It's all about the {details}...

Well, we survived the first week of preschool!!

Ava LOVES it & asks every morning when she gets up 'Mom, do I get to go to school today?!'

It's like she hasn't had a blast with me for the past three years or something...

Must be something about being around other children her age, playing {while learning, mind you} all day, and going to recess twice before noon!

A few weeks before school started, Ava received a special piece of mail...

Her teacher, Ms. Ruth, sent her a postcard saying how excited she was that Ava would be in her class & how much fun they were going to have!

I thought it was soooo sweet & we all know how much Ava loves to get her own mail - haha - so she was thrilled!!

Here's Mom & Ava striking a pose on the front porch....

I really need to invest in a tripod...
these 'self-taken' shots are no longer cutting it!

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One Saturday before school started, Ashes asked to take Ava 'Back-To-School Shopping'!!

We were all excited for them to have some special time together :)

Keep in mind Ashes has never really had much to do with children, so this was a big thing for her to undertake, haha!!

First stop:

The Paint Shop

{aka The Nail Salon}

She always sits so still to get her nails done!

I'm so proud!! :)

Don't you always keep your Apple Juice & Iced Carmel Macchiato's handy while your nails are drying??!!

This just cracked me up!

After we all got our nails done, the shopping began!

They went to The Children's Place first, then headed over to Old Navy & then on to Arby's because someone just had to have herself a ham & cheese...

Of course, no proper shopping excursion is complete without some new shoes, so then it was on to Wilkinson's for shoes & hair bows!!

Could you get any more black & white in one picture??

Great minds think alike...

We were all pretty worn out by the end of the day - especially Ashes!

It was kind of hot that day & it took her at least 10min. each time she got Ava in & out of the car, haha! I chuckled quite a lot...

Ava had so much fun, though!!

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Last Monday, we went to Ava's school for Orientation & to drop of some supplies!

Ava got to meet her teacher & then play with her friends on the Playground {and have a Popsicle} while the parents chatted & got all the paperwork rounded up.

She loved it from the minute we walked in the door & was quite upset she couldn't stay there all day!

After Orientation, we went to get our nails done again - because you just cannot start school without your nails being beautiful!!

Yes, I had Ava take a picture with the girl who did her nails!

She was sooo sweet & made them extra special for Ava!

Here is the finished product - hot pink paint, white flowers & sparkles all over!!

Ava was so excited!!

I understand that I've encouraged the 'primping' at a very young age, but don't worry, it doesn't go to this girls head, haha!

I'm so glad she likes to go do 'girlie' stuff with me & can go home afterwards, change clothes & go get dirty in the yard with her Daddy -
she really is the best of both worlds!!!{You're so singing Hannah Montana right now, aren't you?!?!}
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So, I'm sure some of you are wondering how I've been doing without having my 'partner in crime' tagging along with me two days a week??!!

The first day was okay, not too bad.

The second day that week, I went to 12 - count 'em - 12 different stores & was still 40min. early to pick her up.

Hopefully Mom will adjust soon & find herself something useful to occupy her time :)

I will say our days at home have been so much fun this past week - we have played & played & spent some good QT together when she's not been in school!

So, if you see me wandering around Target with my Iced Carmel Macchiato that my sister got me addicted to and come back two days later and I'm there again, doing the same thing, don't be surprised - I'm just trying to find my rhythm of being the Mom to a pre-schooler...