adjusting to change

When the kids get ready to return to school you know that summer is coming to an end. Olivia started her 3rd grade year with great excitement, and a few days later Cecilia began her transition in a new school. For the past 2 years Cece attended the same school Olivia has been going to since she was 18 months old. After last year we decided that we needed to explore another option for Cece. Changing schools was not an easy decision to make, but was something we knew was in the best interest of our girl.

To prepare for this change Cece attended a "mock day" at her new school. We treated this day like her first day, even though it was more like a "test". My concern was how she would react in a new environment. Even at her old school there was hardly a day she would not tear up or give me a hard time about going. As we prepared for "mock day" things were going smoothly, so I was hoping that would continue through drop off. 

"Mock day" was a breeze for Cece...whew! She seemed to enjoy herself and came home with a smile on her face. So, when her actual first day of school rolled around she was more than. ready. Her first week was a week full of field trips...who wouldn't be excited about that? It is strange having my two girls at different schools, but they are both happy and excelling which is all that matters!

One thing that I love about Cecilia's new school is the regular pictures they post on their Facebook page. I love being able to see what she does while she is away each day. Lord knows it is near impossible getting her to tell me what she does. Seeing her hard at work and enjoying her friends makes me very happy. In the first few months at this school I feel she has made more progress than she did during all of last year. I am hoping she continues to thrive!

Before we knew it summer was officially over and we were celebrating Labor Day. That weekend we did a bunch of fun stuff but mainly we said goodbye to fun days at the pool. The girls had such fun swimming at the Cherry Hill pool and their Uncle's house over the summer. We were sad to see it end. We also took a trip to the zoo that weekend. Luckily we were able to get a ton of use out of our zoo pass this season since it was not a incredibly hot summer. (thank goodness!) 

Each year in September our church holds this wonderful outside event...Septemberfest. The kids look forward to it each year and they always have so much fun. Between the bouncy houses, petting zoo, pony rides, bingo, face painting and ice cream it's hard not to have a great time!

With everything else going on we continue to adjust to having a puppy in our lives. Beasley...oh, Beasley! He is something else. This fur ball has more energy than I could have ever imagined! It has definitely been an adjustment, but through it all the girls continue to bond with him and love him endlessly. In their eyes he can do no wrong. In my eyes...well, that's a different story. 

Beasley has been working with a trainer on a regular basis which has been great! He has learned quite a few things like sit, lay down, stay. He still has A LOT to learn, but he is still a baby. You wouldn't know it by looking at him though. I think he is close to 30 pounds and not even 5 months old! Beasley is a work in progress, but I know he will be a great dog for our family. 

As September continued the leaves and weather started to change and suddenly we were enjoying the Fall. It's tradition for us to visit the apple orchard each year. The kids look forward to it and I look forward to taking home tons of yummy apples! We picked a beautiful, sunny day in late September...perfect for apple picking. 

I love doing this with the girls each year. They make it their mission to find the best apples on the trees and fill their bags to the fullest, all while snacking along the way. I think Cece ate 3 full apples while we walked around. We left with a ton of apples and we have been snacking on them ever since. Can't wait to do it again next year!

The Fall brings other fun events like Halloween and Olivia's birthday! Two pretty big deals around our house. Right now we continue to enjoy this wonderful time of year and look forward to moving into the holidays!