3rd Grade

The first day of school is always full of excitement, anticipation, a little apprehension, and new beginnings. Ethan started 3rd grade on Monday, and finally got to move to the "big kid" side of the building. His teacher this year is Mrs. Zahorsky. I know he is going to have an awesome year with her!
He is looking so grown up, and all the teachers have commented to me about how blond his hair is right now.

Ethan and I have had our "first day of school" picture together in this same spot every year except for his first grade year when I was home with a 4 day old infant. Two things hit me when I was looking at this picture. The first was I realized this is the last one of just the 2 of us because Davin will be joining us next year (can you believe it???), and the 2nd is I thought about how there will only be 3 more first day pics with Ethan in it at GRE! My babies are growing up so fast!!!! I don't know if I'm ready to have a middle school-er in 3 short years! Ugh!!!! Anyway, I love you, Ethan, and I hope you have an awesome year!

Happy 2nd birthday, Claire!!!

Happy 2nd birthday, Claire Bethany Seale!!!!

How quickly the years have passed. I have not taken you to your well check yet, but I have measured you to be 33 inches long and 25 lbs. You already speak in sentences more than not, and are going in the potty like a big girl so long as I leave you butt naked. This could be a problem in the future. You are the frilliest little girl I could have imagined. Your favorite toys are your baby dolls and your kitchen and all of its accessories. I have never seen anyone more fascinated by shoes than you. You also love to be read to, and you sing in the car all the time. Your favorite songs are "Firework," by Katy Perry, and "Hold Me" by Jamie Grace. You are simply a sweet baby girl!

We didn't have super big birthday party for you. It was more like a small get together. You kids all enjoyed swimming in the backyard.

Claire floated around with Rachel while all the boys went nuts. Poor little Sara was just caught in the crossfire.

Pizza time!

fun with our silly friends

Claire was so funny. If you said, "Happy birthday, Claire" she would respond "Happy Birthday to you!"

She did get a little shy when we were singing for some reason.

She didn't have any problems blowing out her 2 candles.

She figured out the present thing pretty quickly, but she didn't rush through opening them like her brothers normally would. She got a lot of clothes (at my request), and she had to put on every single out fit after she opened it.

She had to test out this cute little baby doll high chair from the Bello's.

Claire and Micah.

Grandma got Claire this doll with snap on clothes, and she loves it. She even puts her snap on pajamas on her at bedtime. It is so cute!

A giant purple cupcake mess!!

As girly as you are, you still fight me tooth and nail over brushing and styling your hair. I am hoping you will grow out of that soon.

I am so excited to see what "2" brings! I hope it isn't terrible!!!!
We love you very much, Claire!!

A Six Flags Day

My sister , Whitney, and I braved the 108 degree temperatures on Wednesday to take my boys and our neighbor, Matthew, to Six Flags over Texas. There apparently aren't many people as crazy as we are because the park was practically empty! We were able to walk on to pretty much anything we wanted including the new and improved Texas Giant! The boys were able to ride everything they were tall enough to ride multiple times. There was even a couple of times that they didn't even make us get off, and just let us ride twice in a row!

I am really proud of the kids. We were at the park from 10:45a.m. to 8:00p.m. when it closed, and none of them complained about all of the walking, or being hot one time. We just kept them wet, and the souvenir bottles filled, and they were good to go. Matthew and Ethan even got to ride the Titan for the first time, then multiple times after that. I still love me a good roller coaster, and I'm excited that my boys appear to share my enthusiasm.
Davin on the Looney Tune trucks. We did Looney Tune land at the end of the day. I thought it would be somewhat anti-climatic to 3 little boys who had rode every roller coaster in the park they were able to, but they still loved it! Davin is just a little over 42 inches which made the day much easier because he could ride everything the older boys were tall enough to ride except for the Texas Giant, the Titan, and Runaway Mountain because those had 48 inch height requirements. Davin is probably one of the most brave 4 years old's I know. He didn't protest about riding anything we walked up to. He would just get on. One of the funniest moments of the day was when we were riding the Shock Wave ( an upside down double loop roller coaster). As it was climbing the big hill before the drop he tugged on my shirt and said, "Mommy, is this going to be scary?" I told him no, that it would be fun. That poor child screamed his face off, and about clawed my arm off too. When the roller coaster finally stopped he said in a very upset tone, "Mommy, you lied. That was very scary and AWESOME!" LOL!

What I don't remember about past Six Flags visits is needing the entire next day to recover. Should I chalk it up to the heat wearing me out, or am I feeling a little age? hmmmm.......

What a great memory of a super fun summer day!

Our Sea side Stay

We were able to go spend a few days sea side at Dellanera RV park in Galveston, Texas. My parents got an RV last year, and my kids sure have loved staying in it. This time we were right on the beach so we were able to enjoy lots on beach side fun, and go sight seeing in Galveston. Once again there is no rhyme or reason to the grouping or order of these photos so bare with me.

We spent some time at Moody Gardens. This is inside the aquarium pyramid. My boys were comparing their height to the penguins. I am not sure why so many of the pics came out blurry.

Inside the very hot and humid Rain Forest pyramid.

Claire loved this monkey. She asked to hold it, and to take it home in her Daddy's truck.

inside the shark cage

Davin and the Chinese crocodile

on the Dolphin boat tour

We were able to see several dolphins!

Davin and Grandpa

Claire didn't like having to wear a life jacket in the water.
Fun in the sand with the sea turtle and her eggs.

Just relaxing with Daddy

Smores over the grill. There is a burn ban everywhere. Yes, even the beach.

Grandma, Grandpa, and Ethan

Claire preferred to hang on the shore and play in the sand. She liked playing in the waves as long as the salt water stayed out of her eyes. I must admit that it does burn your eyes like crazy!

`Claire would point of the window of the RV and say, "Look, guys! Pool!" In reference to the Gulf of Mexico! Lol!

In the aquarium again

On the ferry to Bolivar Peninsula.

A sail boat next to the ferry.

Looking at sharks in the aquarium.

more beach fun

Claire at the touch tank

The boys and Grandpa on the upper deck of the ferry.

In the Discovery Pyramid at Moody Gardens.

A ferry identical to the one we were on retuning to the island.

Davin and Grandpa

The cars on the ferry.

In the shark tunnel. What a cool pic of Claire.

Davin in the Discovery Pyramid.

The Rainforest

Us on the back of the ferry. We had 2 inches cut off of Claire's hair last week to even it up all the way around. It looks better for sure, but I am having to adjust to it being "short" now.

The boys and Grandpa on the upper deck of the ferry again.

Mommy and Boodle in the waves. I had fun going out deep with the boys and riding the boogie boards back in!

Watching the penguins.

Claire liked the sharks.

Galveston is a great long weekend get a way! We had a blast just hanging on the beach, and PePaw and MeMaw (as Claire calls them) took us to a fancy sea food restaurant, Gaido's. I am glad that PePaw and MeMaw don't mind sharing their RV space with us! It was an very fun trip!

Grandpa and Ethan

I must mention that Doug and I took the boys to the water park at Moody Gardens to see the firework show over the harbor, and Doug said he and Claire really enjoyed it. Not me! I didn't even get to watch it. Davin ran off to the lazy river when I told him he had to stay in the wave pool so I went to go find him. Right as I spotted him, Ethan ran away from me to go "notify the life guards his little brother was missing. I returned Davin to Doug, and spent the ENTIRE fireworks display frantically looking for Ethan. I returned to Doug after it ended when the crowds were leaving in tears right as the life guards returned Ethan to Doug. I was relieved, and wanted to kick their little butts at the same time. I don't know if I have ever been that angry at my boys! Just wanted to make sure they don't forget it!