Making Waves with the Ryans: August 2011

Back to School

Today was the first day back to school! They started so early this year. I thought they would have a lot harder time starting than they did. Since we saw their class list they were excited to see their friends again. I have to admit I was excited to have a clean house again and not listen to the pantry door open every 10 minutes. We are both not excited about homework again, getting up and crazy schedules.

I think sending the kids to first grade is always so much harder for me than kindergarten. It is all day and it starts the many years of real school work. I was especially nervous for Madison because she was so shy with her teacher last year and didn't talk at school. She did love kindergarten though and did really well. Well as you can see she wasn't half as nervous as I was. She was so excited! Lots of friends from last year are in her class and this year Noah is also.

It was such a relief when we got there. Mrs. Williams gave her a big hug and said she was so excited to Madison in her class and she has been waiting because they were already friends. Blake and Hailey both had Mrs. Williams and we love her. That is all Madison needed because from then on Madison has been talking away at school. Mrs. Williams sent me a message on facebook and told me that the third day of school Madison was raising her hand and answering questions.

She loves school!

She is so studious and was ready to get right to work!

This year I might have to worry more that she is talking too much instead of not talking at all. She is determined though to collect a lot of blue tickets.

Hailey got her same teacher this year. Last year she was in a 2nd/3rd combo class. This year they keep those same 2nd graders and made a 3rd grade class with the same teacher. At first I thought she would get bored with the same teacher, but she was excited to have Mrs. Denine again.

Now I think it is great because she really likes to challenge Hailey and keep her busy with new stuff since she already did a lot of the stuff other 3rd grade classes are doing this year.

It looks like she wont be bored this year at all!

This is Blake's last year of elementary school. Which also means it is not cool to take his picture as you can tell by the look I got.

I snuck a picture of him anyways :) He has Mrs. Fine and is really happy to have friends in his class again. He has been doing great and loves science this year.

Off to a great start!

Abby's 1st Day of Preschool!

Abby is getting so big. She is so ready for preschool. When I took her this summer to look at different schools she loved Ms. Lisa's Preschool. She cried when we left. It is such a cute little school that she goes to. We got very lucky because a couple of our friends little boys go there and after the first week Payton down the street goes there now also. She has already made friends with the other two girls there. Ms. Lisa says her and her friend Jema are like two peas in a pod. They always have to give each other a big hug when they see each other and say goodbye.

Abby was all ready to pose for her first day pictures! She was beyond excited to go. She actually started a day before the other kids. She thought she was pretty big stuff going to school. I think she would have been totally fine if I would have just dropped her of on the curb. Every school day she gets herself up and dressed with no complaining.

She loves to talk about preschool when I pick her up. I get to hear every detail. She is so cute! Ms. Lisa has them cook or assemble their snack at snack time which is Abby's favorite part. She loves making mini pizzas and yogurt banana pops.

We love preschool! I love having a couple of hours each week to get some things done on my own, which I have not had in ten years! Abby loves it because she gets to do lots of fun new things and be around her friends.

Abby and her first day hand prints.

Caifornia Girls Soaking Up the Sun!

We could not let the boys have fun without us so I took care of the girls at the water park. They had a blast!

Hailey's friend Elizabeth who she has known since they were one years old came along with us. She and her brother Nicholas, Blake's good friend were visiting from Maryland. You would have never known they had not seen each other for three years. They were insperable from the moment they saw each other.

Both always with a huge grin on thier faces!

The two also had no fear.

They were so happy to spend the day together.

All the girls getting soaked!

This is wear Abby, Madison and I spent most of our time.

As you can see on Abby's face, it was a blast. It is so nice to have Abby getting older and hanging with older girls a little. It is so much easier. I love it!

Blake's end of the summer bash!

Blake's birthday was only a couple of days before school started so we decided to do something fun for the end of the summer. We let him take some friends to Soak City Water park.

His friend Nicholas happened to be in town from Maryland so he ended up tagging along.

The boys all get along really well and had a great time together. It was fun to watch them on the ropes and listen to each other encourage each other to get across. We are so lucky to have Blake grow up with a group of boys who have always been such good friends.

Todd and I were not up to taking on chaperoning 9 boys and the 3 girls all by ourselves. So since Grandpa Ryan lives nearby we asked him to come over and help. He was more than willing :) Our friend Lloyd ended up coming with us too since by the end we ended up with 15 kids. We really appreciate their help and everyone was great. It was not too hot and was not very crowded at all.

Todd and Lloyd hung out with the boys and I think they had as much fun as they did. Grandpa Ryan keep an eye on Hailey and her friend Elizabeth. I stayed with Abby and Madison on the little slides. I was able to get some shots of the boys on some slides.

The party package included lunch and cupcakes so we all met to eat together.

The boys spend the last couple of hours in the wave pool.

Then onto the lazy river before the park closed. They boys were great and we didn't manage to loose anyone. It was a lot more stress free than I thought it would be.

Grandpa Ryan keep offering to have the boys come over after for hot dogs since he was really close so we finally took him up on his offer since it closed at dinner time. He left the park a little early to grill the hot dogs up. When we got their food was ready. So nice! I think he enjoyed seeing Blake with all his buddies. He even revved up his hot rod for them to see. We helped clean up and took all the tired boys for the long trek home.

It was a great day and fun way to celebrate Blake's birthday and the end of the summer!

Look Who's Double Digits!

Blake turned 10 years old today! I can't believe how fast he has grown. He is growing into such a good kid. We are so proud of him and the things he has accomplished this year. Now he is 10!

On his birthday he woke up to find ten balloons with ten $10 bills in them. He was very excited to get $100 dollars. He has been wanting to get a turtle for a pet. So he took some of his birthday money to open a savings account and the rest he wants to use to buy a turtle.

That night we went to Grandma Di's for Blake's and Aunt Lisa's birthday parties.

Blake was very happy to be spending his birthday with his cousins! He also got to spend it with his friend Sara who was staying with us.

Happy Birthday Blake!

Surfer Boy

Todd challenged Blake and Hailey to learn to really surf this year. Summer break for us was over the second of August. So we squeezed in lots of beach days in the last few weeks of summer.

It didn't take Blake long at all to catch a wave.

He was up.

He and Todd paddled out pretty far and he has good balance and was able to ride in for awhile.

He was pretty excited and it really built his confidence. He is now claiming that the blue board his his board. I even overheard him take his friends out to the garage and show them "his" surfboard.