Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally

Wow! Homecoming was a BIG deal!  Wednesday was the long awaited parade we had heard about for years! Tradition was for the schools to let out at noon and meet downtown to either watch or be a part of the homecoming parade. This year, they broke tradition and the parade was in the evening. Our little town is growing and changing! And the parade....

It was greatness! First we heard sirens, horns, and cheering. Then around the corner came a firetruck. Next, the band and a convertable with administrators waving! But aside from the decorated floats, the next sights to behold in pure small town form were 4 Mac trucks pulling football players and cheerleaders on flatbed trailers...Varsity, JV, Freshman, Junior High! Greatness! Did I mention I just love our town!!! LOVE IT!  Lots of little floats  followed the big Mack trucks with tackle/flag football teams and their cheerleaders on board. Lily was on one of the floats decked out in her very large mum  throwing candy,cheering, and sooooo excited!!!

On Friday, a pep rally at Lily's school with high school cheerleaders, kept the kiddos in the homecoming spirit before the big game! Cade and I went up to watch the excitement.  He ran immediately to sit with Lily through the entire pep rally! He loved sitting with the "big kids!"  So fun to watch the school spirit!
Go Eagles Go !!!

                                                               Lily's team float ~ above

                                           

                                                                 Pep Rally Fun !!!

Preschool Days

Cade started preschool three weeks after Lily started kindergarten this year. He was so ready he could hardly stand it! We went to Meet the Teacher the week before his school began and he ended up getting Mrs. Kelley. We LOVE Mrs. Kelley!  She not only teaches our kiddos swim lessons in the summertime, she was also Lily's teacher when she was 3!  Now Cade has her for his 3's class! We couldn't be happier! He walked right in at Meet the Teacher and jumped up to give her a big hug and she spun around the room with him!  That little moment made my decision to keep him in Plano two days a week feel so super right!!!  It's a drive, but well worth it!  The first day of school Cade got to Mrs. Kelly's door and said "Mom, I need my  bag," yanked it out of my hand and walked in!! I had
 to remind him to "get back here little man and give
me a hug!" Little stinker!  Love him!!!

Kindergarten Days

Oh how the time has flown!!! Lily is a Kindergartener!  Actually, I'm pretty sure she thinks she's a teenager in a little body, but really I can't believe that we do have a kindergartener in the house! No more 9:00 preschool sleeping in late days...We have carpool and tardies...This is the real McCoy! Up at 6:30, breakfast, dressed, out the door running....We are official now!  Lily was super excited about Kindergarten! Two weeks before school she started getting really nervous about what to expect, but Meet the Teacher calmed her nerves and knowing 3 of her classmates from cheer calmed her a bit, too! She was mostly worried about being at school for 7 hours. She was sort of consumed by the number since she had never been gone from us that long everyday. But, she did GREAT!!!  It didn't hurt that we told her she could get her American Doll's ears pierced if she didn't throw big fits in the morning or at school! (mommy had to have a back up bribe - ha) And of course, that put a bigger sparkle in her eye!

We all did super the first week when we got to walk her to her classroom.... Then came the second week....Mommy did not do so well! The second week we all were told to drive through the front carpool line and let the kiddos walk in by themselves.  I taught Kindergarten, knew what to expect, even told Lily stories about Kindergarten to calm her and had been nothing but excited for her the last couple of years and the entire summer....UNTIL she got out of the car BY HERSELF and walked in the school BY HERSELF.... and well that was it! Happy mommy just watched her walk away and thought "she is growing up so fast, I miss preschool and EVERYTHING about preschool and the prayers and the hugs and the being surrounded by scripture and God's love"....Yep, It hit and it hit hard and I was sad for a couple of days! So much for being the tough mommy who didn't need to go to the Boo Hoo breakfast after drop-off the first day! I told everyone, "I'm excited! I'm not going to cry! I taught Kindergarten! It will probably hit me when she goes to first grade! No Boo Hoo breakfast for me!"A note to all you mommy's who will be sending your kindergartener to school soon : GO TO THE BOO HOO BREAKFAST!!! It's better to get it over with the first day!  Otherwise it hits you later and you don't have anyone around and Kenny Chesney comes on the radio with his song "Don't Blink," as you are driving away from the school, which definately DOES NOT make things better ! :)

As for Lily, we just finished up her third week of school! She is happy to report to us how many days she has stayed on green and how many marbles she earned! She is doing fantastic! We are so proud and excited for her! Cade loves having a big sister in big school! We've enjoyed cheer games and carpool with kids around the neighborhood, playdates after school, and hearing about what she is most excited about each week! Kindergarten Days....they'll be gone in a flash! We are all soaking up the fun and excitement !!!

 

Lily at Meet the Teacher Night

                                               Lily's special First Day breakfast at home
                                                           

Cheerleading Texas Style

"Everything is bigger in Texas."  "Go big or go home."  Yeah, that's what I was left saying and thinking the night of our first cheer mom meeting! I really had no idea what I was in for since I was not involved in anything in junior high or high school. I left the meeting with my jaw on the floor and a 5 gallon paint bucket in my hand... along with... a cow bell, two very large bows, a practice uniform, a cheer uniform on the way, white shoes to get,  AND ...DID THEY REALLY SAY THAT A 6 YEAR OLD FOOTBALL PLAYER WOULD BE GIVING MY 6 YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL A HOMECOMING MUM??!! DID THEY ALSO REALLY SAY THAT THE GIRLS GET TO WEAR THEIR CHEER UNIFORMS TO SCHOOL ON FRIDAYS DURING FOOTBALL SEASON??!! Did I mention that I did not speak to boys in high school until about halfway through my senior year either? Yes, I mean, No I did not because I was scared to death of them and super shy! And NO I never went to homecoming OR got a mum!!! I can't believe I am admitting that! And let's face it, who DIDN'T want to be a cheerleader! DARN IT!  I did not want to be the mom who lived vicariously through her children, but how can I not!!! (haha) The only difference is that Lily is 6 YEARS OLD!!!!  Chris and I have had many laughs over this, as have my mom, dad, brother, sister - in - law, best friend, and cousin. Yes, thank you all for your support! :)  So after I finally lifted my jaw off the floor a couple of days later and stopped staring at the paint bucket wondering what I was going to do with it, I made a trip to Hobby Lobby. I sat on the kitchen floor with all of my ribbons, rhinestones, stickers, hot glue gun and scissors.  My crafty side had emerged after 6 years of being somewhat dormant. And boy was it fun!!! The more bling and ribbons I added the more excited Lily and I got! I was called "the coolest mom," the "craftiest mom," "the best mom ever!" So... no more cheerleader envy, I'm "The Best Mom Ever" in Lily's eyes....at least for that moment anyway (haha)  And Chris can't keep me out of Hobby Lobby!!!  I failed to mention that all of this is for the love of 7, count them SEVEN, kindergarten flag football games!  Breathe in- Breath out...Best Mom Ever...Best Mom Ever--- cha-ching $$$   :)

                                                         Cheer pictures and practice

                       Getting some shade under the bleachers with Coach Karen in 100 + temps

                                    Cade and Whitney having a little snack break in the shade

                                     Back to cheering for the team !!! Who Rocks The House.....