Kindergarten, here we come!

Brace yourself.....it's been a while since we posted. Where to start? What a summer! The kids kept busy with summer camps, playdates, and trips, and before I knew it, it was August and we were back-to-school shopping. Say what? But let me back up a bit and recap some very important events for the Pattersons. First off, Gray graduated from St. George's Episcopal Preschool and we were all so proud of him! He belted out the words to every song, proudly declared that he wanted to be an "Army guy" when he grew up, and snatched his diploma out of Ms. Cheryl's hand without any hesitation. The next day, we packed up and headed to the beach where we soaked up the sun, played in the sand, and swam until we were wrinkly prunes. Another wonderful week full of memories and we are so grateful to Adam's aunt and uncle, The Griesbecks, for sharing their amazing home with us again this year. I even got to spend some time with one of my oldest friends, Beverly, and her sweet family! When we got back to Germantown, Gray had his first soccer camp with Soccer Ole and did great! He sweated like crazy and played his heart out and it was an all-around great experience. Meanwhile, Hayes and I spent the week at the church getting ready for Bible School. This year's theme was "Everywhere Fun Fair" and yours truly was in charge of the decorations. That's what you get when people find out you're crafty....eek! VBS went great and Hayes was so proud to get to go with Gray this year. What a big girl she's growing into! Gray had a few other camps throughout the summer that kept him busy and focused....tennis, baseball, basketball, and Safety City, and I was so proud of how well he did with all of them. He was so great about being independent, following through, playing hard, and being a good sport, and that made me one proud momma! Hayes also had a big ole time this summer, mostly hanging out with me, but also at a few camps. She did a summer art/dance camp, a gymnastics camp with Gray, and a theatre camp where she made her stage debut as "Cottontail". And she also turned 4 with a ballerina birthday party at the clubhouse. All of her friends came and participated in a ballet class and rehearsal, then dressed up and performed for the parents. What a bunch of hams! We spent the 4th of July in town, but stayed busy! The kids rode their bikes in the Kimbrough Woods parade, which ended at the clubhouse for a pool party. Hayes won her first swim race and Gray was so proud, he made sure everyone knew that was his sister! Next we headed to the country club for some water fun and then over to a friend's house for a cookout and fireworks. 6 adults + 6 kids = tons of fun! We took one last trip down to the coast to see P and Pop and the kids had a blast going to their first waterpark, playing outside, visiting the beach, and eating at The Whitecap (one of our faves!). Next, we headed down to Louisiana to help celebrate my grandmother's 91st birthday, and then to my Godfather's house, who just turned 86. I'm so glad we had the chance to spend some time with family we hadn't seen in a while. As soon as we got back, it was time for Gray to start kindergarten. And even though I've had all summer, well all year really, to get used to the idea of him going, it was still tough. But meeting his sweet teacher, Mrs. Brasfield, and learning all about his new school, Farmington, really put me at ease. We are so lucky to live in such a great community with such sweet schools and I am super excited about Gray's first year as a Farmington Falcon. We've already joined the PTA and have met lots of new friends that make this process not-quite-as-scary. I am so proud of Gray and the big boy he is turning into. He was so brave that first day of school, showing no hesitation, and coming home with one story after another about all he is learning and doing. He must have felt it too because he came home after the first week and decided to ride his bike without training wheels....and he did! After only a couple of tries and a few falls, he was riding on two wheels! I know this is going to be a big, big year for my not-so-baby-boy, and I can't wait for all we have ahead of us! Hayes, too, is growing up right before our eyes. Even though she is 20 months younger than Gray, she is only one class below him, so she started 4k this week with Ms. Cheryl, Gray's amazing teacher from last year. It's hard to remind myself that they were almost a year apart when they each started her class, but I have already found myself surprised at what Hayes can do. She is loving her new class at SGEP already, and learning something new every day! She also started soccer and she is just as fast as her big brother on the field! Go birdie, go, with your long legs! Well that was a lot, so that's all for now. Hopefully it won't be so long before I post next time, but with the days as packed as they are, it's hard to stay on top of it. Until next time, The Pattersons