Nolan started preschool:)!!!

On September 14th, Nolan started his first day of three year old preschool!!!  It's hard to believe he has grown up so fast, and that I actually walked him into school to his very own first day...it seems like it was just yesterday that I was pregnant with him!!!  It's certainly true, when people say, "enjoy every minute, because it goes by so fast."  I know it's only preschool, but reality set in on how grown up our little boy has become!!!!

Matt was working on Tuesday, Nolan's first day, so Mason and I dropped Nolan off together:)!!  Parents could stay for the first 15 minutes and then were to say goodbye.  Nolan was very excited for his first day and although I could tell he was a little nervous, he did great!!!  He goes twice a week, two half days.  Matt was able to go on Thursday and had signed up at the parent orientation to be a "folder stuffer" for the Thursday's that he is able to bring him...so he was in Nolan's classroom for about the first 10 mins of class while Mason and I toured the building.  Matt said that while he stood quietly in the back of the room stuffing folders, he could hear Nolan's little voice asking A LOT of questions;)!!  I guess he's already coming out of his shell!!

His teachers, Mrs. Hetfield and Mrs. Horling, had also told us that the kids would be learning to pour their own milk/water at snack time.  On Nolan's first day he said he was thirsty and wanted milk.  However, when they told them they were going to learn to pour themselves, he told his teachers that he wasn't thirsty.  They passed this on to us, so we chatted w/ him and it turns out he was really nervous that he might spill and make a mess, and that his teachers might get upset:(...poor little guy!!  So Daddy did some practicing w/ him at home and he couldn't wait to pour his own milk on Thursday at school!  He did...and did a great job;)!!!  His teachers also made a point of telling us he is such a polite little boy always saying please and thank-you!  We are so proud!!

Mason has enjoyed visiting the school as well...he walks through the halls like he owns the place!!!  There is a little bird in the front entrance that he loves to visit, as well as a fish tank.  He loves picking Nolan up more than dropping him off...he misses him while he's gone, and Nolan talks about how much he misses Mason while he is in school...they are so sweet!  On Nolan's first day home after school he was whooped...he had a cold, and was just plain tired.  He passed out on the couch and was out for a while...meanwhile, Mason was trying to harass him and poke him, and pick on him...everything he could to wake him up...that's the picture w/ Mason and the big huge grin on his face, knowing he's being naughty, lol!!!

7 Years of Marriage!!!

Today was our 7 year anniversary...hard to believe it's already been 7 years, it has gone so fast!!!  We celebrated by going to Traverse City for a night last week on Wed...my in-law's, LuAnne and Larry watched the kids for us for a night while we got to get away!!!  It was an amazing time, and we had a a blast!!!  We did a lot of wine tasting, had dinner at Mackinaw Brewing Company, and stayed at the Grand Traverse Resort.  On the way back to get the kids we stopped at Little River casino in Manistee and actually happened to get lucky and win;)!!!  Overall we really had such a great time and it was long overdue for us to have some quality time together w/out the kiddos!!!  Thank you so much to Papa Nunu and Gramma Nunu for always being willing to watch the boys, we appreciate it more than you know!!! 

Today, our actual anniversary, we spent the day together as a family and went to Hager Park.  The boys spent a lot of time playing and giggling and running around, while Matt and I chased behind!!!  We had a romantic dinner at Pizza Hut,just the 4 of us...and it was perfect:)!!!

We have been so blessed to have spent the last 7 years together and are looking forward to sharing at least 50 more!!!  Happy Anniversary Matt...my love, my life!!!

Suckers and Ice Cream...what more do you need in life?!?

Yes, we are those parents who let our kids eat suckers, probably too often...and ice cream...probably too much!!!  But hey, they are kids, and they are enjoying life and having fun:)!!  While they both LOVE suckers and ice cream, the difference between Nolan and Mason eating them is like night and day, just like their personalities...and it's so funny to watch!! 
Nolan can't stand to get his hands dirty as well as his face, and gets totally grossed out when his sucker stick starts to get wet from his own drool, or when his ice cream starts to drip from melting.  As soon as this happens, he's done.  Even if we get him cleaned up along with the sucker stick, or help him w/ his ice cream, he just decides "I'm done."  So needless to say he doesn't end up eating much of his suckers or his ice cream, even if it is just a little "dum-dum" sucker...which is fine w/ us!!!
Mason on the other hand, is a completely different story...he refuses to let us help him, and will be covered from head to toe w/ either ice cream, or sticky sucker!!!  And it never phases him...he gets mad if you try to wipe him off, especially if you're interrupting him while in the middle of eating...DON'T MESS with his suckers or his ice cream or you will get the wrath!!!  Which is usually similar to the sound of a screeching pterodactyl, if I had to guess what one sounded like!!!  He's so independent and has to do EVERYTHING himself.  As you can see, we have many more pictures of him eating suckers and ice cream than Nolan because like I said, he gets much further along in the process than Nolan:)!
Recently we went to the zoo and the boys picked out HUGE butterfly suckers.  Nolan gave his up within about 10 minutes...we thought Mason would do the same when we got to the petting zoo, but no such luck.  He wanted to go in the petting zoo w/ Nolan and Daddy, but refused to give up his sucker...no food in the petting zoo.  So, I had to stand there w/ the screeching pterodactyl AND his sucker that he didn't want to give up, while he screeched b/c he couldn't pet the goats.  Each time I tried to tell him he couldn't go in unless he gave me his sucker, he'd clench it even more, and he would stick more of it to his face.  We went through the whole zoo w/ that sucker, and put him in his car seat w/ that sucker!!!  He ended up falling asleep w/ it in his hand...I had to pry it out of his hand while he was sleeping.  When he woke up, he was making a licking motion as if he still had the sucker...CRAZY kid!!!!  But that's why we love him!!!
The other sucker pictures are from a visit to Great Wolf Lodge...they chose suckers over ice cream.  And of course, they were the biggest suckers they had!!!
We recently just went to Ludington and the boys enjoyed ice cream a few days...it was very easy to just stick them in the lake for clean up!!!  Much easier to do on vacation than at home:)!