Jack's Pre-K Graduation!

Jack graduated from Pre-K last Friday and I feel like the occasion got a little lost in Dylan's 1st Birthday celebrations.  His ceremony and her princess party were on the same day so it was a bit hectic.  But, it was a really special day at his school that morning and we made a very big deal about it.  We are so proud of him for doing such an amazing job in preschool.  He just flourished and had awesome experiences both at Tutor Time and his former school, Primrose in Atlanta. 

Jack is just one of those kids who fits right in and makes the best of any situation.  He loves to make friends, play and learn so we never had any concerns about him in school.  I mean, this kid LOVES going to school every day.  I just can't believe these years are over now and he'll be heading to Kindergarten in September!  Sniff, sniff! He'll be at Tutor Time for Summer Camp until the middle of August, then we're going to try 2 weeks of camp at his new school so he can make some friends.  I know he will do great!

The ceremony was super cute!  The teachers made a really big deal out of it.  The kids marched in to the traditional graduation song.  Then all the kids had to stand up and say what they wanted to be when they grew up.  Jack said a policeman which was news to me!  Then they recited poems and sang songs...Frozen's Let It Go, of course!  It was adorable.  Finally, we all went outside for a picnic.  It was a very good morning!  Here are some pics I captured...

Jack and 2 of his best buddies for the past 3 years, Joshua and Gavin.  Sadly, 2 of the boys have moved but we still see them often so the boys can play.  I love these kids...

Of course, Jack is the tallest Pre-K kid on the planet so he was first to walk in.  His teachers told us that his gown was the only one they didn't have to hem or alter!

 

 

All the kiddos in their caps and gowns!  Their teachers said it was the best class they had ever had - that figures since there were only 4 boys!  Look at all those precious girls...

Jack telling everyone he wanted to be a "police."  The other boys wanted to be race car drivers, rock stars and train conductors.  Meanwhile the girls wanted to be doctors, engineers and pricesses.  Sounds about right...

Dylan was SO excited when her big bro stood up.  She freaked out...

Jack is getting his diploma from Ms. Kyoko...the best teacher we have ever had!

 

 

Ugh, are we done yet?!  Poor Jack, his cap was a little too snug for his head...

 

I call this one Paparazzi! Sign of the times, I guess.  These poor kids must look out at all these cameras and feel so much pressure...

So proud of our little graduate!

Mimi and Papa came to support Jack!

 

 

We love Ms. Stacy too!  Jack is with her for summer camp so he is thrilled...

Cheetos Face!

Mimi and her Lady D...

 

 

I had to post this one because the little girl standing next to Jack is in love with him.  Her name is Sol and she is precious.  She's very confident and always chases Jack around the playground.  He couldn't care less.  So cute!

Dylan is Walking!

It's official...we have another little walker in the David house!  Miss Dylan is up and running as of today!  For a few weeks she's been teasing us with 2-4 steps when prompted.  But the last 2 days she's been doing it on her own and today she took 13 steps!  So I figured it was time to officially mark the date.  And I just so happened to have the camera with me which was amazing!  Poor Christian is on a biz trip so he missed it, but he's seen her take steps so I think he'll be ok.

I can't believe my little girl is walking!  I'm not sure if I'm sad because she's growing up or because I now have 3 kids who can run away from me.  Here's the princess in action...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puuql4pL9Nk&feature=youtu.be

A Day in the Life of the Birthday Girl!

As I did with Jack and Gavin, I wanted to document how our little princess spent her first birthday.  It was a special day for her, and for me, so I wanted to make sure we had some fun.  We had a fantastic day but I am so sad that it's already over.  I'm having a really hard time with her turning one so I love that I will always have these photos to remind me what a fun day she had and how much I enjoy spending time with her!  I honestly wish it would never end! 

Good morning happy birthday girl!  She was in such a great mood but unfortunately she kept blinking from the flash so I couldn't get a good picture.  She still looks adorable!

 

 

Of course I had to share Jack and Gav's birthday morning pictures.  I think she looks so much like Jack...

 



 

And then there is grumpy Gavin!  Awe, I just noticed they were all wearing the same sleep sack....

 



 

 

Later that morning we tried on her birthday outfit and tutu!  She looked SOOOOO CUTE!  But she wasn't impressed with the itchy tulle...

 



 

 

Then she got on board and smiled for her 1 Year picture!



 

 

After pictures and breakfast, we headed out for an early lunch with Dylan's sweet besties, Audrey and Natalie.  These girls have such a special friendship...

 

On the menu....mac n' cheese, fruit and a little cookie. Of course, she chowed!

And then she basked in the sunshine of her beautiful California day...

After lunch we took the kids to Barnes & Noble to destroy the children's book section.  My kids LOVE going there to check out all the new books and cool toys.  I definitely don't mind buying them books and I am so happy that they are so into reading...

As soon as we got home the boys were dying to give Dylan the present they got her.  They were so excited because they thought of it on their own and picked it out all by themselves...

She loves her new Minnie Mouse bike! Now she can ride down the driveway with her big bro's...

 

 

I just love this picture of my sweet girl.  You can see that her hair is starting to curl at the ends.  Precious...

After all the excitement Dylan went down for a nap so daddy quickly built her little house before she woke up.  Jack is always willing to jump in and help his daddy...
 

Surprise baby girl!  Your first house....

 

 

Hey guys, hands off my house...

The boys enjoy it as much as Dylan does.  I love that it's something they can all play with together.  They have played in it every day since she got it...

 

If it makes her this happy every day, this house is the Best. Gift. Ever!



 

 

My traditional birthday photo, taken at the exact time she was born, 5:39 pm.  I look forward to many, many more of these in the future...

Dinner time!  I made Mexican, which she absolutely gobbles up.  She also got ice cream for the "first" time...

Such a piggy...

After getting nice and sticky at dinner, daddy cleaned her up and had some giggles.  She adores her daddy as you can see...

 
Then it was reading time with mommy, Dylan's favorite thing to do...

And finally some snuggles.  I really cherish these moments with my girl.  Good night sweet angel.  Hope you loved your birthday...

Dylan is 1 Year Old!

 

I'm One Year Old!

I can't believe I am typing these words right now....my little princess turned one yesterday!  I have such bitter sweet feelings about her first birthday.  On one hand I have loved every minute of this past year with her and I love watching her grow and become independent.  But on the other hand I am so sad that this year is already over.  As I looked though all of her pictures from the last 12 months to write this blog, all I could think was that I wanted to go back and do it all over again. It was the most amazing year of my life!  And she is most likely my last child so I never want this wonderful time to end.  My heart aches just thinking about never having another baby in the house. So I guess I need to just enjoy the time I have with Dylan.

Dylan has brought indescribable joy to me, my marriage, my little family and the rest of our extended family.  She is the little girl I waited 38 years for and the experience has far exceeded all of my expectations. I have always loved being a mother to the boys, but having the privilege to raise a daughter has provided me a love that I have never known.  She's my girl and she will be my best friend for the rest of my life.  My mom and I are so close and I cannot wait to have that bond with Dylan.  Just the thought of being with her through all those wonderful life experiences makes me so happy.

She has brought such a sweetness to our home.  We all love having her around and she is so special to each of us.  She's my best buddy, but also a total daddy's girl.  Jack dotes on her and even Gavin is starting to really love her.  And she in turn adores her big brother's...they can make her smile and laugh like nobody else.  I love that they call her "cutie!"  I hope that nickname sticks forever.  So even if I don't have another baby, she definitely completes our family in a beautiful way!

She is funny, silly, active, inquisitive, smart and very feisty!  She's almost walking and loves to talk even if she makes no sense at all.  She does say about 12 words now which is great for her age.  She loves books, cars, babies, puzzles, balls, food and dancing.  And she's a total Diva who demands everyone's attention!  I have no doubt that she will be running this household by the time she's 2!  But I think that's ok with the rest of us.  We all adore her!

I seriously could go on for days, but I think after all my blogs this past year, you know how much I love this child.  It really does border on an obsession!  But I am not afraid to admit that!  If I feel this way about her now, I can't even imagine how much more my love will grow over the years.  I definitely have a lot to look forward to!  But for now, let's take a little trip down memory lane and see how Miss Dylan has grown this past year...

 

 

 

And here are all of my three little chickens at one year.  You can tell they are siblings, but Dylan and Jack look like twins at this age ...