First Day of School 2012!

I can't believe that my Lincoln has started Kindergarten!  Time has just flown by.  Seems like just yesterday he was that little mess getting into everything around the house.  Now he is a big mess ready to tackle school and everything that comes with it.

I feel so blessed and thankful to have gotten to be with him here at home for the first 5 1/2 years of his precious life.  He can be quite the handful and make me madder than a hornet sometimes, but he is an absolute joy to watch ALL the time.  He is so full of life and energy, so creative, has a wonderful imagination, works hard at things, is curious, and oh so funny.  

I know he was very ready for Kindergarten.  Now, that doesn't mean he wasn't a little nervous, because I know he was.  When we'd talk about how many days till school started on the days leading up to it, he would act all shy.  I could tell he was unsure about how it would be and what it would be like.

Me?  Well, there are mixed emotions for me.  On the one hand, I was ready for him to go.  Maybe it was just because the summer has worn me out having all three at home (even though it was so fun too) or because I am tired of all the bickering and fighting.  However, when I let myself think about what this event really means, I can get teary eyed pretty easily.  It means he is growing up.  It means he is not going to be at home with me all the time anymore.  That part of our time together is over.  Yes, we will have summers and things, but those first few very impressionable years are completely over.  Ugh.  That makes me sad.  They grow up so fast.  

I didn't cry taking him to school yesterday.  I did cry the night before as I laid in bed saying a prayer for him and Hannah.  That's when it hit me.  I guess it is hitting me now too as I write this, because the tears are falling again.  

My prayer for both of my kiddos is that they have a wonderful year at school learning a lot, making good friends, and growing closer to God as they learn to rely on Him more now instead of their Momma.

Ok, so let's get on to the first day.  I made the kids lunches and had to put little notes in there for them.

First day of school pictures!  Layton was so funny.  He had to go get his empty lunch box which he called his "back pack" when he saw the big kids with theirs.  Can't not include him in the pictures either!  Cheese!!

Then we moved outside for some shots.

Walking into the school.  Such a big boy.

We met up with his teacher in the cafeteria.  Mrs. Beck has been teaching for 32 years now.  I am sure she will be just great!

He got his name tag and we left him for a few minutes to take Hannah to the gym for their assembly.

She found her class and went and sat down.  They did the pledge and had announcements and then we walked back to her classroom.

I pretty much snapped this quick shot of her at her desk and then we left because they were getting started!  I can't believe she is in 2nd grade.  She is going to learn so much this year!

After leaving Hannah we headed over to Lincoln's class.  Mrs. Beck talked about different things for about 10 minutes or so.  Finally, Lincoln said, "This is taking forever."  He was ready to get started!!!

When I picked him up yesterday, I asked Mrs. Beck how he did.  She said he had a great first day!  He told me he enjoyed watching a movie about the rainbow fish, that he ate all his lunch, and that he liked playing outside.  He was quick to pull out his folder and show me his papers too.  After having a Sonic slush and some chocolate chip cookies, he was ready to get outside and ride his bike!!

P.S.  It wasn't until a little later that he said he had gotten 2 strikes.  I asked him why and what that meant and he couldn't remember!!!  Ha!  I guess it wasn't anything too bad or she would have told me.  He is a mess.  I know he is going to have one fun year!!!

We Have Bike Riders!!!!

So, learning to ride their bikes without training wheels was one of my goals for the kids this summer.  We went through several times where we would take their training wheels off and try to get them to work on it, but they really didn't express a whole lot of interest in it and ask for the training wheels back so they could ride.  So, we would put them back on again.  Hannah, in particular, was pretty adamant that she was not going to try to do it.  She was scared of falling.  Well, we took the training wheels off again several weeks back and hadn't put them back on.  Every time we'd go outside, I'd encourage them to work on riding.  Most of the time, they would just get a scooter out or something and avoid the bikes.

I had pretty much given up on them reaching this goal this summer.

Last week on the 7th, we had been to Wild River Country with Stacey, Kenzie, and Karly.  Kenzie came home with us for a sleepover afterwards.  The kids went out to ride bikes.  Kenzie had learned earlier this summer and was trying to show the kids how to do it.  The next thing I know, I see Lincoln really working on it.  It was the craziest thing.  I totally wasn't expecting it at all.  He just kept trying and trying until he finally got it!  I was SO excited!  It was one of the highlights of my summer!!!  Funny, huh?

Kris got home right about the time he was starting to get it and he got on his bike to help him.  Here is one of the first videos of Lincoln riding!



He had to really work on getting started, but then he was on the go!!!



This next one was from the next day.  By this time, he was racing down the street, putting on his brakes really fast, and jumping off to look at the skid marks he made on the street.  Hilarious and such a BOY!  He loves to see his skid marks!  Ha!



I like this one because he figured out how to get started and then turn around too.  Love how he immediately jumps off to see his marks!



For the next week, Linc would want to ride just about everyday he could.  A week later, he was cracking us up because he was riding up on the curbs and in the grass and all over.

About this time, I think Hannah noticed all the fun he was having.  She had been happy for him when he learned, but was still pretty scared to do much herself.  I just kept encouraging her to try to work on balancing down the hill and that she could just put her feet down if she felt like she was going to fall.  She worked on this a bit and gradually got braver and braver.  Then, on the 13th, she got it too!!!!



The next day she really took off!!!



I have just been so proud of these guys this summer.  Not only have they really become good little swimmers, but now they are having a blast riding their bikes!  I am really looking forward to going on some fun family bike rides at Two Rivers Bridge this fall!!!

Zoo Day & Carter's B-day

Two Saturdays ago, Kris was back at the tomato farm mowing again, and I heard that the Zoo was $1.50 per person entry all day.  I needed something to do to help kill the day, so the kids and I went.  We planned to be there at 9:30 when they opened.  I think we got there at 9:45 and the line was ridiculously long.  I thought I may have made a mistake in coming.  However, it moved pretty quickly and we were in the zoo in no time.  I thought it would be super crowded, but it really wasn't too bad at all.  We were still able to see all we wanted to see with no problems.

First off, we fed the fish.  They all loved this! 

I love the penquin exhibit.  They are so cute and fascinating to watch.  They put on a good show.

The elephant was out!

Layton looking at the giraffe.

The lady lion was right up by the glass, so we got to see her super close!

So beautiful!!

The rhino was out too.  I think the last time we came to the zoo, he was no where to be seen.  These guys are amazing to me.

Cute little river otter.

The big grizzly bear was soakin' in the water to cool off.  He was right up by the glass too.

This guy kind of gave me the creeps.  The way he was looking up at all the people and watching was creepy to me.  Man, God made some interesting animals!!!

This was by far the most enjoyable time I've had at the zoo with the kids ever.  It was so fun to see Layton's excitement at seeing all the animals.  Even though it was hot, we still had fun!

Something I wanted to remember about this trip was how Layton would say Choo Choo everytime he saw the tracks or the train.  He would say "Shoo Shoo, Shoo Shoo" and get so excited.  Cutest. Thing. Ever.  Love him!!

After about 2 hours of the zoo, we left and went to Chickfila to cool off and eat lunch!  Then, we went home to rest up before Carter's 5th Birthday party.

Carter had a swimming party.  I took Lincoln by myself while Kris stayed home with the other two.  Lincoln and Hannah had been trying to dive off the diving board at our pool the day before and weren't quite getting it.  So, when he got to the party, all the boys were diving and he gave it another try.  I was so proud of him!


He dived and dived and dived some more.  He had so much fun!!

Kansas City Fun!

We made a trip to Kansas City recently to visit Grandma and Grandad!  It had been a while since we had seen them, so we were really looking forward to it!  We left on a Thursday afternoon and got there pretty late that night.  Friday morning we hung out and had a yummy breakfast out at the gazebo.  I enjoyed the breakfast casserole, but the kids, I'd say, enjoyed the watermelon!  Layton ate and ate it!

Ha Ha!!!!

I stole a picture of Grandad when he wasn't looking!  :)

And Grandma too!

Sweet picture of Layt!

Keim men.  Kris LOVES to go home so he can work.  On the farm, that is.  Dude loves to work on the farm.  He has got to get him one of those!  Ha!

Lincoln climbing a tree.

Love this one of Grandma reading to the kids.  I think she was reading them a story that taught some virtue.  I can't remember now which one it was.  I'm sure they needed it!  Thanks Grandma!

Playing Dominoes!

Saturday for lunch we went to Kris' 20th High School Reunion.  Yep.  20th!  They had a family cookout at a park and then later that night a nicer sit down adult dinner (which we didn't attend).  There were about 30 or so of his 120 member class at the picnic.  I think he really enjoyed seeing people.  I enjoyed it because I couldn't believe that so many of them didn't recognize him.  It was also funny because he came over to me after talking to a guy for like 10 minutes and said "I just talked to this guy for forever and I have no idea who he was!"  Made me laugh so hard!  Anyway, here he is his senior year.  What a cutie!

I don't know if the wrestling picture was from his senior year or not, but it was with the others so I added it too!

That night we had tickets to go see Peter Pan at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City.  Before meeting Kurt, Alexis, and Isabel for some Mexican food, we stopped in at Union Station and just walked through the lobby.  Check out this Titanic out of Legos!

Across the street from Union Station was the Liberty Memorial, a World War I Memorial.  It would probably be neat to see sometime.

Before the show at the Starlight Theatre, they had all kinds of kids activities relating to Peter Pan.  They got to get some treasure out of a treasure chest, put on tattoos, and make pirate hats among other things.

This fairy gave them some magic pixie dust and told them to close their eyes to make a wish!

Then, they blew the dust away!

Then we all posed for pictures on Captain Hook's Plank.

Love this one!!!

Peter Pan was a musical outside in an open theater.  It was really neat and the lady, Cathy Rigby, who played Peter was in her 50's or 60's.  She has performed Peter Pan on Broadway and was outstanding.  I really enjoyed it and enjoyed getting to be with Kris' family!  I was disappointed that I couldn't take any pictures though!

Isabel came back to Grandma and Grandad's that night to spend the night and then Kurt and Alexis came to church with us Sunday morning and then came back to the Keim's for lunch.  We really had a great time!