First of (many) Lasts.....

I am a pretty optimistic person. I always try to be positive about things and not be such a Debby downer! Many optimistic people say "when one door closes another one opens"...well not me, not today. Today was the last "first day of preschool"...EVER! After this year, we will never have another child in preschool. Luci has been running at the speed of light towards growing and going since the day she was born. She had no issues with sleeping in her bed-and we are big co-sleepers-John William slept with us until Cooper came home from the hospital. Luci did not bat an eye when we took away her bottle-she seemed to think she could get her milk faster through a sippy cup. Right after her third birthday, she decided she was done with her pacifier because we told her when she was ready, the Pappy Fairy would bring her a prize and take her pappy's...(I didn't mean I wanted her to do it then) Potty training-a breeze-nothing like dealing with a little boy. So she has pretty much flown right through all the things that are pretty big milestones. And I have accepted them....but not this. I am NOT, I repeat not happy about today. Never again will we have the exciting first day of preschool-never, ever-no more little ones going off to preschool. Next year she will be at the big school with the boys and its all over!! I can't believe how fast time flies. I was looking at her sweet little self last night while she was sleeping (mind you it was after it took a spanking to get her to go to bed) and thinking how I could not believe they are all as big as they are. John William started 5th grade this year-5TH GRADE-is that not ridiculous? And Cooper is in 2nd this year-LAWD,I hope we all survive that! I am amazed at the little people they are becoming. They have their own opinions-usually strong ones-they have their own style and taste-they each have their own individual quirkiness. It is so wonderful how they are all so different and yet so similar. Many times reaching a milestone is a big deal-as is this one-but for me, it is kinda sad. They are just one more day away from flying the coop! (Although, we have John William convinced that the magic number is 40-he has to be 40 to get a girlfriend, 40 for a cell phone, 40 to get married, 40 to move out of the house, etc...)

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

A few pics from the first week of school and a trip down memory lane.....

John William's first day of fifth grade-would barely let me take his picture and there was not any goodbye kisses!

"The spirit is there in every boy; it has to be discovered and brought to light."
Robert Baden-Powell

John William's first day of kindergarten...2006

Cooper and his new 2nd grade teacher! He did let me kiss him but he didn't like it.

"Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable."
Plato

Cooper's first day of kindergarten-2009


Luci on her way in the school for the second time this week-i took her to school Monday morning and when I saw a lone teacher in the parking lot, I asked why no one was at school, to which she replied " Because we start school on Wednesday"...Luci was NOT a happy camper.

Luci and her last preschool teacher Ms. Barbara, who we had with Cooper and was wonderful with him. I can't wait to hear the stories she has to tell about Luci this year!

"Happy girls are the prettiest!" Audrey Hepburn

Long time coming...

So, once again, I have been absent from the blogging world. It always seems to get put on the back burner and this past year of school was the busiest we have very been. I am sure its going to be the same this year. So I will touch on a few things that have gone on in our family since my last post......

Cooper making straight A's for the whole year-first grade
(not making straight A's in the behavior department)

John William making A/B honor roll for the year-fourth grade
(He did however make straight A's in the behavior department)

Luci had a great school year too-only she is dying to be able to read-she doesn't understand why at four she can't read like her brothers

Cooper's baseball team was runner up in their league and he loved every minute of it. Soccer was great for him and will be better this year-he has decided he wants to play on a tournament team and go to tournaments that have hotels with swimming pools like John William

John William's soccer team won a soccer tournament in Tupelo in March-in the FREEZING, COLD, MUD!!! It was unlike anything I have ever seen and I completely gave my heart to soccer at this tournament! So yes, My name is Laura Dow and I am a soccer mom!

On April 2 ( almost April's Fools) my grandmother celebrated her 98th birthday! Its amazing how well she is doing for 98!

Luci had her first dance recital and I think she stole the show! She loved,loved, loved dance and her teacher and I am pretty sure they love her too! We gave her a bouquet of flowers with a ballerina barbie in them and you would have thought she got a diamond!

John William decided after 3 years of not playing, that this year he wanted to play baseball. Well, after the first game when he stood in the outfield for a while and struck out a few times, he said "this is kinda boring..." To which I replied-"this is baseball, it's not soccer where you are all over the field-be patient" And patient he was! It was quite a humbling experience for him-he's never NOT been good at something. He worked at it all season and finally hit the ball-let me re-phrase that -He got a home run! It was amazing-bless his heart!

We barely made it through the month of May. We had the end of soccer, baseball and dance all at once. We literally had 2 places to be every afternoon for almost the whole month. It was exhausting!

We spent the fourth of July with our friends Lesli and Mark and their kids on the beach! It was a great trip!

Cooper and John William went to Warner Tully camp this summer for a week. When we dropped them off, Luci cried all the way home. She woke up the next day and said "Can we go get my brothers?". She pretty much asked me that everyday until they came home.

Jay decided to keep the boys this summer instead of getting a babysitter for them. He can pretty much load them up and take them ot with him when he's going to see a farmer or going to a Sanders' location. His mom and my mom have been pretty helpful when he's had an actual meeting. He did say the other day, that he was really looking forward to them all going back to school...hmm, wonder why that is?

I am looking forward to TRYING to blog more regularly. I love reading peoples blogs and seeing their pictures and trying the recipes. I am going to try to do better.....I think I can, I think I can!!!