AHHH! The sweet sound of fall leaves falling, bike wheels on the way to school, and the silence after a long, loud summer break!

The kids have started school again, and the most exciting part is that Lincoln has officially started Reception (AKA, British Kindergarten)!

Naomi has started Year 2, and after her first full week of school, I can already tell she is going to thrive this year. She walked into her classroom with so much confidence and excitement, ready to take on another year.

Her teacher is so kind and is already taking the time to build relationships with all of the students, which has been so lovely to see. I have a feeling this is going to be such a good year for her!

Then there’s our newest big kid…

Lincoln started Reception!

I was a little nervous about how he would do. He’s in the same classroom Naomi was in, but he has a new teacher, so there was still a lot that was new for him.

But he walked in so confidently and is absolutely loving it!

He already knew the teaching assistants, which I think has helped tremendously, and he also has a couple of friends from preschool in his class. Knowing he has familiar faces around him has made the transition feel so much easier.

And somehow, within their very first week, BOTH kids were already bringing home things to celebrate!

Lincoln earned the most points in his class for being such a good boy and won an award during his very first week of Reception! I mean, come on. First week of big-kid school and already bringing home an award?!

Naomi had her own proud moment too. She hit “Outstanding” in her class during the first week and got to go see the Head Teacher to receive an award!

Needless to say, we had two very proud kids… and two very proud parents. Watching them both walk into a new school year with so much confidence and then immediately be recognized for how well they’re doing was such a special way to start the year.

We’ve also been riding our bikes to school most days, and it has become such a fun way to spend a little extra time together in the mornings.

Naomi is especially loving it because she has officially learned how to ride her bike without training wheels! She is so proud of herself, and I love watching her confidence grow.

Lincoln loves our bike rides for a slightly different reason…

He got a new light-up bike.

The lights automatically turn off after about two minutes, so anytime he sees another kid or realizes we’re about to pass someone, he quickly turns them back on to make sure they can see his cool bike.

It makes me giggle every single time.

Outside of school, the kids are still loving their swim lessons!

Naomi will still do just about anything for the chance to go underwater, while Lincoln is perfectly happy letting his teacher glide him across the pool. They couldn’t be more different in the water, but they both enjoy going, and that’s what truly matters.

Both kids will also start music lessons again later this month, and I’m so excited to see everything they learn this fall. I think it’s so special that they’re learning how to read music at such a young age.

Honestly, watching them makes me want to take lessons too!

And we have one more thing to look forward to this month…

We’re taking the kids to Oktoberfest!

I truly cannot wait. It feels like a much-needed holiday for all four of us. We absolutely love Germany, so I’m excited to go back, eat some incredible food, explore, and make even more memories together.

For now, we’re settling back into school mornings, bike rides, swim lessons, after-school routines, and all the chaos that comes with having two kids officially in big-kid school.

I’ll check back in after our trip!

Thanks for being here and continuing to read about our fun, loud, and crazy life.

Until next time!