September 2015

Rex took this pic of me.

September was a busy month for all 4 of us at the Rowland household.  Will left on the 7th for 10 days of basic swat training in Chicago.  When he was getting ready to go we were talking and realized that this is the longest we have ever been apart since we were married (11 long years ago!).  The days were busy for all of us near and far and went by pretty fast.

all the guys from Region 8 that went to training.
  (Will is the 2nd from the left on the back row in case you couldn't tell)

Will and Beth: The first day of this month started off with a bang for me with Grant's first day of preschool and our first mops meeting of the year.  Both went really well.  Then that Thursday was the first day I dropped Grant off at preschool and had 3 hours alone, all to myself.  (or as Rex put it one day, "so wait you will be all by yourself with no body fighting or arguing at all?")  I kinda had my day planned out that day to stay busy and not get to sentimental about what free time means for me as a stay at home mommy, it went very fast.  With Will on nights I'm used to having lots of evenings alone at home once the boys are in bed but being alone in the day time and free to go and do as I please is a new, strange, wonderful, experience.  Although there is usually only time for some solo grocery shopping, and laundry starting, lunch and before I know it its time to go get Grant.

mustache Will

The last 2 days of September I got a surprise visit from Sally.  She needed to come to St. Louis on a quick overnight work trip.  So we got to have here spend the night and spend quite a bit of time together the next day before she had to fly out.  We have really seen a lot of each other this year, its been fun.

my traintastic crew.

 time to ride the kiddie train

When Will got home from training he had 5 days off before he had to go back to work and he was already adjusted to a days schedule so we really got to spend a lot of time with him. And Grandma Kay and Papa Jerry came for a visit over the weekend while Will was off.  They hadn't been here since this same weekend in September last year. The boys were very excited to see them.We took them to the Transportation Museum in St. Louis on Saturday.

waiting for the tour inside the train cars

Grandma and Grant peaking out of a train

Grandma's are awesome

having lunch with Rex at school.

Rex:
Rexie's first week of school at the end of August was such a smooth transition.  I dropped him off smiling everyday and picked him up pumped up and full of tales from the day.  I think maybe the newness wore off after that first week and reality set in a little bit.  The next several weeks of school I dropped him off crying everyday and usually at the end of the day too.  He just kept telling me he missed us and wanted me.  He usually said he had a good day and would tell me about a few things here and there they did that day.  Finally towards the end of the month he had 1 day he went in looking sad but no tears and that day at pick up he said he didn't cry any!  Then the next day he went in with no tears and at pick up he said "Mom I didn't cry any today and guess what I have a girl friend!"  His teacher even sent home a Star Student certificate for him not crying any all day.  Little by little he is getting more and more adjusted to school all day everyday and starting to make some Buddies (and girl friends :/ )   For me here at home the day really flies by, Im always surprised how fast 2:45 comes around.

I chaperoned a field trip to the apple orchard. I enjoyed getting to put a face to the name of all the kids in Rex's class

it offical, Im now a soccer mom!

Rexie started a fall Saturday soccer league this month.  He's pretty sure he's ready for the world cup now but just to be sure we thought we'd go ahead and put him in pee wee soccer for a while.  Like school he was a little nervous and had a bit of a rough start adjusting to it too, now that they are playing games he is having more fun and learning a lot about the game.  Rex has taken an interest in Basketball this month too.  I guess he's seen kids playing a school at recess and been trying it some too when he can get a ball on the rebound.  He's spent a lot of time in the driveway just bouncing and bouncing the ball.  Ive noticed over several weeks time he has gotten much better.  We have a kinda neighborhood basketball court in our neighborhood we've taken him to a few times this month and he has really enjoyed it.

Went to visit Gma and Gpa in their camper in Carlyle once Saturday while Daddy was away

another pic Rex took

Grant:
Grant has been ready to go to preschool for a while now.  He has been with me dropping off and picking up Rex at preschool since he was 17 months old.  So when I dropped him off the first day he ran over to a table with some fun stuff to do at it and barely waved goodbye to me as I left.  He loves his teacher Miss Amy, he loves playing in the police car in the gym, he loves eating lunch there, he loves singing the songs, and he love, love, loves the stamp he get at the end of everyday for being good.

Will and I decided this month that in a former life Grant was a big horn sheep, or maybe a goat.  He is always ramming his head into us and trying to nuzzle it into us to cuddle.  He is very physical and shows his love by wallering all over us until we feel like we are suffocating or ready to tap out.   It is exhausting and some times frustrating but then I try to remember this is his love language and I just need to make time to really wrestle and waller with him.

quotes from the month:

REX: "Momma you know what?  If I was already and all grown up and I looked at you, I would just marry you.  yeah I would buy you a flower and marry you."  "Can I marry you cause I really really want to."

Grant while playing with his Imaginext toys: "Hey Mom you want to come over and play this scenario with me?"  (I didn't even know he knew that word?!)