First Day of Preschool

I had to share these photos of the kids on their first day of preschool. Matthew woke up excited and pretty much kicked me out the classroom door. Miss Alyssa on the other hand was a little cautious of this experience. She held tight to my neck, and if she could have expressed herself at that moment, I'm sure she would say, "please, Mom, don't leave me! I promise I'll be a good girl during your classes!" When I picked them up from school, Matthew didn't want to leave, and Alyssa couldn't get out the door fast enough. Hopefully, she will get into the joys of school soon. I hope all our other friends had a great first day at school!

Before leaving the house photos.

At the front door of the school and in the kids' classrooms.

Nostalgia

I was at first concerned that I didn't have a post for this week's challenge, but then, I came across this one. I took this photo right after my son's second birthday when he got a wooden train set and train table. I chose this photo because:
1) What is more nostalgic than a boy's wooden train set? I mean, it's nice to find toys out there that don't require batteries. You know, the classics.
2) OshKosh! I am a child of the 80's, and I clearly remember those classic OshKosh overalls. It brings me back to cool fall evenings playing in the leaves. Ah, to be a child again...

If you want to check out more awesome Nostalgia photos, head on over to I ♥ Faces (www.iheartfaces.com). You can even submit your own. Enjoy!

She will be missed.

We discovered this weekend that our sweet kitty, Chloe, is no longer with us. She was very special to our family because she was the first present my husband had gotten me. She was a Christmas present in 1999, right after we started dating. Chloe has been there for buying our first home, having our first child, having our second child, and pretty much all our "firsts". We will all miss her dearly.


Chloe: Dec. 1999- Aug. 2009

Bubble Bath

Matthew cannot jump in the bath without a ton of bubbles. I took this about a month ago because I thought he was SO cute! Check out I ♥ Faces (www.iheartfaces.com) for more photos with bubbles. I know mine isn't that creative, but it sure is fun.




Hope you all have a great week! Good luck on this week's challenge!

Three Amigos

We had a great time yesterday when the kids' cousin came to visit. They played bikes all day long! These photos mean so much to us because they truly express the joy the kids were experiencing being together. I hope you enjoy!




Here are some photos of Alyssa as she was getting ready to take a nap. She is such a funny little girl! Yes, she really wore those glasses to bed.


Have a fantastic week as summer wraps up! I know some of you are heading back to school, so good luck on your first week back!

Oh, Funny Face!

This week at I ♥ Faces (www.iheartfaces.com), the theme is funny or crazy faces. Well, when you take as many pictures as I do, you're bound to get some goofy ones in there. I had the hardest time picking, but here is our entry. Alyssa during one of her meal times. She makes the best faces!


I have to include the "honorable mentions" from our house as well just for fun. There were just so many to choose from!









Well, that's it for us today. Hope you had a good laugh!

Family Photos

A couple of weeks ago, a very talented photographer and family friend took some photos of our family. Her work is fabulous! You must go to her website and check out more of her beautiful work: www.artfromtheheartphotography.com!

Here are a few photos from our experience. They really capture the moment. Thank you so much, Teresa!

This next one is for Alyssa's 2 year old birthday photo. That is a classic Alyssa grin!


Here are some of just the kids and me, one-on-one. I usually hate getting my photo taken, but Teresa knows how to make me look my best.



Well... that's it for now! Hope your week is pleasant, wherever you are.

P.S. Teresa from Art from the Heart graciously shared these images with me to put on this blog. I voluntarily shared the information about her business simply because I think she is so fantastic!

Summer Lovin'

This week at I ♥ Faces (www.iheartfaces.com), it's time to share our story in photos of summer. What is the Reustle summer story? Three words: swimming, St. Louis, and family. The kids had a blast at their swimming classes. We also took a brief vacation to St. Louis, MO, where we went to their awesome Zoo and Grant's Farm. We had lots of family time including Alyssa's second birthday, sunset bike rides, visiting the Children's Discovery Center, and just hanging around the house. It's not over for us yet though. We will be going camping this upcoming weekend. Yea!

The New Preschool

Why is it so difficult for a woman who taught in child care for years to take her children to preschool?? We are going to visit the kiddos new (and first) preschool today. It's a feeling of relief, excitement, and guilt. Relief because I know they are ready and capable. Excitement because I can't believe they're already able to do so much! Guilt because I hate leaving them even though I know they are okay. Choosing the right school is also very important. What if I made the wrong choice?? Wish us luck as we start a new journey into the "school age years."

Oh, calculus is over! Hooray! Hopefully, that will be my last math class ever, but I always say that and end up having to take another.

Nighttime Training Success

I just had to share that Matthew stayed dry all night long (in big boy pants)! After a year of potty training, we are finally at the last step! Of course there will be set backs, but for now, we are celebrating the moment. Now, we will start to potty train Alyssa starting Friday. Finals will be over, and we will have about 3 weeks together before school starts again. Ah, the journey begins again...

Beach Baby

This is a photo of my daughter at the beach on our vacation in Florida. She would get tickled every time the wind would blow in her hair! This photo was submitted to I ♥ Faces : At the Beach (www.iheartfaces.com)

Welcome

Welcome to our family blog! This will be a space for us to share family stories with loved ones far and near. I hope you enjoy the journey "Life with the Reustle's."