The First Day of School

Well, the girls had their first day of school today and it was a big success! Andy takes the girls to school so he sent me an update on how their morning went. I was so nervous about how it was going to go, but I was busy all morning and didn't have much time to think about it.

Both girls went straight into class, introduced themselves to their teachers and there were no tears. Yay! When I picked the girls up, they were both happy and excited to tell me about the fun they'd had at school. I can't even tell you how relieved I am that they enjoyed their day.

This picture cracks me up (for many reasons)! Sophia's sign says:

• She's 2 years old
• She loves Rosie, blue & pink, and pickles
• When I grow up I want to eat food.  Ha!

Emma:

• 4 years old
• Loves football, green & blue, and spaghetti
• When I grow up I want to be a firefighter

 Here are both of my big girls on their first day. I'm dying over how big Sophia's backpack is. What a cutie!!!

Funny note: Andy didn't realize that Sophia wasn't wearing shoes until they were getting into the car. Mornings can be hectic. ;)

Girls, 

Mommy and Daddy are so happy that you love your teachers and new friends. We hope that you always love school as much as you do now. We are so proud of both of you and we love you very much!

Back to School

It's a very big week at the Stegner house. Not only am I going back to school, but the girls will both be in full-time Pre-K this year! I'm excited for them, but VERY nervous.  Emma loves her school and is thrilled to go five days a week now. Sophia, on the other hand, doesn't like change and is pretty much a homebody.  I know that she will also learn to love school but it just may take some getting used to. 

We've been prepping the girls for weeks now, talking about the big changes that would be happening, talking about their new schedule, praying for their teachers, etc. Today we spent the day together and having fun.  Emma has been begging to go to the mall, so to the mall we went. We didn't buy a single thing...Emma just wanted to ride the escalators and go to the Disney Store. :)

After naps, the girls and I read The Kissing Hand. This is my absolute favorite back-to-school book and I never make it through the book without crying. The girls and I loaded up each other's hands with kisses to get us ready for our first day of school.

After our story, we made our own cookie kissing hands. I used a hand shaped cutter for most of the cookies but each girl got to make their own special cookie by tracing their hand in the cookie dough. Each hand was topped with a kiss to make it complete. 

The girls loved making their kissing hands and loved eating them even more. I told the girls that now they have a little love in their hands and tummies. ;)

Sophia with her special cookie.

Emma with her special cookie.

I'm so excited for them, and for me, as we all begin a new school year. I pray that they will love their teachers.  I pray that their teachers will love them. I pray that I can remember my own sweet girls when I might lose my patience with one of my students and react how I hope their teachers react. I pray that we can all have a happy, safe, and wonderful year at school!

Waterfalls, Deer, and Bears, Oh My!

Yesterday we took a trip up to the mountains to visit Cade's Cove. Cade's Cove is a section of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The valley was home to early settlers in the mountains.  Many buildings are still standing and it's a great place for sightseeing. We drove the 11 mile loop and made a few pit stops to take in some history.

The girls enjoyed the old buildings and settlements, especially Emma, who has been reading Little House on the Prairie. She loved making comparisons to the book with the houses we saw and seeing a mill, just like the one where Charles Ingalls worked.

Of course, they were more interested in the wildlife and became expert animal spotters. We saw horses and wild turkeys, but their favorites were the deer and bears. Poor Sophia fell asleep and missed the bear, but loved hearing all about it!

This spider completely freaked me out. Even though I tend to exaggerate about the actual size of spiders, I'm not exaggerating when I say this monster was the size of Sophia's hand. Not that I let her near it for comparison...it might have eaten her.

For me, my favorite part was spending time with my sweet family and enjoying the peace and quiet of the mountains. The trees, the woods, the rivers...it makes me a little homesick for my beloved Grass Valley, but it's a joy to be so close to such a beautiful place that I can visit and share with my girls.