What a difference a year makes...

Evan's first day of school last year:

Evan & Claire's first days this year:

Family Photo

Thanks to my friend Rosie for taking this of us yesterday. We needed a family picture for both kids schools and our last one was taken in November. Notice our new living room furniture :).

Claire's 1st day of school

Claire started school today. Well, it's more like school/daycare. I'm not sure whether to rejoice or cry! She is going on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Windermere Community Preschool (different than Evan) and can go from 7:30am to 6:00pm. I think I am going to send her there closer to 8:30am to 3:30/4:00pm. Her teacher, Ms. Liz, seems really sweet and I think that Claire will eventually love it. It's just getting through the separation that may be hard. But, then again, maybe she'll surprise me and there will be no more separation issues after today. I'm going to pray for that!

She was excited to go into her classroom this morning with Evan and I, but when she realized she was staying and we were leaving, she got pretty upset. Thankfully, a friend who dropped her son off later told me that Claire had stopped crying and was busy playing with the toys. I'm glad I had Evan with me, because I was a bit of a wreck.

There are 10 kids in her class and 2 teachers. We met some of the other kids at Meet the Teacher last week and it seems like there are more boys than girls, something Claire is very used to! I can't believe how big my little one seems with her own backpack!

Claire is 18 months old!

On Friday, Claire turned 1 and a half! She is most definitely turning into a little girl and growing out of being a baby. Her speaking has really taken off in the last few weeks and she probably has about 20 words in her regular vocabulary and is adding new ones each day. She loves to play outside and ride in her little buggy car. And she is really starting to enjoy dressing up, just like her big brother.

Claire at 18 months old:

Height: 33 1/3 inches (90%)
Weight: 29lbs, 1 oz (95%)
Head: 19 1/2 (95%)
Diaper: Size 4
Clothes: Shirts-3T, Dresses, shorts, pants, etc-24mo or 2T
Shoe Size: 7 1/2
Favorite Food: macaroni and cheese, noodles, grapes, bananas, frozen waffles, muffins, avocado, raspberries, watermelon, milk
Favorite Book: Higher, Higher; Touch and Feel Animals, anything where you can touch, or lift the flap. Yeah, she finally likes books!!
Favorite activities: trying on shoes, swinging, going for a walk in her red push car, playing outside, dancing, swimming, dressing up, climbing up, in or over whatever she can, playing with the pots and pans, taking her dolls for a walk, ring around the rosy, jumping on her dad or Evan, brushing her hair and "applying" makeup. She loves to copy what I do!
Personality: She is still very loud and has a blood curtling scream. She uses that to get our attention all the time. Despite that, she is sweet, loves to hug and kiss and even cuddles with me first thing in the morning when she drinks her milk.
Words: mama, dada, da (evan), outside, bye-bye, thank you, shoe, ball, doll, uh-oh, dog, all done, hot (accompanied by blowing), stevie, hi, cat

 Dancing on Small World

 Somoa Slam on Daddy with Evan

Dressing up and playing with pots and pans

Costume Time!

Well, it's that time of year again. Although it's still unbearably hot and humid here, the stores would like to remind us that Halloween is next week two months away. Decorations are everywhere, and so are COSTUMES. It's like Christmas for Evan! On Monday we had to go to Costco to pick up my new glasses and look what we found...a Thor costume Evan couldn't live without. He even said he wouldn't ask for another costume before Halloween. Of course, as much as he loves the new costume and has been wearing it non-stop for the last few days, I have a strong feeling that he will be asking for some more costumes before October 31.

Evan's 1st Day of Pre-K 4 (VPK)

 With his best buds, Bowen & Stevie

 All their Star Wars Light Up Shoes

 In front of his class

Today was Evan's first day of his last year of preschool. He is in the 3 day, full day VPK (pre-kindergarten) class with Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Chase at Windermere Union. He will go to school from 9:15 to 2:15 Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Although he was pretty tight lipped about what occurred in school today, he seemed to have a fun time. He was a little nervous going to school today, with being in a new class. However, it definitely helped to have his buddies Stevie and Kaila in the class, and to be back at the same school for the 3rd year. Here's to a great Pre-K year!

Fun with Photobooth

Leave Evan alone with the computer, and you never know what fun you will find. Here are a few of my favorites from his session with Photo booth today!

Water table fun

This morning, Claire and I were relaxing on the front porch. She was playing with the water table  dumping water on herself and I got a chance to photograph her in action. She just keeps getting cuter.

A Whale of a Time

Checking out the sights in the Aquariam. Claire wants to be just like Evan

Look-a Mantaray!

Evan's inside the aquariam

Picture is dark, but check out that facial expression!

 My little thrill seeker!

It seems like ages since we went to a theme park. This summer has flown by and we have just not found the time. The dry spell ended Saturday with our family day at Sea World. We took the kids to the Pets Ahoy and One Ocean Shows. Miraculously, Claire sat still through most of both shows. She loves dogs and so we figured she would like the Pet show. The new Shamu show, One Ocean was a lot more upbeat than Believe, so I think it held her attention (along with all the grapes she inhaled during it!). A trip to Sea World would not be complete without Evan riding the Shamu roller coaster solo. Even though it was rather warm, it wasn't too crowded. It ended up being a wonderful family day.

Vilano Beach

Maxwell & Evan playing in the waves

My beach bum baby

Apparently it was too bright outside, all the kids had to squint!

 Grant & Claire playing in the sand

Two weeks ago I took the kids to Vilano Beach, near St. Augustine, to go see Charlie, Shannon and the kids while they were on vacation there. The waves were a perfect size for the kids and Evan, Claire and Maxwell had a blast in the water. Claire likes the water, but typically doesn't want to go too far in, or get too much of her body under water. That day, she wanted the waves to crash over her and was laughing so much. Evan and Maxwell body surfed for an hour. I was having too much fun with the kids in the water that I didn't get too many pictures, but I did manage to take a few earlier in the day.