Banks starts Kindergarten

Banks started Kindergarten at Montgomery Academy back in August and it was a fun filled week for our little buddy.  He loves school and he is learning so much every day. 

The weekend started off with a super fun Kindergarten party for the kids and the parents.  On Sunday night, Banks met his Senior Buddy, Jud.

They had a great time together playing the games. 

The big day finally arrived!  I think he looks so adorable in his little uniform.  

Sitting with Daddy during Convocation. 

Banks was excited to see Morgan, one of our sitters. 

Cates and Banks 

Sitting at his desk.  Oh I just can't take it.  So sweet and he was so excited!

Hunter and Banks

We are loving Mrs. Hollingsworth 

Second Day of School! 

So far, it has been terrific.  Banks had to have his tonsils out a few weeks ago and so he missed a week of school, but other than that, it has been a great year.  He is making new friends and further developing friendships from preschool.  His favorite activity at school is...no surprise...the playground.  However, he is enjoying all of the enrichments: music, Spanish, art, and science.  They go to the library every Wednesday and he checks out books mostly about Legos and Superheros....sigh....really?  He is happy and that makes us happy. 

Reid's First Day of Preschool

Reid started his fall term at Ascension Day School on Tuesday and it is hard to believe how much he has grown lately.  He is in the Grasshopper class and only has two more years at ADS.  

Here is a fun (and sad) look back at the precious boy's first days of preschool since 2013. 

Oh my heart....my little baby is growing up so fast.  I love him so much it hurts.  

Disney Cruise

Last week, we went on a four night Disney Cruise and the kids had a BLAST!  Bryan and I are not usually the cruise type, but we wanted the kids to have fun.  

We set sail on Monday afternoon and the ship had a big Mickey's Bon Voyage party on the deck.

Nemo's Reef was a big hit.

 

Dinner every night was super fun.  We had the same waiters every night and they were just great.  They did magic tricks and kept the kids entertained. 

 

The Aqua Duck water slide was fun too.  The long wait....not so much. 

We played mini-golf several times.  

Banks and Reid were not into the characters so much.  Reid was absolutely horrified and scared to death of every one of them.  Banks only wanted to meet Chip and Dale and Donald Duck.   

Castaway Cay was super fun and beautiful. 

Pirate Night

We enjoyed going to some of the adult only spots (that is when Reid was not pitching a fit because he was scared of the Kids Club).  This night, we went to hear a violin player in this lounge and it was great.  Poor Reid, the Kids Club was so awesome and there were SO many things to see and do in there (Banks loved it), I think he got a little overwhelmed. 

All in all, it was a great trip and we all had fun.  We are not really "Disney" people but I will say that Disney goes above and beyond to make you feel special and their customer service and hospitality are top notch. 

Kennedy Space Center

The day before we boarded the Disney Cruise, we wanted to spend the day at the Kennedy Space Center.  The boys love space, astronauts, and rockets (and Bryan and I do too) so naturally, we made special arrangements to attend.

This is the exact layout and furniture from the launch control center used for the Apollo 7 mission, the first successful manned Apollo mission.  

The Saturn V Rocket used to launch the Apollo missions was incredible.   

The Moon Rover 

Snoopy!  In the 1960's when the moon race was going on,  NASA recruited Snoopy as a type of "mascot" to capture the interest of children.  

Fun fact:  Charles Schulz was honored by the NASA request and granted NASA free use of Snoopy. The Apollo 10 mission to the moon was named after Schulz's characters, with the command module being named Charlie Brown and the lunar lander named Snoopy.

The rocket boosters and external fuel tank for the Space Shuttle are Enormous!! 

Space Shuttle Atlantis

We also took the bus tour out to the launch pads, 39-B and 39-A, where hundreds of launches have occurred.  It did make me sad to think about the Space Shuttle Challenger and all of the adults and children eagerly watching it live and those crew members who lost their lives that day.  I remember being in the 3rd grade watching it in Mrs. Scott's room and being so confused.  

President Reagan so eloquently stated "The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.  We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.'”

  

Later that night, we played a fun game of mini golf, one of our favorite activities.