Goodbye Austin

They are gone.  My parents sold the home in which I spent the last eight years of of my childhood, and I've left so many memories- the good and the bad- behind.  They have moved because of my Dad's job.  When work calls, you gotta answer.

Saying goodbye to the house in which I spent so many formative years of my life was very bittersweet.  Remembering what had happened there... From fifth grade through high school... Well, it's overwhelming.  Then, I made new memories by watching my kids play in the house where three of my brothers were born and had spent their whole lives. 

I walked through the house one last time, alone, and I spent time recalling the happy times.  Reminding myself of the things I wanted to make sure I remembered- not just how I'd left them, but how they were when I was much younger.  My slumber party in 6th grade with my girlfriends and I sleeping in the living room... I didn't have a birthday the year before because we'd only just moved to Austin and I knew no one.  Wrestling my brothers on the living room floor.  Playing in the backyard on the fort and in the hose.  My band blockhead in the front yard.  My pets- my cats, rabbits, a brief stint with some noisy birds.  So many wonderful memories.  

I have to mention that there were many things I chose to leave behind me.  Many memories I am done with, parts of me that don't even feel like me anymore.  It is freeing to be rid of that, though I know they will never actually leave me.  I choose to learn from the past but not let it dictate who I am today.  Good riddance.

I know that saying goodbye to a house is not the most important part, because it was our family made it a home.  And I've moved on and made a new home, my siblings are doing the same, and my parents and two youngest brothers will be creating a new set of memories in a new house...Making it their home.

So, to a house full of memories, to the friends we've left behind.  To starting over again in new places, and to new memories yet to be made.  To exploring a new city and state, far far away, and to learning how to be a family though we're separated by miles.  May we all be blessed as we are on opposite sides of the country, and may we all remember to use this newfangled technology like Skype and FaceTime to see each other on a more regular basis!  This is not the end, but the beginning to a new exciting journey!  Will you please pray for my family- all of them- as we all settle in to this new way of life?  

Mom, Dad, David, Alex- we are looking forward to seeing your new digs soon. :-)

Tailgating in Aggieland

This year we tailgated with our friends at the first Aggie game back in September.  Yes, I realize that was several months ago!  So I'm a little behind. :-)  Beth and Luke were in awe of everything going on around us- the thousands of people, the corps marching into the stadium and the band, Rudder Fountain, and everything else!  It was my first time to be back since the MSC had been remodeled- wow!  I am having a bit of a difficult time comprehending that it's been 7 years since my time on campus, but on the other hand it definitely feels like a lifetime ago! 

Funny story- we were walking through the MSC area heading toward the stadium, and the crowd was thick.  I have my hair back and my sunglasses on, I think I had Jack in my sling but I don't remember.  I do know that Ryan had Beth and Luke with him.  So I'm walking through the crowd (sort of alone since Ryan is about 30 feet ahead of me) and a woman stops me and asks if I'm Michael's sister.  I say yes, I have a brother named Michael, then she told me that she follows my blog and told me that my kids were sweet and a few other nice things.  I have to admit, I was a little flattered but also very weirded out!  I know I've always kept my blog public but this was one of those strange times that a person- a very nice person in this instance, luckily- could pick me out of a crowd of thousands!

I've often wondered about making my blog private but on the other hand I've shared things here that I feel are motivating and helpful to other moms who read here.  At least that's what I've been told. :-)  So for now I'll keep it public...For now...

Thanksgiving in Pics

To Luke on his 4th Birthday

Dear Lukie Duke-

Today is your fourth birthday!  I have already been thinking of you as a four-year-old for about a month or two now, because recently you've just sort of blossomed into a "bigger" boy.  Three years old just seemed to little for you!  You are starting to look more like your Daddy to me- which is fun for me to see since I have always though you favored me and your uncles/PawPaw more than Daddy's side.  But I see you walk with those looooong legs, and I see how broad your shoulders are... And boy, you can eat!  I bet you're going to have a fast metabolism just like your Daddy!

I am so proud of you, and I love the special connection that we have.  You are such a sensitive boy, and I embrace that because I know that one day you'll probably act too "grown up" to give your poor mother a hug, so every time you tell me you love me right now I try to take a mental picture and hug you a little bit harder.  It's my goal that every time you hug me, I make sure you're the one to let go first.  You have a little twinkle in your eye when you walk up to me, and I know you're about to tell me you love me, so I drop down on one knee and open my arms.  You are just so sweet!  It's times like these when I understand how adults jokingly tell their child to "never grow up," because it's a moment I want to freeze in my memory forever.

You still love your lawn mowers and weed whackers, tractors and backhoes, screwdrivers and drills, and now you love to be a fireman.  Mommy and Daddy bought you a fireman backpack for your birthday because we knew you'd love to pretend it was a leaf blower, but you love it as a fireman too!  Over the past few months you've been very interested in "school," begging me to do a workbook with you or read you a book.  Oh boy, do you love to read!  I have read to you for hours on end and you still ask for more.  You love all books, but at the library you head straight to pick out Clifford books... You don't know it now, but your Daddy can't stand those Clifford books!  He'll read them to you until he's blue in the face though, because he knows that's how much you love them.  Daddy likes to make up silly stories while reading, using silly voices, and you love it when he does this.  Just another way Daddy makes you laugh!

You've joined a young boy's club (Blue Knights) this year, and you're playing more with the older kids.  You jump right into the action, not hesitating to join in on the fun, sometimes not even looking back for me!  You love your gymnastics class and to play outside for hours and hours.  I love that you recently learned how to pump yourself on the swing!  I like to look outside and see you and Beth playing together, swinging next to each other and trying to kick the branches on the tree.  You don't always love playing side-by-side with Beth and Jack, but when y'all do you usually have a great time!

You usually still take a nap in the afternoon, though technically Mommy has told you that you don't have to!

I am so proud to be your mama and I am so excited to see how you grow and change even more this year!  But I do also sometimes wish you wouldn't grow up anymore...  I love you my sweet boy. 

Follow Up Thoughts

I have some more thoughts that have been floating around in my head since my last post, which sparked a bit of conversation on Facebook.   First off, when I go to someone else's home, I hope my dear friends know I do *not* judge you all in any way, shape, or form.  Especially new mamas... In fact, I'm working on a new "thing" right now for my business that revolves around support for new mamas by providing them help in the way *they* need it.  Everyone feels differently about their home, every person places their priorities in a different place, and that's okay. However, if you're a new mama and I show up with dinner for your family, I will help you with some housework because... let's face it... everyone needs clean dishes!  I'm not thinking "Oh man this place is a wreck, let me help you with this..." It's more like, "WOW YOU JUST HAD A BABY!  You're amazing!  Let me help you with this!"  Because that's how I truly feel about new mamas!

And for the rest of us that don't currently have a baby in the house, God has blessed us each in our own individual way.  I know that a clean house is nice, but I also know that my number 1 goal is heaven- for me, my husband, and my kids.  Sometimes I have to let the house go to remember that goal...Other times I feel like I have to teach my kids responsibility so that they can learn to be responsible adults!  It's definitely a balance, and not something I really lose sleep over.  These are just more rambling thoughts...

Messy House... Happy Mama?

I remember a few years ago, when Beth was very little (Luke may or may not have been born yet), I was loaned a copy of the book A Mother’sRule of Life by Holly Pierlot.  I started to read it and thought it was sort of a joke- I didn’t need any sort of house cleaning help!  I had a 1600 square foot house, a very helpful toddler (really- she actually helped me clean up!), and could get my entire house spic 'n span, top to bottom, within a few hours.  Even laundry was no problem-  I did maybe a 4 loads a week?  Whatever the case, I didn’t need a schedule, I didn’t need to spend time thinking about when I’d have to clean.

Fast forward to a few years later: a new-to-me house nearly twice as big, three older (and bigger!) kids, play dates, homeschooling, dance class, gymnastics, a gym membership, and a part-time job, and I have a recipe for a disastrous house!  Bigger kids require bigger clothing and bigger beds (hence larger bedsheets to wash if they’re wet at night), they require more food (LOTS more food), and bigger shoes all over the house.  And I have only three children!

With our busier schedules, I picked up that old copy of A Mother’s Rule of Life and reread it, this time cover-to-cover, discussing it with other Moms in a similar stage of life as we read it in a bookclub-format.  As it turns out, this time around it was a LOT more relevant, and made a lot more sense to me! 

The author discusses prioritizing your life first, like making sure you have time for prayer and for taking care of yourself.  But one of my favorite things about the book was learning that part of organization is having a place for every little thing in your house, and this is something that I don’t have.  I have piles of papers everywhere since we don’t have a good desk space.  My laptop computer doesn’t even have a real “home,” so it’s just sort of left out.  Recently I reorganized one of my bookshelves, putting it in my closet because it’s the only place where I can utilize all of the shelves without having little kids pull stuff off the lower shelves!  But now I have a place for all of my doula-related paperwork, and this little thing helps me so much!

As I take inventory of the rest of the house (as the author suggests), I’ve gone through room-by-room to figure out what other storage pieces I need so that everything can have a home.  We’re hoping to buy a china cabinet-type piece for our dining room, where we can put mail and other paperwork.  I want to build a small shoe bench with a coat rack for the kid's jackets.  I need some sort of storage for all of Beth’s new embroidery/sewing supplies, which currently reside in a pile on my dresser!

I feel like, despite the schedules and methods I’ve created for myself, the countless books, blogs, and websites I’ve read, I just can’t stay on top of my chores.  I feel like the kids are almost old enough to be a big help, but are not quite there yet.  They also already whine and moan when I ask them to do something, so I think I need to figure out some sort of good motivator for them!  (“Because I’m your mother and I said so!” isn’t working so well!)  I feel like in the evening when they go to bed, the last thing I want to do is scrub floors or organize paperwork- I am ready to collapse if I don’t have a meeting or a workout!  On the weeks when I can stay 100% faithful to my schedule, things look great, and the house is pretty darn close to perfect.  But, who am I kidding, that’s happened maybe once!

I am left pondering the idea of hiring help, just to keep the house from becoming an infectious pit of germs and nasty things, especially now that we have a new little boy using the toilets!  I feel like maybe once a month would help- twice a month would be heavenly!  Is the feeling of cleanliness and sanity worth the money?

I do have high standards, and I’m at peace with that.  I’m not going to try to change the person God made me to be by allowing myself to live in a house I’m not comfortable in- in fact I think that would make me depressed because I can’t stand it when everything is messy and cluttered!  However, I am also realistic and constantly let things slide because I’d rather read books to my babies, take a nap during rest time, or crash on the couch with Ryan at the end of a long day to read or watch a tv show.  

 I’ve had an experienced home schooling mom tell me that when you homeschool, something usually gets left behind- school, housework, or yourself.  If you manage to keep up in school and on keeping house, then you don’t take care of yourself.  If you’re great at keeping up the house and taking care of yourself, then schooling falls behind.  I can see how this happens- there are just not enough hours in my day, especially since I’m the sort of person who requires a lot of sleep in order to be a pleasant person!  And since I’m not willing to let school fall through the cracks, that means if I’m good about going to the gym or if I have a lot of evening client meetings, then the house is a wreck.  If I don’t go to the gym or have meetings, then the house is usually in better condition.  I can’t win!

Right now my kitchen is clean but the play room and living room are covered in tent forts, with cowboy boots and baby dolls strewn about.  That's a mess I'm not even going to tackle now because 1. They're having a blast with it and 2. It's only 2:00 pm and they still have a full afternoon of indoor playtime left since it's raining outside!   I've been doing some research for a client while the kids are having their rest time, and I have 3 piles of clean laundry that will hopefully be folded and put away by the end of this week.  *sigh*

How do you other mamas do it???

Moving into Fall

Where to start... The past two weeks have been busy with family, friends, school, and work!  I made the drive into the city 6 times over a two-week period, four trips for doula business and two for personal business.  I have major respect for people who commute into the city for work, because although I wasn't traveling at peak rush hours, my back hurt after all that time in the car!

One of those trips was a special day for Beth and me, when I took her to a ballet performance as part of a field trip with some other members of our homeschool group, then she and I had lunch at a gluten-free restaurant in town.  The boys stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa!

 

Four of those trips were for business- I had my first (and only!) birth in the med center.  It was a great experience, working there, but it's just too far for me to travel so I don't think I'll be taking any more births down there, unless it was for a special friend!  Another two trips were for our local fair about all things birth and babies.  On Friday I was CPR trained and Saturday a friend and I drove to attend the fair and hear different talks.  It was a good weekend but WOW was I tired after driving like that two days in a row!

Growth Spurt

Around our house, when a baby goes through a mental growth spurt, it is nearly always accompanied by a sleep disturbance.  This was most true with Beth and Jack- Luke has always been a stellar sleeper once he decided to actually sleep at around 11-12 months old.   

Right now Jack is having a major mental growth spurt!  He's been a little late of a talker in terms of not meeting the typical speech milestones for his age, though he's kept up with all other developmental milestones.  He just didn't form words very well and had a hard time coming up with the right words to say, and has very rarely said two-word combinations.  (Who can blame him, he has two very talkative older siblings who have happily talked on his behalf!)  He completely understands everything we say to him but just didn't say real words back at us.  Until the past two weeks.

Jack started talking in two or three word combinations, saying things incredibly clearly, things I'd never heard him say before!  Just yesterday he put his Nuk in his mouth (he sleeps with his pacifier) and popped it out, handed it to me and said, "Yucky.  Wash it!"  I cracked up laughing because it was so clear and completely new!  He heard me talking to someone on the phone the other day, and pulled me down and looked seriously at me and said, "New house?"  Since I understood him and explained to him what I was talking about, he now will just randomly say, "New house?" to me.  I think he appreciates being able to communicate to me with words and being able to sort of hold a basic conversation.

But wouldn't you know just about as soon as he started talking, he stopped sleeping.  He's been waking up between 4:30-5:30 am, climbing out of his crib, and resisting/skipping naps.  It hasn't been fun because as my long-time blog readers know, sleep is the hardest part of parenting for me.  I am clinging to the fact that these sleep disturbances are part of his growth, and praying that it's just temporary!

We considered putting him into a toddler bed since he was crawling out of his crib and refusing to sleep.  We are in the camp of parents that says, "Let him sleep in his crib as long as possible, there is no rush to move a child from a crib to a toddler bed," but now that he's crawling out we are at a loss.  He won't stay in a toddler bed either.  We moved Luke into a regular-sized twin bed and moved the toddler bed into Jack's room, so now he has a crib and a toddler bed in there.  He slept in the toddler bed for two nights while it was exciting, then he told Daddy he wanted back into the crib, so that's where he sleeps now.  When he sleeps.  Heh.

Just in the past month, Luke has stopped "formally" napping during his rest times, though quite frequently I'll check on him during rest time and he'll be asleep in his bed.  He and Beth still have rest time in their bedrooms for about an hour and a half every day, ideally when Jack naps.  They have to stay in their bedrooms and play quietly- Beth loves to draw, play with her dolls, rearrange her bedroom (no joke), make silly faces in her mirror, look at books, or play with the cat.  Luke will look at books, play with his trains (he's finally getting to the age where he can actually build the tracks), play with his tool bench, or have a nap.  They both have radios in their rooms with a small assortment of CDs, and they're allowed to listen to the local Christian radio station too.

This is the secret to my sanity.  That hour and a half, right after lunch, is my time.  Generally I don't do any chores because it's my rest time too!  I work online, read, or take a nap if I'm on call for a client.  Occasionally Beth and I will school during rest time if we had a busy morning or didn't get to certain subjects, and I realize that as she gets older and we have more work to do, that we'll probably have to do more during this time.  But for now, I love it!

But the past few weeks have been challenging, since Jack has been fighting his naps, crawling out of his crib, and banging on the door.  The gentle techniques of teaching him to stay in his bed that worked with Beth are not working with Jack, so we're just at a loss, in a state of limbo, waiting to see what the next week or two brings!

I'll be sure to post the other silly things that Jack says.  It's funny to me how I don't have to teach him any of this.  He's just been chilling for these past couple of years, taking it all in, listening and learning... And now I think he's just going to open up and let loose on us!

Our First Week of School

This past week was our first week of school! Beth started kindergarten this year, and I'll break down exactly what we're doing for school later on in this post, but I wanted to say how excited she's been.  She has been looking forward to this all summer- probably in part because we've had a slow summer and she thrives on a consistent and predictable schedule.  But Beth loves to learn, and she devours new information, so she has been ready to "officially" start school.  She's told me her favorite subject is math, and she's always been an artist and I think she's been quick to pick up on handwriting (she's been writing forever now!).  She's beginning to read but she loves being read to- always has.  She would sit and listen for hours if we could take it!

Monday!  She was so excited!

Since home education is something we've been contemplating for about three years, I've had ample opportunity to research and study the different methods of homeschooling.  I've read all sorts of different perspectives, from people who homeschool because they think the educational system is built soley to turn out rule-following mindless government-worshipping drones, to other people who homeschool because they live out in the country and don't want to drive into town.  I know everyone has their own personal reasons, but I've enjoyed having time to read so many different things to develop my own feelings on the subject, and decide how best to educate our children.

Ryan and I both attended public school (with the exception of one private school year for me) for our educations, and when I personally reflect on my school time I realize I never developed a passion for learning.  I studied for the grade, usually made the good grades, and that was enough for me.  I had friends who were homeschooled and they left good impressions on me- I never thought they were weird or antisocial or whatever other stereotypes come along with homeschoolers!

As Beth grew older and I made friends in our parish, I realized there was a huge group of homeschoolers in our area, and that there was a great support system.  I started to read more about it and realized that it was such a diverse group of reasons why people decided to keep their children home to teach them.  I agreed with so many reasons, and developed my own ideas of what an education should encompass.

First and foremost, I believe that as the mother of my three children, it is my job to get them to heaven, through my example and prayer.  I know that I have only a few years of their lives in order to lead them to our Lord, but forming their consciences and their faith lives is my first God-given job.  When I consider public schools, what I've heard and seen, I don't think that it's beneficial to their souls to be in an environment like that as little children.  I think that a strong foundation- a strong faith- must be laid before I turn them out into the world!

Tuesday: You know the boys are done when...

Secondly, I believe that no two children learn the same. I think public schools are doing their best to get by, but in order to be efficient, they can't take the time to focus on each child the same way that I could.  I'm not angry at schools or the government or whatever, I just think that since I know my child, I can provide better learning opportunities by tapping in to her own interests and talents.  In addition to this, the public school we feed into has had some less-than-stellar reports...

Similarly, I believe that children should be able to play.  That school shouldn't just be letters and numbers, but learning about life.  I think they learn about life by playing, and that a nature hike is just as important as a lesson in history. Experiences like interacting with kids of all ages, learning manners at the library, visiting the graveyard to pray for the souls of the deceased, hiking and enjoying the beauty of the world that God created and gave to us.  Sure we could do those things on the weekend, but for us they will be a part of an education.  For me, education is so much more than sitting down and completing worksheets until the book is finished and she can recite math facts.  I want them to learn how to learn, to be passionate about learning, and to find the things in our world that give them meaning.  To see the beauty in our world, beauty that points them to God.

Wednesday: finally a project for all three of them: scissors!

Finally, I'm not convinced that the public school route provides the rich, classical education I want my children to have.  I am heavily influenced and love the thoughts of Charlotte Mason, who believed that children should learn from "living" books instead of textbooks, that comprehension can be "measured" through narration instead of tests, and that art, music, and especially nature should play a heavy role in education.  She believed in teaching children good habits

So that being said, here's our plan for this year.  Last year Beth went through a good portion of Mother of Divine Grace's kindergarten curriculum, so this year we're actually going with the first grade lesson plans of Mater Amabilis (but this is still her kindergarten year).  I am changing it up a bit though.
For religion, we're using Image of God: Who Am I? because I already had it and like it just fine!  We are also working our way through the old testament, one story per week, which she illustrates and narrates back to me as I write it on her illustration.  We read about one saint per week, and will also use Catholic Mosaic to follow along with the liturgical year.

For math we are using A Beka kindergarten math, though I think we maybe should have ordered first grade.  I have extra manipulatives to use as we want, since this program doesn't have them built in but I think learning hands-on is pretty important for Beth.

She does copywork and dictation each twice a week, and this includes writing letters to family members and penpals!  We're using Alphaphonics for her phonics program, but I'm not impressed and she's not interested, so I'm up for suggestions if anyone has any.  100 Easy Lessons was great for the first 30 or so lessons (we did that 2 years ago!) but she doesn't like it anymore either.

For Literature we're reading the Blue Fairy Book, starting with Beauty and the Beast, Aesop's Fables, and Mr. Popper's Penguins.  We're also using the Harp and the Laurel Wreath for poetry.  We read from The Book of Virtues during our afternoon snack time, and talk about ways we can apply it to our daily lives.

I've completely ditched MA's history suggestions after I found Beautiful Feet Books, and Beth is doing Early American History.  We're also going to do the suggested family geography project, so we'll be studying different parts of America and hopefully be able to visit some of those places throughout the year so we can actually go experience them.  We have the family tree workbook and will be interviewing family members to complete this, starting with my nearby grandmother!

For our nature walks, I plan to go as often as I can, but it will wind up being a couple of times per month probably.  We're also reading Pagoo, a story about a hermit crab, so I hope that when we're done with that we'll be able to take a trip to the beach!

We're skipping foreign language for now, though occasionally we incorporate Latin.  For all of the different arts, I'm using The Story of the Orchestra to learn about music (and have an October 1 field trip planned to the orchestra!), Come Look With Me for art study, and additional various "how to draw" books that Beth has and wants.  I'd love to get the Oxford First Book of Art if I can get my hands on a cheap copy!  I'd love for Beth to start piano lessons, but first we'd have to have a keyboard or piano!

I have so many little additional things to add, mostly coloring pages and small crafts and projects, because that's what Beth likes to do.  More importantly, I have no problem going off on a tangent if Beth is pulled to learn about something new!

I know  this sounds like a lot, but it's really only two hours of our morning, four days a week! We school in the morning and have afternoon activities planned several days a week.  Monday is ballet for Beth, Tuesday is gymnastics for Luke, and the other days are a combination of activities, depending on the day of the month.  Beth will be involved in an elementary-aged girls group that teaches them little arts like sewing and crocheting, manners, and from what I understand,  sort of what it means to be a Proverbs 31 woman.  She's REALLY looking forward to this, she's been talking about it for months!  I also have planned a once-a-month cooking class for her and a few friends, here at our home, where we'll be learning about kitchen etiquette and baking skills!  We will also attend daily mass at least once a month (hopefully more often than that if I can get my act together), park days with other homeschooled kids, and random other events that happen throughout the year.  We will not be bored at home, lack activities, or have issues with "socialization."  This seems to be the current buzz word of the anti-homeschool camp, but as you can see (or if you want, take a peek at my calendar), there will be ample opportunities for interactions with other kids, boys and girls and moms and dads, of all ages!

Thursday: a beautiful morning so we played outside and delayed the start of school for about 45 minutes.  Totally worth it.

I have a plan set up for the rest of the semester, and then I'll re-evaluate what's working for us and what isn't.  This plan isn't only for me, but for Ryan too, since he'll be in charge of school if I'm called out to attend a birth during a school day.  We had our first chance to practice that this past Friday, when I had planned a nature hike with a friend and her children at a nearby nature preserve!  While I cancelled with the friend, Ryan took the kids on a hike with a picnic lunch while I spent my morning laboring with a client.  What a special day for them!

Friday: Nature walk and picnic with Daddy

Luke is working through a handful of activities I have planned for him, including a letter-of-the-week workbox filled with worksheets, manipulatives, and games.  I also have printed out a checklist of potential activities he could do to work on letters, numbers, motor skills, and imagination.  I don't have a specific goal for him- I'd like for him to learn how to write his letters and numbers, but I'm not going to freak out if he's not writing perfectly anytime soon.  He's a completely different learner than Beth, and I know I'll have to plan something completely different for him when he's ready to start kindergarten!  I just want to make sure he's entertained, learning, and making progress of some sort!

I am super impressed if you've read through this entire monster post, but I also want to have on record what we're doing and what my plan is. :-)  I am very well aware that this plan might not work out for us, and that we might need to do something else, but for now I feel like it's worked well for Beth and the boys this past week. I am flexible, and I love that I can be homeschooling affords that to us!

So if you think I'm crazy, I guess you might be right.  While friends are sending their kids off to school, I'm prepping for another busy and loud day! But I hope I don't offend anyone who chooses not to homeschool, it's certainly not my goal.  Ryan and I have discerned this to be the best choice for our family for so many reasons, and we plan to take it year by year, child by child.  It's hard to think of what we'll be doing in four, six, or eight years from now, since I have no idea what will be happening in our lives! 

Wish us luck!

Night Prayers

Tonight when we were saying our prayers, Luke wanted to pray for everyone who was burned by a volcano, people without school desks, and people without homes.  Beth wanted to pray for Mommies who have babies in their tummies, and Mommies who "hurt when the baby is coming out."

I love my Babies. :-)

Starting Up

 This week was our kick-off into fall activities, though we won't start school until next week (Aug 27th).  Beth started ballet on Monday, she's at the same studio again and I keep having to re-count to make sure this is accurate, but this is her 4th year.  Yes, that's right!  She started when she was 2, almost 3! 

 I hesitate to say this but I think the boys will be easier this year.  We always head outside to play while Beth is in class, because the waiting room is small and the boys are better off playing outside anyway. :-)

 I didn't have a chance to take many photos of Beth since I was outside with the boys, but I took this one through the window and liked it, she looks so grownup and serious to me.  I know she's growing up, but something about her this year just makes her seem so much older.

 

 And today Luke started gymnastics again!  He is in the same age group but in a different class, with mostly boys.  He loves his class and says his favorite part is the trampoline.  He always looks like he's having tons of fun!

(he chose to pose like this on his own)

And of course, little Jack is a trooper, playing with me while his older siblings are in their classes.  He's sort of a goober, staring at me, smiling, then running away to see if I'll chase him.  At ballet he runs for the parking lot, and in gymnastics he runs to try to ring the bell that hangs on the wall for the gymnasts. You know he's laughing the whole time.  I wonder what this little boy is going to want to do when he's a bit older...