New Camera Fun

We recently got a new camera b/c the old one was just so frustrating sometimes.. So, what do you do with a new camera?  Go have a photoshoot, of course!  I'm sure there will be many more...

Here are a few of Jackson's many faces.

I drew this.  (Ha!  I wish...) 

We set out a few weeks ago and went to a nearby park (not playground-park, just-walk-around-and-look at-flowers-park)... The kids enjoyed it though.

He loves to smell flowers and candles. (Imagine taking him into Bath & Body Works with all of the candles!  He knows what to do when we go there.)

These next pictures of the kids with the giant lollipops didn't turn out as cute as I had hoped...Not really sure exactly what I was going for, but still.  Neither of them has ever had one like this before (actually, I don't think Jackson has ever even had a regular sucker before..) so they were trying to figure out how to eat it.  

Hey, I think I'll put it in the grass...

Mom, I think there is some grass in my mouth...

Notice how sticky the side of his face is?!?

Pre-K Graduation

Today was Rachel's last day at Pre-K and her last day at Kids R Kids...tonight was her graduation ceremony.  I admit it - I cried.  I couldn't help myself... She is growing up right before my very eyes. 

Our graduate!

Rachel and Erin beforehand.  Erin is one of her friends that has been there the whole five years with her.  I wish we had gotten more pictures of her group of friends...sadly, we did not.

Walking in...to "Pomp and Circumstance" of course.

She was on the side that was still in the sunlight for a while... so she had to block the sun... Thankfully it went down soon. (And it was so nice out there - we couldn't have asked for a better evening!)

Big smiles!

Rachel and her three teachers.  

Now, another thing I am thankful for is that the director found a couple of teachers to stay for the ceremony and keep a few of the younger siblings for us - out on the other playground.  Thank goodness because there is no way that Jackson would have sat still for an hour and been quiet.  So he had fun while we did our thing.  After it was over, we went and grabbed him and let him play on the big playground with everyone else.  This other little boy is in Jackson's class at school (his brother was graduating with Rachel) and they got on this truck at the end and had such a good time.  They were so cute!!

Now we have two months of summer and then we move on to Kindergarten!!!

Five Years Old!

Rachel turned five years old this week!  My baby is now five!  We started celebrating last weekend.  To begin with she got a new bed for her birthday.  She and Jackson both like it!   

 (Sorry this is sideways!  Blogger is now ridiculous and won't let me do half of what I want to do now.)

 

Then we had a luau Saturday afternoon to celebrate with family.  It was a lot of fun!

 

  

Jackson's surprised face - whoa!

Love watching him read books to himself!

 

Here is Rachel's birthday ice cream cake from Bruster's.  

Jackson is so ready to have some of that cake!

 You can almost see his mouth watering...

 

He finally got his cake!

We tried to make her actual birthday very special for her as well... We made special breakfast pancakes that morning before school.  And at school, her class had their last field trip of the year to a nearby park/playground - which of course she loved.  

Then I spent a good part of the morning making ice cream cone cupcakes to take to her class for the afternoon.  I thought they turned out great!  Getting them to school without them falling over was the hard part though!

I know this picture is fuzzy but this is the best one I got of Rachel and her best friend at school.  Then I brought Rachel home and she and I made some jewelry from her new jewelry/bead kit.  You can see her necklace, bracelet and earrings below.

And she got to choose where to go for dinner that night...so we ended up at IHop.  I didn't think to get any pictures while we were there.    They sang happy birthday to her and she enjoyed it.  She really did have a great birthday!