What an exciting, super busy week!!!

This week started with getting fully ready for school and then the first day of school for our B and little J!! B got just the teacher she wanted and has loved her first week. Little J I was a bit worried about but he did so super the first day and really seems to be enjoying being a 'big kid' in his big sisters school. Little A and I went to a park close to the school the first day and then went back to the school to have lunch with J; mostly for me to scope out where he was sitting, etc. I didn't want him sitting alone at a peanut table by himself but they were able to accommodate him at a rollover table right with his class while still maintaining a nut-free zone. Whew! I'll be a happy mommy if his allergies aren't pestered while he's away from me. Little A hasn't seemed to change much this past week except perhaps reminding me more than usual that she is the baby of the family. She plays well by herself and as the above picture points out she is still terribly adorable. I heard her sweet little voice one day and went in to find her with her 'working' goggles on from Lowe's on top of her spread out lovey reading her spider book. Goofy girl! We were hardly home this week and she was probably very happy just to do something quiet!

We also went camping this weekend on a church campout and Sat. morning went to a sculpture garden. They were having a free day in memory of 9/11. I had wanted to come for a long time but wasn't sure how it would be with the kids and all. We loved it! The rules are a little strict about outside food and such but we snuck in some snacks and taught the kids that sculptures with green labels were ok to touch but not red ones. The place was actually quite accommodating to children and we walked what felt like 5 miles. It is huge!! They had one fun, big sculpture where you could bang on metal with metal to make 'music' that the kids loved and a long snake that you could walk along and a tree house, several beautiful water garden areas and a few inside buildings with really cool exhibits. I liked both: one was sculptures made of rubber tires by Chakaia Booker (pictured above and linked for examples) and the other 3 dimensional thin people by Keith Haring. This place had something to look at everywhere we turned and we all had so much fun! I definitely recommend going if you are in the area!

Other than that I've stayed super busy between Young Womens at church, making playdough for J's class, baking A LOT, playgroup, B's first gymnastics this fall, going to the zoo for the kids day off school for Rosh Hashanah etc., etc. I've discovered a fun alternative to s'mores for little J and all the kids ended up choosing them over the s'more's themselves. B doesn't like the melted marshmallow with the crackers and chocolate and neither does her daddy. I made shortbread cookies and while they were still warm put Hershey's chocolate in between so it melted a little. Yummm!