Congrats Nate

1st day of Kindergarten to a big 5th grade grad!

As my little girl will be making the transition to elementary, my little boy will be leaving it. Nate has finished 5th grade and will enter that BIG, BAD world of the Middle Schoolers. To say that I'm proud of all of his accomplishments would be a huge understatement. He takes his schoolwork seriously and helps around the house. He is a fantastic big brother and genuinely cares about other people.

I got to attend his 5th grade awards ceremony and was amazed at the amount of times his name was called. His interests are so varied and he loves to be involved with as many things as he can. Most of all, I am proud of the person that he is. Whenever I meet his teachers or the parents of his friends I hear about how respectful, polite, and kind he is. I can see the adult that he is growing into and have only one great hope.....

PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T LET MIDDLE SCHOOL RUIN HIM!! Come on, we've been there-that place is horrible!! I see teen angst on the horizon and can only hope that he stays as mellow as he is now.

But for now, congratulations Nate! Your Daddy and I are so proud of you everyday!! We love you.

Where My Girls At??

For years I have referred to our darling Izzy as "THE DIVA". Those who have met her and heard my stories about the hair, lipgloss, and insistance on wearing just the right skirt, along with her uncanny knack for throwing just the right "Veruca Salt" style fit know why I have contemplated changing her name to Whitney-Mariah-Aretha Marie Atkins for years...
Well, our precious youngest has made the journey through pre-school and will soon break my heart in two as she enters the world of the elementary. During her last year at Curlew Learning Center she has become increasingly more like the 14 year old that I know I'm destined to grapple with...tiffs with girlfriends, an eye roll that could make Mommy Dearest shudder, and of course the well-crafted and often rehearsed door slam/foot stomp combo (not easy to pull off with grace).
However she has also grown into her own little person who loves to sing and dance, play dress-up (diva style), go to parties, and pretend talk to friends on the phone. Kevin had the pleasure of attending her end of year farewell party at her school and took some great shots of Iz with her friends. I had to post them, well because you can just see the teen, can't you? These could easily come from the future high school year book pages that I'm sure will be filled with the signatures of the coolest and most popular. Trust me...I don't think our DIVA will have it any other way!!



Thank you Ms. Kathy and Ms. Laura!! We love you!!!