Caden turns 7!!

So I couldn't post a blog about Caden's birthday on time since I didn't post Blake's on time or that would look partial:)

Happy 7th Birthday Caden Tait!!  I cannot believe it has been 7 years already!!  We are over halfway to the teen years now :( I would love to step back in time to the day we welcomed him into our family. I don't want to have the pain again :) but to hold him for the first time and just to fall so in love with him again.  Caden was such a great baby and I loved holding him... he will still let me hold him from time to time.  He isn't one to show his deep feelings or emotions on things but on occasion he will open up and I love those moments when I can discover a little more about it.  He is great at procrastinating and trying to persuade!!  He still desires to be the fastest and first.  He is such a joy to us and I am so proud of the little boy he is growing up to be! 

 

Caden was always so photogenic and made the best pictures:) Of course I  know I am partial.  I just think he was too cute (still is when he will cooperate for the camera).

 

I wish his curls would have stayed.

 

3 years old here and having so much fun!

 

My big birthday boy....7 years old! 

 

Since we had a party with friends already we celebrated with grandparents that came into town.  Caden wanted us to hide his presents so he would have to look for them.  We did and gave him clues he had to read... both of the boys enjoyed it.... more on that later! 

 

I love you Caden Tait Whittaker!!  Please don't grow up too fast or ever get too big to hold!!

Party time!

I would be rich if i had been paid every time I was asked "when is our birthday party?" and every time I explained the concept of this day is Blake's actual birthday, this day is the day we are having your birthday party, and this day is Caden's actual birthday.  Then to explain to Blake "no, you did not turn 5 one month and then the next month at your party turn 6..... you are 5" and to Caden "no, you will not be 7 on your birthday party day but 10 days later you will turn 7 on your actual birthday."

By the time the party day arrived I was so ready for it to be done :) I will say though we took the easy route this year. (1) Choosing to celebrate together is easy because right now the boys have all the same friends.  I would have loved to invite more but we wanted to keep it smaller and with just the boys in our neighborhood and our pastors boys.... we have a crew :) (2) We had it at a Play Center where they have some bouncies inside and they sale Rainbow Play equipment so everyone can go outside and use the playsets and trampolines!  It was a little hot to be outside but the boys all played really hard and I think they all had a great time.  (= no cleaning my house before the party and then again after the party!) (3) I made cupcakes and ordered the cupcake toppers off of Etsy!!

We all survived, but I feel it has taken all week to recover from it :) Now to regroup and celebrate Caden's actual birthday!  I cannot believe I now have a 7 yo and a 5 yo!!! :(

***Here are pictures from the party :)****

Preschool Bound

Blake went to a preschool in TN two mornings a week, but hasn't gone anywhere since we moved to GA.  He has been home with me the entire time we have lived here and I have enjoyed it!  However, it is time and he is so ready!!

He is with me every day when we drop Caden off and pick Caden up and he kept asking when he was going to go to school.  He remembered that he at least got to go 2 days a week before.  His time arrived and he couldn't get there fast enough.  He got up and dressed that morning and didn't want to eat breakfast.  He wanted to know if I could just drop him off before taking Caden to school (his doesn't start until an hour after Caden's).  When we did get to his school he almost had the door opened before the car was in park :)  I am glad he was excited about it.  Even though he was eager he was shy once we got in his room but he was still very brave, he just was very quiet :)

I think it is going to be a great year for him.  He has gone 3 days so far and so far he is still smiling when I pick him up.  Today he was excited because they were going to go to the library :) He is only gone 4 hours a day 4 days a week so the time does go by fast and it will go even faster when I start volunteering at the schools and if my GA license will ever get here and I start back to work.

Not Me!

Who took these pictures.... not me!!  :)

I was uploading the pictures and this is what I see... Looks like they had fun with daddy at some point.  I just hope these were clean!!! :)  Silly boys!

1st Grade - Ready or Not!!

I don't think Caden or I were ready for school to start back.  I never thought I would be one of those moms who hated to see the summer end but I actually have struggled with it.  Caden isn't one who shows his excitement very readily and he has never claimed to like school.  I have tried to find things this last week to get him a little more eager (as well as myself) and to make sure we had some fun this week.  I really really pray he has a good year.  Friday was  a day of much anxiety for me and mommy doubt and guilt.  Today (day 2 of school) was better.  Don't get me wrong, Caden did fine.  He said he had a good day both days but that is about the extent of detail that I get!  We have told him his task each day was to find out the name of a new friend.... he has yet to do that and he says it is because they haven't had recess.  I guess you cannot find out a classmates name unless you are on the playground.  What happened to the name game that we would play every year the first week of school??? 

Here he is SOO excited to face his first day of 1st grade ;) can't you tell?? ;)

The best smile I could get!

Love you Caden!! 

So now it is a week of just Blake and I and then he starts a half day preK on Monday.  He is ready, but I am not!

Final Saturday of Summer Break :(

I cannot believe summer break is over!  On the last Saturday of summer break we took the boys on a few treasure hunts (geocache) and to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge.  They wanted to see some gators:) We did get lucky enough to spot a few gators and a lot of birds!!  I would say it was a good day with all my boys and to top it off.... lunch at Chick fil A!!

Caden loved this.... he thought he was so big:)!

I spy a gator.....

The gator spies me......

Time for "treasure" hunt #2 of the day.... it takes a while to decide what we want to trade.

Stopped at a park to play before the rain rolled in.... Caden did great on the monkey bars and yes I am nervous he is going to fall.  I try to hard to relax but since his broken arms these things get me.

Handsome boy!

Blake loves the tire swing!!!!