Yesterday we celebrated the boys' first day of school - huge milestone this year with Caleb entering 2nd grade, Brody heading into Kindergarten, and little Asher ready to rule the school from preschool.

Asher LOVES school, Caleb couldn't wait to get back to his friends and the playground, and Brody is not so sure of it all. He'd much rather be home with me.

It turns out that he'll be home on Tuesdays and Thursdays since our school offers a Monday, Wednesday, Friday option. Even as I type, my middle blonde is playing happily in his room with Legos. But, alas, it's time to go pick up the other two from school.

It's going to be a great yeaar!

Here they are running to drop Asher off for his first day of preschool!

the last golden days of Summer...

Summer is flying by with cartoons and sunshine, popsicles and snow cones, trips to the beach and trips to the park, getting sprayed with the hose, bike rides, coloring, and much imaginative play.

Froggin'!

Last night we went "Froggin'" at our friends' house after dark. I used to love frogs! Loved catching them, holding them, and protecting them from my brother who threatened to skip 'em like stones across Bass Lake, where I first fell in love with these slimy amphibians.

So last night was a rite of passage.

Here's Brody with his bucket of tadpoles, which he is still calling "tagpoles." I've corrected him over and over but he simply won't let go of it. Finally he said, "Maybe tadpoles grow up into frogs, but tagpoles grow up to be toads!"

more horses

Caleb

Brody

Young Asher Beau

BROTHERS!

Their Mama

down on the farm...

Cutest Cowpokes

Here are our darling boys at their horse back riding lessons last week. Brody (5) called them "horse backing lessons." Makes sense to me. While Caleb has taken lessons before, those had been on full grown ponies. This was the first time all three of them mounted and rode horses. At age three Asher was joyful and confident. Brody acted cool and had no trouble kicking the beast to get him to giddy-up and go. And Caleb swelled with pride to finally be living his dream of riding horses at an actual ranch.

We found a wonderful teacher up here in Northern California who is giving them a laid back environment to simply fall in love with these magnificent animals.

Yee Haw!