Savannah's Two Front Teeth

Savannah finally lost her second front tooth today!  She and Preston were wrestling on my bed while I was cleaning out some drawers and all of a sudden she says "I think I just lost my tooth.  I better find it!"  Of course it was under my pillow, which now has some nice bloody stains.  She gives Preston credit for finally getting the tooth out! :)

The other front tooth has started to come in already so our family pictures next weekend will be super cute!

The First Month of Summer Recap

I can hardly believe that June is over tomorrow!!  I mean, it seems like just yesterday Savannah was finishing school and now here we are with a month of summer already behind us.  I thought it would be fun to do a little recap (now that I'm finally caught up on blog posts) of things we've done so far this summer!

Disney was the big start to the summer. I have to be careful that the kids don't look back and see the rest of the summer as one big downhill slide! Shortly after returning we spent a week with special celebrations and lots of dining out and ice cream treats. Then it was off to the start of swim lessons. Savannah has been swimming with Doris for 3 years now and this is Preston's first year. Not only is it great exercise, but the kids are doing amazingly well this year. Ms. Doris says that Savannah has really matured in the water and has a lot more confidence this year (really that means she is excited about swimming and whines a lot less). So for two weeks now we've done swim lessons almost every single day! It's a trek to Matthews and back, but the drive has been so worth it to see how well both kids are doing. 

 Look at those awesome swim arms!!

 Solo pop ups, without complaining

 Swimming across the pool without a breath

 And Savannah's favorite, the sit down dive

 Preston is also doing some solo swimming

Ms. Doris keeps him close, but he is doing really well too and isn't afraid to put his head under

We are at Ms. Doris' house quite a long time each day, but I have a system so we don't waste any time!  While Preston swims, Savannah and I sit on the porch and do her "school" work for the day.  We always read at least one library book and then work on the writing homework that was sent home from PSE to do over the summer.  She hasn't complained too much about reading yet, but it has been a huge part of our summer routine so far!  Then, while Savannah swims, I usually take Preston on a long run to get my workout in for the day.  So, after swim we come home for lunch, baths, and naptime!! 

In the afternoons we've done an assortment of fun activities. One day we went to the toy store and mall so the kids could use their birthday coupon and money at Toys R Us. Of course they also got their free Barnes & Noble birthday cupcakes while we were out. 

 We've made marshmallow sculptures (Preston just ate all of his)

 We've done some math work with sorting/counting beans and playing in the bean box

The cooler weather at the beginning of the week allowed for much outside time.  We had picnic lunches most days and then got in a little 3D chalk action before bath time one day.

 Savannah with her 3D glasses on

 There's also always time for dress up ~ here is Preston in his new police uniform

Silly Savannah, the "wife", playing dress up

We've also done lots of bubble activities.  Bubble painting wasn't a big hit, really it was more of a mess with the food coloring.  However, the kids are definitely enjoying their new bubble machine from Pawpaw!  We've done some cooking together, cleaned some windows (my ongoing project), and of course they've enjoyed time playing on the ipad and computer too.  So far our summer has been so busy we haven't even made it to the Y pool yet or even had a chance to blow up our pool for the yard.  I wonder if July will go by as fast . . .  

Preston is 3!!

Riding his Cars bicycle at the family birthday party  

Last week (June 20th) we celebrated Preston's 3rd birthday!  It's so hard to believe that my baby is THREE!!  Since we had been celebrating his birthday for almost two weeks, we decided to do something low key for the day of his actual birthday.  I took the two kiddos to Chuck E Cheese while daddy was at work.  Then we went out for ice-cream after dinner.

Riding one of his favorite rides at Chuck E Cheese

Preston was a little disappointed that he didn't have a cake, but after Disney cupcakes every day and then the family party cake, I guess he sort of expected another one.  He did enjoy opening his new Cars watch from sissy and some new squirt guns from mommy and daddy though!

Preston  has made huge progress this year with his speech  and has grown quite a bit as well (2.75 inches and 4.6 pounds) making him 37.5 inches tall.  He also mastered potty training, except at nap and nighttime.  Preston keeps us laughing, wondering, and guessing what is going to happen next.  One of his favorite phrases is "I can't know" which always makes us laugh.  He adores his sister and would willingly follow her to the end of the world. 

Right now some of his favorite things are:

* playing dress up with Savannah (usually husband & wife)

* driving/riding his cars around the house

* going to My Gym and playing chase

* riding his John Deere tractor and bike outside

* playing games on the ipad

Preston we love you so much!  We are ever thankful to God for you and the laughter you bring to our home.  May the year ahead be filled with many more fun days and continued growth as you begin all of the fun "big boy" adventures.

 This picture taken today at swim lessons is a perfect picture of my little Preston. . . chill

8 Years and Counting . . .

8 years ago (well really 8 years and 10 days since I'm behind on the blog) I said "I do" to the most wonderful man I know.  I had no idea what the Lord had in store for us, but together we have survived our fair share of challenges and have loved experiencing some of the most exciting days of our lives too.  I am so thankful for a husband who really adds balance to my life, who is a go-with-the-flow kind of man but never compromises his high standards and strong work ethic, who loves his family, and let's be honest  . . . has put up with me for 8 years!!  Here's to many more years together!  I love you Dave!!!

Happy Father's Day x 3

During the weekend before last we celebrated a very special occasion in addition to our kids birthdays . . .  we honored the dads in our family!  I wish I had some pictures to include, but unfortunately words will have to do for this post.

Dave ~ There really aren't words to describe how thankful we are for you!  Thank you for working so hard to provide for our family and then coming home to some restless, crazy, hungry little people and continuing to pour into the lives of our children.  I have seen you completely exhausted from work and still agree to play tag, carry kids "the silly way" upstairs, faithfully bathe the kids and then continue with bedtime stories and prayers.  Your gentle spirit and strong work ethic are amazing, and I'm beyond thankful that our kids are learning first hand what a godly dad looks like.  Their lives will forever be different because of the time, energy, and love you show them each and every day.

Dad Bachmann ~ Thank you for all that you have done to raise such an amazing son.  I see so many qualities in Dave that mirror the gentle, loving man that you are.  We so appreciate all of the vacations you've taken us on and the dinners out you've given us, but most importantly we are grateful for the example you've set for not only Dave, but our kids as well!  Oh, and we are thankful you never give up in playing quadruple solitaire too! :)

Dad ~ I am so thankful that I have been able to witness first hand what a hard working man looks like by watching you.  You continually work hard to provide lots of extras for us, even now as we are grown.  I know that if there is ever anything we need all I have to do is call and you'd do anything in your power to help!  I've learned so much about fixing things around the house by watching you and also by calling you and having you walk me through repairs over the phone.  You'll never know how much it means to me that you're always just a phone call away!

In the words of a kid, tell me why you love:

Daddy:  S ~ he plays with me, P ~ he's my friend, I miss him
Papa:  S ~  he plays a lot of games with me, P ~ he likes to eat with me
Pawpaw: S ~ he gives me money and takes me on golf cart rides, P ~ he gives me money

Happy 6th Birthday Savannah!!

It's hard to believe my little girl turned 6 on June 15th and is now on her way into the 1st grade!!  I mean really, where does time go?  Savannah has grown by leaps and bounds this year, both academically, emotionally, and physically.  I've watched her learn to read (simply amazing) and have seen her outgrow clothes faster than I can blink (she grew 4.25 inches and gained 11.8 pounds in one year).  Is it really possible that she is 49.5 inches tall already?  Savannah has become quite the little mommy's helper with her brother, but can also be a typical genuine big sister!  Right now some of her favorite activities include:

* Princesses

* Arts and crafts

* Playing dress up/make believe with daddy

* Going to church

* Playing games

* Dancing and listening to music

* Being read to

* Playing with the neighborhood kids

Did I mention that she LOVES spending time with her daddy??

Birthdays at the Bachmann house looked a lot different this year.  Since the big present was our Disney trip and we got back Wednesday before Savannah's birthday on Friday, there wasn't a big party with friends and family.  Instead we let the cousins go to Sports Connection to play in the arcade and then did a family celebration at our house.  There is something to be said for simple family time together!

Instead of a themed party cake, we opted for a Ben & Jerry's ice cream cake!

Savannah, you are one amazing little girl.  Our life was changed forever when we welcomed you into the world 6 years ago and we couldn't imagine life without you.  You have a true gift for hospitality (much like your granny), a genuine loving spirit, and daily fill our home with laughter, excitement, and a little drama too.  May your love for Jesus, your family, and learning continue to grow and blossom!  

We love you to the moon and back . . . and then to the sun and front!

DISNEY 2012

Dave and I planned for months and waited until the night before we flew out to surprise the kids with their birthday present . . a trip to Disney world!! 

I planned a scavenger hunt with clues to lead the kids to a hidden birthday bag.  You can see the first few clues beside Savannah.  This picture was taken when she finally figured out by opening the bag with her Disney shirt, autograph book, plane activities, and luggage tag that she was going to Disney!!  We have a video, which is priceless, where she literally starts screaming and jumping all over the place.  Let's say two super excited kids went to bed and we stayed up late since we had yet to start packing for our early morning flight!

The plane ride went super smoothly and before we knew it we were checking into the Polynesian resort!  Shortly after that, even before our luggage was delivered by Disney's magical express, we headed to the most magical place on earth, Magic Kingdom!!

Their first ride was the ever exciting carousel, but since there was no wait we figured it was okay to start with that one. We then ventured to a few other fun rides and took a break from the heat to see the 3D Mickey's PhilharMagic show.

Savannah loved seeing the castle change colors at dusk!

After a long day of rides, heat, excitement, and even our first rain storm we headed to our dinner reservation at the Crystal Palace.  This was Preston's expression when he saw many of the characters.

I have to say that the meal plan was super easy to use and made dining stress free for sure.  Plus, we never once had to wait in line to see characters.  They all came directly to our table for an autograph and picture.  The first night we saw Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore.  They even had a parade around the restaurant for the kids to participate in with the characters.

The service at Disney was unbelievable.  Add in a few birthday buttons for the kids and anniversary buttons for us, and we had one big party the entire time we were there.  If I had a quarter every time I heard someone say "Happy Birthday Princess" to Savannah we could have paid for our trip!  Here is our waiter the first night singing happy birthday to the kids.  Notice Preston's face . . . he LOVED the attention every day.  They even got special signed birthday cards from the characters.

Day two started bright and early with breakfast reservations at Askerhurs Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot.  We headed to catch the monorail only to discover that it didn't start running until 9 and our breakfast was at 8:15!  Thankfully Disney didn't disappoint and had an entire bus come to take just our family to Epcot!  This breakfast was probably the highlight of the trip for Savannah as most of the princesses were there and the food was delicious!

Upon entering the banquet hall we met Belle and had pictures taken with her.  The breakfast even came with a "free" 8x10 of this picture and 3 smaller ones too!

Then there was Savannah's favorite, Ariel!!

We also saw Cinderella, Aurora, and Snow White before heading out into the park for the day.

I think Preston had seen enough Princesses! :)

We decided to use some of our snacks and let the kids have Disney ice creams!

We played hard all day and even though we tried our best to get the kids to take a nap mid day, it just didn't work.  We paid for that at dinner when they were crying from exhaustion.  Lesson learned.  The rest of the trip we made them stay in the room until they slept for at least an hour during nap time and it made a huge difference!

Day three was spent at Animal Kingdom.  It was the most crowded park while we were there and I think the kids preferred to play at the resort pool, so after a late lunch at Tusker House we headed back for naps and pool time!  We did get to meet Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and of course Mickey Mouse at this restaurant!

 Family photo with Mickey!

Back at the resort after naps we headed to the pool and planned on a late dinner by the beach.  We saw that the staff of the Polynesian had a fire pit and everyone was roasting marshmallows!  So, our kids had yet another first as they got to roast and eat their own marshmallows.  Preston's caught on fire and was a little black.  When he saw it he said "ohhh, choc choc."  Ha!

Day four started with a fabulous breakfast at Ohana

Once again after a huge all you can eat breakfast, the kids were treated to enormous cupcakes for their birthdays!  Preston really enjoyed his!  We met Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, and Goofy here.  Then it was off back to Magic Kingdom for another day of fun.

Savannah loved meeting Tinker Bell

We finally got to see a Disney show at the castle!  Here is Preston taking his own "picture" with daddy's phone.  I guess he was copying me since I took over a hundred pictures while we were there!

Another highlight was dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table, actually in the castle!  Thankfully we weren't paying for this one (thank you meal plan) because for 3 people it was $160 for dinner!!!  At least they threw in another "free" picture package, wishing stars for both kids, place mats with the Princesses' signatures, a sword for Preston and a magic wand for Savannah.  There we got to see a lot of the princesses again for more pictures.

Our last morning started with breakfast at 1900 Park Fare.  Here we met some more characters including Mary Poppins, Alice, Mad Hatter, and Pooh again.

Just to make sure we had enough birthday celebrations, they got one more song and round of HUGE cupcakes before heading to the airport.  They also received signed personalized birthday cards from the characters and place mats to take home!

After 5 days packed with fun, this little guy was EXHAUSTED!  One minute on the plane he's complaining about being thirsty and the next second I look over and he is complete out! 

It was an amazing trip and a new adventure to see Disney World through the eyes of a kid, but boy was it tiring!  Maybe next time we go we'll wait until we can safely avoid naps and stay up to see parades and fireworks too!

Goodbye Kindergarten

Tuesday was my last day to volunteer in Savannah's kindergarten class.  Although it's nice to know that summer is here, I have to say that it was super sad knowing that Savannah's first year of kindergarten is already over!  I have truly enjoyed being in her class every week and getting to know the kids . . . rumor has it that in 1st grade parents are as welcome. :(  Anyway, on Tuesday we decided to celebrate Savannah's birthday early.  I arranged for the cafeteria to bake a birthday cookie and she was able to wear a birthday crown all day.  It was such a fun time and she loved the extra attention!

One of the last stations in kindergarten, water painting

Here she is ready to go to lunch, but I made her get a picture by her name on the summer birthday bulletin board.  I know these moments won't last many more years when she is willing for mom to come to school and take lots of pictures so I'm taking full advantage now!

Celebrating in the cafeteria with 2 of her friends, Juliann and Riley

Savannah and the amazing Mrs. Hindman

I cannot say enough good things about Savannah's teacher this year.  She is not only amazingly patient and kind, but she is also an incredible teacher.  Savannah has gone from refusing to try to sound out words to actually reading!  It's so neat to see her pick up a book and read it.  We are definitely going to miss Mrs. Hindman next year!  In my opinion, once you've had the best everything else fails in comparison.

Savannah and Mrs. Gomsak

Mrs. Gomsak was Savannah's teacher assistant this year.  She also has been awesome and super fun to work with.  We hope to keep up with Mrs. Gomsak because she lives in our neighborhood.

I guess it's true that all good things must come to an end, but to say goodbye to kindergarten has to be one of the saddest moments for me.  I think I'd be content to stay in Mrs. Hindman's class for all of elementary school.  As we close this chapter and move onto first grade I guess we'll choose to be thankful for an incredible year and start praying for a 1st grade year just as remarkable.

Celebration of Nations at PSE

Today was the annual Celebration of Nations at Savannah's school.  It's the culmination of a year long study that the students have done on a particular country.  Each class studies a different country and then today they all dressed in costumes and paraded for all of parents.  Being a new kindergarten mom I had no idea what to expect and definitely didn't realize it was a school wide project where every single kid would participate! 

Savannah's class studied Peru.  The girls were supposed to wear bright colored skirts and the boys navy shorts.  My camera malfunctioned so I didn't get a picture from the front when they were parading in, but in the first picture you can see Savannah at the front of the line.

After each class entered individually and the announcer read a LOT of information about the country each class sat down on the black top until every last class had paraded around.

Then each grade level came up together and did a dance.  Here are the kindergartners doing the Mexican Hat Dance! It was such a fun morning and a neat experience to see the entire school together.

Happy Birthday Julie!!

Last week Dave and I were invited to a surprise birthday dinner for my sweet friend Julie.  Her husband, Charlie, coordinated everything and the night was perfect.  It was such a fun evening out with 3 other couples and a great way to celebrate an amazing woman. :)  If you haven't been to Dressler's uptown, I'd highly recommend it.  I'm not sure what was better ~ the food, the service, or the company!  I just polished off my enormous chunk of homemade cheesecake that Mrs. Dressler made herself . . . thankfully I ran a 5k this morning to help with the extra calories I just consumed!