Life has been slightly less hectic the past couple weeks. We went to a physics show at the library which the kids LOVED. It included all sorts of experiments and at the end they got to use a leaf blower to pretend to be astronauts blasting off and blow bubbles into a tank of dry ice. We have still been doing playgroups on Friday. The weather should hit 100 degrees at our house for the first time all summer so the heat in the mornings haven't been too unbearable. Last Friday after playgroup, we went to to opening of the new Fun For All playground at Central Park. I even spotted one of my former students. He's a teenager now and that is just crazy to think about. Anyway the new playground is very cool and even has a splash pad. there were hot dogs, cookies, cake, snowcones and a ribbon cutting ceremony. It was hot but good. We will be going back tomorrow for the last playgroup of the summer and will enjoy it when it is less crowded (hopefully).That same day we also went to the last family movie night of the summer at church. We had pizza and watched How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. It was an interesting movie and concluded the series nicely. Other than that we've had promotion Sunday at church which means William is officially in third and Robert is officially in first grade. Hannah is starting her last year on the preschool side. How did that happen?! We had our annual churchwide pool party at Adamson Lagoon to celebrate. The kids look forward to this day all year and it did not disappoint. We are so thankful for a church that invests in families and loves Jesus too.
Andrew is walking everywhere. No more crawling, but plenty of CLIMBING. If there's a way to get on top of something, he will find it. If you see his busted up chin, know it's from multiple tumbles and will probably be a constant condition for the time being. That's not even counting all the times I catch and save him. He's turning into quite the monkey. When he isn't climbing he's getting a hold of something he probably shouldn't have. He likes his toys just fine, but forbidden things are so much more fun (or so he thinks). He's a ball of energy and a joy to be around. He has quite a few words, but distinguishing between them is a little hard sometimes. Mommy is still his favorite person. I only edge out Francis by a small margin now, and seeing him run for the door when Francis gets home gets me every time. Andrew loves taking things apart and trying to put them back together. I think he will love puzzles pretty soon. He's growing up so fast, and it is so fun to watch!
Hannah is four now as she tells everyone she meets. She loves ponies, princesses, pink, purple, blue, Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy, skirts, dresses, unicorns, and singing. There's so much more to this smart, spunky, beautiful little girl. She's a negotiator and won't settle for less. She is kind and helpful and generally a good cleaner of her room. She has so many friends and I love to see her play and use her imagination. She can write her name, is learning to write the other letters, and is beginning to connect letters to their sounds in a meaningful way. She loves doing puzzles and solving problems. She loves being a big girl and doing her "schoolwork" while her brothers do theirs. Her vocabulary is impressive and her memory and comprehension are exceptional. She's go so many skills at her fingertips. I can't wait to see how they develop. She is starting her first year in CC in a couple weeks, and I know she'll shine!
Robert is still my best cuddler. He always knows when I need a hug and kiss. He feels strongly and deeply and says things that reflect he is in some ways mature far beyond his years. His imagination is also very present and active. Robert can tell an entertaining story any time of the day. He is reading very well and is about to make the real leap to reading novels independently. Right now he mainly sticks to graphic novels or shorter books because it is more fun and comfortable to him. He is doing well in math also. While he doesn't always want to sit down and do school, when he focuses, he hits it our of the park! His cursive is coming along as well. He can sign his name in cursive, so I call that a win (hello life skill!). He's a good organizer who also has the patience to sit and do puzzles even when I don't. He is an amazing listener. You can tell him almost anything and he will retain it. I can't believe he'll be 6 next month. I can't wait to see what the coming year holds!
William will be 8 in a few days. He is such a critical thinker and wants to know the how and why of everything. When he thinks I'm wrong, he challenges me (though he's gotten better about doing it respectfully). I'm coming to enjoy our more grown-up type chats. It's wonderful that he lets me into his world and how he thinks. He's not too cool for me yet, and I'll take it as long as it lasts. He will still hold my hand and hug me without a second thought. He still devours books. He read at least 4 books and a novel and a half yesterday after we got home from the library. He's starting to clue in when to listen before you speak, but is always eager to share what he knows. He's a great big brother most of the time and a ring leader to most of the mischief. He is also not one who loves to sit down for school, but does it with excellence when asked. William is good at weighing the cost to benefit before doing an action which has been interesting to watch recently. He's also good at trying to negotiate rewards for completed tasks (and sometimes succeeds). He's gotten in 4 of his adult teeth now and looks so much older. He is just brilliant. Happy almost birthday, William.
Lest you think our family is perfect, I feel like I need to point out that it isn't. Some days are rough, others are impossible, and some are amazing. I generally choose to remember the amazing and let the rest fall away as a place for room to grow. I am not perfect and I am humbly reminded of that daily (sometimes hourly). It's easy to get caught up in what is lacking, so I refuse to do that here. If you are reading this far, know that the grass is not always greener over here, but I do have a loving Savior who gives me grace and hope each day. I'd love to talk with you about that.
Till next time!
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