Breyden is two and Cade is in Kindergarten!

We just returned from a fantastic Summer with our family. I think the three of us put record mileage on planes, trains, and automobiles...but it was well worth it! 5 states over 6 weeks between the three of us - WHEW! It is time for a rest - at least until Labor Day!

Cade and Brey had 4 wonderful weeks with their cousins. Caleb, Sophia, Jackson, John Michael, Ella, Parker and Ellee all met us at Camp Nanna for many wonderful days outside. There was a slip-n-slid, a jumping castle, a fire pit for Smores at night, and everyone even had their own big wheel. Bubba, Snookie, GiGi and Uncle Mike even made it to Camp Nanna for a few days to see how their grand-babies get to spend their time on the West Coast.

On July 27th we had Brey's 2nd birthday a couple of days early at Camp Nanna with all of the cousins. We had lots of cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, and chocolate cake. It was really wonderful to have family (not all of it sadly) around for her big day. And since "Happy Birthday" is her favorite song to sing, she loved that we were singing it to her. The next day we added (ok, we didn't add her, Leslie did) Molly Grace Merchant to the gang of cousins. So Camp Nanna grew by one camper this summer! WHOO HOO!

We made it home over the course of this past weekend just in time for the first day of school. The kids took the red-eye on Sunday night and so we were all pretty sleepy as we walked into Goddard at around 11 am on Monday morning. I guess that was why I was in such shock when I took Cade to his regular class and they told me he had been moved next door.....to the KINDERGARTEN class. I was in complete shock and I think they got that when I started crying in the hallway which then made Breyden cry. I think a mom prepares herself for what the first day of kindergarten will look like for her first born:

• A great breakfast like eggs, pancakes with lots of fruit and pretty much whatever else the first born wants on the first day of kindergarten
• A bath...the kid can't be dirty on his first day
• A little gel in the hair (for the 200 pictures that will be taken)
• Lots of pictures... 200+ pictures
• More pictures of him getting on the big yellow school bus
• A ride following the big yellow school bus
• More pictures of him getting off the big yellow school bus

So you see why I was a little taken aback when I walk in late with 2 kids that have had 8 hours of combined sleep, that smell like soured milk, and are dressed like they have a mother that doesn't care what they or even she looks like....etc.

So we are now done with day 2 of kindergarten and we have had 2 nights of homework. I don't remember homework in kindergarten. I don't remember homework in high school....

So this is my first ABC blog and I promise to update it much more often than I did the last....

Love to you all!

Ash, Cade & Brey