My baby started preschool

Ian's first day of preschool!

So, my baby started preschool. I have such mixed emotions. On one hand I was so excited for him and me! On the other hand I realized I was starting a whole new phase in my life and that always terrifies me! Today was the first day in 11 1/2 years that I had time to myself. Another exciting thing was I was okay when I was dropping him off. I think I might have finally come to terms that Ian is actually is my last. If Stan said the word however, I think it would take me less than a second to say lets do it again!He was so excited walking into school with his lunchbox in hand. You should have seen him that morning when he realized that I hadn't only made 3 lunches but that I had made 4. He could not stop grinning while he watched me fill that Lightening McQueen lunch box! He wasn't nervous at all!Before it was time to go in we found a couple of friends from church. He is excited to be going to school with Kyle and Jake!Silly boy! Last year in our Mom & Tot class this puzzle was his absolute favorite toy. So much so that He got an identical one for his birthday. What did he do as soon as got in that classroom? Played with the puzzle. I would actually recommend it anyone. Every person in our family loves the puzzle, it is quite therapeutic! He loved feeding the monkey bananas!

Every kids favorite part of the day, SNACK TIME! Actually that isn't Ian's favorite part at all. Any given day you ask him what was the best thing he did at school and he will always answer ART!circle time with friends, Kyle and Jake.We are thrilled to have Miss Diane. Olivia had her as well as Isabella. Sophie missed out because her first year of preschool was spent in Hong Kong. Our preschool is a co op so 4 times during the session I get to volunteer! I always stay the first day. As we were leaving he asked that next time I not stay because he was a big boy and he knows that I always come back.

*sob* He is all grown up!
After a successful first day of preschool I made an amazing tasting and amazingly simple dinner. It was devoured and the troops have already asked me make it again. So here it goes, I am sharing a recipe! Lemony Shrimp Scampy! Thanks Melissa D'Arabian

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/lemony-shrimp-scampi-pasta-recipe2/index.html

As a side note, I did not buy fresh shrimp, I used frozen and did not make the stock. I used chicken stock and it was perfect! Loved it!

Saturday night, we were bored! I guess the Clarks were too because Andrea called and wanted to get together. We were so glad they did. We called Mom and Dad and headed over to Vincenzo's for some pizza and music. They actually had a gread blue grass band playing. I really have never found a pizza place that I love here. In San Jose we had Round Table(it doesn't taste the same here) or my FAV, Bogeys! I decided Saturday night that Vincenzo's is okay. Plus the kids love that they can fill up baskets of peanuts and just through everything onto the ground. I don't know how it happened but it did, a boys table and a girls table. Here are the boys.
Isabella and Lacey were trying to break the world record for the most cracked peanuts!
We decided to head back to our house to play Ticket to Ride. An added bonus, I had made the BEST cookies that day so we had desert there waiting for us! Have you ever made Neimen Marcus Cookies? To die for!!!!!!! Make sure you have milk at home!
We put all of the kids in their jammies and put a TV back in Bella's room and told them lights out. We saw them a few times but they did surprisingly good and stayed put so we could play. Kristopher won, he is so dang competitive! But the evening was not without debating the rules. We were all interpreting them differently. So tell me, how do you play? If you keep all of your destination cards in the beginning can you ever get rid of them later on or are you stuck with them until the end? Same question for if you use a turn to pick three more. Do you have to decide right then which you want and discard right away or can you discard as the game goes on? Let me know how you play. We had quite the discussions over those dang destination cards. It was a fun night. I enjoy playing games, I don't know why we don't do it more often.

At the end of the night when we were done playing so were the kids.

Poor Mia wasn't even on the bed!


Neimen Marcus Cookies

2 c butter
4 eggs

2 c brown sugar

2 c sugar

4 c flour

3 c nuts (I of course, omit those!)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

5 c bended oaatmeal

24 oz. chocolate chips

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 - 8 oz. hershey bar grated

Cream butter, sugar, eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, vanilla, and grated hershey bar.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.