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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Madeley ·

1st Day of Pre-K!


Yesterday was Miss Madeley’s first day of Pre-K!

Friends, this is the first time in 11 years that I haven’t been home with a kiddo during the week.  Now, all four Shull kids officially go to school five days a week.  I wasn’t ready, BUT SHE SURE WAS!  Madeley was SO excited about starting school!  She’s been counting down since the big kids all started back.  This girl loves her new school!

Since we’re talking Pre-K, I thought I’d take a little stroll down memory lane…

 

 

…look how sweet they all look!!  They all got too big too quickly.

Last winter, after 8.5 years at the same preschool, we made a switch to a new school and even though it was a decision that weighed so heavily on me, it was the RIGHT one for this kiddo.  She absolutely grew and thrived the second semester.

At her new school, the Pre-K program is either 2, 3 or 5 days a week and after much prayer, chatting with her speech therapist, asking Ashby’s kinder teacher from last year questions and other discussion, we decided to enroll her in the five day a week program.  Now, thankfully, there will still be some Fridays where we get to “play”, but for the most part, this girly is in school now full-time too.  On Friday morning, we went to Meet the Teacher where we saw her new classroom and met her two new teachers.  They were absolutely precious and M talked all weekend about how she was ready to go.  This mama heart might have been sad, but it made me so happy to see her enthusiasm.

She picked “princesses” for the backpack this year which made me smile, and then, I must give a HUGE shout out to someone I’ve never met before but has made all four of my kiddos’ nap mats…Precious ‘n Prosper on Etsy.  This is Madeley’s third year with her nap mat (they don’t nap in Pre-K but rest after lunch and recess a minute) and look how good it still looks after many, many washings!

We had to get a back pic too 🙂 !

All ready to load up and GO!

A quick pic inside the building before she walked into class.  I just love this kiddo so much!!  I know she’s going to have a great year.  The thing about adoption is that you miss out on so much at the beginning of their lives.  I missed 23 months of Madeley…but boy, I am so overwhelmed with thankfulness that I’ve gotten to be there for every day since then.  This kid is so special to me, and I am so thankful to be her mama.

I immediately left school a little teary and cheered myself up with Starbucks 😉 .

That’s it for Pre-K!  Friends, don’t forget about this…

…my #allthefall Giveaway is happening NOW!  If you want to win one of these fun kitchen gadgets, you need to check out yesterday’s post HERE.

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Comments

  1. Erika Slaughter says

    She was READY when we saw her before school yesterday! So glad to hear she had such a great day!

  6. Paula says

    Your kiddos are precious! I don’t comment often, but I read daily. I loved all the responses you received on IG with Andrew & the Air Fryer. Hope to see that update. Inquiring minds want to know. ??

      • Leslie S says

        OOoh, this sounds so good! I’m ordering this tomorrow – this doesn’t seem overly sweet and perfect to dream of fall (in SC we have awhile to wait!) The weather says summer… my heart says FALL

      • Lara says

        Ok – really silly question – do you get a grande in a venti cup so that there is more room to add additional milk/cream? XO – Starbucks Dummy 🙂

  10. Julie says

    I’m right there with you. Wondering where the days went when all three of my kids were home with me? Now they are almost as tall as I am! Now, most important, (LOL), what is your new fall Apple Watch band color? I can’t tell if it’s black or purple but it’s really pretty!

  11. Tarah Sanford says

    Can you give any insight into your decision to do 5 days a week of Pre-K?! My oldest started 5 days of Pre-K this year; he’s exhausted and a little overwhelmed. Trying to figure out if we power through or if we consider dropping to 3 days a week. Pickup is also really messing up little brother’s nap time! 🙂

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      It was so hard! None of my other kiddos went that many days a week to preschool, but after a lot of chatting with both her speech therapist and the teacher she will most likely have for kinder, it just seemed like the right decision to make sure she’s prepared for kinder.

  12. Emily says

    Aww so sweet!! Hey, can you share wear your two bracelets are from that you’re wearing with your watch? Thanks!! xo

  13. Katie says

    How is it possible you’ve had babies at home for 11 years? You seriously look 22 in the picture with Madeley above.

  15. Sonia says

    She just has the sweetest, happiest grin on her face, and she looks so proud of herself. So incredibly precious!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Applesauce, yogurt, cheese stick, goldfish/pretzels/chips, and then yesterday, she had a ham and cheese roll up (the day before, a turkey corn dog from Trader Joe’s…it’s always something different!).

  17. Mary says

    Hi shay! I have a question about yours PROVOLONE STUFFED MEATBALLS. They are on my meal plan for tomorrow but when I went grocery shopping yesterday I forgot to pick up bread crumbs. We are 100% out and I’m not sure what I should use as a replacement. Any ideas? Thanks

  21. Riley says

    Is madeley going to be having her 5th birthday party at the same cute little place that both Kensington and Ashby had their 5th birthdays? Just curious!

  23. Liz Thorson says

    Madeley is so very precious! She looks like she has so much personality and adores life and every second she is awake! She must be so much fun to watch grow and develop! She appears to be over the top enthusiastic about life, always up for adventure!❤️

  24. Kim C says

    This year is my first in 10 years without someone at home most of the day with me. Our youngest is in afternoon preschool but by the time he gets on and off the bus it’s still 4.5 hours of quiet time. It sure is different!
    On a happy note — where did you get that adorable pumpkin shirt in your instastories yesterday?! It’s perfectly fall! ?????