Back To School To Do's.....

This past weekend, we asked Maddy if there was anything she really wanted to do before school started and she came up with 3 things. Pool, Chuckie Cheese and Rainbow (indoor play place). Since the pool's last day open was Sunday, we all went ahead and went swimming. It was really fun watching Maddy practice her swimming as she recently just picked this up. She still needs to work on her distance but has come so far in just one summer!!! Colby just ran around like crazy, as usual, and had a great time!!!

We went to Chuckie Cheese this morning and Maddy and Colby had fun playing games and running around. 2 things checked off her list!! Tomorrow the plan was to hit up Rainbow, where they have a bunch of indoor play structures for the kids to play on. Maddy got sick and threw up tonight, though, so tomorrow's plan may be a 'wait-and-see'. Hopefully she is not coming down with something --- As long as she is better by Wednesday for her first day! ;-)

We also told Maddy she could pick out what she wanted to have for dinner tomorrow night since it was her last night before school starts. She picked hot dogs and grapes ;-) Easy enough!!

One more day of freedom before the routine and structure sets in!!!! Hopefully it won't be a sick day spent at home! :-(

St. Jude Bike-A-Thon

Last night Maddy participated in a bike-a-thon to raise money for St. Jude's hospital. Her friend Elise is fighting a malignant brain stem tumor and her family decided to host this bike-a-thon to raise money for St. Jude's where Elise had her treatments done. It was a big success and Maddy raised over $600 with donations from family and friends!!!! Thank You to everyone who donated!!!!! We are waiting to hear the grand total raised for 'Team Lambert' but online pledges alone were over $4,000!!!
It was so much fun with a big obstacle course for the kids to ride their bikes through, clowns, face painting, food and a visit from Cy!!

Maddy and Elise:


All the kids:


Maddy riding her bike -- she took this VERY seriously and rode so fast the whole time; I told her to take it easy a little, but she was determined ;-):


Colby on his tricycle:


Maddy and Cy:


Family pic:

Happy Half-Birthday Colby!!!

Colby is 18 mo. old today! How quickly this year is slipping by! We decided to make a special dessert to have after dinner! Maddy had fun helping and Colby had fun eating leftover cool whip ;-)

2 Weeks from Today ----

In exactly 2 weeks from today, Maddy will start Kindergarten!! I have been thinking about this a lot lately and it's really hitting me that she is going to school soon and I won't see her all day --- wow, what a change. I know she is ready and very excited, but I know how much I will miss her as well. It's hitting me that everything we have done to raise her the past 5 1/2 years is now coming to fruition with her starting school.

I was having a hard time with this the other day until I read one of my daily blogs and I realized how lucky we are to have a healthy little girl who is fortunate enough to grow up and have a bright future. This paticular blog I read is about a little girl (who I don't personally know, but have followed her story since seeing her on tv last year) who has cancer and could not start Kindergarten last year because she was too sick. One year ago at this time her Mom wrote:

"Many mothers today are sending their children off for their first day of kindergarten with tears. Tears that their children are growing up. We are not sending Kate to kindergarten today, with tears. Tears hoping our daughter gets the chance to grow up. So please continue to pray, pray that Kate gets this chance. A chance to grow up healthy. A chance to one day go to school. Thank you!"

The other day while catching up on my blogs, this Mother wrote about how her daughter just started Kindergarten this year (a year late) and re-posted what she had wrote last year (above).....It definately put things into perspective for me as of course what we all want is for our children to grow up healthy and happy with a future to look forward to!

So, my new outlook on this whole school thing is that we are very blessed, fortunate to have the chance to see our daughter grow up happy and healthy!!!!! And, while I will miss Maddy so much, I would not have it any other way!!!

Oh, and stay tuned for updates on a 'special project' Maddy and I are working on these next 2 weeks!! It will be done before she starts school!