End of Summer

Well, the rest of July and the start of August was slammed. Tad was gone almost the entire time. His travel schedule was insane the past 3 weeks. I listed some highlights below.

• Charlotte is officially potty trained and has been for a couple of weeks. I started in June and then stopped because we were too hectic with my grandma's visit. I started in pull ups over the 4th of July and the following week we started in "big girl" panties with plastic lined pants over those. Every once and a while she will have an accident but now it's down to once a week, if that. The first week was not fun - it took her about 2 weeks to understand that you poop in the POTTY not your pants!! Once we explained she could have a sleep over in Sarah-Grace's room when she did poop in the potty she had about 2 accidents after that. She now calls her bottom her "shiny hiney". It's so funny.
• The girls were inseparable this summer. Example, 2 weeks ago they cried and screamed at me when I put Charlotte down for a nap because "they are sisters and they love each other". It was so sweet. Don't get me wrong they bicker and get frustrated. Well mostly Sarah-Grace gets frustrated, Charlotte really doesn't let anything bother her. I think she inherited Tad's "fog". Ha, Ha. But they really are so wonderful together and to listen in on their conversations is AWESOME.
• Sarah-Grace decided the week before last she wanted her ears pierced. We went to the store, watched another little girl FREAK OUT at the last minute and then we decided clip-on's are good for right now.
• The girls started school yesterday and Sarah-Grace is in Kindergarten. I can't believe it. They LOVE it. Charlotte was the only one not crying when I dropped her off. She was not happy when I picked her up, but she came without a fight. Sarah-Grace LOVES Kindergarten. She said today she loves it so much she wants to wake up everyday and go there - which is good because she will!! She stays for lunch now and is so excited to eat with her friends. Yesterday she spent the whole day completing equations with the bank game, "because it takes a while mommy". Today she sewed a pillow, pasted a foam castle, made an animal book by tracing and drawing animal cut outs, wrote a "book" using 5 words she made with the movable alphabet and she came home with a book she read from cover to cover - and pretty well I must say. Usually it takes us a long time to read a whole book - but her reading is becoming smoother.
• Tad officially turned in his notice at Par 3/Varolii last night. He will soon be the Vice President at a new start up company. He is sad to leave Varolii, he loves the people he works with but we feel like God is leading him to a new venture.
• It's been a pretty productive summer for me and new recipes. I made new recipes for sun dried tomato & smoked mozzarella cigars, berry Sangria, sauteed corn, green beans with shallots, broccoli with lemon, rosemary scones, balsamic chicken and a new peanut butter swirl brownie which just might replace the one I've used since I was a sophomore in college! I think Josh just might have introduced me to quicker and easier lunch. I discovered Boars Head Cajun turkey and it makes a mean wrap when you use a sun dried tomato tortilla, a little spicy mayo, lettuce and diced tomatoes, YUM!!
• We went to the beach last week - it was Charlotte's first time. The trip deserves it's own post plus pictures, so stay tuned!