyday. Sometimes she even finds random things to put around her neck, like a pirate eyepatch!

Family Vacation

We took our first official family vacation to San Antonio, TX. We spent two days at Sea World, and we had a blast! Luke's favorite part was the sealion show, and we had to see it twice. Emma Cate was such a trooper in her stroller, she even took her morning nap both days while being pushed around Sea World. Our hotel was very kid-friendly, too. Every evening we went swimming and roasted marshmallows in the firepit. On the drive home, we stopped at a pizza place that had an arcade. Luke played tons of games, and Emma Cate got to ride on the merry-go-round.

Luke's Busy Day

This morning, our playgroup had a piggybank painting party. Luke is so proud of his new piggybank! The Big News: Luke finally pooped in the potty for the first time ever! I was cleaning the kitchen, and I saw him run in there out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough, he did it! As a reward, he got a new set of playdough, which is his new favorite thing. He spent the rest of the day making animal creations with his new playdough.