Happy Fall! I have decided that fall is my favorite season. I have been in denial for years I guess, but I will no longer hold the fact that winter follows fall to dampen my spirits towards her beauty. We are talking about bright red leaves, candy corn, apple cider, halloween, apple orchards, mums, pumpkin patches, jumping in leaf piles, Thanksgiving and football...what is not to love?

Jamie has now taught little Macie to say "Go Bucks" on cue...

We may not be in Ohio, but I am pretty sure we still have some of the cutest liitle Buckeyes on the planet! Go Bucks!

The girls had a great first week of school. Tori loves her teacher and is super excited that her recess overlaps Abegail's for about 15 minutes, so they have plenty of time to jump rope. Isabelle likes school, too. We did have a little trouble getting Ronsi out of bed this morning, but I don't really see that as an indicator of her excitement about school, it is more an indicator of her love of sleep and her love for being lazy.
Macie has had to make her own adjustments with the girls being gone, and she has gone through many emotions as she has dealt with their absence...the last picture really says it best. ;)

SHOCK/ DISBELIEF:

ANGER/ FRUSTRATION:

ACCEPTANCE/ CELEBRATION:



(Actually, she does ask for them throughout the day and she is really excited to watch for their buses. Macie is all about buses and airplanes currently)

These two pictures are from yesterday's orientation...she was being a real stinker about me taking pictures.



And today, my little Isabelle is off. She had a quiet excitement about her this morning. She quietly presented herself at the top of the stairs with the outfit she had carefully selected to wear (monkey hula shirt- classic Ponsi). She quietly went about her jobs of brushing her teeth and going potty--without me even telling her to do it. She had her backpack on from 7:30 on (the bus comes at 8:06) and she quietly went about eating her breakfast and getting some last minute instructions from Tori before heading to the bus stop. None of these things surprised me about her, and I wasn't sad--I have been excited for her to finally get her turn and make her own school memories, instead of living vicariously through Tori. But on our way to the bus stop Ponsi did something that took me off guard and left me with a decent size lump in my throat...she turned around. I have walked Tori down to the bus 3 times now for the first day of school and she has NEVER turned around. Tori walks quickly and resolutely towards the bus stop. She may turn around if I beg her to so I can get a picture, but even then she is normally reminding me that she needs to get going, so she doesn't miss the bus. But Ponsi, sweet Ponsi...she walked slowly (the only speed she knows) down the sidewalk and then she turned around and smiled. It wasn't a scared smile, just a quiet, excited smile that said, "Mom, I'm going to kindergarten!".

Dear Sweet Ronsi Ponsi...go and soak in every adventure that God has for you in life, just please promise me you will always stay as sweet as you are....

















You can barely see her little head!!!!!

TOMORROW Ponsi begins her school adventure (we just had orientation this morning) but TODAY was Victoria's Day. She didn't seem to be over excited for school this year, mainly because her BFF Abegail was not in her class. But last night as we were getting clothes ready and making sure we had all our supplies, her eyes started to dance (that is what Jamie said of her the night before kindergarten and it still holds true). Tori loves school and each time the whole family takes that first walk of the year down to the bus, she seems to get a little older. This year she asked me if EVERYONE was coming down to the bus stop and she told me people were going to think she was a kindergartner or something if we all came. I told her they would think she was so lucky to have a family that loved her so much. She smiled and I know she wouldn't want it any other way. She had a really good first day and is excited about being in Mrs. Jocketty's class and about what this year will bring. I just think second grade is so old...;(