First Grade!

September is a busy month around here for Adam. The start of school means getting used to new routines and early bedtimes. His homework includes 10 minutes of reading each day, and preparation for Friday's spelling test. While he doesn't love doing either, I have been really impressed with his reading skills already! This week we made it through "Corderoy" and he was very proud of himself when he finished. I love to see the pride he has when he works on a tough word and gets it right. Hooray!

(Reading is so fun, Adam...I hope you learn to enjoy it like your Dad and I do!)

New this year to his routine is Spanish class. He's learning lots of new words, it seems!

My hope for Adam this year is that he continues to be kind to everyone, make a best friend or three, and gains a bit of confidence to stick up for himself when the need arises (I may or may not have suggested to him that he tells the kid who told him he had to move up towards the front of the bus to "go pound sand.").

His birthday is this weekend and he is beyond excited. He has requested to bring Krispy Kreme donuts to school for his birthday treat. He is going to be surprised with an awesome Lego cake, and lots of Lego presents, I'm sure. I predict a very quiet weekend full of new Lego creations. His idea of heaven!

First day of school, September 4, 2012

Preschool dropoff - the sweetest goodbye.

Miles has been in Preschool for a few weeks now, and is loving it. There were no tears for either of us on that first day, thankfully. Instead of tears, there was on a hearty goodbye from my sweetie, that has continued every day since:

"Goodbye Mom, I love you!" he calls (loudly!) from outside of the van. "Goodbye Mom, I love you!" he says, and blows me kisses. Off he walks to join the other kids, excited for the day ahead.

Melt my heart, sweet Miles. I wish I could bottle up his unabashed love for his Mommy and keep it forever, close to my heart. I know the day will come when those loud, public proclamations of love will cease. Too embarrassing, too exposed, and just plain uncool. For now, I will cherish these hearty goodbyes as long as they are offered.

First Day of Preschool, September 10, 2012

Summer 2012 Recap

Ah, summer. It seems like just yesterday Adam was celebrating the last day of school, and now we are closing in on the final weekend before school starts. Here's what we've been up to:

Adam had a week long camp at Calvin that taught about bugs, followed by two weeks of swimming lessons. The little brothers waited patiently in the wings (next year Miles will be able to join in!).

The swimming lessons paid off, as Adam quickly learned to swim on his own after the lessons. Adam learned the basics of several different strokes, and even jumped off of the high dive! Not to be outdone by big brother, Miles made strides with his swimming as well. He can dive for objects and swim underwater the length of the pool. Next year we will have to work on teaching him how to take breaths above the water on his own. With his fearless attitude in and out of the water, I'm sure he will pick up on that in no time.

This being the hottest summer on record, our swimming skills were put to the test quite often in Grammie's pool. Time spent there was made sweeter if cousins Carter, Ella, and Levi could join in. I liked having Kristin there when we went, because not only was it an extra set of hands (for babies) and eyes (for swimmers), but it's always nice to have another adult to talk to.

Because of the warm temperatures, the boys started sleeping together in the king bed in the basement. What started as a one night event quickly became routine, and I'm not sure when they will be sleeping upstairs again. Despite the huge bed, they can be found sleeping right next to each other in the middle every night. It warms my heart that they love sleeping together. :)

As the summer went on, we enjoyed many lazy mornings. The older boys could be found in their pajamas watching cartoons or playing Legos on the floor while Julian took his morning nap.

Speaking of Legos, the obsession continues They pour over the Lego catalog for hours, talking about which set they wish for. They dump out and play with Legos every single day without fail. Thank God for Legos.

I am thankful that Adam and Miles proved to be inseparable this summer, because a lot of my time was taken up by Julian (for obvious reasons). I describe him as "high maintenance" to others, as he can be a bit on the fussy side if things aren't just right in his world. That said, he brings joy to us every day and keeps us on our toes, especially since he started scooting around the house on his belly (he's gotten really fast at it!). Nine times out of ten the thing he is scooting for is a "forbidden" object(s) (see: Legos).

As summer 2012 comes to a close, I am thankful for God's numerous blessings on our family. Life is good.