Happy 5th Birthday Allison!

I was going to just post pictures of Allison's fifth birthday and then I began to look back at pictures of the past five years and thought it would be fun to do a video. My little girl is getting so big and it has been amazing watching her grow and change. She came into this world full of life and we have enjoyed every minute of it! Allison had a great 5th birthday with Grandma stopping by and surprising her with a donut and gigantic balloon. She got to sit in the birthday chair at school and wear a special crown. The next day she had friends over for a party and her only request was a bounce house. She is very pround to be five and announces it whenever she gets a chance! She is such a sweet, fun, energetic, full of life little girl. We love you Allison.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Preschool

I was about to write a post on Alli's birthday (I am a little behind) and realized I needed to put Zachary's first day of Preschool first. More then ever I have seen how the middle child can get a little neglected. Maybe it is just my middle child because he is so easy going and good natured that he lets his sister and brother take all the attention, but regardless, he is just as important and deserves his own post about starting preschool. It was my first day back at work the day Zachary started school. I am teaching second grade every Friday and every other Monday and those are the days that Zach goes to school. So, Dad was in charge of getting him off to school. And being the great dad that he is, he remembered to take pictures! Unlike his sister, Zach shed some tears as dad said goodbye, but his teacher Mrs. Nancy said they didn't last long, and he hasn't cried since. He is really enjoying school. First day picture with dad
At school
Playing with his friend Georgia. She is the only one he talks about when I ask him about his day!
My sweet boy

6 Months!

Joshua turned six months on Sunday and it's weird to think he is half a year old! He is wearing his Sunday best with his Ralph Lauren polo suit and his loafers from Uncle Dodo and Auntie Kenna. It was just on Sunday that Alli and I noticed that he cut his first tooth! He loves rice cereal and anything that goes with it, pears, applesauce, bananas. We are going to start veggies this week. I also think he is going to be wild like his sister. I have said that from the beginning. I was making Allison's lunch the other morning and had Josh in his carseat on the floor (not buckled in) all of a sudden I heard him scream. He had launched himself out of the carseat and was face down on the kitchen floor! He is always rolling and moving and loves to be in the mist of all the commotion. He is a very happy baby and is smiling all the time. He weighs a whopping 15lbs. 2oz. which is still the 10%. We love him so much!

Joshua 6 months Zachary 6 months
Allison 6 months

Kindergarten!

It actually happened... my little girl started Kindergarten! It feels like we just brought her home from the hospital and now here we are five years later. Today was Allison's first day at Wildrose. This is the same elementary school where Ryan and I went, so it was extra fun to see her there today. Sorry, but I have to give the whole run-down of events. We just arrived home yesterday from Utah (see previous post) and Grandma Graham wanted to start a back to school tradition. So, Allison was treated to her very first manicure and pedicure! It was just Grandma and Alli, and they had the best time! Grandma stayed for dinner and we had a nice relaxing evening.
I wanted to start a fun tradition also, so the "School Fairy" brought some fun treats for the school kids. Allison's face was priceless when we read the note and she opened the present(pencil box, erasers, sharpener, pencils, and mints!) We then walked down to Rite-Aid and got ice cream.
First Day of Kindergarten Picture ~ That is one happy girl!
Zachary wanted his lunch box too. He put some mints in his!
Walking up to the school. Yes, they held hand on their own. I love that they do that!
Me and Zachy missing Alli
Overall, sending my first to Kindergarten has been a great experience. I love that she is at Wildrose, I love that I know her teacher, Mrs. Mitchell. I love that I will see her on Fridays when I work there and I love that she is so ready. I asked Alli today if she missed me at all. Her exact response, "No" then there was a long pause thinking about the question, "Never." I looked at her a little sad and she said, "But I still love you." "I love you too Alli" is all I could say, holding back a tear.

Grandma-Great

I wanted to post this before we left for Utah but didn't get a chance. Grandma Great finally passed away last week. I say "finally" because over the past ten years that I have been part of the Menlove family, it seems like every time we saw Grandma (Roger's mom) it was going to be the last time we saw her. Except for this last time we were up in Utah, two months ago, she was at her perkiest. I had never heard her talk so much! She was interrupting all of our conversations and was right in the mist of all the commotion. She had just returned from a family camp out where she sat by the campfire and had smores. She held Joshua and loved seeing Allison and Zachary run around. I am so glad to have seen her this way and remember her in such a happy way. It was Allison's first real experience with death and it was a good teaching tool for us as parents to explain to her that Grandma is in a much better place and with Heavenly Father and Jesus. We told her that it is important for us to be good here on earth so that we can see Grandma Great again someday. She understood it as much as a almost five year could and after many tears and a million more questions she looked at me and said, "okay, I am not sad anymore." She hasn't brought it up since. If only everything were that simple! Well, I am now getting ready for my baby to start Kindergarten tomorrow, and I think it will be awhile before I can say, "I am not sad anymore."