Braves Game!

We've been talking about it all summer and we finally took Cooper to his first Braves game! We had baseball tryouts on Saturday morning, got everything packed and headed to Atlanta. We stayed at the Westin Hotel in Buckhead and honestly, I think that was Cooper's favorite part. I'm thinking he's never stayed in a "nice" hotel before so he thought it was super-cool when the valet opened his car door and when we ordered room service at 11:00 at night. The game was fun too. We ate everything in sight (hotdogs, dippin' dots, cotton candy, etc.) and the Braves beat the Marlins (he had told me earlier that when he was in Tennessee with PawPaw watching baseball the Marlins "beat the butts off" the Braves but I guess we were good luck). Libby was really good through the whole thing even though she really wasn't feeling well and it was WAY past her bedtime.

Sunday morning we got up and had a nutritious breakfast at Dunkin Donuts and headed home. That afternoon we had a special treat - PawPaw stopped by for a visit on his way home from Bainbridge! The weekend was complete.

School Days

Today is Cooper's first "real" day of kindergarten!

Friday he had orientation. Thursday night comments - Mommy, tomorrow I get to go to school and see my new classroom, right? And then tomorrow night I get to go to the lock-in at church and have a big surprise, right? OOOOOHHH - I'm just so excited (while jumping up and down)!

Here are Cooper and some of his buddies in the auditorium after orientation. While the parents got the low-down from the teachers, the kids went outside. Cooper got so sweaty I could have wrung his shirt out (hence, the wet hair - gross).

And Friday night he did indeed go to a lock-in at church. He didn't spend the night but informed me that next time he wanted to. (He wanted to this time but Ben wasn't spending the night so I decided he should probably come home too.) The big surprise was rolling skating! He had a blast and now wants to know when he can go again.

I sort of had a strange "moment" Friday night. David was camping and riding horses so it was just me and Libby. I had been cleaning the house and at around 10:00 finally sat down. I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open but I had to wait for Cooper to get home (Melis was bringing him home). This is when I starting thinking how incredibly fast the past 6 years has gone by. He went to a lock-in!!! My baby!!! Anyway, then I started thinking how in about 10 years someone is going to be waiting up for him all the time! And I doubt he'll be coming home at 10:30. I'm thinking the "waiting up" will have to fall on Daddy. I need my sleep!

Bye Lib! See you after school!

Weekend in the Mountains

Last weekend the kiddos and I headed to North Carolina for a weekend in the mountains with David's family (David had to work, bummer). Kristin and Rusty provided the WONDERFUL accommodations and we had a fabulous time. We picked up Aunt Tracey at the airport on our way. Andy showed up shortly after we did (he was supposed to come the day before but he was "distracted"). Then PawPaw came. Saturday Nannie, Mimi, Emma and Maggie showed up.

Libby ate lots of cookies...

And Cooper played lots of pool...

Saturday afternoon we (PawPaw, Tracey, Kristin, Rusty, Emma, Maggie, me and Cooper) went rafting down the Nantahala River. It was quite an adventure. First we had to watch a video that informed us that "people have DIED trying to stand up in the river...", then we got stuck on several large rocks, and finally to top off the evening I fell off the raft into the river. Fun stuff. Rusty was laughing so hard he could barely pull me in but eventually he did. (Luckily for me, there were no cameras on the rafting trip...)

Saturday night we celebrated PawPaw's birthday. Nannie baked him a beautiful strawberry coconut cake but for candles we went with the Ingles special. It was a good thing.

Libby needed a little taste...

What was left of the cake...

What was left of Libby...

PawPaw and the girls...