Jumping into Fall!!!!!!

Girls and I spent the last day of summer doing a couple fun things they had been BEGGING to do all summer....

Dog park with Norman... poor guy was the only dog there, but he sure did love smelling it ALL and having his pick of the abandoned tennis balls- hehe!

Then Chuck-E-Cheese with a few of our favorites;)....

 

games and pizza for the win;)!

One more daytime bath together;)....

 

...and a "Sisters take on Build-a-Bear" adventure thanks to an awesome Nana;).  She sent each of the girls a horse and gave them some money to add fun sounds to them... even Maggie LOVED it as she knelt down immediately and gave hers a kiss- SO CUTE!!

Evelyn and Maggie had obligations one morning, so Harper and I went to McDonalds play area as that was "ALL SHE WANTED" before staring third grade- ha!

Evening Star Open House!!!!

These 3 cuties were SOOOOO excited to check out the new school!!!

 

I am pretty sure the girls hit the JACKPOT with their teachers!!

Ms. Canter and Mrs. McRae for Maggie Lou.

Mrs. Richter for Harper.

They LOVED their rooms, met some friends, new and old, and LOVED checking out the brand new school!

{Say Cheese!!!!}

Quick run home to grab Daddy returning from the airport and then it was onto the Fair to check out the Arkansas Rounders!!!  This group of young women, on horseback, doing a synchronized routine to music is SO COOL!!  Harper LOVES them and I'm pretty sure wants to be one of them when she grows up;)..... just missing the horse, truck, trailer, barn... you know.... haha!

Last BUT NOT LEAST... the weekend before school started, this girl decided she was READY to take on life on TWO WHEELS!!!  We popped those training wheels off and she worked at it for about an hour and then- SHE GOT IT!!!!  After a couple victory laps, in the car we went to pick out her new bike.  She was SOOOO proud of herself and I thought it was the perfect way to begin a new school year... she walked a little taller that day;).

Little Bear does Pre-K!!!!

Evelyn started at a new preschool, Primrose Academy, for her Pre-K year.  She was pretty nervous to be at a new school, with new teachers and friends, but she NAILED it... she is already hugging her teachers every day and made some new buddies;).  I personally think she looks PRECIOUS in her little uniform... growing up a little TOO fast, but proud of how much she's loving school;).

 

Sisters at school TOGETHER!!!!!

Harper and Maggie started THEIR first day of school the very next day!

...it was as if all of Harper's nerves vanished as she hugged her sister on that first day...

...through cheers, music, and a see of bubbles those two sisters walked hand in hand into school that first day (and actually every day after;))... always there for each other- MELTS MY HEART!!!

 

Greeted my first-day-of-schoolers with a sundae bar....

 

....and silly string!!!!  We had a fun night and decided silly string should be part of the celebrations more often- even Mags participated and laughed the whole time- haha!

That first week of a school schedule was a bit surreal, but Jen and I fit in a mama date: pizza and shopping- such a nice little "hopefully tradition" we have;).

 

...part of my birthday gift (that happened in July) was a weekend away planned by my lovely husband, to Oklahoma City to stay at yet another 21c, the first weekend into the school year- perfect planning on his part- we needed a breather- ha!!!  The mascot of the hotel is a penguin, with each city having one in a different color.  With penguins being our thing, we are trying to hit up all of them;)...

Dinner and drinks out... being fancy...

 

...and then a day of outlet mall shopping, time spent at the be beautiful city memorial, and dinner at my favorite, Charlestons...

...topped off with sundaes and Netflix binging from the comfort of bed- HA!

 

Such a special weekend.  Amazing how much we can talk about in a weekend, just the two of us.  As we get older, as life gets busier, as our kiddos take priority over more and more of our one-on-one time, we find its almost necessary to have these small pauses to just enjoy being with each other again- it was so great.  And the timing could not have been more perfect...

...because as we got packed into the car to head back home, the sitter called to let us know Maggie was sick with a stomach virus:(....

Well, little miss just couldn't get ahead of the nausea and vomiting.  That Monday morning, we took her to the ER to hopefully get everything under control and to HOPEFULLY keep her from getting too dehydrated.

 

Well, nothing was working so Maggie Lou was admitted to Arkansas Children's for a few days....

 

...until she FINALLY started eating and drinking AND keeping it all down- 3 days later.

We were soooo excited to have our babies all back under one roof, but something still didn't seem right with Mags: she was so uncomfortable, despite eating and drinking, and then began having these "episodes" of unresponsive behavior that started scaring us.  Pete took her back to the ER on Sunday, and come Monday, her neurology team in St. Louis decided they needed to get her up to them, and monitored, as soon as possible.  Seeing your baby being airlifted between hospitals is never easy.  It was unsettling when she was 2 weeks old, and was just as scary at almost 6 years old....

 

BUT Daddy held her hand the whole time and slept right alongside her through it all....

 

finally got her hooked up to an EEG....

...and after a few days and multiple visits with her neurology time, Maggie was released from the hospital, with a new seizure maintenance medication in hand.  Seizures are scary and with a compromised brain, like Maggie's it is hard to find answers for it all... but we felt MUCH better leaving that hospital with a plan, and a medication that will help keep her comfortable;).

...when everything HITS THE FAN so to speak, it's amazing to see the village in action.  My parents drove to be with Maggie and Pete, one of Maggie's old therapists (we love you, Ms Rachel;)) came to spend the day with her as well and on the home-front: friends pitched in, picked up the girls, fed them, bathed them, brought flowers, and treats, hugged me and all of us a little tighter, and honestly just CARRIED US THROUGH the crazy.  Pete and I were blown away by the love and support for all of us- so apprecaited.

 

Best picture EVER!!!

Maggie SOUND ASLEEP and comfortable in her bed that first night home after almost 2 weeks in a hospital bed.  She was GIDDY when her face hit her sheets and slept SOLID.... her mommy and daddy too;)- felt pretty darn good having all our ducklings happy and healthy, under one roof.

Happy Girl RETURNED!!!  I was eaten up the smiles and laughter those first few days.....

 

...and even got to enjoy a Mama Night Out with this lovely lady!!!  I think we both fell in love with Morgan Evans that night;)... it was a beautiful evening for some good eating, great music, and friend time!!!

Harper does third grade!!

Was great to finally get into the lunch room with this big sister for some pizza and learning ALL about her days in third grade;)...

 

...with her busy weeks, she's been loving her chill Saturdays!

but had to say goodbye to one of her good friend's, Lemepe, as his family moved away- we'll miss you, friend!!!

 

She's back at horse camp- oh how she loves riding Cheyanne on Monday evenings;)... and FortNite has become a regular thing around here- SHE LOVES IT!!!

{Picture Day}

The coolest part of this Fall though, has been seeing these two bond.  Having them in school together has added a whole other element to their relationship.  It is the sweetest to watch Harper care for her sister and be there for her when Mommy and Daddy can't.... the BEST!!!!

  

Maggie Lou has taken the Fall by storm... she is LOVING school with her new friends and teachers.  It's amazing, even little things: like hearing she checked out books from the library;) gets me in the feels.  It's pretty incredible to have this opportunity for her to be around peers doing typical kindergartener stuff;).

She is also standing and just started taking steps in a walker!  We cannot BELIEVE she has come to this point, but she wants to use those legs in the WORST WAY.  Every time I go to sit her on the floor she stands up, and her favorite is to hold your hands and walk around;)- its the cutest and we're so darn proud of her!

Littlest sister is also enjoying her Fall schedule.  She LOVES school: she started getting sight words this year and thoroughly enjoys having "homework" each night to go through her words.  She is writing her name, labeling letters, learning Spanish, and counting anything and everything.  Oh ya... and she puts rainbows on everything. "Who did this?  Wait, is that a rainbow drawn on the book?  Ok, it was Evelyn;)".  Her teacher had all great things to say about Evelyn at conferences, so to TCBY we went for a little celebration dessert!  She's her own little person for sure with lots of highs and lows in the emotion department, but we love her and are pretty grateful for her school opportunity this year as it seems to be exactly the part of the equation we never knew were missing with her;).

Well... friends who dork out over planners and colorful pens, stay together- right?!  Jen and I ordered our new 2020 planners... and when they came in we set a coffee date to pet our new purchases, leaf through their fresh pages, and organize them TOGETHER!  HAHA!  Ya, it happened... I'm not even embarrassed about it- we had so much fun;).

Fall is for SURE on the horizon!!  First day of October is tomorrow and I am already through my first can of pumpkin, baking away, and already got all the Halloween decor out.  And, at 36 years old, I still got a care package from my mama;), adding a special touch to my table.  Kinda loved it- I want to be just like her when I grow up;).

Bring on the cozy sweaters, Fall scents, cooler weather (I mean hard to really get cozy when it's still 90 DEGREES outside;)), and everything pumpkin- WE'RE READY!!!