First weeks of school

I'm finding myself with a little extra time on my hands this morning. Ben started kindergarten last week, so he's out the door by 7:30 and Eliza Jane is still getting her beauty sleep--she needs to be at school by 9, but I'll have to wake her up. 

It's taking a while to get into a rhythm of this new schedule. We are trying to fit a lot into our mornings and that means waking up early, trying to fit in our workouts, helping Ben get ready, making lunches and getting ready for work. If it weren't for the workouts, we'd be doing ok. But we really want to exercise! I am happy to run in our neighborhood, but if I go any earlier than 6:30 it's too dark but also need to leave before 6:45 so I can be home with miss E when JB leaves with Ben. Honestly, it has not happened for me yet, but I still have hope. Tomorrow?? 

dance class--Eliza on the far right 

Eliza has a little dance class that we've been fitting in one morning a week before school too. She is one happy girl out there moving to the music. I love that she is having fun, learning about dance from around the world, getting instruction, and I don't have to worry about costumes. Win! 

digging for fossils after school 

We are all thankful for Grandmommy's visit last week to ease the transition to school: after school treats from the tiger bag, special time with Eliza Jane before her school started, and extra time for me to get my classes at Baylor started on the right foot. 

Cicada hunt before leaving for school 

Benjamin looks forward to his outside time with daddy if he gets ready early enough before school. So far the transition to school seems to be going well enough for Benjamin. There have been a few tears, but I think overall it's going about as well as we can expect. His one complaint after the first day of school was that he didn't get to read enough books : )   

Eliza and I joined Benjamin for lunch yesterday at his school and I was surprised and pleased to see how animated he was and excited to tell me about what he was doing in school that day. It's a little harder to get him to talk about school in the afternoon; we're finding creative ways to get him to talk about it though. And we are modifying our expectations about how much a 5 year old is really going to be able to convey about his day. The fact is, it's a hard transition for us as parents knowing that he is in a world for 8 hours a day that we are just not as privy to as we'd like to be.

Ben does the Lemon Squeeze

The lemon squeeze part here at the end is a lot harder for us grown ups than wee Ben. 

A boy in his element 

Loving every minute 

Got a little tired near the end. After almost 2 hours. 

But not too tired. Had to "save Grandpa from the bad magician." 

So happy to show my little guy this fun hike. 

Mission accomplished. 

Tower at the top.

The next week we took Grandmommy and
Grand dad to Mohonk too. 

We all hiked to the Lily Pond 

And some went on to the tower. Poor mom and grand mommy had to go back
to have iced tea and sit on the front porch : ) 

Top of the world 

Loves being with her grandmommy 

Family Time in NY

First ride at the Ulster County Fair 

One of the best things about vacation as the children get older is watching their relationships with each other blossom and grow. Jack and Eliza are more similar in personality than Ben, but they all played together so well this time. Benjamin has more than once been lamenting that Jack is not here to play with.

E was an expressive little rider 

Sassy ones

All three of these littles made it around Lake Minnewaska this year too. They probably went twice as far as we did really with all the running back and forth and up and down rocks along the way. Honestly, it was exhausting. Keeping these kids moving in one direction was like herding cats. 

So many rocks to climb on...no, let's keep going!  

And baby Ryan made it around the lake too, but that's because he's the best baby in the world. Seriously. Neither of mine were this pleasant to be around at this age. Lucky mama. 

Baby Ryan before baptism

We got to visit with lots of other long lost family as well on this trip. Aunt Kathy (who visited us in TX a few years ago) and her daughter Kim (we were pen pals in middle school!) and her two kids came down from Maine and Aunt Peggy and her family came in from CT. I loved hearing Aunt Peggy's stories about her sister-in-law, my Grandy, who died when I was about 12. Since I only knew her as a child, I had a good but very narrow view of who she was as a person. I appreciate having that view expanded by people that knew her in different ways.

Everyone's crazy about baby Ryan 

These second cousins have some interests in common

At the fossil place

Family time this year also included a visit from JB's parents--more pics from their visit next time--and Hank helped get the music going on one of our last nights in NY. If I knew how to get a video on this thing I'd share some of Eliza's and Jack's dancing--it was truly glorious.