When school starts up...

When school starts up the girls notice a few things:

• They don't get pool time anymore all day, every day at Betsy's
• The different themed days they have weekly are replaced with school recess and learing thier ABC's and 1,2,3's and in Sofia's case- her Espanol!
• It gets dark ALOT earlier
• Mom leaves for work when it is not yet morning....(I leave at 630AM)
• No more naps! This is in some ways a good thing as they are excited about no naps (except for half school day Fridays!)
• But no more naps means that they tend to hit a wall sometimes...

Being Friday night, she was able to stay up a bit past her bedtime and after brushing her teeth, Sofia could just NOT make it to her bed a mere few feet away and this is where she ended up. On the kitchen floor. You may notice her toothbrush a few inches away from her. hehehe.

School. It just takes it right outta ya!

Baby Shower and Birthday party- Back to Back

Saturday was a busy day for the Martushev's. Artyom has been on "Emergency Call" and his phone has been ringing NON-stop. So we knew he would not be around much during the day. The girls and I went out to my bestie's Jacki and Victoria (her baby in utero!) baby shower open house and gave her the biggest hair bows we could find (since Jacki hates them...HEHEHE!) But I also supplied her with some cutey patootey outfits as well. I ached to be in her position but am so excited for her to add a girl to her family.

Then it was off to the next party. It was our little friend Yulia's 5th birthday party and she had a Fancy Nancy themed party. It was so fun. I let the girls pick out what they wanted to wear and then we headed to the dollar store. We walked in and I led them to the toy aisle and just said-'GO ahead girls...ACCESSORIZE!" hehe. It was awesome. The girls had a GREAT time and its always fun seeing our friends the Brattos Family.

It was busy, busy, but we sure had a lot of fun.

All the Fancy Nancy girls!

Pricess Yulia blowing out her candles. Ella decided she needed to help.

What Fancy Nancy party would be complete without reading a Fancy Nancy book?!

 

School Carnival

The girls school had a 1st annual carnival so we decided to go. Alot of games, bouncy houses and food, it was great...Until the windstorm hit. Sofia and Ella were in this oversized bouncy house and the winds started. Apparantly, if there are fierce winds happening, then the bouncy houses get shut down. So the fun filled afternoon was cut a little short. We sure had fun while it lasted though!

 

Ella, Sofia and their friend Princeton

Neighbors

We have some of the BEST neighbors behind us. They are courteous, dont make a TON of noise and always are happy to see us when we open our kitchen windo that faces them, or come outside for a moment. They DO let us know they are there and would like to be pet or fed...

Our "neighbors" consist of 2 horses, 3 goats, ducks, chickens and a peacock. Who, as you can see, likes to mosey on over every once in awhile. We have found him? her? IT on several occasions on our car, roof, lawn. The girls love it. Typically we arent in such a great place to get a pic, but we were just coming into the driveway when we saw...it. So we snapped a pic before it took flight back to its own yard.

That and the fact that it landed on my beloved Bronco- I just had to snap a pic!



Sleeping Beauty

One of the things that Ella and Artyom have in common- those two can fall asleep ANYWHERE. They hit the pillow and are OUT. Its something I have been envious about at times.

Ella has full day kindergarten and the first few weeks were rough since she took a nap during the day. She really does love to sleep and knows when she has not had enough. She is the kid who will come to me ASKING to go to bed...I know, right?!

 

When I picked them up to go to Debbie's wedding, Betsy had done their and it looked SO cute. I threw them in the car and within 2 minutes I had not heard Ella making a peep. So I checked on her...

Yep. Chocolate covered face with her backpack sitll on-SO Ella. Asleep within a minute of head hitting the car seat?- SO Artyom. Our sweet sleeping beauty.

 

Flower Girls

Our "friend Grandma" Debbie was married this last weekend and asked Sofia and Ella to be her flower girls at her wedding. They were BEYOND excited. The dresses were adorable, and we even managed to get to the wedding without ruining them! We practiced what they were to do and they both did great! I loved watching the ooohs and ahhhs and how cute are they comments coming from the crowd. It was a proud mommy moment.

Ella broke the seriousness of the wedding as Debbie came up and stood next to her soon to be husband and the girls' job was done, Ella came bouncing back to her seat saying " YAY! The wedding is over. Now we can eat cake!!" It was hilarious.

The weather cooperated, the night was gorgeous and cool and as we played under the twinkling lights and over 1000 paper cranes that Debbie herself made, it was a great ending to our Summer.

Hand in hand

Not to be outdone by her younger (by 21 months) sister, Sofia had a few pics taken with Ella when our sweet little blue eyed beauty started her school career in Kindergarten yesterday. I was already crying even before I decided that I could not drop her off and made the Red Flame do it. I know. I know..Pathetic.

She just looked so cute and Betsy was so fabulous (as always!) to take some pics of the girls. LOVE them!

 

 Betsy posted this pic with this note: Almost 5 years ago I started watching the sweetest 3 month old and her crazy 2 year old sister, never thought I would still be around to one day be walking them to school for Ella's first day of kindergarten! They were just little babies and now they're already off walking to school together! So lucky to be a part of their lives!