first day of THIRD grade + FIRST grade!!!!

Kicking and screaming we kissed Summer break goodbye and said hello to school!! Yesterday was the littles first day and they had a great day.  LOTS of fun pics, but those firsts have to be documented, right?!

Grace, 8 1/2
{first day of 3rd grade} 
favorite color: pink
favorite character: Elsa from Frozen
favorite game: The Shopkins Game
favorite food: steak, noodles, and broccoli
I love to: dance and draw

I hope her whole year is this smiley and dreamy!!

Hudson, 6 
{first day of 1st grade} 
favorite color: gold
favorite character: Zane from Ninjago
favorite game: swimming
favorite food: corn dogs
I love to: play with my family

Meanwhile...he is SO his father's son!! 
"How many pictures do we have to take??" 
he he he

There's that sweet jack-o-lantern smile I love so much!!

DEFINITELY a joy filled spirit!
{and same answers three years in a row!}

Perfect fit for him!! He notices every little detail! Everything must make sense and fit together just so. Love him to pieces!!

Official backpack pics!

Lunches packed with some yummies...stir fry chicken bites, shells with butter and parmesan cheese, apple slices, blackberries, and a chocolate pudding pouch!

They both loved their new magnets from planetbox and I love that we can use the same box and just buy a new carrying case + magnets every year!

And we're off!

The do-we-have-to-take-a-picture-at-school look. Why, yes we do! Mama wanted a pic of the two of you together and Grace in her cute new glasses!!

Ready to go into Mrs. W's Wonder Kids homeroom!

I have a feeling our days of walking her in are coming to an end... *tear*

Hello, Mrs. W!

Something about dropping off your *baby* that gets me every time!!

With his sweet teacher, Ms. H!

Bye mama!  Such cute Honeybees!!

But the best part about going back to school is catching up with all your friends!! Hudson was super excited that Lilly is now at his school!!

They both had a great first day - that's always an answered prayer!! 

When I picked up Hudson he ran to me and gave me the biggest hug! He said, "I had a super fun day!! Ms. H has the most amazing treasure box!" {he got a LEGO out of the treasure box!?!!!! he was OVER THE MOON!!} Later his buddy Jayden's mom told me that Hudson said Ms. H was sooo pretty + nice - he he! 

Grace said she had a great day but that they didn't get to go out to recess because it was too hot. (the good 'ole South for you!) That her desk (in like a little desk group of several desks together) is the farthest one back from the whiteboard but "I can see perfectly with my new glasses and I like it back there." (the stuff they notice!) And that she is sitting with two boys next to her that she tried to keep on task all day (ha!) 

Frozen yogurt at our fave spot to wrap up a successful first day!

We ran into some school friends and you would have thought they hadn't seen each other in YEARS!! Such crazy girlies!! 
{and yes, they were WILD after school. extra apologies to other froyo patrons that were there!}

All in all a great start to a new school year. My biggest prayers are for safety, for learning mixed with copious amounts of nurturing, and for the littles to shine with God's light from within in every circumstance they are faced with. 

Daddy and I love you more than words can say!
Go get them! 
XOXO,
Mama 

P.S. 
Second day of school fashion. Her style is really changing and she looks so grown up!!

Dr. Seuss Book {back to school teacher gift}

I don't know about you, but every Summer increases my appreciation for everything teachers do day in and day out to nurture little ones, so any chance I get, I want to let them know I appreciate what they do!

So today I have for you an inexpensive grab-n-go gift that doesn't require any making, just in case that's not your thing!!  Do you have a little one starting preschool / kinder / first grade??  How about picking up a copy of this brand new, just released Dr. Seuss book as a classroom gift for the teacher!  Add a cute nameplate dedicating the book to your teacher and include your child's name and the school year and you have a fun {and useful!} keepsake!

I'm in love with the story behind it!!  You can read more about it {here}, but in a nutshell...Audrey Geisel, Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)'s widow, found in her attic a box of papers she'd stashed away after his death.  In it was this and several other manuscripts he had finished and illustrated!

There's nothing like a Dr. Seuss book in my opinion, especially for those beginner readers!  I picked up a copy for Hudson's first grade homeroom teacher, along with a jar of my homemade {vanilla sugar hand scrub} and a cute beehive cookie cutter because they are the "Honeybees".

Giving doesn't have to break the bank!  A little heartfelt gesture goes a long way.

Do you love Dr. Seuss?  Find more party inspiration {here}, {here} and {here}!

vanilla sugar hand scrub {back to school teacher gift}

A couple of weeks ago during our family vacay to Tybee Island {pics coming soon!}, I fell in love with the hand scrub at one of the local restaurants. But it was pricey and I knew it wouldn't work with my budget for back to school gifts. So as soon as we got home, I started experimenting with different recipes and ingredients and finally came up with a winner!

Even better, it's made with all wholesome ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry!! So what are you waiting for??! Put on a cute apron and let's get started!

Vanilla Sugar Hand Scrub

{fills 3 half-pint (8 oz.) mason jars with a little to spare!} 

 

1   1/2 cups light brown sugar

8 tablespoons coconut oil

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons lemon juice

 

1. Mix all ingredients together until smooth and
    coconut oil has dissolved completely.

2. Resist the urge to taste it because it smells so
    good!

3. Store in an airtight container.

Now go treat yourself for all your hard work {Shhhh...no one has to know how easy it really was!} by using the little extra on yourself! I like to scoop out a little dollop, scrub for 1 minute, rinse with water and pat dry. Your hands will smell soooo good and feel soooo soft!

And if you're feeling fancy, spray paint the metal rings like I did and use a little fabric scrap or pretty paper to cover the circle lid. Add a little ribbon or baker's twine, a cute tag, and if you have it, a little wooden spoon for scooping and voila! You just made a perfect little gift for teachers, neighbors, girlfriends, hostesses or whoever needs a little extra I'm-thinking-of-you.

Now excuse me while I go back to being in denial that the littles start school in 1 week! *sob*

Last Day of School {2015}!!

The littles had their last day of school on May 21st, but as usual, I'm playing catch-up!! 
They've changed so much in just a year so I want to make sure and capture these moments for our blog book.

Ready to go, gifts in hand for their 3 main teachers!  I took the easy route and had the shop wrap them for us so I didn't get a picture, but we got them personalized Lilly Pulitzer stationery and jewel stone gold bangles like these - kinda preppy but that's the mood we were in!

Grace, 8 yrs. 2 mo.
{last day of 2nd Grade}

Hudson, 5 yrs. 11 mo.
{last day of Kindergarten}

What a difference a year makes!!

Sweet kinder buddies...Caroline, Henry & Hudson!

One last morning of hugs from his teacher, Ms. V...

Grace with her beloved Miss D! Oh, how she has loved having her this year!! We have been spoiled with amazing teachers throughout the years and Miss D's sweet nature just raised the bar that much higher! Thank you for making her 2nd grade year AMAZING!!

Mrs. L has been Grace's Gateway teacher for the past 3 years!!! We love Mrs. L!! I can't even begin to tell you how hard it was to say goodbye! At least Hudson has her for 2 more years!!!

CraZy girls!! These two besties are sumthin' else!

F R E E D O M!!! Hello, Summer!!!!
{not sure why Hudson looks like the Statue of Liberty!!}

And just like that, we now have a FIRST grader and a THIRD grader!! HOW did that happen??!

School Memories...

KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL PLAY 
The kindergarteners put on an adorable play, "How Does Your Garden Groove?" Hudson and Caroline were Freddy and Frannie Farmer!

With his teacher Ms. V!

He had his part down pat...he he!

Ms. V's French Fry Potatoes - soooo cute!

Love this sweet farmer to pieces!

"...a shakin' and a groovin' and a working it out!"

All of the kinders did such a great job!! I loooooved their costumes and songs!! Fan Club Alert!! 
You did so great with all your lines, Hudson! We are so proud of you!!

UN-BIRTHDAY!
Hudson has his un-birthday back in April... whale style for the Whale Kids! 

Hudson and his 6 "candles"...birthday child gets to pick out 6 friends to be the candles around him while they sing happy birthday...so fun!

Sugar HIGH!

ART FUN!
I love that we have this fun art festival to celebrate all the wonderful art made by students in our district.

We helped set up our school's booth and the littles couldn't wait to show me their artwork!

Hudson's was a self-portrait in a specific artist's abstract style, drawn without lifting up your writing instrument, but I can't remember the name!!

Lots of fun crafts!

Boys will be BOYS!

Stinky fish art! He LOVED it!!

EARTH DAY
The kinders made their own shirts in class and had fun activities outside all day long!

WAFFLE BREAKFAST
Our school held a Make-your-own-waffle breakfast to celebrate Arts/Literature/Safety Poster winners and the kiddos had a blast! Love all the bright colors!

Grace's first time to eat cafeteria breakfast and she said it was "pretty good" - ha!

Apparently we are in the "bunny ears" phase...

Sweet girls! 
{who had to be coaxed to put down the bunny ears!!}

Love this little pumpkin to pieces!

KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UP
A year ago we were sitting in those new parents' seats... filled with such anticipation having just received our acceptance letter... and today we are on the other side! Kinder year almost over and our littles not so little anymore {cue the tears!}. They were so cute singing and welcoming the incoming kinders!

AWARDS
Grace won 1st place in Visual Arts in the Primary division for the PTA's Reflections contest, then went on to place at the district level. She also won 1st place in our district's writing contest for her Moonlight Sparkle poem she wrote while in 1st grade last year. The books were just published and she was so excited to see her poem in print! Love seeing her creative talents flourish!

Creative minds at work - hahaha!

So proud of all these kiddos!

Noonie was able to come to the district ceremony - Grace was so excited!  Here she is holding her "Celebrate What Makes You Shine!" art interpretation of "The world would be a better place if"..."we celebrate what makes each person special instead of making fun of what they lack."

And just before we left for New York, Grace found out she passed the juried art test and had been accepted into the Talented Arts Program! ONE.HAPPY.GIRL!!

CINCO DE MAYO 
The Second Grade Parent Lunch was Cinco de Mayo themed...even though they moved it up a week - ha! I love the adorable milk-carton maracas Grace's class made. So fun to see so many families sharing lunch at school!! {But oh my, the NOISE level in the cafeteria!! I don't know how teachers do it!! Mimosas, anyone? Actually, make that MARGARITAS!}

No fiesta at our Casa this year, but Moe's $5 burritos were not half bad either! ;)

I can't believe this school year is coming to an end. Next year Lance and I will have a THIRD GRADER and a FIRST GRADER {gulp!} That sounds so GROWN-UP!!! But every stage seems to bring with it something new to look forward to, so I'll wipe away the tears and continue to press on. So proud of the two littles God has entrusted us with. I always tell them to use their God-given talents to make a positive difference in the world. It is beautiful to see that unfold!