Arch.

This weekend we took a little family "staycation" to the St. Louis Arch. As in national park, not to be confused with the golden arches we normally frequent. =)
The kids hadn't ever been to the top, but it is obviously one of those landmarks every time we cross the river which they are so curiously interested.

The princess views the east side from the top and checks out the Muddy Mississippi.
On a side note, she wore this getup nearly all weekend.
On the plus side, I wasn't too worried about losing her...follow the trail of pink feathers.

And the west, downtown view.
Newish Busch Stadium to the left.

Lessons in Beauty

Julia (who has about half a tube of lipgloss/stick on): Mom, aren't I beautiful?

Me: Weeeelll, you are beautiful even without lipstick!

Julia: No, mom, I am not.

Me: Yes, you are. Look at me, I don't have any lipstick on..am I beautiful?

Julia: No.

Kindergarten, Day 1

Despite the earlier confusion, Ry made it on the right bus.

And to the school where he excitedly jumped off!

And he managed to find his locker and fantastic teacher.

And the three buddies made the bus ride home. Ry jumped off and said, "That was a great bumpy ride! Let's do it again!!"

Prelude to Kindergarten

1:30ish am - Irresponsibly, Jeff and I head to bed.

3:22 am - Ryan enters our room and tells me his eyes won't shut because he is SOOO excited to get to go to kindergarten. I walk him back to his own bed.

4:36 am - Ryan comes back to our room again and tells me he has been trying VERY hard but his eyes just will NOT shut because he is too excited. I go lay in his room with him.

5:19 am - Ryan asks me to rub his back to help him sleep. I am a very desperate woman at this point.

5:45 am - Julia screams "Mommy" from her room. I quietly exit my (sleeping!!?!) boys room and go snatch her out of her crib and deposit her in our bed by daddy...who has somehow (!!?!!!) managed to sleep through all the chaos.

5:50 am - I very deliriously take up camp downstairs on the couch. I say deliriously, because I really wasn't thinking straight at this point. I am not kidding - when I looked at the clock it actually crossed my mind that maybe I should just head to the Y at this point because at least I could snag a workout.

6something am - Julia and Jeff come downstairs. I pretend to be asleep. He immediately puts on the Cinderella DVD for her. I open my eyes, and he gives me a desperate "WHY is she up at this hour?!" look. I shrug, and head up to our now empty bed.

7:15 am - My alarm clock goes off. I hit snooze several times.

7:45 am - I jump in the shower.

8:20 am - Struggle to wake up our deeply sleeping kindergartener. I dress him while he is still in an unconscious state. Jeff jumps in shower.

8:30 am - The excited grandma's arrive to watch our little guy board the school bus. They get Ry breakfast and get Julia dressed.

8:40 - We walk outside to wait for the bus.

Can you tell no one really slept last night!?!

For the record, this is NOT his bus.  It did come at nearly the same time his is scheduled to arrive.  And thank goodness lack of sleep didn't affect him as it did his momma, because I nearly put him on here.  He was saying "Mom, these kids look really old! They don't look like my friends!"  Whoops..a quick check with the bus driver revealed I was sending him to the junior high. I mean, I know he's very smart and all...hehe.

More on day #1 tomorrow... really really too tired to keep going on this post! =)