First Day of School - 2018

Samantha, Sophia and Jack started back to school today, beginning their day with big smiles and ending it the same way.  We had visited each of their classrooms and teachers the night before and did every last thing that we could to make the day go as smoothly as possible.  Bags, clothes, shoes and lunchboxes were all set out the night before and school supplies were dropped off ahead of time in the classrooms. 

We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then managed to grab a few pictures before the bus pulled up at 7:30 am.  This was something that Jack was MOST excited about -- and Jimmy is devastated that he still has a few more years before he can ride the bus. 

Samantha: 5th grade, Sophia: 2nd grade, Jack: Kindergarten

I typically buy each the kids new book bags and lunch bags every other year.  The ones that I purchase are durable and we can typically get at least two years' worth of use out of them.  The kids picked out their own patterns, as usual, and they are so adorable and fit their personalities perfectly.

Samantha chose hedgehogs; Sophia chose pink and purple flowers; and Jack went with camo.

Sam did a little extra embellishing with puff-balls and emoji clip-ons.

This is Jack's first year attending all day and eating lunch at school.  He checked his lunch bag and approved of every last thing that I packed.

These girls were completely agreeable to sitting by Jack on the bus (in the front) for a few days.  They really do love their brother even if they argue once in a while.

Steve went into work a bit later than usual so that he could see the kids off to school.  They were happy to have him there and then were excited to tell him all about their that night.  It's going to be a great year!

James - Three Things

1.  James is officially 2 1/2 years old this month and sometimes he seems so much older than that.  He's completely potty-trained during the day (only wearing a diaper for naps and bedtime), has a full vocabulary (often speaking in full sentences) and keeps up with the big kids like he's a school-aged little boy.

2.  One of his biggest accomplishments this summer has been mastering his balance bike.  He uses the same bike that Jack had when he was younger -- the one that allowed him to skip training wheels altogether -- and I am excited to see how advanced he will be by Springtime.  He now pushes off and rides with his feet up, steering and balancing completely.  He will even go down grass hills like that.  It's kind of exciting to watch and most people are amazed to see such a little guy with that much skill.

3.  My favorite time of day with James is tucking him in bed at night because he becomes so tender and lovable.  He cuddles into his bed (mattress on the floor still) and makes sure that all of his "friends" (stuffed animals) are in place.  We sing songs, read books, turn on his flashlight and exchange kisses and hugs.  And then, right before I go to bed, I sneak into his room and turn off the flashlight and remove the book that he almost always has on top of him.  He consistently sleeps on his back and I never resist the chance to give him one more quick kiss.  One day, he'll be embarrassed to do that so I am savoring every moment that I can.

Jack- Three Things

1.  Jack is still the hardest worker ever.  He often works harder than a grown man -- hauling wood, running the sprinkler system, moving pieces of equipment, sweeping/vacuuming.  No job is too large for him and I often joke that he is certainly "the man of the house" when Steve is not around.  Just last week, I woke Jack up early one morning because it was starting to rain and the lawn mower was left outside.  He flew out of bed so fast, grabbed the key, ran outside (in his pajamas) and started it right up.  He drove around the house and parked it perfectly in the garage for me.

2.  Jack is built quite solidly.  He has large hands and a lot of muscle packed on his body.  In the last year, he has grown more than 3 inches and has started to become a tad more lean.  He is looking less like a little boy and more like a young man.

3.  Jack is heading off to all-day kindergarten this year and is SO excited about it.  He is thrilled to be riding the school bus with the girls every day and is more than ready to continue his learning.  My only concern is that he is used to taking a rest in the afternoon (that boy plays hard and crashes hard) and he won't be able to do that anymore.  We have been getting him used to skipping his nap more and more, but I definitely notice that he does better in the evening when he has rested.  My fingers are crossed for a smooth transition later this month.

Sophia - Three Things

1.  Sophia is my little "mother hen."  She is the first to jump in to help with Jimmy, the first to tattle on anyone and the first to offer help in the kitchen.  While Samantha's love language comes in the form of receiving gifts, Sophia's is in the form of service.  Of course, she loves it when I buy her things, but I would have to say that her greatest happiness comes from her and me spending time together and making things together.

2.  She is very skilled in arts and crafting.  She takes her time designing/coloring/blending until her final creations look like they were done by someone much older.  She is incredibly patient in this area and rarely gets upset if a project doesn't go as planned.  She is quick to modify it and then takes great honor in having me display her works of art all over the house.  I plan to enroll her in more art classes again this year after school.

3.  Sophia doesn't have just one best friend.  At least, not yet.  She loves having many friends and her natural smile and twinkling blue eyes make her so personable.  She is often called upon in school to be a friend to a new student or to help when someone needs to go to the office.  She loves fiercely and has the biggest heart of anyone that I know.

Samantha - Three Things

1.  Her love for numbers and math makes me happy.  It comes naturally to her, just like it does to her momma, and she would rather spend any spare time working on fractions and now ... sudoku puzzles.  Last school year, we encouraged her teacher to challenge her with extra math assignments and she absolutely excelled.  I hope that she will always love numbers this much.  It's a nice skill to have.

2.  She has the longest legs that I have ever seen and is almost in the 90th percentile for her height.  In less than two years, she will probably be taller than me.  She's actually taller than most of the kids in her class -- boys and girls -- and she is one of the youngest (she has a Fall birthday).

3.  She has started taking on more responsibilities around the house lately, especially since she will be turning 10 (ten!) in a few months.  She recently remarked that she is "excited to turn double digits soon because she will be double digits then for a long time ..."  Yes, the rest of her life, most likely.  She is now doing laundry (sorting, washing and drying), watering all of the household plants, emptying the dishwasher and any other miscellaneous jobs that I find for her.  And, I love every ounce of help that she provides.