Speaking of time flying, where in the world has this summer gone?! Seems like just a few weeks ago we were celebrating the last day of school and the promise of many months of relaxation and fun. Well, 5 of us celebrated while Colin sat in my lap in tears...he was really sad about leaving his preschool and all his friends. It was very sad and very sweet. Our summer has flown by and we've been having a blast. Kinda sad to see it go but I know we're all getting ready for the next thing too. It's always fun to see what the next little season will bring into our lives.
Sadly, I have not taken many pictures lately. I don't have an excuse for that.
So here's the update on us, from the past year, or at least what I can remember...
Kyle - Still our hero and champion! Works hard at taking care of us and does a really awesome job. Still works at Aster Group as a consultant and travels roughly 50% of the time. While we miss him terribly when he's gone, we're extremely thankful that his company believes in work/family balance and allows him to work in town or at home 50% of the time. It's unusual for a consultant so we're pretty grateful. He's also been busy co-teaching our Sunday school class, leading the 4-yr old children's church with me, and coaching whatever sport is in season.
Me - Well, pretty much the same old thing. I love staying home with the kiddos (something I never thought I'd do) and taking care of our little family. It's really such a blessing to me to have this opportunity. There are times when I wonder if I should be pursuing more of a career, but I know in my heart that these 4 little creatures are worth way more than any career. There are also times when I think I may lose my head, but we won't talk about that right now. :) My big summer project was to rearrange kids and redo their bedrooms this summer. I may eventually finish! Andy moved into the computer room and has a maps theme, Elizabeth moved into Andy and Colin's old room and now has a flower room, and Colin moved in with Ryan and they have a dinosaur theme. Pictures will follow (eventually!).
Andy - is about to start 3rd grade! Holy cow, that's like halfway through elementary school! What?! So hard to believe. He's thoroughly enjoying his summer and not ready to start waking up early for school again, but he also misses his friends and is excited to have his little brother at school with him. He's had a busy summer with soccer camp and church camp (seriously, check out Winshape Camps by Chick Fil A. HIGHLY recommend them if they're in your area!) and various activities. Was accepted into the dual language program at the beginning of 2nd grade and has LOVED learning Spanish. Most of the kids started in kindergarten so he had some catching up to do, but it has made school much more exciting more him. The school claims the kids will be bilingual by the end of 5th grade, so we'll see! Oh, and he's also growing about a foot a day. He's also looking forward to starting soccer again soon.
Colin - will soon be a very proud kindergartener! He was sad to leave his old school but is now very excited about learning "everything about reading and math and Spanish" in kindergarten. He will also be in the dual language program and we're thankful for another opportunity for the kids. He's thrilled to be going to school with Andy but can't quite understand why he won't be eating lunch or on the playground at the same time as Andy. He's also playing soccer this fall and he's very excited that his daddy is coaching his team. His summer has been a little more relaxed but he's gotten in lots of playing time, so he's pretty happy. Ryan is still his little shadow and Colin tolerates it fairly well, most days. Colin's major accomplishment this summer was learning how to take a breath while swimming! And once he mastered that skill, he quickly learned how to swim across the whole pool and become independent in the water. Yea!
Elizabeth - loves to talk! And talk...and talk...and talk! She's really a lot of fun but she certainly has a lot to say. She is thrilled with her new, very feminine yellow and pink room and loves to tell the boys that only girls are allowed in her room. They never listen to her but that doesn't stop her from trying. We were a little worried about how she'd do sleeping without Ryan since they'd always been together, but they've both done great. And without Ryan to wake her up the instant the sun rises, we've discovered that she can actually sleep late! She's quickly becoming my favorite child because she knows how to sleep past 7:15. :) She's still very girly and loves dancing, dresses, and painted toenails, but she's got quite a little competitive streak in her too. She hates for the boys to beat her at anything so she works hard at keeping up with them in all activities. She also is becoming quite the little swimmer...can take a breath sometimes but has trouble getting herself horizontal again to swim forward. But she's getting there!
And last but not least, Ryan - and he's still our little family clown! He's very much the baby of the family and plays his role well. Dutifully follows his big brothers around and takes every opportunity to make someone laugh. He's full of mischief and personality! He's also learning how to swim pretty good, but it's taken him longer. For most of the summer, he was more interested in jumping off the diving board and hanging out on the bottom of the pool until we went down and fished him out. You'd think it would scare him, but no, he loved being under water. But then Elizabeth started swimming and now he has to keep up with her. And like always, she did it first, but he does it better. He and Elizabeth start in the 3 year class at preschool in a few weeks and will no longer be in Mother's Day Out. Is it really possible...no more kids in MDO?! No more nap mats for napping because they've outgrown that (at school, definitely not at home!). So hard to believe.
And I'm sure there's way more than that to say about everyone! But that's enough for now and I hope you enjoyed it. So how's your summer? Are you ready for school to start?
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