Babies Got Class {Back to School 2014-2015 School Year}

It is official, the B family is back in class! Last week Belle & Peanut both were ushered off to school with our traditional Back to School Breakfast Bash. They began the very early morning (both were up and ready by 6:30...full of excitement for the day ahead) by filling out the pages of their School Years journal.

This year marks the first time Belle has listed something other than a nail tec as her career of choice. My baby girl's 3rd grade dreams include a degree in architecture  (I guess my subscription to AD paid off). And our sweet Peanut is still aspiring to be a dentist.

To mark their entrance into Kindergarten and 3rd grade, Hubby & I gifted them each with a book...Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for Belle's collection & The Day the Crayons Quit for Peanut (a must read!). To make everything come full circle, I set the table with a book theme & scribbled out a quick note on the chalkboard "Time to hit the books".  Hubby prepared a breakfast full of the little's favorites including sausage, bacon & pancakes. 

When their tummies were filled and we could wait no longer, it was time for outdoor pictures & the walk to the bus stop. I know she is my baby, but every year I am more and more blown away by how much this girl makes my heart explode.

And this lovey...his enthusiasm for the day just leaps right though the picture. We call him the sunshine of our family and this picture demonstrates it perfectly. I miss him terribly while he is away, but he is sooooo ready to go.

The whole crew....we are still working on all being ready first thing in the morning.

It was like a scene out of a movie watching these two parade down to the bus stop. Finley has blended into the family seamlessly.

And this is photo sums up how we all felt realizing Peanut & Belle wouldn't be home all day long.

While Belle's first day started off with a trip on the bus, Peanut's first day was only an hour long. At 9am he & I reported to school to meet his teacher (fabulous Mrs.P who was also Belle's teacher) & familiarize himself with the classroom.

Once we were done with Peanut's class, I picked up Lil M and head off to his Parents Day Out preview. (He was insistent upon taking his picture here against the chain link fence and despite his expression, "my kool" is all he can talk about...lol)

Once everyone was back home, we celebrated the first day of school with a yummy treat courtesy of Finley. While the littles devoured cupcakes, doggie bags of pretzels & apples I read them the story Dog Days of School .

And incase you were curious, this is how Finley passed the day when he wasn't busy party planning. Have I mentioned he is the best dog ever!

So the school year 2014-2015 began on a very sweet note.

Peanut's first piano lesson.....few hours after school ended.

Summer Days

Today Peanut & I ducked out of the house for a few hours and acted like tourists in our city's lovely downtown. It was an unseasonably cool day so we started off with a trip to our favorite chocolate cafe for a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

With his drink in hand, Peanut requested we stroll the river. We each tried our hand at casting wishes in the fountain before checking out the paddle boats, bell tower and ducks.

We rounded out our date with a stop at the candy shop and strolled hand in hand all the way back to the  roof of the parking garage…perhaps the greatest thrill of his day.

As the last few days of summer vacation whittle away, and this sweet boy crosses into the realm of boyhood forever leaving babyhood, I am so very thankful for these few hours of alone time with him. As I type, I'm thinking we just might make this a back to school tradition…fingers crossed he'll want to stroll with is mommy downtown for years to come!