First Week of Preschool

 The time has finally come.  Eli's first day of preschool was this week.  We've been talking about preschool starting for almost a month now.  He was sooooo ready to go back to school!  He will be going the same days as last year (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) but will stay until 2:00 instead of 11:15 like last year.  It makes me very sad to think that this time next year Eli will be starting kindergarten.  I can already tell you I will be a basket case!

I swear he's grown a foot and matured so much over the summer.  We measured him the day before he started preschool.  From March to June Eli grew 1/4 inch.  From June to September he grew 3/4 inch!  Talk about a growth spurt the past 3 months!

Eli went right in his class room and started playing with his friends.  A few of his friends from his class last year are back in his class this year.  His new room is right next door to his old class (and connected by a door).  So there are many familiar things to make the transition easier.

This is his teacher, Ms. Trisha.  He loves her!

I think this will be a great year!

I set my alarm Wednesday morning so I would have time to get up and make his lunch.  Making lunches everyday is one thing that will take some getting used to!  I tried to be creative and pack a healthy lunch he would eat.  I went to wake him up to get dressed.  Then I remembered... he gets out early the first week so they won't be needing a lunch!  Ha!  All that hard work for nothing.  Oh well.  The weather was nice when he I picked him up from school.  We decided to sit under the tree in the front yard and have a picnic (with his school lunch I had packed)!  Eli thought this was a big treat!

Strawberries!  Yummy yummy!

Last year when I would ask Eli what he did at school he would always say "I can't remember" or "I don't know".  Now when I pick him up he talks non-stop about what happened at school.  I love listening to his stories!

  To make Eli seem even bigger he graduated to a booster seat in my car!  He has grown out of the car seat in Chad's car so I decided to get a booster for my car and put his Britax (which he will fit in until he's 70lbs) in Chad's car.  I think he was just as excited about his booster as he was to start back to school!  Talk about growing up.

We went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch to celebrate a great week of new firsts.

This afternoon we went to Bentonville's splash park and First Friday.  Then we went to eat pizza and frozen yogurt.

Eli decided he didn't want to sit with Mom and Dad.

He's no longer a baby, that's for sure.  He is officially a big kid.

And I'm so proud of the big kid he is becoming!

Family Bike Rides

We went on our first family bike ride this month.  Eli is doing so well riding his bike!  Last year we went on the local paved bike trail and Eli rode in the bike trailer.  Now he's able to ride his own bike!

 We had many pit stops along the way.  One of Eli's favorite pit stops was the playground.

After the playground we went down to the little creek that follows the trail.  Eli thought he was doing something wrong since I allowed him to get in the water!  HA!  He had the best time and came out soaking wet.  He said playing in the creek was his favorite part of the ride.

I would love to go back and get some pictures in the creek with my real camera.  I'm sure one day I will be mad at myself for not using it more.  My iPhone is just too convenient these days!

Ain't Life Grape

The Annual Tontitown Grape Festival is becoming one of our favorite things in August.  Eli remembered the Grape Festival from last year.  He specifically remembered riding the Ferris wheel!  For a month or two he had been talking about wanting to go to a carnival so the timing was perfect this year!

We stood in line and got his wrist band.  Definitely the way to go if you ask me... but then again I only have one child so the $25 wasn't terrible.  We would have spent WAY more than that without the wristband that allowed him to ride all the rides he wanted.  

First stop was the big slide.  This used to be my favorite when I was young too!  BTW, he got in trouble for going down like this.  His response?  "Daddy told me to."

:)

Then he went again.  And again.  And again. And again.

You get the point, right?  Now see why the wrist band was worth it?

This little roller coaster went FAST!  Eli loved it!

I think he rang the bell the entire ride.

Eli has been eying this trampoline jumping thingy at other places.  We thought he was finally big enough.  It was a hit!

What's a carnival without a carousel? 

What kid doesn't love picking a duck?  That was my favorite game as a kid.

Of course we had corn dogs for dinner.

And the best part of the night?  Riding the Ferris Wheel!

Life is grape!

:)

The End of Summer

 I can't believe summer is coming to an end.  I'm so sad.  Our weather this summer has been fabulous!  We've been able to do lots of playing outside.  It's even been too cool to swim some of the time, but we still went as often as possible.  Preschool will be starting in less than two weeks.  We are winding down and ready to get back on our schedule.

We went to the Bentonville Square for their First Friday celebration.  Eli was in heaven riding this pony.  It was so cute to watch him!

Afterwards we walked to the crepe stand and ate crepes.  While sitting and eating the crepes we noticed a beautiful rainbow.

We've been trying to do away with naps this summer.  Sometimes he just can't make it any longer.

We have made many trips to the Bentonville Splash park this summer.  This is definitely one of Eli's favorite places to go!

We've had PJ days where we stayed in PJ's until the afternoon.  Who doesn't love those days?

We've spent a lot time at the Springdale Aquatic Center.  Eli swims so well here.  The pool is shallow enough for him to touch so he's not scared to go under and swim.  He's doing so well swimming and I'm so proud of him!

Eli found his fireman costume in his closet.  Chad walked by him room and Eli is sitting on his bed dressed in his costume and smiling.  This boy loves being a fireman!  If you ask him what he wants to be for Halloween this year he will say a fireman... AGAIN!

More goofing off and playing at home.  Eli likes to pretend he's a magician.

10 Days Away

The day after we got back from Chicago Chad had to go BACK to Chicago for work.  For 10 days!  We had had our trip to Chicago planned for about 6 months and he didn't find out about his work trip until 2 weeks before he had to leave.  He (and I) dreaded his 10 days away.  He had never been away from Eli for that long, and I had never had to take care of Eli by myself (along with working full time) for that long.  Remember I work 12 hour shifts, so it makes for a really long day for everyone when I have to take Eli to the babysitter at 6am and can't pick him up until 7:30pm.  We were all a bit nervous!

The ten days Chad would be gone were going to be jam packed for Eli and me.  I was supposed to work 5 of the 10 days and we were going to Eastern Arkansas for 4 days.  Of course it didn't all go down how I had planned.  It never does.

I came down with a high fever and sore throat the day after Chad left town.  I immediately went to the doctor.  Eli had had the same virus the previous week.  Adults don't usually get the fever viruses from kids so I was afraid it was strep instead.  Strep test was negative.  Turns out the fever virus was Hand, Foot, Mouth!!!  Fun.  Thank God for our wonderful babysitter that week.  She kept Eli for me during the day while I laid around feeling terrible.  I don't know what I would have done without her.  We find ourselves saying that often.  God love her!

Here are a few pictures of Eli during the first week Chad was gone.  I have to brag on Eli for a minute.  He was perfect during this time!  He knew Mommy was sick and kept saying "I'm sorry you're sick mommy.  I hope you feel better".

He is starting to be nicer to the dogs.  He really does love them.

We made brownies one day.

 

I started feeling better just in time for our trip to Eastern AR.  A group of my college friends were getting together for a weekend in Memphis.  Eli was staying with Mimi and Grandy.  It was so fun to see all of my friends!  It had been 6 years since we had all gotten together.  There was lots of catching up to do!

We headed back home after our weekend in Eastern AR.  Eli is a good travel partner!

Chad had one free day while he was in Chicago to go do what he wanted.  This is him at the top of the Willis Tower.  You can walk out on a glass floor at the top!

Eli missed his Daddy SOOOOO MUCH while he was gone!  We made him a sign that morning for the airport.  We were both happy to have him back home!

That was the longest 10 days of my life!

Chicago

 A few weeks ago Chad and I took a trip to Chicago to see our beloved Pearl Jam play at Wrigley Field.  We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to go on these trips thanks to grandparents who come to keep Eli and the dogs.  Thanks, Mom!

We went with some of our closest friends (and fellow PJ followers) Robert and Mandy.  The four of us have been on some great trips to see Pearl Jam.

On Thursday, we hopped on the plane and were Chicago bound.  We've discovered this awesome direct flight from Branson to Chicago.  I have a feeling we will be visiting Chicago again thanks to this easy, cheap  flight!

We got into Chi-town late on Thursday so we weren't able to do anything that day.  The next morning we woke up, grabbed coffee and took the train to Wrigley Field.  We like to get a poster from the shows we attend and of course shirts too.  We went to Wrigley that morning to get these things.  The lines were ridiculously long and it was hot.  We waited for an hour and half and got nowhere.  Chad and I decided to get out of line and say forget it.  Friday was our only day to see Chicago and we had the concert that night.  Plus we were starving and wanted some Chicago style pizza!

We got our tickets and headed back downtown to eat lunch.

I had been researching pizza places and asking friends for over a week!  Since we really only had one time to eat a decent meal I wanted it to be good!  So we chose this place...

There was a wait when we got there but it really wasn't too bad.  We were able to grab a seat so we didn't have to stand.  They have it figured out at Giordano's too.  When you put your name on the list you place your pizza order too.  That way when your table is ready your pizza is ready or at least close to being ready.  It takes 45 minutes for them to bake a pizza!

  But I have to say it's worth the 45 minute wait!  The pizza was delicious!  I've always heard  Chicago's deep dish pizza is like none other.  But I have to give some credit to our local Chicago style pizza joint, Gusano's.  We like Gusano's better!  Gasp!  Maybe it's because that's what we are used to?  I don't know.  But both are tasty.

 It's concert time!

When the doors opened we decided to go on in the stadium and hang out.  After all the waiting in lines and coming away with no merchandise earlier that day, there was a merchandise booth on the field.  We had heard rumors it would be there but we weren't positive.  You could only get on the field if you had field tickets so that cut down the lines.  After 15 minutes we had our posters, t shirts, etc and were happy, happy, happy :)

 

Evidently this wall is a big deal... The Ivy Wall.  I had no clue what it was and had definitely never heard anything about it. But Chad wanted his picture in front of it.

We settled in our seats for a historical show from Pearl Jam.  You see, Eddie Vedder is from Chicago.  He's a huge Cubs fan.  He and the band have always wanted to play at Wrigley, so we knew when they finally did it would be one for the books.  We just weren't expecting it to happen this way...

There had been bad weather forecasted for the area.  The show started at 8:15.  After about 30 minutes into the show they announced severe weather was headed straight for us.  They were evacuating all the people on the field to under the bleachers.  Can you see how many people are on that field (and that's not even the entire field)?????  And we are in the sea of people.  They said it would only last for 30 minutes and then the show would resume.  2 1/2 hours later we were allowed back on the field.  Pearl Jam played until 2:00am!

We got back to our hotel at 3:30am.  We woke up the next morning and went to eat breakfast.  The heat had moved out and the weather was perfect!

Our trip was short but we loved Chicago!

We will definitely be back when we can stay longer!