- LET'S LEARN! -

Wahoooooooooo, it's BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON!  I've always been a momma that loves having everyone home all summer and spending time with her babies, and I did love that [for most of] June and July...

 

...but the first couple weeks of August were consumed with bickering and sassing and attitud-ing between the big girls, and finally one day Juliette and I had the genius idea to retreat to the pantry and make a secret paper chain countdown for their first day of school!  Rawr!

 

In between tearing links off the secret chain ;) :), we found time to go back-to-school shoe shopping...

 

...and supply shopping...  

...and even did all the supply labeling, too!  Sigh!  ...Just when I think they've officially driven me halfway up the wall and one more eye roll or sassy comment may literally commit me to sign them up for full time daycare next summer, I walk up on Scarlett making a set of kindergarten sight word flashcards and writing her name all by herself on her folders and notebooks, and my momma heart just can't take it!  ALL.THE.FEELS.  The days are long, but the years are short... Time is a thief, and moments like these are a real reset in reminding me to [try my VERY BEST to] enjoy all the ages/stages of the time I have these babies under our roof!!!

 

 

 

Then! Thankfully! I got my sappy-mom-self under control just in time for the drumrollllllll...

...Blessing of the Backpacks, school supply drop off, and Meet the Teacher Night!  Scarlett is soooo so excited to be in Mrs. Wilson's class; she can't wait to start kindergarten at "the big school" alongside lots of the same friends from preschool... 

...and Harper is movin' on up in the ranks as a big 3rd grader and looks forward to having Mrs. Litterst as her teacher!

I have to say -- and this seems like as good a time as ever to say it -- I was on the Pre-Cana marriage prep team with Mrs. Litterst severalllll years back; I think Harper was about 2 years old at the time, so it was long before we had decided on sending our kids to Catholic school.  Most of the other marriage prep team couples already had school-aged kiddos, and I remember just putting my feelers out there and asking them why they chose STB school over public school.  Mrs. Litterst spoke up first and said, "We aren't with our kids 24/7 anymore once they go off to school, but the best thing about the STB school staff is that they cherish and love the kids so well, and I know if ANYTHING ever happened to my kids in my absence, the teachers and staff would care for them the exact same way I would.  And that level of trust and confidence, knowing the teachers love my kids and look out for them the same way I do, it means everything." 

...Gosh, I'll never ever forget her saying that ...and it almost makes me teary-eyed typing it and knowing that she is 1000% right and my kids are cherished and loved soooo well at STB!  What a blessing for our family to have baby Bluejays under the fanned out wings of Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Litterst this year!  You both will be very beloved "extensions" of our family this year as we hear stories about school happenings at the dinner table every night! Always know of our support and prayers for you!!! ...Just LMK how you like those eye rolls and sassy comments from my cherub children!!! ;) :)

Ok, back on topic..! It's one. more. sleep. before......

 

...THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! 3rd grade and kindergarten, here they comeeee! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I turned around to ask Brian something after we snapped this pic with the Bluejay, and when I looked back, Harper and Scarlett were already headed inside!  Cheers to a great year for our strong-willed gals! FLY, LITTLE BLUEJAYS!!! <3

As it turns out, Juliette is loving her 1:1 time with Mommy [AND IT'S NO SECRET, I'M LOVING IT TOO!]!  Our days are filled with playing, crafting, snuggling, and doing alllll the age-appropriate things we don't get to do when the big girls are at home!  Back to school.......ahhhhh. I know for this year, August is a win-win-win-WINNING situation for all! 

The school year's theme is "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace," and we have a goal to implement that in our home as well!  Blessings and love to all school kiddos and families for a great year ahead! LET'S LEARN! :D

- Grant's Farm: Round 2 -

There was not one baaaaa-d thing about our day out at Grant's Farm! Cheers to summer adventures...here we GOAT again!

 

It had been about 6.5 years since our last visit to Grant's Farm [you know, the one where Harper ingested goat food pellets and also chugged milk from the goat milk bottles...........and lived to tell the story].  The kids were pros with feeding and brushing the goats this time around!

The highlight of the day [for the big girls] was a ride on the camel! Leave it to Grandma to buy them all the "extras" that Mom always tries to pass off with, "Not today, maybe next time...!" ;) :)

Stay cool, Grant's Farm! We'll be baaaaa-ck some day! 

 

- American Girl Adventures -

I was never ever into American Girl brand -- or really any dolls -- when I was a kid, but Harper and Scarlett LOVE babies and Barbies and 18" dolls and spend hourssss each week dressing and playing with them!  Our local library also has a collection of American Girl dolls that I frequently allow them to check out to play with at home.  While they have zero grasp on what the actual "American Girl" brand even is, they have always called all of their 18" dolls "American Girls."  Therefore, it was no surprise that they JUMPED at Grammy Resa's proposal of taking a train to the hugeeee American Girl doll store in Chicago this summer!  #BRB while we pack up Dixey and Aqua and all their clothing changes and accessories to hit the road to Grammy and Papa's house...

 ...for a quick slumber party before arriving to a very early train in Carlinville the next morning!

Chugga-chugga-CHOO-CHOOOOO, we're off on a 2-day, 1-night girls' trip!

 Because Chicago, HERE WE COME! 

The train ride [sans carseats and stocked with a special snack car] was a huge hit.  Approx. 4 hours later, we made it to Chicago Union Station ...and then off to our hotel where we landed a room on the 17th floor ... and THEN to the long-awaited American Girl store for a super fun shopping experience!

No one was excited or anything. ;) :) 

Complimentary check-ups for Dixey and Aqua were performed by a "doctor" on staff at the AG Store!

And then it was lunch time at the AG Cafe where there was special service for alllll the girls, even Dixey and Aqua!

On the shopping front, the kids each got to pick out one outfit for their doll and one play setup thing [which, yessss, made my heart skip about 23 or maybe 28 beats, because holy price tags...but I tried to breathe deeply all weekend and stifle my cheap-AF ways so as not to spoil all the once-in-a-lifetime excitement for the kiddos]!

Back at the hotel, they donned their pool garb and FaceTimed Grammy Beeler to show her their new loot!

"Night cap" at It'Sugar who?!

As a side plug: Dixey and Aqua are also better known as Mary of Nazareth and My Guardian Angel, respectively, as they're actually Dolls from Heaven!  I became obsessed with the story of this company after a friend shared about it last year.  They are committed to helping children keep Jesus as the focus of their lives, and their mission is to inspire children to become saints!  Santa obvi love Dolls from Heaven, too, because he delivered two to our house last Christmas, along with the books about each doll.

Sweet dreams, my tiny saint American Girl! #ily

 

The next morning, we packed up our things and checked them with the bellman downstairs before hitting the stores along the Magnificent Mile!  We bought some Garrett's Popcorn for Daddy and Papa, tried on some fancy shoes at Zara, and whaddya know.................

 

...ended up back at Water Tower Place for a little look inside the Lego Store...

 

...but more importantly, more play time at the AG Store!!! #cantgetenough  

Harper decided she did not like the outfit I packed her for day #2 of our trip, so she modified my black tank top with a bobby pin and wore it around the city all day as a dress. LOL.

 

Back at Union Station for our 2:00pm train home, we bumped into some familiar faces!  The kids loved making the trek home with some friends in tow!

The next morning at home, the big kids gave Juliette the bottle, diapers, and wipes that they bought her for her babies + the mini-Reese's pieces treat from It'Sugar! She was thrilled with all her surprise gifts...

 

...and the big kids were thrilled to get their dolls' coffee bar and gymnastics sets out!

Memories for a lifetime followed by FUN FOR HOURS [which made for the easiest Sunday of my life]!  Thanks, Mom, for suggesting and organizing the trip!!! I guess we'll start saving up money now for the day Juliette is old enough to have her inaugural trip to Chicago and visit to the AG Store! ;) :-*