How You've Grown

 

I've been especially bad about taking photos lately.  I had a spare couple of minutes on Monday to snap this quick picture of the kids. It amazes me how much they have grown physically over the past couple of months.
The beginning of school, work, and daycare, among a million other things had me in a bit of a survival mode for a few weeks.  I'm glad to say that we have seemed to worked out a lot of kinks over the past two weeks and are managing much better.  McKenna has settled into fourth grade and has been earning really good grades.  She is still reading like crazy and we just finished her leaf collection project.   She also started wearing contacts two weeks ago.  It's working out well...so much better than her glasses.   Poor Cooper, I sometimes feel like he gets lost in the mix.   He's doing wonderfully in school.   He didn't so much as bat an eye with the transition to kindergarten, although he will tell you that preschool was more fun!   He's started the Coast Guard Kelsey reading program in Mrs. Jamieson's class and already is heading toward moving up a level.  Kinley has finally embraced daycare.  On Monday she walked into the building on her own - sadly a milestone for her- and Tuesday she did not shed any tears when I left.  Praise the Lord!   I have two weeks of clinical left and then eval week.   After that I am free to work on the floor on Monday's and Tuesday's and I can't wait.  It's sometimes a challenge to sit back and while the students struggle to do something that you can do with your eyes closed while you carry on a conversation with four people.     
We are currently in the midst of another great weekend filled with football, a birthday party, church and painting Cooper's room!   Earl is on vacation this coming week so we are all looking forward to having him home!  Hope everyone else has a great week as well!

Such a Great Day

Some days are just good days.  Today was one of them.   Cooper ran all the way home from the bus stop today.   I watched him with tears in my eyes because I knew the reason for his excitement.  He was so hopeful that he would receive an antibully award. 

I am so, so proud of him.   I hope and pray that he will always be a good friend and have a kind heart.

Kinley and I spent some time outside enjoying this beautiful September weather.    Her only request was to walk the dog.   Poor Tucker.  He's so old and can barely make it up a flight of stairs but he took a walk like the good dog that he has always been.

McKenna shouldn't be left out of today's post.   She received an A on her recently submitted leaf collection and a 100% on her most recent math test.    Yeah, McKenna!

We rounded out the day by sharing dinner with Mimi and Pappy.   

Yep, great day.

 

Let's Go PSU

This past weekend found our crew headed to Happy Valley to watch the Nittany Lions take on the University of Central Florida.   We were smart enough to let Kinley at home with Mimi and Pappy for this game but we still had to make sure she was ready for game day in her blue and white.


We arrived in State College shortly after lunch and quickly set up our tailgate.  Nicole and Jon joined us and we had quite a spread!   By this time the weather had warmed up considerably and we enjoyed playing a little catch, talking and visiting together.

 

 

Our team didn't win and we were all sort of tired by the time we walked back to our car.   But each of the kids commented about how much fun they had.  Cooper said he liked spending time with everyone and McKenna told me that she was secretly glad to be at the game and not at the sleepover all her friends were attending that night.    As we sat in traffic, tired and slightly annoyed, Earl and I discussed the fact that some day we won't remember how much money we spent, that the team lost, that the traffic was awful or even what team we played.   We will simply remember the time at Beaver Stadium watching Penn State football as a family.   I know this, because I was once a little girl at Penn State with my family and I will cherish those memories always.

Football Saturday's

The Mowry's (minus McKenna if I'm honest) are so excited that football season is back in full swing.  Our football Saturday's used to revolve around Penn State but this year we have another team to root for!

Cooper had his very first flag football game on Saturday.  It was hotter than  I care to think about right now but we all (including Mimi and Pappy) packed up and traveled to Hughesville to watch our guy play.  

Kinley was more interested in the food that I packed than the actual game, of course.  However, at one point she escaped my watch, only to be found hanging out over at the bench with the boys.  I hope that is not indicative of things to come.

Cooper played both offense and defense.  He got the hang of blocking part way through the first quarter.  I think it's odd for him to be pushing other kids around so to speak.  He's never been one to really rough house or get physical so this is sort of new territory.   At one point a boy from the other team knocked Cooper down and was lying on top of him.  Cooper looked to side lines as if to say what the heck is this kid doing?  At practice this week he had the chance to play quarterback, obviously a coveted position, and he loved it.  Earl said he did great handing off the ball, throwing the ball and "calling the play".  However, when they had him run the ball he ran backwards.   He's probably spend too much time watching the Brown's.

I can't forget a picture of my Miss McKenna.  She didn't especially enjoy her time at the game on Saturday and was a bit disappointed to hear there are 7 more where that came from. 
Our afternoon of cheering for the Lewisburg Dragons meant we missed most of the first half of the Penn State game, making it the first of many that we will be watching on DVR.   It's well worth it though to be able to enjoy watching our kids do something they enjoy.
Saturday evening was a special treat for Earl and I.  Our babysitter, Brigit, is back at college and came to watch the kids while we went out for dinner with two couples from our neighborhood.   We see eachother almost daily but have never, in three years, been out together without our kids.   We went to a fancy restaurant that had white linens and white chairs and we dined on seafood and lobster and drank grown up drinks.  It was amazing food and wonderful company. 
This weekend we will be back to football but this time enjoying it from our seats in Beaver Stadium.  It will be the first night game for the kids and we are extra excited!!!  More to come!

 

We're Gonna Party Like It's Your Birthday

I'm a little late getting this birthday post up but in my defense we spread the birthday celebrations out a bit and I'm just now finding time to blog about them.

We began Kinley's birthday celebration with a shared party at Mimi and Pappy's for Kinley and Tighe.  Their birthdays are only two days apart and luckily Tighe doesn't mind sharing the spotlight with his littlest cousin.   Mimi and Pappy treated us to a pizza party and homemade cake.  We ate together, sang happy birthday and enjoyed family time.  It was just how I remember birthday celebrations from when I was young. 

 

 Kinley turning 2 and Tighe turning 10!!

 The weekend after Kinley's actual birthday we had another party with some of her best girl friends!  This time we did it up Minnie Mouse style.

 What Minnie party would be complete without Minnie's Bowtique.   McKenna and I carefully set up the vanity and the little girls had a blast.

 Tucker even got in on the fun.

 Kinley was more than happy to pose for pictures with her cake...

It was wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends and celebrate the birth of this special little girl. 

GMC Trip in the Books

This is us last Monday morning.  Looks like we might be headed on a trip or something huh?   Sadly, we were just headed to the hospital to get little Miss Kinley some ear tubes!  Earl wanted to know why we needed a picture at 6am but I had my reasons. 

Kinley was an absolute trooper getting checked in and hooked up.  She charmed the pants off of all her Daddy's coworkers who stopped by to say hello. 

And then we waited.  And waited.   And waited.  And took some more pictures while we waited.  

Kinley got her Versed (likened to you and I having a couple of good stiff drinks) and managed to entertain us.  I swear she smiles just like Earl when he's had a couple beers.  

The entire surgery literally took just long enough for Earl and I to shove some breakfast in our faces.   Before long, Dr. Wood was calling my cell phone from the OR (its nice to have connections) to tell us all went well and that we could head to PACU and meet her there.   

I would love to say that she was happy to see us, but honestly she wasn't happy about anything.  She was effectively hung over from her quick procedure and in need of a nap.  She fussed and cried for the better part of 45 minutes while the anesthesia left her system. I caught up with my wonderful friend and mentor, who also "happened" to be Kinley's nurse, while trying to wrestle Kinley and all her tubes and wires. 

She refused all form of Popsicles, Italian ice, crackers or juice that were offered to her and usually mandatory to consume before discharge.  Lucky for us, she was going home with two nurses who could handle the rest of the recovery at home.  

And so, by noon we were all home and napping and putting this trip to GMC in the books.   

We are sincerely hoping that this procedure will help alleviate the chronic ear infections that have been plaguing her for the past two years.   Overall we are pleased with how she did and mostly just glad that its behind us