Jake’s 1st Day of 1st Grade

My little boy joined the ranks of grade school kids.

It’s a challenge to see your little boy off for the first time. He’s growing up and it comes out more and more every day.

The morning was a little rushed (Tara and I both needed to be in the office) so we passed on the photos at Grandma’s house and went straight to breakfast at the NJ Cafe. The NJ has become a tradition for us recently. Tara worked there in High School, there’s a picture of Aunt Jean on the wall, the Dorothy’s used to have breakfast there together… there’s a lot of good memories for Tara.

After breakfast we went to school and got him settled in. Mr D was outside giving high-fives and lots of kids and teachers came to say hello. I could tell our little guy was nervous. He had overheard Emily talking earlier about being nervous about starting High School and it kind of sunk into him too. That quickly melted away. Pretty soon, mom and dad weren’t much of a thought and he settled into his desk (talk about mixed-emotions).

We snagged this picture of Ms. Wight and her two students before we left.

The day ended with the kids watching a little of President Obama’s address to the nations schoolchildren. It was quite good and we talked a little about the importance of hard work and how their job is to learn as much as they can so that they can be productive members of society.

Emma’s First Day of Preschool

Emma’s first day of preschool (her second year there) was today.

The day started with pictures outside of Grandma and Papa’s.

Then there was a tearful goodbye to Sam who was headed back to Maryland.

Afterward we took Emma to breakfast at the NJ Cafe where she had a waffle with strawberries and whip cream.

Mrs. Grobe’s 4th year teaching our kids.

Emma settled in quickly and I’m sure she is going to have a great year.

Abby’s First Steps

Abby took her first steps on Friday… and finally it was for daddy. Jake and Emma both took their first steps at grandma’s house.

It’s funny when you can see those little wheels turning in their heads and this was clearly one of those situations. She was upstairs behind the gate with me when Emma came to the top of the stairs. She was standing and wanted to be closer to her big sister. You could see her contemplate the dangers of taking a step versus sitting down and crawling. Too cute.

Later, she took several steps for Tara. Even a couple multiples. This is clearly a baby on the go and she has no intention of being left behind in the fun.

Abby’s Feats of Daring

Monday or Tuesday of this week Abby started to stand-up unaided. I’m sure she’ll be walking soon.

After the Holiday

After a long weekend it was back to work and daycare as normal! Abby had an exciting 1st this week: she figured out how to crawl up the stairs! She is so cute and determined! I have a feeling she is going to give us a run for our money! Abby also spent time doing one of her current favorite pastimes – emptying anything!! She loves empty bags, boxes, drawers and cupboards.

Emma spent as much time as possible on Monday night swinging in the back yard. She learned to “pump” her legs, so now she can swing for hours on end. She also spent some time as the Odebrecht Photographer and Videographer. She took some great video of Abby climbing the stairs.

Jake was a little under the weather getting his 6 year molars this week. Yuck! Jake loves to learn. He is such a sponge. Today he learned about the Greek and Trojan war. He can re-tell those stories so well! It’s amazing to me.