This week Emma and I both started back to school.  Emma has been enrolled in extended care, since we both are at work by 8:30.  We decided to start waking Emma up earlier, but still letting her lounge and not rush as much as the summer.  Emma arrives at school around 7:30.  She loves going to see her teachers, Ms. Libby and Ms. Susan.  She comes home telling us what she did and who she played with.  I’m interested in going to her Toddler Orientation on Tuesday to see if the kids she mentions are really in her class.  Emma still comes home at noon to eat lunch and take her nap.  When I get home around 4:30-4:45, she is normally just getting up from her 2 1/2 – 3 hour nap.  I’m guessing she is exhausted!

 
I also started my second year at Hidden Hollow Elementary.  I have 19 wonderful 3rd graders.  They are very different than last years kids, but I think I am comparing them to the end of last year.  After 4 days, they are starting to get the hang of the expectations and proceedures that go on in the classroom.  I think this year is going to be a good one.  We will see how it goes! Here are some pictures of my room before the kiddos arrived, so it is a little different now.
 

This week was my first week back to school.  At first I was dreading sitting in a weeks worth of meetings…then I remembered I work for a principal that doesn’t like meetings.  It is now Tuesday evening and we have had maybe 3 hours of sitting in meetings.  One hour was with the superintendent to hear our TAKS scores from last year (which were great) and to also hear about the budget crisis our district is in.  I was amazed at some things we heard.
I have pretty much finished my room, met with my team and got the beginning of the year stuff figured out, and I have gone out to enjoy good lunches for two days…LONG lunches.

I think this year is going to be a good  one.  I pretty much know my class list, but I am unaware of any problems or praises, which I’d rather keep it that way.  I’ll post some pics soon of my wonderful classroom!

Driving back from the lake on Sunday Emma decided that she was going to get the stomach bug.  After a bit of uncontrollable crying, she threw up.  This was an experience in itself.  There aren’t many side roads leaving the lake house before you get to 59.
I immediately called my mother to meet me and bring towels, change of clothes for Emma (which were Morgans), and a PACI.  I thought Emma had made herself sick from not having it, because she had talked about wanting it.
Once my mom found us on the road, we were cleaned up.  We headed home in the clear.

On Tuesday, Emma got sick again.  This time she was out to eat with Daddy and Nana.  Hopefully, it is out of her system and she will be back to her normal self soon……PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This past weekend we headed up for the last trip to the lake before school started.  Emma, Darby and I headed up Friday after naps.  Travis met us after work.  We had a great time Friday night eating spaghetti, watching the Olympics and hanging out.
Saturday was started by the arrival of Layne, Amanda, Morgan and Logan.  Emma was very excited to see Morgan and Logan.  We all put on our suits and headed out to the island for the girls to play on the beach.  Grandmother stayed behind to hang while Logan took a nap.  Em and Mo had fun building sand castles with Papa, and placing sand on my legs.  After awhile at the beach, we got back in the boat to speed across the lake for a little ride.  It was neat to see all the new houses being built.
After nap time, we ALL got back in the boat for more cruising time and beach time.  Layne, Travis and I got into a mud throwing fight, while Amanda and Logan swam.  Grandmother played with the girls on the beach.  We discovered we needed a bigger boat for when Lindsey, Matt and Baby Hop join us.
That night Morgan and Emma had fun running all of the house pretending Logan was a monster.  They would also jump on the couch and tackle one another.  I was able to get some great pics of them playing.  Thanks to Morgan for cooperating.  To see the pics, go to Emma’s Photos, Lake-Aug 08.

 Dancing and being silly.

 Super cheesey smile!  :0)

Since this is my last week of summer and Emma doesn’t have school, Em and I decided we would mail her paci’s to Baby Charlie.  On Tuesday morning, Emma placed all of her paci’s in a zip lock bag, then into a box.  We went to the mailbox and “mailed” them to Baby Charlie.  Afterwards, we went to Target to buy a blanket (it’s what Emma wanted) to be a prize for mailing them.
Emma was fine until nap time.  She never asked for a paci, but she had a difficult time calming down.  Needless to say, she didn’t have a nap on Tuesday, but she stayed in her bed for the time of a nap to rest.  Each night has been fine, but Thursday there wasn’t a nap either.  I’m sure a couple of more days of this and then she will be fine.
I”m very proud that she hasn’t asked for them and doesn’t seem to miss them.  Charlie also dropped off a thank you gift to Emma for giving him her paci’s.  She loved the ABC cd and book. …(thanks grandmother for being Baby charlie)–that evening I went to the mailbox and collected the paci’s and hid them in the cabinet.

On Wednesday, Emma and I headed to Tomball to play with Ephram and Lucas.  Ephram was born 4 weeks before Emma and Lucas was born 4 weeks after Emma.  They have grown up together since they were in our tummies.  Emma and Lucas haven’t been together since they were less than 4 months old.

The day started at 9:30 inside the house playing in the playroom, but quickly moved to the backyard.  We went ahead and put their swimsuits on so they could swim, play with the water table or swing and slide.  After playing and swimming for a bit, we had a hotdog lunch, then swam some more.  By 1:30 all the kids were tired, so we all headed home.  Emma went to bed and had a good nap.  She woke up saying, “no more swimming mommy.”  I guess she played enough.  Check out the pics under Emma’s photos, playdate with Ephram and Lucas.
**The first picture is Lucas, Emma and Ephram.  The second is Melissa (long hair-lucas’ mom), Hafida (short hair-ephram’s mom), Emma, Ephram and Lucas.

Today I hosted a Southern Living at Home party.  Ten crazy women joined for the fun.  Some showed up in the pajamas as they were informed, some didn’t.  Those folks that didn’t had to wear crazy hats or boas.  We had a great time shopping, eating, drinking and hanging out.  They also toured the house, which I love!!!  It was alot of fun to have alot of my church and school friends together!!!  I also found out that one is also an Alpha Chi.  We are sisters in the bond!
**Pics will be posted soon**

After a month of being at Pines, Emma has a two week vacation.  This is going to be a long two weeks for Emma.  She LOVES going to school.  Each morning Emma would wake up saying, “I go to school today!”  She loved seeing her teachers and friends (her word).

Tonight Emma and I were swinging and I was singing to her.  I started singing the ABC’s and she joined in.  I almost fell over.  Emma has never shown interest in learning her letters.  This was amazing.  She also sings other random songs that I don’t know.  She also counted some napkin rings today.  She goes, One, Two, Three, Four-as she touched each one.  Again, I didn’t know she new that 1=1.  I knew she could count, but not a one to one relationship.  Emma has also become a new person, she picks up after herself, talkes more, and wants to do things herself (which sometimes cause problems). 

I can’t wait for Emma to start at Pines again.  August 25th will be a happy, but sad day.  She will begin extended care, so we will see how that will be.  She will have to wake up and go earlier, so this could cause some problems…we shall see.

Tonight we went out to the new Kings Harbor Waterfront Village.  It has some restaurants and other things.  We ate at Cómo se Dice a new mexican restaurant.  It had great food, very spicy, but great.  We all enjoyed ourselves.
The best part came after dinner.  We went out in front of the stores and hung out by Lake Houston.  It was so pretty.  The sky, water, temperature and everything was perfect.  Emma enjoyed seeing the fountains, walking on the wall, running up and down with Poppy and sitting on the hills and steps.  We hung out for probably 45 minutes.  I also got some great much needed pictures of Emma. Check them out under Emma’s Photos, Dinner with the Barrs.  They are just too darn cute!