The Newest Addition

Meet the newest addition to our family... Tessa!!!

She is the most adorable, cuddly, 6 pound ball of fluff you've ever met!  

We traveled six hours to Wisconsin this weekend to pick up Tessa, and she was worth every minute spent in the car.  She instantly stole our hearts, and has since stolen the hearts of all our friends and neighbors she has met.

She was amazing in the car...handling the passing back and forth of two girls like a real champ.  She snuggled in to her pillow, too, and slept most of the way home.

We, of course, made several stops to go to the bathroom and stretch the legs.  And in true Pooley fashion, made an adventure out of it.  Anyone that knows us, knows that we will hunt down a Taco John's if one is in the area.  Stop #1 for us...

Her first night was not nearly as bad as expected - she whined for half hour on and off.  She had no accidents in her crate (wahoo!!) which makes her a true rock star!!  Tessa is feeling a bit more comfortable in the house today, and has developed an aversion for her crate.  We will see what night #2 has in store for us tonight!

Funny how you can know a creature for such a short amount of time, yet can't imagine what we would do without her!  Looking forward to the many, many memories we will make with sweet, little Tessa!

(Love how that spot on her bum looks like a heart!!)

Solar Eclipse 2017

Monday was a big day around here, as was the case with the rest of the United States.  The solar eclipse was all the buzz around here.

Sullivan's class spent a lot of time preparing for the eclipse and learning all about it.  They went outside to view the eclipse and see first-hand everything they learned about.

Sadly, and unfortunately, Quinn's class did not celebrate this major event.  She was not nearly as hyped about the solar eclipse as Sullivan.

I was able to go to school with Sullivan and help make sure all the kids were safe while viewing the eclipse.  Indiana had about 90% totality.  Although I didn't take one picture of the eclipse, when we viewed the eclipse at its peak it looked a little something like this.

It was pretty cool to see!

These pictures are a reenactment of Sullivan looking at the eclipse.  I felt like it needed to be documented, even if it was a few hours later.

To celebrate the monumental event, we shared an eclipse themed snack that evening.  The girls got a hoot out of the snack and thought it was pretty funny!  

Funny enough, there is another eclipse just around the corner.  In seven years, in 2024, there will be another solar eclipse that passes straight through Indy with 100% totality.  The scary, scary part of that statement.... when the solar eclipse hits Indy in 2024, we will have 2 high school students (one getting ready to graduate!).  Yikes!!!

Life Lately... A Little Randomness

A couple of weeks ago, our neighbor and dear friend's daughter got married.  It was a beautiful ceremony and together Emily and Lucas make an amazing couple.  Sadly I didn't capture any pictures of the bride and groom, but we did manage to snap a couple others.

Ryan and I don't get gussied up very often, so it goes without saying that it needed to be documented.

My sweet friend and next door neighbor, Jen.  Love her!

The four ladies - one couldn't ask for better friends and neighbors.

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Sullivan Grace recently got an award in gymnastics for being a dedicated gymnast... she didn't want to attend the awards ceremony, so we picked up the trophy this week during lessons.

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So this showed up at our house today....

Quinn is more than elated to be playing the trumpet.  Despite the fact that she hasn't had any instruction yet on how to play it, Quinn has already given in a whirl!!!  Time will tell if this enthusiasm is novel or if it sticks!!!

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With school back in session, Quinn and Sullivan are trying to find every opportunity to get their pool time in. I took the girls one evening this past week after much pleading and begging.  All was going swimmingly (no pun intended), until the final game they were playing ended poorly.  Let's just say... the loser (not mentioning any names, Q) was a poor sport.  Little stinker.

It's That Time of Year...Again!

We partook in another annual Pooley tradition this weekend. 

That's right...we went to the Indiana State Fair.  

We had our sights set on eating some delicious food, riding a few rides, and taking in some exhibits.  I think we checked all of those things off our list, and had a good time in the process!

For whatever reason, Sullivan loves looking at the award winning desserts that are on display.  So we filled her bucket and took in the desserts. 

The girls also rode some rides, although most were sub-par in their opinion.  

They rode the new sky tram alone, while Ryan and I walked below.  I thought they would really enjoy seeing the fair from above.  Wrong - apparently it was just "ehh."

The only ride they really enjoyed, which they asked Ryan and I to join them on, was the bumper cars.  It was the first time the girls had ever been on them, and it turns out they really liked them!

Sullivan was also insistent that we see the rabbit exhibit... because after all, who doesn't love seeing hundreds of rabbits under one roof!?

I'll spar you the 103 pictures of bunnies that Sullivan took on my phone!

While Sullivan loved the exhibits, Quinn was pleased as punch enjoying this...

Ryan was in heaven eating his fair share (no pun intended) of fried deliciousness in the form of Oreos and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  Us girls might have stolen a bite or two or ten of his pure goodness!

Chalk another one up for the books....!  

Yearbooks...

With the school year underway, it seems like the perfect time to highlight the girls' yearbooks from LAST year.  Well, not really.  I meant to blog about them all summer, but seeing that the summer zoomed by in a blink of an eye, I didn't get around to it.

Sullivan designed a yearbook cover way back in December, in hopes that her cover would be selected.  See the post here.  While she wasn't selected for the front cover, Sullivan's precious design was chosen for the back cover!  Sullivan was beyond the moon thrilled (as were we) to have her design selected!!!

 The front cover of the yearbook (not Sullivan's design)...

Sullivan's amazing, back cover design...

Quinn also played a big part in making her yearbook a success.  Quinn served on the yearbook committee this year - putting in countless hours designing the pages and layout for the yearbook.  Her dedication paid off - her yearbook looks amazing!!!

So proud of both of the girls for their accomplishments this past year!!!

Good Summer Reads

With all our time in the car this summer, I had plenty of time to catch up on my reading. I just didn't have time to blog about them until now.  So if you are in the market for some good books, check these out.  I've come across some VERY good books.  Addicting books, really.

13 Reasons Why

I had heard all the buzz about the Netflix Series and thought I would give it a whirl. Let.Me.Tell.You.... this was an AMAZINGLY, addicting book.  I finished it in a day. Captivating.

It tells the story of a high school girl who commits suicide.  There are 13 reasons, people really, that led her to commit suicide.  This book chronicles her last days and her words to the people who caused her hurt.

Small, Great Things

This is another great book by Jodi Picoult.  If you like her other books, this one will not disappoint.  This book's underlying theme was racism.  In short, an African American nurse is put in a troubling situation when a white supremacist family refuses care from her.  Another page turning book!

The Couple Next Door

I knew nothing about this book, aside from reading the back cover of it at a Barnes and Noble somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania.  I had breezed through the first 2 books that I brought along on the trip and needed something to read for the tail end of our trip.

This book was about a couple who purposefully leaves their infant child home alone while they go next door to their neighbor's for a dinner party.  They arrive home to find that their child is missing.  There are many twists and turns in the book that leave you wanting to know what happened to the child.  

Making Bombs for Hitler 

This is actually Quinn's book.  She bought it at her school's book fair, on the recommendation of one of the workers.  She couldn't put the book down and kept saying, "Did you know..." and "I can't believe that this actually happened."  She asked that I read it when she was done.  

It is a heavy subject, no doubt.  It follows a young girl who was ripped from her parents, from her sister, and her home only to wind up in a concentration camp working for Hitler.  She was spared her life, unlike some many others, but that doesn't mean that her life in the camp was an easy one.   

Big Little Lies

I read this book on the recommendation of Ryan's mom.  I have to tell you, after reading this book, Liane Moriarty has become one of my favorite authors.  I couldn't put this book down, and finished it with record time.

This book chronicles a group of woman who seem to have it all put together.  Their common bond is their children, who all are in the same kindergarten class.  Appearances can be deceiving though - as each of them has their own set of baggage that comes out.  This book has twists and turns that keep you guessing.

P.S.  The HBO series, based off this book, is NO WHERE as good as the book. Not even close.

The Husband's Secret

Finishing Big Little Lies in record time, I grabbed another Liane Moriarty book to see if it was just as good.  This book did not disappoint either.

Another captivating book that leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.  Cecilia, the main character, stumbles upon an old envelope laying around the house.  It was written by her husband and directs her only to open the envelope when he passes away.  She ignores the directive and chooses to open the envelope. In doing so, it forever changes her life, and the life of the ones she loves.

Addicting.  Amazing. A must read.

Check out these books - you won't be disappointed in any of them.  

And So it Begins...Again!

Today was marked with anticipation and excitement as Quinn and Sullivan officially started another school year!  Quinn moved on to 6th grade this year, and Sullivan moved on to 3rd grade.  Hard to believe.  Truly.

It fills me with joy that both Sullivan and Quinn love school so much.  They were not hesitant in the least to start the year, but instead excited to see their teachers and friends. They both came home from school today with equal joy - ready for day #2!!

The new backpacks...can't forget about them!

Sullivan's ice cream social was Monday night.  She had heard rumors that she had a pretty amazing teacher this year, but was completely sold on him after she met him.  Hook. Line. And Sinker.

Ever year, I keep telling myself, "Sullivan couldn't be any luckier to have ___ as her teacher this year."  This year is absolutely no exception - Mr. Dankoski seems great!  It should be another year for the books!

We won't meet Quinn's teachers until next week when they have their open house - but I have no doubt I could say the same about her teachers.  They come with some great reputations themselves!

We are off to a great start for the 2017-2018 school year!  

Here's to 179 more days just like today!

Share a Coke...

Like the past few summers, Coke brought back their promotional "Share a Coke with..." program again this summer.  We have scoured the shelves the past few years for both the girls' names but to no avail. 

The closest we got was Miss Cynthia finding Quinn's name back here in this post.  

Until.... 

This past week, while shopping for school supplies, Sullivan Grace found her name!!!  Boy, oh boy, was she over the moon excited!  I can't blame her - it might be one of the only times she finds her name on something!