Half way there

Well, I've been singing it all week long.

Ohhh,  We're half way there
Ahhhh,   Livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear
Ohhhhh, Livin' on a prayer

What?  Why?!  Isn't it obvious?

My baby boy is 9 years old!  9 years ago I brought him home from the hospital.  9 years from now he'll be heading off to college or work, or whatever the future holds.  My time with him is half over.  Are you crying?  I'm crying.  

How can he be ready for all this world will throw at him in 9 short years?  We have so much work to do, so many prayers to pray, so many memories to make.  





We had a great week;  Rosie and I surprised him at school with cupcakes and his great grandad came down for a visit.

But, he was most excited about his lock-in birthday party.  He says it was epic.

Minute-to-win-it games.

Shaving cream battle.

Fourteen little boys, enough junk food to keep every dentist in town in business for years and the whole church to destroy explore all night long.

He says he wants to do it again exactly the same way next year.  We say, only if Daddy and I are both victims of serious head injuries and have no memory of the events of that night.

By the way, have I mentioned Zadie's birthday is this week, too?  My poor Zadie, by the end of the summer birthday marathon I'm too tired to blow up a balloon.  Maybe next year we'll do her party first so that we're not all sugar loaded zombies by the time her big day rolls around.  

The good news is I think she enjoyed Andy's as much as he did.  Maybe that counts for something.  

{p,h,f,r} First week of school edition

I feel as though we've made good use of our summer.  We rested, in a way, but we crammed a lot into our resting.  We traveled and spent time with old friends and made new ones.  We celebrated Rosie's 2nd birthday and are preparing to celebrate Andy's 9th and Zadie's 5th this week.  We did VBS and church camp, art lessons and zoo trips, bell choir and skim boarding.  But more than anything, we swam.  I never played any sports as a child and I wasn't prepared for how much sports had to teach my children.  They worked so hard, set and achieved goals and dealt with disappointment. They also had plenty of chances to practice patience and good sportsmanship.  

Now that that's been said, we did not work on such things as sight words or multiplication facts.  C'est la vie!  Perhaps they'll use some of that great swim team work ethic to get caught up.

Now to the fun stuff.  Aren't my big kids {Pretty} (or perhaps handsome) in their dress uniforms?  I must say, they were not happy to have them on.  I don't think either one of them has had on a real pair of shoes in 3 months!  Let me add that there were no tears, just a really bright sun in their eyes. 

And I know I've already posted the next one, but it's my favorite.  I love our little chapel.  I think its wonderful that this is where my kids start their day.  

My {happy} would have to be our back to school pool party.  I wasn't so enthusiastic since it kept us out after bed time on a school night, but the kids were over the moon that we went this year. 

This, by the way is what you get when you ask for a sweet first day photo.  I probably shouldn't laugh, but they are too {funny}!

I thought I'd also mention that, while I miss the big kids all day, Rosie and I haven't been sitting around pouting.  Here we are at the pool with some friends.  She figured out that she could see her reflection in my sunglasses and the faces she was making were cracking me up.  She's such a little nut.  

The hardest part of the week?  Accepting that this sweet girl is really old enough for Kindergarten.  It's hard to get my mind around the fact that she'll be spending more time away from me during the week than with me.  {Real}  

It wouldn't take much for me to try my hand at homeschooling, but I must say, they love their school too much.  Guess I'll just have to get used to the quiet.  What am I saying?!  Rosie would never let it be quiet!

Hello Monday

 
Andy took Zadie's hand this morning and showed her the way to her classroom.  He's so happy to have her at his school this year.  I think he may be the sweetest 4th grader in history.  I hope my girls know how lucky they are to have a big brother who loves them so enthusiastically.

What do you mean it's not July?

Where did I leave off, oh, a month ago.  Ah yes, Andy went to camp and then came home early to run through his swim events for the State swimming championship.  Now, for Andy, it's all about the race.  Practice harder, swim faster, win more.   

But on this one occasion, it was also about the party.

Freestyle relay team:  Chase, Corbin, Andy and Geoffery 

The kids work so hard all season, but State is a chance to have a two day, sleep over, drink slushies, hang out with your friends, leave your baby sister at home big kid party.

With a few hundred of your closest friends, who are all awesome.  Cause swimmers are awesome.

And the best part?  That would be a giant pizza swim party at the water park.  Zadie was clearly impressed!

Valery and Zadie

PS-  Andy raced with a tattoo mustache this year.  Because he's awesome.