The Big Brown Cookie Monster

I spent the day yesterday making these for Baby Carter's 1st Birthday:

I noticed about 15 disappeared while I was picking up Mary Reese from school yesterday. Thank goodness I had made plenty extra! I finished icing them last night and planned on letting them dry before bagging them up for his party favors. I headed to the dining room armed with bags and ribbon after I dropped the kids off at school. That is when I noticed the tragedy. This had struck again:

The Big Brown Cookie Monster

He chowed down on 15-20 more cookies. Needless to say...I was back in the kitchen this morning making another batch! And yes, we had a very sick doggy today who spent his day frolicking in the back yard! Maybe he has learned his lesson!!!

Back in the carpool line...

The bus riding days only lasted about a week for Banks. He decided it took too long to get home {45 minutes}! It is really only .61 miles from the school to the bus stop {eliminating all the stops in between} and .63 miles from the school to our house. I guess 45 minutes is a little long for a 5 year old...so back to the carpool line I go! Before jumping in the line today, I grabbed this book at Target:

I have been dying to read it since I finished the first one in the series {Something Borrowed} at the beach this summer. I finished the Prologue and Chapter 1 today while in line! I will have to say that the carpool line has improved since the first days of school!

End of Summer = Putting away for Winter

I can tell that summer is drawing to an end when I drive by the farmers market and see the dwindling number of vendors. So I have been shoving in as many fresh summer veggies as I can and putting some up for the winter! Last night, Debbie cooked her "last summer veggie meal" of the season. We yummed up creamed corn, fried okra, squash dressing and purple hull peas.

While Popsy and Gigi were out of town a few weekends ago, the kids and I tended to their garden! We picked tomatoes, okra and green beans. Then we enjoyed:

Summer Succotash {a perfect blend of tomatoes, okra, corn and onions}

Fried Okra

Green Beans

Popsy's Green Bean crop was a bumper crop this year. I ended up with 10 quarts of green beans put up for the winter! They have a home in the deep freeze right next to the 6 quarts of blueberries I put away in June. I haven't frozen this many summer veggies since I got out of making homemade baby food!

The Wheels on the Bus...

go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town {neighborhood}.

This year the school buses are running through the neighborhoods {to help alleviate the congested carpool lines} so Banks finally got to ride home on a school bus!!! We filled out his form last night so he could ride. We went over his bus number {35} and bus drivers name {Mr. Jack}. I showed where his bus stop was this morning on the way to school...so we were set! My cell phone rings about the time he should be loading up on the bus...it was Kate {a friend who teaches at the school} to tell me to make sure I had my camera at the bus stop because Banks was so excited about riding that he had a grin from ear to ear! So Camp {the dog} and I walk down to the corner and wait. Here is the big Kindergartner getting off the bus:

I think he had a great ride and can't wait to do it all over tomorrow!

Rhythm and Rhyme

Mary Reese started her first real dance class {a ballet/tap combo} yesterday! I think she had a fabulous time! They have a T.V. out in the lobby so the parents can watch the little ballerinas! Here she is leaving the house decked in her ballet gear:

1st Day of Kindergarten!

Banks officially became a Kindergartener today!!! We got to “Meet our Teacher” on Tuesday night and drop off all our school supplies {notice how Mary Reese “decorated” them}! Banks was really excited to find out the 4 of his friends from Pre-K were in his new class.

Here is the big Kindergartener getting ready to leave for his first day of school {notice the new “big boy” backpack, lunchbox and size 1 extra-wide tennis shoes}:

Jody, Mary Reese and I walked him in since it was the first day. As soon as we got to Ms. Lowery’s room, he knew to put his backpack and lunchbox in his “locker”:

Then he found him a seat across from Shakiah {I think he was ready for us to leave so he could get on with his first day}:

I kind of got a little teary-eyed walking into the school, but it quickly went away when I saw all the chaos! I think it also helped that no one else was crying and that it really was his second year at the school!

The Kindergarteners only go to school until noon on the first 2 days! Here he is waiting for me to pick him up:He survived the first day {I am not sure I will survive the carpool line…it was bad today and only the 4 Kindergarten classes were involved. I think a good book or magazine will be a must before I jump in line}!

1st Day of School for Mary Reese

Mary Reese started back to school at First Baptist today! She has 2 fabulous teachers: Ms. Valerie and Ms. Irene {we had Ms. Irene back in the 1-year-old class, so we were thrilled to see her move up to the 3's}. She was so excited to pack her new "big girl" backpack {with silky blankets and a baby} and matching lunchbox {pizza, cheese crackers, gummies, granola bar and a juice box}:

She was a little shy when we first got there but immediately warmed up when she saw all her best friends! Here she is hanging up her lunchbox on her hook {notice the Hannah Montana purse in tow}:

When Banks and I left, she and Bo were busy stringing beads for a necklace {notice her "cell phone" just incase someone needs to call her while she is at school}:

She came running up to me when I picked her up...so excited about her 1st day! Her teachers said she had a fabulous day and she even got to be the leader! I asked her who she played with...she said that her and Lawson played in the kitchen. {We missed you Gray Bug...hope you are feeling better}!