Back to School

First Day of School! Starting a new School!  Starting Kinder! Big Day! 

I remember really having to choke back tears on Lawson's first day of Kinder.  Especially when I was walking out of her Kinder class and leaving her there.  I had never really been away from her like that.  Hudson went to a half-day Keller pre-school last year.  So, it didn't really "feel" like he was doing something brand new this year.  Which was great because I got to enjoy the morning and not feel like I might lose it at any moment!

He was ready to get to his classroom and get the year started!

How awesome to walk up and find play-doh waiting for you!

And then we were off to get Lawson situated in the gym.  Hurricane Creek begins every morning with Rise and Shine...a little mini pep rally where the do the pledge, get announcements, have special speakers, etc.  Hudson will go to Rise and Shine normally but they have Kinder just go straight to classrooms on the first day.

They both gave their first day of school a thumbs up!  

Happy 16th!

We are celebrating our first anniversary as Arkansans this year!  Sweet 16!  Robbie suprised me with a fun overnight stay at the DoubleTree Hotel in the River Market.  We had a great time!

The kids had there first official sleepover at Nonie and Poppas.  They were really excited to pack their bags and stay at Nonie and Poppa's house by theirselves!

We ate dinner at Boscos and walked around the River Market area. We could see Bill Clinton's Presidential Library in the distance and Robbie suggested we walk down to it.  It was one of those things where something looks much closer than it actually is.  And it was an August afternoon...hot!  About halfway there, we were thinking this wasn't the best plan he ever had...but we were committed at that point...to much invested to back out!  We finally made it and were so looking forward to getting into the A/C...when we discovered we arrived 10 minutes before the libary closed!  REALLY!?! The security guard talked us in to coming in just to look at the Oval Office.  However, we managed to speed walk through most of the museum.  We saw some really cool things!

This photo doesn't do Hilary's china justice!  This table was glowing with gold aura and was breathtaking!



A dress Hilary wore to a White House gala.  I'm thinking she must like gold?!



Bill Clinton's baby bracelet!  I can't believe that the hospitals actually beaded these little bracelets!  It was  so tiny and sweet!  (Clinton was the last name of his stepfather)



One of Little Bill's drawings.  Pretty violent, huh?

Little Billy's Report Card

And his High School Diploma



This replica of the Oval Office was really amazing.  It was the entire room.  It had windows you could look into it through. 

This was one of Bill Clinton's presidential limos!

We made a quick trip into the gift shop and they had "I Miss Bill" hats, t-shirts, etc.  They cracked me up!  I almost decided to get everyone an "I Miss Bill" item for Christmas.  Not that I was a big Bill fan...I just think it's funny!

 

Getting Settled

We are unpacked, still hanging a few things on the walls and Robbie has started work this week.

  So, life is looking more like normal...whatever that is!

We went school supply shopping and got back to school hair cuts this week! We are ready!
The kids have discovered that they can watch the services at Church at Rock Creek live on the web.  So, they have both been really excited to watch their daddy lead worship. I think it is really sweet!




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Walked in to their bedroom to find them singing and performing to an imaginary audience one evening!  You can see their bunkbed.  They are sharing a bedroom in the apartment...and it is going suprisingly well!

 

I got the blocks and Tinkertoys out one afternoon for the kids to play with.  Had been awhile since I had seen them play with these and thought it might peak their interest!  And WOW...Lawson built this swingset completely by herself just from looking at a picture on the box!  She was barely able to buid a mic stand last time she played with them.  I guess it had been awhile! And Hudson built this elaborate Zhu Zhu Pet daycare (guess where his momma worked!).  He said the brown Zhu Zhu pet on the bridge was the master of them.  He used every block we own!  Quite a project!

 

One afternoon, they played baby dolls.  Which is always my favorite.  They have 6 baby dolls...1 representing and named after each cousin on the Gibbs side.  And they are SO elaborate in the care they take of them.  I love seeing them pick right up with activities they used to do in Keller.  Make me feel like they are adjusting well to the change.

 

Our apartment is on a Golf Course...so we wasted no time in getting out on it.  The kids BOTH love to play golf.  And I LOVE to drive a cart.  So, it is a great family outing!

 

Hudson is thinking of having a skating themed birthday partyt this year...so we went and checked out the skating rink.  He is quite the little skater!  The rest of us could not keep up with him SERIOUSLY!

School starts next week.  Really thankful for this week to unpack, relax and get ready for life in Little Rock!

Meet The Teacher

Big changes!  New Elementary School for Lawson and Hudson starting Kindergarten! 

We had to make a quick but informed decision as to what school the kids would go to when we moved.  This was the first time we moved since we had school aged kids.  It is a big deal.  And makes the decision a LOT harder.  We quickly discovered that we were not comfortable with most of Little Rock's public schools.  There were a few elementaries that were ok, but they fed into challenged Middle and High Schools.  We toured a private school but it just didn't feel right to us.  We LOVE community elementary schools...where your kids go to school with your neighbors. It is what we are used to.  It makes it easy to form relationships with your neighbors because you have something in common.  And the kids enjoy playing and seeing kids from their school in their neighborhood. 

 After praying and researching, we thought we would feel best about putting the kids in Bryant ISD (a suburb of Little Rock).  

Here is Hudson with his Kinder teacher, Mrs. Whitfield.  She seems really sweet.  His classroom is bright and cheery.  The school is about 4 years old and is one of the first "green" schools in the state. It is really cute and modern.   It has sky lights and other features to reduce costs and provide a better learning environment.



Lawson was happy as could be with her classroom.  She has Ms. Hill who loves hot pink and green and has outfitted her enitre class in that color scheme!

Had several people ask us what teachers the kiddos got.  When we told them, we got the feedback that they scored some of the school's best teachers! Thank you, God!

We are excited about this year!