back to school feast!

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven." Matt 5:16

the theme for our '19-'20 school year hit me hard one day (while i was walking into target), and i knew it had to be it. normally james and i ponder over a few and then choose one, but i knew this one was it without a second thought! i really want to instill this in my girls and i want them to be beams of light in the lives of those around them!

our menu was simple:

rolls

rotisserie chicken

homemade alfredo + pasta

peas

sparkling berry lemonade

we discussed the theme while we ate and talked about our summer. i was not ready to let go of summer!

we cleaned up dinner and then did our fashion show! i never get a good picture of this because i'm always taking video and getting a kick out of these cute girls!

traditional back to school matching pjs!

father's blessings, including one for mama. somehow, the picture i took of brooklyn with her dad has disappeared. so sad about it! the girls were all given beautiful blessings and i hope they feel strength from them.

we finished with mini ice cream cones on the front porch and then tucked the girls into bed. though i have a sneaking suspicion that brooklyn didn't get much sleep!

pancakes were requested for breakfast and luckily james was there to help with that. we all got ready and snapped pictures before we headed up to the school for the flag ceremony.

my little girl BIG enough to go to 3rd grade! i still can't believe it!

i'm hoping she has the best school year yet!

later that day, kendall had her kindergarten orientation and she was so excited!

she was lucky enough to have her daddy there with her too.

she had her testing a couple days later and was sad not to get to stay for an actual day of school.

the day finally came and she was more than ready and so so excited that it was finally her turn to go!

adi didn't love having both of her sisters gone and having to just be with mom, but i think she'll quickly get used to it.

i was really tough walking her into the school. but as soon as the teacher said, blow your moms kisses and let's go!, i lost it. i had to high tail it out of there, sunglasses on, because this hormonal mama couldn't keep it together. i sobbed all the way home and then got myself together. this little tiny girl has just grown up over night and i hate to lose her to every day school. she's such a little character and i miss her while she's gone!

adi and i made homemade (white) chocolate chip cookies for the girls to eat when they got home. we sat and ate cookies and the girls chatted away about their days and i loved having them home. we're definitely back in the swing of a school schedule awaiting the cooler temps and football that comes with fall.

kendall's first day of preschool

kendall waited very patiently for preschool to start a couple days after labor day. she could hardly wait for her turn! we had her orientation on the first day and then it was the REAL day a couple days later. this girl is definitely more a lady of luxury and could hang out at home all day, but put her in the right social scene and she loves it! 

she wasn't nervous at all on that first day. she was too excited! she smiled the whole way in and didn't hesitate for a second. i definitely had to walk away quickly so that the lump in my throat didn't cause me any emotional issues. this girl has just grown up too fast!

every month they do a special activity that includes a book. this first month was to bring you favorite book and dress up like your favorite character. brooklyn helped her dress up as fancy nancy and we listened to fancy nancy songs all the way to school!

signs of school...

we're back into school full swing and i'm loving the routine it's giving us! i love the feeling of fall sneaking in and having lots of little signs around the house that school is back in session!

my girls love those miss nelson books. it's almost weird. but they really love them. maybe it's the accent i do for viola swamp... ha ha ha!

when i used to teach kindergarten (which feels like a lifetime ago!), i would have parents tell me that their child had no interest in learning the letters or sight words. i gave them the suggestion of cutting out those letters or sight words, taping them above their child's bed, and at night, giving them a flashlight (letting them hold the flashlight is a big deal!) to shine on each word or letter, and practicing the words that way. we've done this for brooklyn this year with her sight words and she loves it! james does it with her either before they read stories or after. then kendall always takes a whack at it and it's pretty funny what she comes up with!

homework, school projects, and lunchboxes litter my kitchen table daily. 

my little three year old started play school today with a few friends in the neighborhood. she's been excited about this all summer long! when today finally came she could hardly contain herself! she wanted everything like her big sister had on her first day, except she asked for pizza for breakfast. she wanted her toenails painted blue, her favorite color, and she wanted to pose for pictures with the board with her backpack on. 

it was so cute to see these little people all gather together. they know each other from nursery and yes, kendall is the only girl! i think she'll be just fine.

i had a summer saying up on my letter board all summer and i was really sad to change it. i couldn't think of anything for awhile, and then decided on something i've told brooklyn every time i've dropped her off to school since preschool, "be happy, be kind!" i also have this saying hanging above our mud room door. i think it's so important that my girls learn to be happy around people and especially to be kind! my great-grandma dayton used to always say, "happy girls are the popular girls!" and isn't that true?!