8*10 Part 7: The rest of August

When we returned home from our trip to UT, it was time again for a Cub Scout Pack Meeting.

1. New leaders are welcomed to 

the pack and pledge their oath.

2. M receives awards and acknowledgement 

for his hard work through the summer.

3. After each Cub Scout received his awards, 

they each got to choose a CHEER.

This one here is the "Elephant Trunk" cheer.

"Everybody knows you can't do a CHEER sitting on your rear!"

4-7. E & E's moms paint their faces as part of the 

ceremony to award them their "Arrow of Light",

the highest award a Cub Scout can earn.

At the end of August C-sta turned two.  We celebrated her day with just the five of us once J-rod got home from church that afternoon.

1. On her bday, C-sta wore a "prih-tee urfle" dress

that our friends the H family gave her.

2. M, the birthday girl, Li'l J

3. C-sta was SO excited to open her presents this year-- 

a BIG change from last year when she didn't even

want to touch the wrapping paper!! 

4. Li'l J was very excited to help C-sta open

the present he had carefully picked out for her:

a Dora birthday DVD.

5. C-sta was very happy to talk to the family members 

that called to sing to her and wish her a Happy Birthday!

6-7. J-rod and Zippy with our sweet little birthday girl.

We LOVE you C-sta!!

After presents we put her down for a nap while I cooked up a yummy dinner of chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, fresh green beans, and garlic bread.  After dinner we sang "Happy Birthday" to C-sta. 

1. Look at her hand closest to the cake.

She was starting to reach for the candle to take it out...

2. ...when she realized it was "Hot!"

She didn't get burned, just felt the heat from the flame.

3. Eventually C-sta blew out her candle 

and then was content to enjoy her cake and ice cream.

Here C-sta is wearing a Dora dress 

I made her as one of her gifts; 

she's holding the Dora DVD Li'l J picked out for her.

Betcha' can't guess what her 

OBSESSION was at 2 yrs old? : ) 

Of all the pictures we took of C-sta on her 2nd birthday, the one below is my favorite:

Daddy's Girl

They day after C-sta's birthday, J-rod had the day off so we took her to a kids salon for her first true "big-girl" hair cut.

Sitting in the drivers seat watching...Dora, what else?

Getting her hair length evened out.

Next she was given BANGS!!

The new "do" of course makes her look much older, and even though it was kind of a hard decision for me to make (to cut bangs or leave it all one length), I'm really glad we did it because we can see all of her face and her beautiful eyes now.  When she won't leave her hair clips or ponytails in (which is 90% of the time), I'm glad she doesn't look like "Cousin It" anymore!

Lookin' SO grown up with her new do!

Even though there is no end in sight to the summer heat, August signals the end of summer fun and the beginning of a new school year.  At the tail end of August M began the 4th grade and Li'l J started all-day every-day kindergarten, leaving me with only C-sta home M-Th (the boys don't have school on Fridays).  At the start of this school year, both boys were happy to know that they each have a handful of friends in their classes, some from their class last year as well as some from church.  Though both boys attend the same school that M attended last year, this year M got to go to the brand-new (just barely completed in time for school to start) location while Li'l J attended school at the newly re-done "temporary location" where M was last year.  Despite any craziness associated with the start of a new school year, it promised to be a good year.

1. M & Li'l J excited to get to school on their first day!

2. C-sta gives Li'l J one last hug 

outside his classroom 

and wishes she could stay too.

3. Li'l J at finds his spot at his group table.

4. Li'l J got a little overheated 

waiting to be picked-up after school, 

and then got carsick while heading over 

to pick up M from his school site. Poor boy!

5. & 6. Li'l J & M happy after their first day.

7. & 8. Li'l J and M came home to a 

1st Day of School Scavenger Hunt

that helped them understand what

the to expect from the after school routine.

9. At the end of the scavenger hunt 

they found a fun prize: LEGO sets 

to keep them busy that afternoon. 

They want this to become a 1st day tradition. 

A note from the author: I find it ironic that I'm finally posting this now as tomorrow begins the last week of the 2010-2011 school year. Oh well. Better late than never.