CeCe's first day as a Bear

CeCe started preschool today! She is in the 2 year old class at First United Methodist where Bryce went the last 2 years. Her class is called the Bear class. She's been so excited about going to school, and has been asking everyday since Bryce started "CeCe go school today?" Today was finally the day for Miss Bird and she was ready!She ran and got her new school shoes, reminded me that she needed socks with them and asked for her lunchbox. I had to get her picture by the front door like I have for the last 4 years with Bryce. It was very sunny today though, so we mostly have squinty eyes.
When we got to school she walked right in and started playing. I had to get her back outside of the classroom to put her lunchbox in her cubby/box. After we found her box she put her lunchbox in it, looked at me and said "CeCe see Mama after lunch". And she was off! I had to go find her to get a hug and kiss goodbye! No hesitation or tears at all!
When I got there to pick her up she had on her extra pair of shorts. As I expected she didn't want her teachers to take her to the potty so she had a tiny accident trying to hold it. She told me in the car on the way home "only Mama take CeCe potty". We will have to work on that one because 4 hours is too long to hold it! Her teachers both said she had a great day. She played, followed the rules and ate all of her lunch. She is so big!!!!

Bryce also had a good morning. No tears today at all, and he walked into school with his head up. I'm hoping we've turned a small corner with him.

Kiki and Papaw Duke are here! They surprised the kids by coming in town for the night. It was a great surprise for Bryce when he got off the school bus to see them.

Bye Bye Bippies, Hello Unnaweah!

Yep, CeCe is a BIG GIRL now!! When we got home from our month long trip at the beginning of the month, CeCe helped me wrap up her bippies in a nice box with pretty paper and she gave them to Baby Luke (my friend Kelly's newborn). I had been talking to her about it a little and she was excited. She would tell everyone "CeCe wrap up, give Baby Yute, bippies!" She cried the first naptime without them for about 20 minutes but that was it. No more fuss about them at all!! Much easier than I expected it to be.

Before July CeCe had never really been into the potty at all. I would sit her on there and nothing would happen, then she would cry to get down. Okay, no big deal, she was only 24 months old. But something clicked in her at my parents house one day and she started going on the potty a good bit when I would ask her to. My plan was still to wait until much later in the fall or even after Christmas. I waited until Bryce was 2.5 and it was super easy with him, so I thought I'd just do that again! Of course CeCe had another plan. When we got home at the beginning of the month she started telling me when she needed to go (#1....#2 has been another story-but we do seem to have that under control now too!) After about a week of me still putting her in a diaper and having to take it on and off everytime she needed to go to the potty I realized that maybe she was ready for panties. I was right! She's been doing GREAT!! She's been in big girl panties/unnaweahs for about 2.5 weeks now. I am so proud of her and still in shock really. Today we went to the beach for the first time in a while and it was so nice to not have to worry about swim diapers, dry diapers, etc. We gave our whole stash of cloth diapers to Baby Luke and I'm so excited that Kelly is liking them so far. I am a little worried about CeCe at school (she starts a 2 day a week program this Tues.) because she wants only me to take her to the potty each time, but I know she'll get used to her teachers too.

Bryce is having a little bit of a rough time with school. I'll leave that for another post but for now please say a little prayer that my sweet, innocent, perfectionist, rule follower can make it in this rough and tough world we call Kindergarten!

Gymnastics

CeCe and Kate started an 8 week mommy and me gymnastics class yesterday. It was a lot of fun! CeCe surprised me by trying everything at least once and enjoying all of it!

Stretching

Swinging on the bar--her favorite part
Forward roll
Walking across the bar, she surprised me by doing this on a much taller one in the other room
Waiting on her turn for the trampoline
Swinging on the rings
I think she loved it!!

EMOTIONAL day (s)

*Rambling post here, I need to get all of this off my chest

Death sucks. We have seen too much of it this year. My Grandmother in Feb. My Grandpa in July and my Uncle in August. Bryce knows what death is and it bothers him of course, but I'm afraid it is getting too common for him to really realize what is happening. When we got in the car after my Uncle's funeral yesterday he said "whose funeral will we go to next?" CeCe has been talking about Uncle Chawles non stop and thinks that the funeral home is Aunt Sandra's house. Sad huh? I'm so worried about my mom....she lost her mother, father and brother in 7 months. They had been her family for almost 61 years, and bam, they are all gone. I worry about her, how can you be ok after all that? My dad is also dealing with some health problems that have the potential to be serious. Please keep them in your prayers. And my Aunt, she spent her first night at home by herself last night. She has amazing friends and neighbors that I am so thankful for I'm worried about her too.

After the funeral yesterday my phone rang on the way to my Aunt's house. I didn't answer it even though it was a close friend I hadn't talked to in a while. He then sent me a text message "I have very bad news, my dad was killed last night in a motorcycle accident". I immediately called him back and talked to him for a while, he is in shock. My heart is broken for him, his sister and his mother. Jonathan and his dad were so close, very good friends. They were supposed to go to a NASCAR race together this weekend. Times like this make me ready to move back to Memphis. I should be there for him. I cannot imagine losing my Dad. I've had too many friends that have lost their dads.

We got home last night around 8 and after getting the kids to bed I sat down and looked at facebook and discovered something else horrible. My first job was the best job I've ever had, Oliver Drug Store in Southaven, MS. I started the day I turned 16 and worked there for years. The girl that trained me, Amanda, and her sister Christy both worked there for years too. Christy still does! Their younger brother Tim was my age. Amanda was diagnosed with melanoma a couple of years ago but last I heard she was doing better. From what I have gathered today, the cancer came back aggressively and she passed away yesterday. She couldn't have been more than 35 years old and has an elementary school aged son. So sad, not fair, heartbreaking.

I'm tired of death, it sucks.

Add to all of this, my baby started kindergarten today!! I am not overly emotional about that, I know he will do fine, but when I think about him growing up so much, I do get a little sad!

Kindergarten!

Well, we did it! We made it to the first day of Kindergarten with no tears (from any of us!) and on time! We were gone all day yesterday for my Uncle Charles' funeral and got home late last night. It was a very emotional day and that kept us from being too nervous about today. Bryce mentioned this morning that he was nervous and I told him that was ok, that everyone was nervous today, because all of the kindergartners were new to this. He seemed to feel better knowing that he wasn't the only one. He held my hand from the car to the classroom, but walked right on in and sat in his chair. He seemed to relax alot once we got inside. CeCe plopped down in the chair next to him and was ready to stay all day! He is going to ride the bus home and I'll be honest, I won't relax a bit until I see his sweet face again! I'm so proud of him for being such a big boy!!!

Uncle Charles

HERRINGTON, Charles Leonard, age 55, passed away on Friday, August 19, 2011 after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Mr. Herrington was a 34 year employee of Rheem Manufacturing Co. He was preceded in death by his mother, Addie Ruth Berry Herrington, in February, and by his father, Leonard Herrington, Jr., in July. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Sandra Caplinger Herrington; sister, Cathy Borden and her husband, Ruffin; two nieces and their husbands, Brooke and Anthony Duke, and Blakeley and Hunter Williams. Mr. Herrington was proud to have three great nephews, Bryce Duke, Jude Williams and Jasper Williams, and one great niece, CeCe Duke. He was affectionately known to them as "Uncle Chawles". Mr. Herrington is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Funeral services will be held at White Chapel-Greenwood Funeral Home on Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 2:00 P.M. with Dr. Perry Neal officiating. Visitation will begin at 1:00 P.M. at White Chapel Funeral Home. Burial will follow the services in Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Make-A- Wish Foundation of Alabama, 9 South Florida St., Mobile, AL 36606 (alabama@wish.org) or to one's favorite charity. Pallbearers will be Anthony Duke, Hunter Williams, Ruffin Borden, Milton McGehee, Charles Hall and Jeff Evans. Honorary pallbearers will be everyone in our Redland/Overlook neighborhood. The family would like to express their appreciation to everyone at the Montgomery Cancer Center, especially Dr. Michael Ingram, Dr. Stephen Davidson, and Mrs. Jayme James, the staff at Jackson Hospital's 3 East and Amedysis Hospice for their compassionate and loving care. White Chapel Funeral Home Directing

First Haircut

I've been toying with the idea of cutting CeCe's hair all summer. It is a nice length in the back but a little stringy at the bottom. The front of her hair has not caught up to the back of course but she is definitely out of the mullet stage. We are not going to cut bangs, I don't want to deal with that down the road so we are doing tons of barrettes and bows to keep her hair out of her eyes. I love doing pig tails and pony tails and that is the main reason I haven't cut the back yet....until today! Bryce got his hair cut last week and CeCe has been asking ever since when it is her turn. We decided that today was a perfect day!

Back before

Side before
Look at that face.....so excited!! She kept giggling and saying "CeCe get haircut!"
Back after...I LOVE IT!!! I'm so happy we did this. It looks fuller, healthier and I think I can still do pigtails!
Side after. She was so proud and couldn't wait to show Daddy at lunch!
While Anthony was home for lunch she had to cut his hair
Then it was time for her babies to get their hair cut (blurry I know, but too cute not to post!)
This baby gets special treatment, he is a newborn like her best friend Kate's baby brother and can't sit up yet. CeCe carries this baby around like a newborn everywhere she goes.

Stage 5

I didn't even know there was such a thing, but my Uncle Charles' cancer is now at Stage 5. Terminal. No more treatment. He is so sick he can't even go home with hospice. My mom and I went to the hospital yesterday to visit with him and Aunt Sandra but didn't take the kids. We don't want their last memory of him to be laying in the hospital bed. Please pray for my Uncle, Aunt and Mom (and all of us really, this year has been ROUGH for the Herrington family).

Huntsville

After our fun filled 3 week vacation in Olive Branch, the kids and I and my parents headed to Nashville. CeCe and I stayed with my best friend from growing up, Ashley, and her family in Franklin while Bryce and my parents went to Murfreesboro to see a Drum and Bugle Corps show. I remember going to those competitions growing up and loving them so I was excited for Bryce to go. He loved it like I knew he would! CeCe and I had a blast in Franklin with Miss Ashley, Mr. Matt, Wynn and baby Samuel. She and Wynn played great together and Ash and I had a great time catching up. Saturday we headed to Huntsville with to stay at Blakeley's house for a couple of nights. She and Hunter are in Ashville, NC for their 5 year anniversary so my parents and Hunter's parents are each watching the boys this week. We had such a fun time in Huntsville. Sunday Bryce and I met up with Anthony's sister Tracy and her son Daniel. We met them an an indoor jumpy place in the mall and then headed back to Blakeley's house so Tracy could see CeCe. Bryce and Daniel had a blast together like always.

Winding down post bath with Papaw Ruff

Hunter built a 'doggie wash' for Jasper's first birthday party. They left it up for the cousins to play in. Jasper jumped right in while the other 3 took their time getting wet!
CeCe and Jude up to no good I'm sure!
She rode or carried this tractor everywhere with her
I set up the little slide into the small pool. Once again Jasper enjoyed it the most! He was determined to climb up the slide. I bet he tried and fell 30 times. It wasn't steep enough for the bigger kids to get a good slide before the water.
Jude washing zucchini from the garden
Jude and Bryce trying to climb on this small storage shed. Jude was helping Bryce here. Bryce did get up there the next day and if I had taken my camera out I would have pictures of Jude and CeCe trying to lift each other up to get on it with him. Hilarious!
Cappy took her mix mix stuff and this kept them entertained for hours in the afternoons.
Bryce loved climbing this tree. This was really his first tree climbing experience (and he got up higher than this but since the tree is dead I made him move back down). He did awesome for being shirtless and barefoot!
Monday afternoon Papaw Ruff took Bryce on a ride in the car
Then Bryce pushed Jude
Jude pushed CeCe
And CeCe pushed Jasper
Cousins are the best!!!!

Afternoons in Olive Branch

We almost always stayed at my parents house in the afternoons. CeCe napped from about 1:00-3:30 each day and then we would go outside. With a pool, swing set, and trampoline why wouldn't we? We usually started out with a dip in the pool to cool off....

Then we'd head over to the trampoline.
This was CeCe's first visit to really love the trampoline. She loved running around and around and I was a nervous wreck the whole time!
Some days Cappy would fill up water balloons to play with . .
CeCe would choose one or two from the bucket and love on them while Bryce popped the rest!
Bryce mastered the monkey bars and CeCe loved the ladder
One afternoon it was sprinkling and in the 80s. We took full advantage of the cooler temps and played out front with the big wheel, car and stroller.