Kindergarten!

 She's off to school!!

Halle was excited and ready to go this morning- she would've just walked in without looking back if I hadn't asked for a picture!

And when she saw her buddy was at the same table, she couldn't stop grinning!

 August 2012:

August 1987:

Yesterday we had a little Back-To-School-Eve party.  Sadly, my camera battery died after one picture.  But it was a fun "party":

 

We live in an area where holding a 5 year old out of kindergarten is pretty unheard of.  I know I posted about it last year, but I feel the need to say this: 

I am SO glad we waited.

Even though I know that Halle is starting out ahead of the other kids (she reads at about a 2nd-3rd grade level) a year has made such a difference in her confidence level.  She's so much more mature, and if we can see it now, at age 6, I'm believing it will make a difference at 13 and 16 and 18.  

The Reader

I love it that Cate and Ty both ask Halle to read to them now.

She is really easy to listen to.

School starts next week- we're all super excited for Halle!

Michael Phelps III

Meet our newest pet:   Michael Phelps III

Every four years we've gotten a new one- starting the year we were married.  Remember M.P. II?  (Geez, where did those four years go?!)

(To be honest, we started with 2 fish- Ryan Lochte already got the flush...) 

Hooray for the Olympics!!

Go USA!

Little boy undies

- are hilarious.

 I don't know why I think Ty is so funny and cute in his whitey-tighties, but I do.

 We haven't pushed him (at all.) but for some reason I pulled out the undies yesterday, expecting lots of accidents, and decided to try it.

He had 2 (TWO!) accidents all day!  The total treat count was 9 smarties, and one itty-bitty bowl of ice cream.  :)

 Today was even awesome-er. 

ONE accident.

Not what I expected from the boy. 

I'm trying not to think too much about it.  I certainly don't want to jinx whatever this craziness is!

Faces of Ty

 Remember Cate?  Same age.  Exactly.

Water War

 On our way home from Iowa/Kansas, we stopped and stayed with our friends, the Henrys.  Some neighbor girls were trying to be sneaky and attack Nathaniel (oldest boy) with water balloons.  Halle, who apparently had never seen a water balloon, was in awe.  So JD, who can never resist a good water balloon fight*, ran to the store and came back with enough balloons for an entire war.

 A little pre-war pow-wow:

 Before the "GO!":

 ATTACK!!

 RETREAT!!!

 JD told Ty to hide(!)- so he hid behind this chair:

 So much fun!

Thanks, Henrys!!

*Some people may remember some crazy water balloon antics we may or may not have performed in college.  JD and I looked at each other in absolute shock when Halle announced she had never seen a water balloon.  :)

Who IS this child??

Halle does water slides.

And she jumps in the deep end without floaties and swims to the side!

(Don't worry.  We're always right there in case she needs help.)

It's awesome.