The Mullins Family: Back to School

Now that we are officially back to school (and I am off of my blissful 5 month maternity leave), things have gotten very busy around here! Lucca has adjusted wonderfully to kindergarten! She loves her teacher, Kevin, and has made lots of new friends. Her best friend's name is Alex. They connected from the beginning and are now inseparable! Her class has already gone on one walking field trip around the neighborhood and will be going on another to the library next week. They have been studying colors and doing a Kindergarten Camp theme. Academically speaking, kindergarten is very easy for Lucca. The teacher is definitely starting off slow! I am happy, though, that there is such an emphasis on music and creativity at her school. They sing every day! Lucca LOVES homework! They get homework on Monday and it is due Thursday. By the time I get home from school on Monday, she already has all of her homework done and is asking for more! Hopefully this attitude will continue throughout her school years! :) The other thing I am really enjoying about her school is the whole community feeling of it. There is a great deal of parent involvement (it is actually a requirement in order for your child to attend) and Lucca's class has a classroom website that is updated weekly with pictures parents have taken in the classroom, on field trips, and at events. Her class also had a Welcome Back to School family picnic last week. It was fun to meet all of the other families and see the kids that she talks about all the time. In addition to kindergarten, Lucca is also being kept busy with swim lessons and she just started soccer! Her first practice was on Wednesday and her first game is Saturday the 12th. She had a blast picking out all of her soccer gear, and was especially happy to get pink shin guards, grey and pink cleats, and a pink and white soccer ball. When we went to soccer practice, almost all of the girls had pink shoes and soccer balls! They defintely score points for cuteness!

Siena is now 5 months old! How time flies! Hard to believe that she is almost halfway to her first birthday! I am really missing being at home with her but it makes it so much easier being back at work knowing that she is with her daddy and not at daycare. Siena's favorite activities are bouncing in her stationary and doorway jumpers, playing under her rain forest floor gym (although she always ends up rolling completely off of it and ends up halfway across the floor!), and playing "airplane." She absolutely LOVES her big sister and she literally lights up whenever Lucca appears. She gets more excited to see Lucca then she does me when I get home from work. Lucca loves to play with her and make her laugh. They are so cute together and we love watching them interact. We are still holding off on starting solid foods until she is 6 months, so for now Siena is still getting all of her nutrients from me! Pumping at work hasn't been too fun, but it is definitely worth it to me! She has her bottom teeth and it looks like she will be getting her top teeth soon! She has been on the verge of crawling for over a month now, so we are just waiting! Siena is really starting to become interested in her toys and loves to grab for them and shake them. Of course, everything is ending up in her mouth! It has been such an incredible month of growth! She is definitely past the fragile, new baby stage!

Here are some pictures taken in the last month of the girls...