100 days!

100 days of school have come & gone this week. Simply unbelieveable. He is loving school so much. His grades are great. And he'll tell you he's only had 1 bad day at school so far (he was caught talking during nap time to his little friend Presley). It makes me laugh. I have to study in order to help him with his homework....not for the math, reading, or writing assignments but the key concepts questions (form, function, cuasation, reflection, & responsibility) and learner profiler questions. It's good though...I'm learning with him! Congrats to our big boy...100 days smarter. I can tell a difference.

We read a lot in our house...I love reading to both boys - together & separately. The picture above shows some of his current favorite books. Several came from sweet aunties...thank you!! I'll be doing a post soon on Trevin's favorite books. Stay tuned. :)

Six!

I'm a bit behind on this post, but I want to post about Benjamin. 6 is the ultimate age for him. His usual introduction goes like this..."Hi, I'm Benjamin & I'm six!" He's in the 95th percentile for height. He loves EVERYTHING...books, soccer, tractors, racecars, helping in the kitchen, anything that involves being outside, etc. He is the first person to rush over & check on someone if they are hurt & has a tender heart. He is such a great big brother & is patient to wait his turn. Benjamin's teacher said he is a good student & is one of her "helpers". So...life is good for our big 6 year old. He can't wait to dress up as a pirate on Saturday for the Austin Suzuki Strings Concert.

the night before kindergarten...

We loved reading this book together tonight....thanks Polly for the great gift! Benjamin already knows what to expect in a small measure since going to Montessori school last year, but this will be more structured & probably less play time. He'll meet new friends & learn a new school. I'm excited & nervous for him all at the same time. Russell and I were just talking this weekend about how much he has grown this summer. Not just physically, but emotionally & mentally. He has matured & I know he'll handle things very well tomorrow. [The big question is...how am I going to do??]

our little graduate

Soaking it up

Sunny days, blue skies, cool mornings & evenings...we're soaking it up and spending as much time outside as possible.

Benjamin has been learning about salt water & fresh water at school. I opened the windows the other morning as we were eating breakfast & we had this conversation...
Me: "Let's get some fresh air in here today."
Benjamin: "Yes, I like fresh air much better than salt air!"

[They had tasted fresh water & salt water and concluded that fresh water tasted much better, so he must have deducted the same thing about air]

Benjamin's 5 year pictures

I can't believe how grown up he looks in these pictures! Today he had his 5 year check up. Just as we guessed, he's in the 90th percentile for height and 50th for weight.

More Birthday Photos

THANKS for all the sweet birthday wishes for Benjamin. We read them together this morning and he thought it was pretty special to have messages from everyone. Thanks for making his day!

morning donuts...thanks Nana & Papa!


having a happy birthday with cousin Makenna (& Illinois travel companion & sweet friend)

delighted to have a new semi truck


I count & tickle these toes everyday. Love them!!

Five is Fun!

I keep asking myself... where have the last 5 years gone?? Somehow...here we are and Benjamin is so big & so excited to be turning 5 today. I enjoyed making his cakes for him & he was so impressed to have a Tow Mater cake. We had a fun day today. I love his happiness, delight in the simple things, and his loving care. One of the first statements out of his mouth this morning was..."Mommy, you are just the sweetest one ever." What a wonderful way to start the day.

Summer Fun = Getting Wet

It is so nice to have a little quiet time to sit down & catch up on the week. I feel like these summer weeks have been running away from me. Part of this is due to extending Benjamin's swimming lessons another 2 weeks since he was doing amazingly well & he graduated up to the next level. Last week there were 4 in his group & now there are 3, so he gets a lot of personal attention from the teacher - which is a huge help.

Benjamin

I don't give him enough credit for being such a wonderful son. He is - so flexible when we have to change plans (sometimes bec of Trevin), an amazing helper, a loving & protective big brother and so much more. I'm so thankful how he can cheer me up. His shoulder rubs & words of encouragement ["it'll get better soon, Mommy"] & the way he makes me laugh are the best! In a few short months he'll turn *5* AND start Montessori school. While my heart aches in thinking about this transition, I know this is so important for him. So my goal is to enjoy this summer with him to the fullest. This week he & I have gone swimming in the evenings together & spent time together outside after Trevin has gone to bed. It has been so good for both of us. I love these moments with him.

in all seriousness

Cousin Laura's Wedding

Memory Lane Monday: Music

Yesterday Benjamin had his 3rd violin recital. It's encouraging to see how much he has improved since a year ago. He especially enjoyed the pieces they played together as a group. I can't believe how tall he is compared to the others...the girls in the front row are 5 & 6 years old! {B is 4 1/2yrs}


A walk down memory lane...








What is Suzuki violin?
-a method of learning the violin (viola, cello, piano, flute) developed at the end of WWII by Sechine Suzuki
-taught much like children are taught a language - through repetition
-teacher or parent makes the sounds on his violin while the student copies them...many songs are learned before ever learning to read musical notes off a page

hosted by From This Front Porch

Disney on Ice

We went to see Disney on Ice this weekend. The performance was great but it was even more fun to see how much the boys enjoyed it.

Can you spot Tinkerbell flying thru the air?

an exerpt from the Lion King

Zooming cars

3 happy boys!

Favorite things in April

Benjamin & Ethan

• meeting up with friends for hamburgers & playtime
• a hibiscus plant for our back patio
• a new look for our back patio - it's stained!
• lots of sunshine
• my fortune cookie: Your smile is a curve that can get a lot of things straight.

Be like the flower, turn your faces to the sun.
- Kahlil Gibran

4 and a half!

It seems unreal that Benjamin is 6 months short of 5 years. He is such a happy boy and is absolutely thrilled with his new bike & accessories. He and Daddy have been working on the technicalities of this 'big' bike...braking, training wheels, etc. He told me yesterday, "In a few days I won't even need the training wheels!"

Our Outing

Today we went to the zoo. It was not the San Diego zoo, it was not the St. Louis zoo. But was a zoo. Bottom line - the boys loved it. The weather was perfect. It took us about 2 hours to see - just right for 3 busy 4 yr olds, 2 babies, 2 tired mommas, & 1 helper. Benjamin loved the train ride except for one minor detail, "Mommy, it didn't take us anywhere." "You're right, son, it took us right back to where we started. Sorry for the disappointment."