Starting a New Chapter

I'm almost done with Farm City and don't have a book waiting in the wings. Anyone have a favorite book they wanna recommend? Kel said I could borrow Memoirs of a Geisha next, but then I'll need a book after that, and then another one after that...

1st day in the 1st grade!

I've had this lunch box since she was one. I bought it for her little snacks for our park trips. Now she's using it for school, big sigh...

I told Todd not to take any pictures of me since I was teary, but he snapped this and it appears I'm giving Ella a pep talk, which always includes me stroking her chin. A weird habit I've developed over the years.

It took Ella a while to say good-bye to all of us, we're quite the crew:)

After-school treat!

I'm not going to get into it. I'm sure everyone is sick of me talking about my emotional breakdowns over my kids growing up. I"ll just say that it was a tough day for me, but I was expecting that. What I wasn't expecting was for Ella to weepy and clingy and sad (this lasted for over a week). After all we had a year of kindergarten under our belt, which she LoVeD, and we talked for weeks about 1st grade and she was so excited. But the reality of spending ALL day away from home hit all of us hard. We're actually still adjusting to be honest. So here are some pictures of her 1st day! I wrote "I love you" on her hand so she could look at it and think of me if she was sad. Right before we left the house she asked if she could write on mine too, in case I was missing her - so sweet. I took a picture of her in front of the school sign, a 4 year tradition at this point. I love her expression, she's smiling for the camera, but her eyes are on the walkway where all the kids are filing in, already scouting for her buddies. Daddy got to come by for a bit and give Ella a good luck kiss, which was special. She has her own desk, she has to pack a lunch now, she goes to gym, and music, and art and chapel and it's just such a big girl year for her. My 1st born is in 1st grade, how in the world did this happen?

Disneyland, here we come!

I'm getting so excited for Disneyland I can hardly stand myself! It's a sickness really, and even casual acquaintances know how obsessed I am with the most *MaGiCaL* spot on the planet. I have TONS of pictures of Disneyland trips over the years, but here are just a few. The top one is probably one of my all-time favorites. I love my Dad's expression, reminiscent of a 7 year old boy seeing Santa with a bag full of toys, my Mom is laughing, and Todd and I kept hitting our heads on the seat so our faces are all crumpled up. This picture cracks me up every time I look at it. My Mom and Stephy. This is the first time any of us had been on the Buzz Lightyear ride, so nobody knew that they took your picture. Clearly it's serious business trying to wipe out Zurg.

This was every one's first time at California Adventure, and it was such a blast being able to see it together as a family. Notice one very important thing: NO KIDS. Smart move. Steph and Dave's kids stayed back home with friends, we didn't have little ones yet. Not surprising this was one of the best trips ever. I always tell people "Disneyland isn't for kids" but no one seems to get it.

Ever since we were little, my Mom has taken a picture of me and Steph walking, arm in arm, at Disneyland. Apparently she still thinks it's cute even though we're in our thirties...

Ella's first time on Splash Mountain, but definitely not her last!

Another Summer Ends...

And as usual, I'm not ready to say goodbye. I love summer-time. Always have. Always will. It's just so carefree, and sunny, and every day is a good excuse to eat ice cream (and I don't even have to wait until after dinner). Here are some snipits in time to immortalize those delicious summer days.

Attitude Adjustment

This is a quote from Charles Swindoll, a great Christian author. Ella's teacher passed it out at Open House and I think it's a good reminder of how we can make or break our day, or our life I suppose, with our attitude. I am always telling the kids "watch your attitude..." but sometimes it's Mom that needs the biggest adjustment.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, or say, or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day of our lives regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...

I'm convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes."

Runaway

That's it, I'm outta here...


I'm going to Aunt Stephy's where it's fun.

Charlie has been really into this backpack lately and wears it whenever he sits still long enough for me to put it on. It was Ella's, so I love that it's getting a second life with another Ruffling. He thinks he's pretty hot stuff walking around with his big boy backpack. He kinda struts when he's wearing it, walking the regular way just isn't cool enough. Just glad it isn't a real backpack and that he isn't really going anywhere except wherever Mommy goes.