We made it! First Day of School 2011

We made it through the first week of school!
I've so much to catch up on here - but that will have to come soon... But I definitely wanted to get the photos of the girls up from their first day of school and their arrival home.

They both were a bundle of nerves the day before... it helped that we had a trek up to the airport to say goodbye to my parents (sniffle sniffle - I should say it was hard...but the distraction helped) and that we had a HOORAH to summer last fun activities planned for the day! Sweetpea came with me and we went to learn how to do a super neat "Twister" quilt (very cool way of doing 'pinwheels' in a table runner). And BooBooBear went with Daddy and got to go to the driving range!

Sweetpea did most of the sewing while Momma cut & helped

What a drive! 40yds...better than her momma!

I would have liked to do a "back to school dinner" and have a neat little evening discussing our "theme of the school year" an idea I loved from NieNie Dialogues blog and have been doing for a few years now. We did a really fun and good for you taco meal and discussed our theme, worries, excitement, questions, and what we did for our activity that day. It was a wonderful family evening.

We were all ready Monday! Sweetpea was excited and nervous for her first day in the "big" middle school. She came with Mr. Safety Man and me to drop off Boo. Boo was a little clingy and nervous but settled right in... after several "to do's before you leave Mommy"'s.  ("Mommy can you help me write my morning note, Mommy can you sharpen this pencil, Mommy can you help me empty my backpack) -it was hard to leave (I'd like to say on both of us... but I think more so on me) - but she's got the same teachers (2 years in this school) again this year - so she was ready and calm.

 It was good that we had to rush out and get Sweetpea over to her middle school. I think that helped me not feel sad to say goodbye to Boo. But I was nervous too. I still cannot believe my big, baby girl is in middle school. The three of us met our friends and followed them by car to the school - I think this helped Sweetpea a lot. She was really hoping to walk in with her bff and was able to! It was SO cute to see them walk in together.

Here they go

A little hand hold for comfort...

And there they go... 

I did Ok...a few little tears for me but Mr Safety Man was there and we were talking about all the details of the morning. I think the big kicker was the next day when she got out of the car and I was on my own after she got out with just a "Bye Mommy...(me:"have a good day") I WILL! (me: "I love you SWEETPEA") I love you too Mommy! BYE" and she was skipping off down the driveway. sigh. tear...tear... tear.

 

It was so neat to see them get off the bus after their first day's of school. I was really wondering how it all went... but their smiles and big hugs told me everything that I needed to know... 

PROUD & Locks of Love

proud  (proud)

adj. proud·er, proud·est

1. Feeling pleasurable satisfaction over an act, possession, quality, or relationship by which one measures one's stature or self-worth: proud of one's child; proud to serve one's country.

2. Occasioning or being a reason for pride

3. Feeling or showing justifiable self-respect.

4. Filled with or showing excessive self-esteem.

5. Of great dignity; honored: a proud name.

6. Majestic; magnificent: proud alpine peaks.

7. Spirited. Used of an animal: proud steeds.

 

I am so very excited for my daughter... I am so proud of her and she is proud of herself... and to me that means more than ANYTHING!!!  You see Sweetpea decided to grow out her hair... except she decided to grow it out - not for vain reasons but to donate it to such a WORTHY cause.... She decided to donate her hair to Locks of Love... and she did! Her appointment was at the end of November. She was excited and a bit nervous... but WOW what a cute "do" she has! 

Did you know that 80% of the donations of hair are from little girls to help other little girls!?! Can you believe that!!!?! I cried when I found this out...How truly remarkable.

I am proud of my Sweetpea. I am touched that she would do this for another person. She feels a great accomplishment... It's just a great time to have such a warm feeling... and so needed!!!

Before! Getting ready to go...

It's TIME!!!

"I get my hair washed too?!?!"

Brought one of her BFFs to give her moral support!

And HERE WE GOoooooooooo... snip snip snip

She's holding her hair! IT IS OFFICIAL!!!

WOW she is AMAZED about holding her own ponytail!!!

Now to start the "beautifying" process...

Add a bit of a fringe... (are you tired of these photos yet?)

Teaching her how to style her bangs (POOR Sweetpea has MY hair/hairline!

More styling and teaching...

Look at that dimple!!! SO SWEET! I don't know about her... but I LOVE IT!!!!

Checking it all out in the mirror! SHE LOVES IT!!!!

There's my baby!!!!! So beautiful!!

We love this little girl and what she did... so. very. much.