Busy BEe

Today has been so busy! I managed to clean the house, go on a 2 mile bike ride with the baby to the park, hit the beach for some sunshine, and make a meal from scratch (biscuits included)! Most days i am lucky to be dressed in something other than PJs.
I also got the family down to the beach for a walk after dinner! GO ME

Shame on me for taking so long to post any update or news...so i'll throw out a couple pictures from the last few weeks...

Fall

Fall is finally here! This past month offered a few hurtles, but overall it went fairly smooth. Colin had his adnoids removed and ear tubes put in. He missed two weeks of school, but has made a complete recovery. Halloween was SPOOKTACULAR and even Jeremy dressed up just a tad for the kiddos :) I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and the Holidays!

Colin Turns 6

Last Saturday Colin had his 6th Birthday Party! The theme was BLUE :) around 12 kids showed up and the party was a total hit! Games, music, prizes, cupcakes, and gifts made the birthday boy feel extra special...here are a few snapshots from his big day...

First Grade homework

Colin has started first grade! Yesterday was day one. Along with all the excitement of a new school year came a stack of paperwork for Moms and Dads to fill out. After signing and reading for over an hour i was pleased to pack it all up and have him return it to his teacher. Little did i know more was on its way home today (day two). Those poor trees ;) After another 40 mins of reading i began to realize just how serious first grade is. There is a syllabus for goodness sake. That's what college classes send you home with. A ton of rules (all which Colin needs) and a daily schedule that's busier than mine.
First grade as i remember was full of crayons and chalk board work. Reading and math were also daily activities. These are also the focus in Colin's class, however, he also has nightly homework and weekly testing. I recall some testing but do not remember ever having nightly homework. Times are changing and rightfully so when, according to Chris Hedges article, (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20081110_america_the_illiterate/ ) 42 million Americans, 20% of whom are high school graduates, are illiterate. If nightly homework for my first grader will ensure a better future in literacy i'm game. Maybe if there had been homework when i was in first grade those statistics would be different. Just a thought.

FL...the good life

Our newest addition

Avery Ryder was born on June 14th, 2011. He weighed in at very large 8lbs 4oz! He is now 10 weeks old! Everyday is an adventure for the entire family! Colin has taken very well to his new role as "big brother." He is eager to sing and make faces with Avery. We have gotten settled into a great routine and on most nights get enough sleep! He grows fatter with each day and at his 2 month apt he weighed in at 12lbs 4oz. A 4 lb gain in 9 weeks is impressive :) Here is a pic of the little lobster