Ella and Owen's First Day of School

Ella and Owen started preschool yesterday. Sam started school a month ago and so they have anxiously been waiting for their turn. They are in the same class and this year it includes another five children from church (out of a class of 15!) and so they already know about half the class.

Ella was quick to take her younger brother under her wing and show him where to go and what to do. She gets to be one of the big kids in the class this year. The first day went really well. I was a bit worried that it would be too much for Owen, but with the first day over, we're off to a good start.

Sam's First Week at School

Sam started Kindergarten this week. Preschool for Sam and Ella finished at the end of April and so it has been a long summer! Sam has been so excited and practically skipped his way to school. What I wasn't prepared for was that I got a bit teary walking him to school on the first day thinking about how I wouldn't see him all day. Kindergarten here in Georgia is from 8:30am - 3:30pm, 5 days a week.

I asked Sam how school went the first day. He said he loved recess and hated rest time! We are now at the end of the first week and he doesn't even want me to take him to his classroom, just drop him off at the front of the school. I certainly hope his love of school continues for the many years ahead!

It has been quiet at home this week. Sam is my chatterbox and constantly wants to know what we are doing next. Ella and Owen have had a wonderful week playing pirates and fairy princesses together and are quite upset when they have to break away from playtime to go pick-up Sam or run an errand. I'm grateful they get on so well. Ella and Owen will start preschool 4 mornings a week next month. It's certainly going to strange just having Elliott at home in the mornings. Having just one at home is something I never had because I worked up until Ella was born and so since been a stay-at- home-mum I've always had two.

The part I've not enjoyed this week is picking Sam up from school. It has been almost 100oF / 37oC every afternoon. Although the school is a close 5 minute walk away, by the time we've walked up the hill we're all sweating like crazy, red faced and have to come home for an icypole/ popsicle!

Bingham Family Reunion

At the start of July we went to Texas for a week to catch-up with Chris's siblings and parents who live all across the US and Canada. We're trying to get together every 2-years and so it had been that long since we had seen some members of his family. The last reunion was just a few weeks before Chris and I moved to Georgia, his youngest brother Bry left on a mission, his sister Laurel-Lee moved to Portland for more school and his brother Tom moved to Texas... phew! 2-years on.... Bry is now back from his mission in Las Vegas, and the rest of us are more settled. And his sister Laurel-Lee not only got to go to school in Portland but also met someone wonderful - Robert and got married this time last year!

Chris is the oldest of 7. 6 out of the 7 siblings are married and between us we now have 15 children ages 6 and under! What a party! The youngest one is just a few weeks old and belongs to his sister Liz, who lives in Austin, which is where the family reunion was.

The cousins had a great time playing together. All the kids had one or more cousins around their own age. Activities included trips to the playground, a talent show, a birthday party and a photo shoot at the capital building in downtown Austin. And lots of good home cooked Mexican food from Rick Bayless's cook book Mexican Everyday which has been a family favorite for the last year or so.

We also got to spend time in Dallas with Chris's brother Tom and his wife Tonia. It was a really fun week and we look forward to doing it again 2-years from now!