School is out!

Well, it's been out since last Wednesday but I only got around to these pictures.

Honestly I half dreaded and looked forward to it.

 Really though I have been enjoying it so far.

I'm sure Preston and Abbi are thrilled to have the entertainment around.

Here they are waiting for the bus to come

for the last this year.

Picking out lollypops from their bus driver.

Wow!

Can you guess who loves her big sisters and can't keep her eyes off them?

On any of the pictures?

Like, on everyone she is watching them.

The picture below is from this post.

How right I was when I said that I don't know what the next 9 months will bring!

Now I'm getting all sentimental and weepy.

I can't believe Abby was not walking yet and

know she climbs and jumps and says a few words.

Preston was not even born yet and now he's

seven months old!

Most of all my two little black haired kids are gone.

I have been thinking and praying for them alot lately.

I am seriously missing those two lately.

My outside decorations changed too I noticed. No surprise there.

I can not stay committed to anything for long.

Anyway, no use staying in the past.

I put a little end of school basket together for the girls.

I got the idea  here.

They were tickled pink and could not wait to see what I got.

There was

water shoes

flip flops

pencils

activity books

flashlights

marshmallow sticks

small princesses with rubber dresses

toy story book with characters and play mat

beach balls

noodles

shirts that change colors in the sun

my Caddie Woodlawn book from when I was a kid

I have been reading it aloud to them

cosmic brownies, their favorite dessert

toy for Preston

We talked about the items and how much fun we'd have this summer using them.

Then Quintin and I went over the summer rules with them.

We wanted to hit the ground running with a schedule.

I have had these rules up for awhile now but we went over them.

Then on to the chore charts

(say this with a whine in your voice to get the right effect)

Oh, the weeping and nashing of teeth

and how it wasn't far

and that nobody at school has to work all summer

and how they got to play last summer

(which is not true)

and on and on and on.

                                         

just noticed the last one says no tattling unless it's seriously.

Seriously what?

Bleeding?

They're going to jail?

I probably meant serious.

So anyway to end everything on a good note

their schedule has gone very smoothly.

They are actually coming to me asking if it's time for Abby to go down for her nap

so they can have school time.

I think they enjoy that one on one time with me.

Also the chores are not that bad.

They seem to be getting the idea that the quicker they do their chores the quicker they have free time.

I have tweeked it here or there but over all I'm so glad we are doing it.

Tomorrow we are going shopping most of the day

so they have most of the day off.

And when I say shopping for the day I just mean stopping in two or three stores

including the grocery store.

With four kids that will take all day   :-)