What the heck is going on?

Since it's been over a month and a half since my last post, I am sure that is the very question that the masses are wondering...or the two or three people who are still sticking with my sad excuse for a blog!

So, here is a quick update on life.

Fabulous vacation on Kiawah Island, SC at the end of August.  Just a blast!  The girls were fun and enjoyed the water.  Emma became a brave little fish in the water and didn't even want to wear her puddle jumper.

    

Girls started school. Both girls are at the same preschool as last year.  Emma is in the 3 year old class and Kate is in the toddler class (again).  They go three days a week from 9-12.  Kate is still a little uncertain about the whole thing, but Emma is loving every minute of it.

            

Mommy ran a race. I ran a half marathon this past weekend.  I've been training with a friend pretty hard since June.  This is my 4th one to run and I was just about 2 minutes off my personal record, which I set 8 years and 2 children ago.  So I was happy.  I think I'm going to run another in November. And, as a side note, I've lost about 15 pounds since May, in large part, due to the training.  I can finally fit into most of my pre-baby clothes and it feels great!

      

Those really are the highlights, so, no fear, you haven't missed much!  I need to do an update on the girls some time soon since they seem to be getting bigger, smarter, funnier, cuter, crazier, more inquisitive, and sassier every day.  In fact, Kate will be TWO next month.  No way?!?!

Thanks for sticking with me!

Hooray!

Conception Deception just made my week!!!

She just posted that I won her Grace Adele Giveaway.

I am beyond excited!

I hadn't heard of Grace Adele before she posted about the giveaway.  Since then, I've spent some time playing around on the website, and I am absolutely stoked to get to go pick something out now!  I mean, seriously, the inside liner alone of this one bag she posted was enough to make my heart race a little!

Her Grace Adele site is here in case you want to take a look: https://suzannebanks.graceadele.us/

The whole Grace Adele site appears to be down for maintenance today, I assume because they are putting up the new Fall/Winter line right now!!!!

THANK YOU!

She has a new name

Since the point of this blog is to capture the big and small things in my family's life, I would be a negligent mom if I didn't post about Kate's new name.

Our little Kate - almost 20 months old - was born Sarah Kate Elder.  We knew from the start we wanted to call her Kate, but couldn't come up with a middle name that flowed.  We use Emma's middle name (Grace) a lot and figured the same would hold true for #2.  So we decided to use Sarah Kate, a name I really like, and just call her Kate.  I knew this would pose some hassles in life, but was ok with that.

Well, 20 months later, we've decided to legally change her name to "Kate Sarah."  No, it doesn't flow as well, but I think it was the right thing to do.  For example, picture Kate and I at the doctors office...nurse comes out and calls "Sarah"...I continue to sit there without batting an eyelash...then like 30 seconds later, I'm like, "oh right, that's my kid."  Really not a big deal, but we decided it would save some time explaining throughout her life.

Oh, and as a side note, the process is very easy to change a name in Virginia.  So, there you go, we now have a sweet Kate Sarah!  Either way you write the name, she's absolutely precious!

And off to school she goes!

The preschool where Emma goes three days a week, 9am-12pm, had an opening in its toddler class.  So we decided to put Kate in two days a week, again 9am-12pm.  She is kind of dropping her morning nap right now, so figured it was a good time to do it so that I could still have the mornings to get work done.

The first 4 or 5 times were a little tough. In fact, on her second day, they called me to come pick her up because she had cried for 2 straight hours.  But, the last time I took her, for the very first time, she didn't cry when I left!

The teachers are super loving, and I like that she is getting to interact with not only other kids, but kids a little bit older than her (technically she didn't meet the cut-off for being in the class since she has an October birthday).  She'll be in the same class next year, and that time around, she'll be one of the oldest kids.

I can't believe how fast she is growing up, already almost a year and a half old.  I still think of her as my little baby.  Not sure if that's because she is the youngest or because she doesn't have a lot of hair so she looks younger!  Regardless, she's a precious joy and it was a little hard to let her take such a big girl step as going to school!

Here are her first day of school pictures!  I think she looks happier than she really is.  One of her favorite words is "backpack."

Three Years!

Emma turns three today. 

She is fun, caring, very silly, moody, smart, athletic, stubborn, and truly the joy in our lives (along with her sister). 

Every day I am shocked at what a little girl she is - the baby is almost completely gone.  She has a strong will, a mind of her own, and an obsession with princesses!