Papa Fitzgerald's Birthday

We headed to Grandma and Grandpa (Kellen has nicknamed him "Papa") Fitzgerald's house for Grandpa's birthday dinner. Colin and I foresee there house to be Kellen's Outdoor Oasis in a year or two. They live on acres of land, have vegetables, fruit trees and blueberries (Kellen's favorite!) growing like crazy, hills to run and roll down, deer and bunnies scurrying around, and a mini waterfall that flows into a pond that Colin made years ago. It is THE place to be when you're a kid that loves to be outside. After a delicious dinner and an even more unbelievably amazing banana cream cake, we headed outside to enjoy the scenery. Happy Birthday, Pat!!!

Kellen playing ball with Blink

The Fitzgeralds
Checking out the pond that daddy help build a while ago
Blink wanting to jump outside to play
Uncle Brendan and Daddy playing on the "WEEEEEE" aka Hill

Bikes and One Cute Babe!

Colin and I decided to buy bicycles for our anniversary gifts and we bought a bike trailer to haul our lil' monkey around whenever we ride.  We were pretty nervous that Kellen wouldn't like this new cruisin' mobile (and rightfully so....it is SPENDY!!), but even more nervous about the enormous helmet he had to wear every time we went on a venture.  Thankfully Kellen fell in love instantly!  Colin and I put on our helmets first and kept saying "Look at our really COOL hats, Kellen!  We are just soooo COOL!  Would you like a COOL helmet to wear too???".  Yup, he took the bait and we were quickly on the street ridin' in style around our neighborhood.  I even decided to pick up Kellen this week from daycare on the bike and trailer and it was surprisingly exciting and a great quicky workout to boot.  We stopped on our way home up an endless hill and said "Hello" to the tractors and trucks we saw (thank GOD for those tractors and trailers because mommy needed a little break from that darn hill!).  Now every time we go into the garage, Kellen grabs our helmets, crawls into his bumblebee trailer and says "Ride?  Ride?".  Too flippin' precious!

He just HAD to take his stuffed bear with him!

Do I really have to wear this gigantic thing???

                           Here we go!

The "W" Word

I truly cannot believe how fast this summer has gone by.  It seems like yesterday I was cleaning up my classroom at a high speed rate so I could pick up Kellen from daycare and begin my full-time mommy life right away.  Even though the summer flew by, we had such an incredible time.  I was able to see Kellen blossom into such an amazing little boy.  He is talking up a storm now (repeats EVERYTHING we do and say) and has really taken on singing and does it well!  He is such a super active lil' boy...He definitely helped the calorie burning this summer!  I'm feeling mixed emotions about school beginning on Tuesday.  I am super excited to get back in the classroom and do what I love to do (not to mention get my social life, outside of babies, back), but there are several things that have become routine for Kellen and I that I am going to miss dearly.  The snuggling on the couch every morning watching cartoons while we try to wake up for the day, trying to chug my morning coffee as quickly a possible while Kellen is yanking on my pant leg saying "Outside!  Outside!", rocking him to sleep during nap time and hearing "Mommy?! All done!" when he wakes up, getting hosed down by Kellen as we water the plants (or mommy!) every morning, playing at the park at any time of the day just because we can, running outside on Wednesday mornings to greet the garbage truck (or as Kellen calls it, the "Poo Poo Truck"), weekly playdates with our incredibly supportive playgroup, laying in the sun getting lost in a good book while Kellen naps (hey, a momma's gotta have some "me" time, right?!), and most of all just being there for Kellen all day every day.  I do have to admit though, a mommy could not ask for a more convenient job.  I feel blessed to have the time off that I do to spend with Kellen.  So here I go again as a working mom, hopefully this year will be better than last....

Yup, that's me in our school mascot costume.  I volunteered to wear it for our all staff Back-to-School Pow-wow.  Go big or go home, right??!!!  HA HA!!