Camden to preschool, Mom to 35!

We got back from our trip on Sunday afternoon and Camden knew what that meant for the next day -- it was FINALLY his turn to start school! He has been so excited.

Dinosaur backpack ready to go, glasses cleaned, hair done, favorite pink shorts on, all his ideas :) He got just a little bit nervous when it was time to part ways but then he visibly just took a breath and dove in and it was adorable to watch. He totally loved it.

Thursday I hit 35! I loved, loved loved my birthday. My presents I gave myself were a guiltless trip with a trash bag through my kids' rooms and a guiltless day of slowing way down with my two littlest. Honestly I should just do both this things WAY more often! We went to the pet store and had fun finding what we could find, we had a Chick-Fil-A picnic at the park, Camden and Asher went down little perfect-sized double slides over and over and over. We had some downtime and I caffeinated myself more than any other day of my life to battle a migraine. I always battle them head on but I ESPECIALLY fought hard against a birthday migraine. Those are illegal.

That night we had a work meeting, which was fun in its own way. Then the next night we did a backyard Cava picnic and a movie night to watch the live Little Mermaid, so that was a fun rain check birthday celebration. The boys were so sweet, Camden colored a picture for me for 2+ hours and asked Michael to put it in a box for my birthday. Bennett asked if he could stay home from school and I thought he wasn't feeling well, then he said, "No, I just want to be with you on your birthday." Sweet little guys. It was such a good day, because I just have so much to celebrate. Healthy, happy kids in a good home in a good city with a good husband and time pulled in a few different directions that all make me a different kind of happy. I just felt really grateful all day.

Saturday we had Bennett's first soccer game and Westin's first football game. A couple hard losses and one was very, very sad about it while one was not, but everyone was doing ok by the afternoon :) Westin watched the entire Notre Dame game and would watch any football game he could in its entirety with full attention. I do not comprehend it, but I sure do love him. One time in a frustrated moment about who knows what, he went on one of his anger tangents and said, "And I know you don't really like football! I can see your eyes kind of freeze when I talk about it!" 

Hahaha guilty, sweet boy. I try my hardest to not let my eyes glaze over during football talk but... oh man. This football love is nature not nurture! He has big Halloween plans and it's probably the year that we should just make those come true. 

Loved this week getting into our fall routine. I love this time of year so, so much.

Looking like a full on toddler.

I can't believe it's time to share him!
Preschool for Camden three afternoons a week. Sweet boy.

He got just a liiiiiitle bit nervous right when it was go time, but quickly recovered then never looked back.
Literally.
I was like, "BYE Cam Cam! Bye!?"

He loves that his school has some lizards.

First day:
All about frogs.

Scriptures & affirmations before school. 
I can't even handle them.
Sometimes because they're so cute, and other times, because, I just really can't even handle them.

Luna is a full on outside dog, sweet girl.
I'm trying to let her inside here and there more as we gear up for winter,
but it's really hard for me. She's getting much better though.

New soccer season for this guy!
I signed him up for Wednesday mornings so that Michael can come join the fun the next few weeks,
I just think it's so cute to watch.

Happy birthday to me!
Gave myself the gift of taking a trash bag to my kids' rooms while they were all gone.

Also took these cuties to the pet store on my birthday because it sounded so fun to watch them there.
I used to take Westin and Bennett to the pet store regularly when they were this age, and life is just busier so we've never done it. I just wanted to slow down on my birthday so this is what we did. I loved it.

Then we had a Chick-Fil-A picnic and I cried little happy tears because it was just so cute to watch them sharing and chatting and being the cute little brothers they are.
Birthdays get you sentimental once you're a little on the older side :)

Happy birthday to me!
We did cake before dinner since we had a meeting we had to go to that night.
Loved holding all these boys while I made my wish.

Dinner out on my birthday! With lots of people from Michael's work haha.
Not the best timing and I drank caffeine all day long to fight a migraine, even through dinner because I could feel it just waiting to come on strong, so I ended up being awake until 4am. 
BUT, kept the migraine at bay.

Birthday dinner rain check the next night -- backyard Cava picnic.

First cozy family movie night in the basement!
Live Little Mermaid. Well, 20 minutes of it. 
I don't know how people do full on movie nights with little kiddos.

Yes, this is our closet and yes, Asher still sleeps in it! Sweet boy.
Camden is the best big brother to go make him happy whenever Asher wakes up.

Saturdays are for football and soccer games now.
Wearing my Kick it with Jack sweatshirt because my heart is always on Diane and her battle with her son's childhood cancer.