goodbye summer, hello fall

It’s hard to believe that another summer has come and gone!

Austyn, who turned FIVE on August 2nd, has begun her final year of preschool! We decided to have her do a repeat year rather than start kindergarten since she has a late birthday.

And Lincoln, my little Buddy Bear/Buddy Doo/Buddy Doodle/whatever overly cute name Austyn and I come up with…well, he is 19 months old now and well into his very first year of preschool! I am just in shock at how fast he has gone from my tiny baby boy to a full-fledged toddler!

Anticipating the start of preschool for my two kiddos definitely came with a mixed bag of feelings. On one hand, I was a bit emotional because 1) it meant that they weren’t going to be around the house as much anymore and 2) it also meant that they were growing up! On the OTHER hand, I was overjoyed because 1) it meant that they weren’t around the house anymore (hahaha) and 2) it meant I could focus on work a little better! Ohhhh the conundrum of being a working mom!

Austyn and Lincoln are both loving their teachers and friends. Of course, Austyn is a vet when it comes to preschool, but Lincoln was completely new to the whole school thing!  Fortunately, he’s spent a good bit of time in the care of others (grandparents, church childcare, and gym childcare) that the transition was a piece of cake.  During Parent Orientation, the preschool teachers told us that he was one of two kiddos that didn’t cry!

Because OF COURSE Austyn and Lincoln deserve their own blog post with their OWN feature content, here’s a few updates on my Sunshine Girl and my Buddy Bear!

Austyn Blakeley, my Sunshine Girl

• Turned five on August 2nd
• Is beginning to read and spell simple words all by herself
• Favorite creature is a butterfly
• Favorite character is Minnie Mouse
• Favorite colors are pink and purple
• Wants to be a fairy princess when she grows up
• Current jams: “Purple Rain” by Prince, the song from “Wall-E” (actually “Out There” from “Hello Dolly”)
• Movies constantly playing are “Hercules,” “The Three Mouseketeers,” and “Wall-E”
• A bit of a hypochondriac :)
• Talented artist, getting there with dance classes
• Loves Jesus, her brother, her family and friends fiercely, heart of gold – HATES seeing others hurting or sad

lincoln russell, my buddy bear

• Turned nineteen months old in September
• Favorite foods are Nilla Wafers, turkey, and hotdogs
• Still nursing a couple times a day (“Nu-Nus”, hahaha)
• Favorite character is Mickey Mouse and Wall-E
• Favorite pasttime is “BALL!” Literally…anything that involves a ball.
• Loves sliding down the slide on big sister’s bed, climbing up chairs and onto dining room table
• Words: “ball,” “Nu-Nus,” “mommy,” “daddy,” “Wall-E,” “Waaaa-woo (water),” “diaper,” “poop”
• Extremely stubborn, adventurous, reckless, and wild
• Adores his big sister more than anything else

One of the most exciting things that the kids got to experience this summer was our very first family trip to DISNEYWORLD! AHH! I’m definitely a bit behind on posting photos from our amazing trip, but stay tuned for those within the next week or so! Thanks for following along with me and my little family!