It has been far too long since I've done a "for my memory" entry in the blog. I try to do this every 6 months or so in order to record some information for my memory before it slips away with time. The kids grow up so very fast and sometimes just posting pictures leaves gaps in what is really happening in our lives.
I recently spoke to another mom who loves to blog and found out that there is a way to print your blog into a book. Wouldn't that be fabulous? I would be relieved of the guilt that my children don't have a scrapbook of their childhood, but instead they would have a book! I haven't looked into it, but I will be doing that.
I started the blog just a month before Carter arrived and have been doing it regularly ever since. I find myself scrolling back to older posts from time to time having a hard time stopping because sometimes I wish that is how life really was. I wish that I could rewind my life and replay different times over and over. It is true, however, that people tend to make the memories sweeter as time passes and who really posts picutres of those "not so glamorous" times.
I currently have two morning each week of 2 1/2 hours without any children with me. It feels odd, but I try to fit so many things into that window that reflecting about the fact that I am alone has not yet occured to me. Carter is in a 3 year old class at a fabulous preschool in Bloomington. He goes happily each time with his next door neighbor buddy, Isaac. He and Isaac have started a new "buddy" friendship over the summer. They love to jump on the tramp together, play boats, and with the guys in the dragon and batman castle. We catch them wrestling randomly and most of the time in good fun, but they also have regular arguments that are forgiven within minutes and then they move on to the next activity. Carter's obsession with the boat has stayed strong since our family vacation. Mike recently ordered a remote control boat for him for sleeping in his bed all night....which has now ended again. The boat came in the mail and when I opened it, it read "for ages 14 and up". I'm pretty sure that the boat is more for Mike.
Carter is going to be discharged from speed therapy at the end of the month. I am so very proud of the progress he made and was even more pleased that his speech teacher confirmed my assessment that he now longer needed to attend therapy!
He is such a happy boy. He is recently also in love with: Tom & Jerry!
Taylor has also made some big leaps in the right direction. I believe that she has wanted so badly to be older for such a long time and now it is finally happening in her mind. She loves kindergarten and is just so very happy, proud, and agreeable. She has had some trouble obeying in the past and has been known to cause some ruckus in the house, but not recently. She is just so very happy, helpful, and funny. There have been minimal fights with her sister (she has never really fought with Carter). Taylor has been giving lots of hugs & kisses before leaving for school and is full of information when she comes home. She is eager to read, but has not yet fully caught on to the flow of reading. She can sound out words and we are working on sight words that she can just rattle off. She is now on a 20 inch bike and keeps up with Mike & I without any problem. She takes gymnastics with Kylie on Tuesdays and loves to see her friends.
Hailey has entered 3rd grade and it has come with a few new challenges. 3rd grade is seeming more serious with more expectations outside of the classrooom. Hailey loves grammer, english, reading, and spelling but has found math and especially rocket math to be hard. We have had so not so positive parenting interventions regaurding her additude about math and respect for those who ask you to do things that we are not fond of. This is a new thing for Mike and I and we are just praying that we are handling some of this bigger "life" issues in the right way. Hailey still has her heart set on getting a puppy. To be more specific: a king charles cavalier spaniel. We thought it was phase, but it isn't a phase if it has lasted close to two years! She is aware that she can get a puppy when she is 10 years old.
In summary, parenting is hard. There isn't a manual. I find myself just thinking that I'm getting one child figured out and then things change.
We just celebrated our church's 50th anniversary and I was really struck how faithful my parents were having raised me in a faith in Jesus Christ that is so real, true, alive, and powerful. I want to be that for my kids.
Kensington's 1st Birthday!
It is so fun that Kensie's birthday falls over MEA weekend. Last year we traveled to Sioux Falls for her arrival and this year the kids and I were able to go celebrate her 1st birthday........time goes so very fast.
Hailey and Madison loving Gin & Wil's puppies
Makenna & Taylor were keeping their distance from the puppies, but still were singing about how much they loved dogs.
Grandma & Kensington
She wouldn't look at the cake
We bought her an itsy bitsy teensy weensy yellow polka-dot bikini.
My baby boy started preschool today. He did such a good job at drop off and was very proud that he left with a back pack this morning like his sisters. He will go only Monday and Wednesday mornings this year and I think that is just about right for him.
Carter loving the boat. Brittney joined us and attempted skiing for the 1st time; lets just say that she gets an "A" for effort.
Brittney is in full swing with school. Grandma 
