The One with Football Senior Night

November 8 - 10, 2019

S E N I O R  N I G H T
Friday, November 8, 2019
Pioneer Football

I have been dreading this night for at least a year.  So much preparation.  So much emotion.  And it was all so very worth it.  We spent one afternoon with all the Senior Football parents making decorations and finalizing plans.  And then Booster Club worked to make sure the senior blankets were in place for the football player, managers, cheerleaders, and pom girls.  And the night was here before we knew it!  It was a cool night, but not too cold.  The Pioneers were undefeated and working to cap off a perfect season by beating Del City.  And Lars's Senior year of football was almost over.  Last regular-season home game.  We knew there was a home playoff game coming, but this was different...

The posters were hung in the stadium.  As well as a large banner matching the home picture on this post.  The lights were bright, and the seats were PACKED.  It was time.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Lara's BFF rolled out for support!

Lined up for the senior announcements

A sweet friend captures this from the scoreboard

We're NEXT!

Coach Barnard and Lara

hugs

Family on the Field

Halftime Selfie with NANA!

Final!  UNDEFEATED!

Manager Girls!

Team Picture at the end of the game

Lara's ATC replied to my post about the night on Facebook

At the end of the night, all of the Seniors from the school gathered on the field to celebrate one last time together.  They played favorite songs, hang up, cried, and soaked it all in.  The fall semester is coming to a close!

In the meantime, Emma was off being a sporty spice as well!  She had a game in Agra where she got to play a lot of the game and score 8 points (I think?) and then did her cheerleader thing.  Here are some pictures she sent me with her cheer squad!

M-O Cheerleaders 2019-20

CHEERS!

The rest of the weekend was pretty tame.  The girls both worked at the donut shop on Saturday (Lara worked Friday morning as well), and then we worked on homework and being a family!  Thank You, NEXT!

The One With All That Jazz

April 5 - 7, 2019

Another Spring weekend - another crazy schedule!  Baseball, basketball, prom - it never ends.  But the memories!  We are building life long memories that can never be replaced. As a family, as individuals, as teenagers.  These two redheads will thank me fore this someday! It is definitely a labor of love to keep it going, but I am determined to see it through to the end! 

The girls' paths did not cross until Sunday so I will approach this post one teenager at a time.  Starting with Lara - who had a CRAZY weekend!

Friday night, Lara was in Enid with the baseball team for a tournament.  They had an afternoon game and an early evening game.  Went 1-1 on the day.  But, she also had to be back in Enid early the next day for the final day of the tournament.  Even though it was prom, she had promised coach she would be there.  Her commitment to the team is strong, plus she only decided at the last minute to go to prom (More on that in a minute), so she left super early Saturday mornig for baseball, then hurried home for prom prep.

She was going to prom with a group of girls, including her BFF Erika.  BUT!  Erika had only convinced her to go last weekend.  So, we had to find a dress and shoes, get things figured out, and make plans in a very short period of time!  Luckily, this has somehow become my specialty.  We called Emma's friend Katie to ask about a dress Lara had previously tried on when searching for a Wrestling Homecoming dress.  GOOD NEWS!  She was willing to share!  Then, shoes.  Emma had a pair of heels (this dress form Katie was LONG) that she had worn to semi last year, and they fit Lara.  DONE!  Erika helped Lara get a makeup appointment with the  same girl doing hers, I was in tap to help with hair, pictures at 5:30, dinner at 7:00 (all at a friend's house), prom at 8:30 on OSU campus; after party back at the same house, sleepover with Erika (2:00am curfew to be at E's).  WE GOT THIS!  (Oh, and I had to make a side dish for dinner and supply snacks for the after party - WHEW!)  I didn't think about the fact that even the solo girls would want wrist corsages, so I dropped the ball there, but we fashioned one out of an unworn boutonniere for pictures.  And the results were awesome!

Lara. Stillwater Prom 2019. All That Jazz

E and L

Even allowed one with Mom and Nana!

We got to catch a glimpse of our Emma girl on Sunday.  She came by the house on her way to church to pick up the dress and return it to Katie, plus Lara still had a pair of shoes of Emma's from her trip to Gulf Shores last month.  Emma came in and gave us all hugs - so we saw her for about 2 total minutes! LOL!  She did send this cute pic of her with her dog Skye - who thinks she is a lap dog!

31 more days of school for Lara.  24 for Emma.  And then, Seniors!  How can this be possible?

Year in Review: 2015 Six Dream Weavers

Merry Christmas and Happy New year from our home to yours!  2015 found the Weavers with seasons of growth and challenge, as well as adventure and celebration!  We watched tweens become teenagers, a little boy become at tween, and a toddler turn into a little boy.  We moved, found new passions, and bought a new (to us) car.  There is never a dull moment with a house as full as ours, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!  We look forward to wrapping up these last few days of 2015 as a family, and diving into new escapades in 2016.  

THE GIRLS

Emma and Lara turned 13 and started the 8^th grade in 2015.  They also saw their biological dad remarry (again) and move closer to them that he has been in the last 12 years since our divorce.  All of that brought many changes, adjustments, and fine tuning along the way!   Through all of this, Emma has emerged with a new found love: horses!  She has always been my animal girl – especially puppies and dogs – but her step-mom is a horse girl and introduced Emma to their care and nurture, and also to rodeo.  Emma participated in several JRRA (Junior ranch Rodeo Association) rodeos throughout the year and finished her first season last month at the Finals in Pawhuska.  Along with her regular classes, an advanced Algebra class and an advanced history class, she is also in her first year of Agricultural Education classes and FFA membership at school, and all of this experience and knowledge is helping her learn more about her hoped career path of becoming a veterinarian.  Lara, on the other hand, is our “inside” girl!  She is still dancing every chance she gets.  5 hours of classes on 2 nights each week at Encore! keeps her busy!  She is taking a pointe class, as well as classical ballet, lyrical ballet, and a jazz class.  To accompany her regular class load and her advanced English class, she went out on a limb and tried new things this semester to be more involved at her school.  She tried out for winter guard (competition color guard) in November and was thrilled to be chosen to join the Cadet team!  She is very excited about this new adventure and all the new things she is going to learn about spinning and competition teams.  

THE BOYS

Jake turned 8 at the first of the year, and is currently 5’1” and weighs about 112 pounds.  He is a giant among his peers, but he is our sweet, kind hearted little boy.  He is a sports and video game fanatic!  He played on a competitive baseball team in the spring and summer (Stampede:  first base, third base, pitcher), his first tackle football team this fall (Cowboys: D-line, O-line, Dedicated deep snapper), and is currently honing his basketball skills with his teammates (Haymakers: big guy inside).  If he’s not playing, practicing, or conditioning, he’s watching sports on TV or playing video versions on his game system.  He spouts off stats like they are spelling words and has big dreams.  He is in the 3^rd grade and is an excellent reader, a spelling champ, and a math wiz.  He loves lunch, recess, and science (in that order).  His teachers rely on him to be their helper, and we couldn’t be more proud of the friend he is to others.  And then there is our Finicky, Feisty, Fighter boy, Finn!  He too has had quite the year!  Still attending pre-school at the Methodist church and giving everyone a run for their money.  As usual, he has spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices this year.  We have graduated from Hearts for Hearing (he finally passed all his hearing screenings!), and only have to see his pulmonologist as needed instead of routinely.  Plus, his pediatric ophthalmologist doesn’t want to see him till he’s 6!  The ENT has cleared him as well unless he has issues.  But with the highs come some challenges as well.  Early in the year, we were diagnosed by his endocrinologist with Idiopathic (no specific cause) Short Stature (ISS).  He was born with the diagnosis of “Small for Gestational Age” (SGA), then coupling that with the ISS, we were tested for deficiencies and then started Growth Hormone Therapy.  He has been on nightly injections for about 6 months now and we are happy to report approximately 5 inches in growth!  So ecstatic for him!  Not only has he grown taller, but his overall health is better, he is hitting more milestones on time, and his overall outlook and demeanor are better.  His HAIR grew back in from all the bald spots from his twirling habit, and he needs new (bigger ) clothes.  We are still battling eating and weight gain issues, but go back in February to work on those some more with his gastroenterologist.  Apart from his medical things, Finn spent the summer taking private swimming lessons to get over his fear of water.  We came a long way!  We hope it lasts till next summer.  He was also honored to be chosen as a featured preemie on the Mercy NICU wall of Hope and enjoyed being in the spotlight a little it for that fun unveiling event.  We love that his face and story can bring hope and a light to others traveling through their NICU journey.

THE PARENTS

Britt and I are both still working at Oklahoma State University.   He celebrated his 10^th year with University Health Services this past fall, and I just marked my 2 year anniversary with University Dining Services.  Being on a thriving and diverse college campus keeps us young and in the know, and we really like it.  We are also enjoying watching our ******** business grow!  He has lost 95 pounds, I have lost 45, and we have grown a thriving business along the way.  It is truly a blessing to help others be healthier, as well as show them how to have freedom from financial debt and time burdens.  We have great visions for 2016 and what it can do for those around us!  We want everyone to have the health and freedoms we are enjoying!  We are loving raising our family, keeping busy, and growing and changing every day.  Our latest BIG change is the used car we recently purchased.  Shortly after we got married (9 years and 11 months ago), we bought our minivan.  It was a year old at the time, a 2005 white Chevrolet Uplander that we affectionately named “Derek” – as in Derek Zoolander (after the Ben Stiller movie of the same name).  At some point in our young marriage, we bought a blue 1996 VW Cabrio from my brother, and named it “Otto” – a nice German name for a nice German Auto (don’tcha think?).  When Finn came along, Otto was sold and we bought a much BIGGER vehicle.  A blue 1997 Ford Expedition that our then 5 year old aptly named “Rip” due to a small tear in the headliner that he noticed as we drive it home.  We just recently traded the van for a timberline green 2009 Nissan Armada.  Naming this behemoth (seating for 8!) has been a challenge, and his name has changed a few times these past weeks.  We have officially branded it “Hiro.”  As in Hiro Armada.  After our favorite animated character from 2015 Hiro Hamada (and Baymax) from the blockbuster movie Big Hero 6!  Fitting, I would say!

Hiro Armada

So, here comes 2016!  We hope to start it with a BANG and never look back.  We have big hopes and even bigger dreams for the coming year.  It is a good time to be one of the Six Dream Weavers, and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for us!

First ER visit of 2015

It’s already in the books.  Overall, an “A” experience.  We’ve been to the ER several times with a few different kids.  This was by far the best experience.  So thankful for that.  So, why were we there? Let me rewind a bit…

The last time we were in the ER with Lara was about 2.5 years ago – when she had her first real asthma attack.  Since then, we have had rescue inhalers everywhere and all the needed supplies for home breathing treatments on demand.  Yesterday when she woke up, she was struggling to breathe a little bit, so we did a treatment.  When I got home from work last night, she was feverish, coughing, sore throat, headache… very flu like, and it is going around like wildfire here.  We ventured down the street to the Urgent Care place, and promptly got diagnosed with the flu.  Filled the Tamiflu Rx, another breathing treatment, took the first pill and went to bed.

She got up about 6:45 this morning.  Struggling to breathe, unable to talk.  You could hear her lungs rattling, and a wheeze in her throat – very strange sound.  Told her to use the rescue inhaler, and do a breathing treatment.  Gave her the Tamiflu for this morning, and waited.  And watched her deteriorate some more.  It was quite obvious our home remedies were not working. Time for the ER.

Unfortunately, we are still down to one car for a few more days, so we have been carpooling and rearranging things on the fly to get people where they need to go.  I had already called in sick to my boss to stay home with her today, but now I needed the car to get her to the ER, but Britt still needed to go to work and Jake needed a ride to school (we only live 4 blocks from school, but it was 10 degrees outside.  TOO COLD!) Poor Lara had to wait while we all got dressed and ready – took Dad to work, dropped Jake at school, and were checking in to the ER at 7:35 (Nana the Wonder Sitter had Finn and Emma).

We were the only people in the waiting room – that was nice.  I hoped the wait wasn’t long. Soon after we got checked in, a handful of new patients started streaming in the front door.  Luckily, we had beat the rush!  We sat about 10 minutes in the lobby (Lara had to wear a mask because of her flu; she hated it) before getting called back to a room, but the charge nurse who brought us back recognized her severe distress and got a breathing treatment started immediately – so by 7:50 we were getting (more) albuterol and atrovent into her system.  They listened to her lungs and heard lots of cracking and rumbling.  Her oxygen saturations were good – staying at 99 and 100, but her heart rate was very high.  After some assessment questions and intake type stuff, we were seeing how the treatment worked and waiting to see the Doctor.  He came in about 20 minutes later, and he prescribed oral prednisone steroids, continued observation, and more breathing treatments. 

Soon, we got the 2^nd breathing treatment – pure albuterol – started about 40 minutes after the first one.  It provided no relief what so ever. It was now about 8:45 am.  Her O2 was still good, heart rate was better but still high (possibly from meds, and stress…)  In fact, I thought this treatment made her worse (so did Lara).  She had this horrible grunting/wheezing sound coming from her throat.  I said it sounded like Darth Vadar was a 20 year smoker!  The doctor came in again and heard that same sound.  He listened to her lungs, and they sounded clear! YAY!  So, the steroids and previous breathing treatments had done their job.  But, he now decided her vocal cords were swollen, and that’s what was causing the noise and the difficult breathing.  New breathing treatment ordered, this time with racemic epinephrine (think Epi pen) to combat the swelling.  In the meantime, Lara was hungry, and shaky and not doing well at all.  It seemed pretty scary that she wasn’t getting any better.

The nurse came in with the new breathing treatment around 9:15.  3-4 minutes in, the noise had stopped! Lara’s color was better. Her eyes were brighter. She didn’t seem to be as distressed anymore!  SHE COULD TALK! This was huge – she hadn’t said a word all morning – just used some very bad sign language.  YIPPEE!  So, soon after the treatment was finished and the doctor assessed her again, we got the all clear.  They finished up our registration information, got our discharge paperwork ready, and we were out the door by 10:00! Kinda wish we could have gotten that one sooner!  But, all’s well that ends well.

After a quick trip through the McDonald’s driver thru (for her - she wanted pancakes), we got her home and back in bed.  Steroids and breathing treatments for the next few days.  And of course, she still had the flu!  So, we’re trying to fight that off as well!  The ER doctor said asthma and the flu DO NOT mix well.  That became painfully obvious to us today.  YUCK! Poor baby!  We know she won’t be back at school until at least Monday! 

That was a pretty scary ordeal.  I know some of you have done it, and I’ve seen it with 2 of my kids now, but it’s a harrowing feeling to look into your child’s face and see the panic and fear in their eyes when they feel like they can’t breathe and they are suffocating.  It was bad when Finn had RSV and was that way, but he’s a baby and his mind can’t really comprehend it all.  Lara, now – that’s totally different.  Scary.

Thank you for all the prayers, calls, texts, Facebook posts, etc.  She is sleeping soundly now.  I am trying to decompress.  And do some dishes.  And laundry. Oh – and I need to start dinner…. A mother’s work is never done…

Don't Blink

I did.  Blink, that is.  Not on purpose, really.  I mean, "THEY" told me not to, too.  But I did.  And the girls grew up.  So fast.  My Twister babies are now twelve year old young ladies with opinions, and dreams, and drama.  And they have been 12 year olds for 2 ENIRE WEEKS! I guess I was blinking again...

I really have been in a bit of denial about this birthday.  As usual, since late April through the end of May is traditionally super busy, it snuck up on us a bit.  You known, someone said to me during the week of their birthday something about how "next year" when they turn 13 is the BIG ONE.  While I didn't say it out loud, my first thought, screaming in my head, was, "Holy Cow, if I am this emotional this year, I am going in to hiding next year!  And to me, this one is HUGE!  I don't even WANT to think about next year.  NEXT YEAR!?!?!  Let me get through this one first!". I cannot believe they are twelve.

They had a hard time deciding what to do for a "party." The last 2 years we have had a sleepover for them.  2 years ago was not a great experience, and last year was plain awful, so we had vetoed that idea.  The girls decided they wanted to take a few friends to see a movie. Disney's "Million Dollar Arm" was coming out the weekend after their birthday, so we decided to get a group together to go see that on Saturday afternoon.  They seemed pretty excited about it.  But, they have the coolest bonus dad EVER!  You know what he did Friday night as a surprise (to us all)? He drove around town to their friends' homes and let them "ambush" them - ring the bell, get parental permission, pack a bag, and get in the car as quickly as possible - for a sleepover!  The "Ambush Sleepover" was born.  Emma and Lara loved it, and so did their friends.  Such a fun way to celebrate!  And the movie on Saturday? SUCH a great story!  They all really enjoyed it - and so did Britt, Jake and I!  (We sat away from the girls and their friends - just watching them from a far...). After the movie, we took all the kids home, and the girls went with their Other Dad for the rest of the weekend.  So, without much planning and the usual fanfare, we had a GREAT birthday weekend with them!

And then, life with 12 year olds was under way.  It is dance recital season around here so we have all that going on with Lara.  She has had studio rehearsal, picture day, junior company clinic and tryouts, and dress rehearsal is today.  Emma ended volleyball season and has found a way to spend as much time as she can with her friends away from this house.  LOL!  School ended.  They both received certificates for being on the Straight A Honor Roll first semester and Lara received an outstanding music student award.  Emma scored highly on her math placement test and was recommended for Pre-AP math next year by her teacher, and she has accepted the challenge.  7th grade, here we come - ready or not! I simply could not be more proud of these two amazing orange haired, spunky girls!

But I blinked.  It all happened so fast.  There was a very real time in my life when I thought they would be the only babies I ever had.  It was not what I had dreamed, but I knew I was so lucky, and so very blessed.  Not long after that there was a time in my life where it was JUST US GIRLS!  The three of us, surviving on our own, trying to conquer the world; they were my world.  Then we ended up here - this large, loud family with an amazing man leading us in Christ and working his tail off to provide for us (tween girls are expensive), two little brothers in Jake and Finn to pester and love, guide and teach.  (Emma and Lara have changed HUNDREDS of diapers and gotten invaluable baby sitting experience - things I had no idea about at 12!). They are smart, happy, God-loving servants of Christ.  They are sweet and compassionate, and they both love to cook.  They each have very distinct differences, but it's in the similarities that my heart smiles.  They are 2 peas in a pod, even when life takes them in different directions.  I am so proud to be their momma.  So lucky to guide them as they grow.  So blessed by their love.

Don't blink. Don't wish away the hard stages of childhood.  Cherish them.  Embrace them. Then love the outcome...

Our busiest time of the year

For a lot of people, the time surrounding the winter holidays is the busiest time of their year.  But not for the Weavers!  It always seems to be around April and May – the last 6-8 weeks of the school year.  We always have 100 things going on each week, and it is just a crazy time!  So, here we are again!  In the middle of just plain CRAZY!  But, you know we love it.  And, this is a GREAT time for a shameless plug for the most AMAZING calendar app around, Cozi.  I just love it!  Color coded, can text each family member, even had to-do lists and meal planning options.  Seriously.  Try it.  You won 't be disappointed.  I promise.  LOVE. <3

Let’s get caught up on what’s keep us elbow deep in calendar appointments these days…  There’s always work for the hubs and I.  And of course, with our new ******** biz jumping off the ground, we are always telling people about that!  I’ve got Dream Weaver Prints keeping me going as well!  So, those are the fun ways we are keeping busy and helping people out. Not to mention March of Dimes!  We got to lobby for babies and mommies at the Capitol earlier this month, and it's time to start thinking Team Finn's Fans for this fall!  Doesn’t get much better than that!

The Twisters are hurling fast towards being 12 years old.  It just donned on me today that we are a mere THREE WEEKS from their twelfth birthday.  How in the world did that happen???  They are truly my joys.  So different, but both loads of fun, considerate, smart girls.  The have their own interests, friends and activities to keep them busy.  We are right in the middle of volleyball season for Emma.  She really loves it and has signed up for a camp this summer.  Lara has added a dance class for the rest of the year and is honing her skills.  We hope to find a fun dance something for her to do this summer as well.  They are both participating in a kids’ mud run this Saturday – that should be a mess of fun!

Emma and Lara - Easter 2014 (age 11)

Jake is LOVING his baseball season.  And frankly, so are we.  Our Pirates baseball team is just awesome.  GREAT group of parents and kids.  The kids all work really well together and are having so much fun.  We had team pics recently and we are just loving the way they turned out.  Thinking I need to commission the photographer for some kid pics later in the summer…  Anyway – baseball is LOVE.  Jake is completely smitten.  His 8U team is going to go out on the field with the Oklahoma State team for a game next month, and he may not sleep before then! LOL!  He is also doing the mud run this weekend; he is on a team of first grade boys and he can’t wait.  I am sure there will be LOTS of pictures from this event!



Jake #13 - schedule card

Pirate Baseball Family March 2014

And sweet Baby Finn…  When do I have to stop calling him that? LOL!  He is just amazing us!  3 word sentences!  Noun, verb, object.  WHAT????  I know, right?!?  So proud of him.  He is still super stubborn and remarkable finicky, but such a fighter.  And winning!  Since we started the appetite meds 7 weeks ago, things have REALLY changed for him!  So much has changed!  His pre-school teachers can’t get over how much more outgoing he is.  He eats.  AND EATS!  And eats some more.  At school and at home.  He talks so much more. He imteracts with others.  He SLEEPS!  He sleeps well and consistently.  We saw the Occupational Therapist 1 weeks after we started the meds.  He basically didn’t qualify for services.  If we had gone in a week earlier, he would have.  I promise.  THAT’S how much he has progressed!  We saw the ENT a coupole weeks ago.  His ears are still great (one tube in, one tube out), and he looked at his tonsils.  We were curious if they were enlarged – perhaps contributing to the eating issues.  He is also a mouth breather and snores a bit.  The ENT wants to watch him and see.  They were a bit large last month, but it was the peak of allergy season around here, too.  I am supposed to check for apnea while he’s sleeping, but I’m scared to go in there and watch him sleep – I don’t want to wake the beast! LOL!  And this week we saw the endocrinologist.  And stumped him.  Literally.  It was fun.  And priceless.  We told him all of Finn’s medical history, then went into the story of our last 2 months.  In 7 weeks, Finn has gained 2 pounds (that’s 10% when you’re that little!  I haven’t even LOST 10% yet!), and has grown 1.5 inches.  IN 7 WEEKS!  He is now on the chart for height – still below it for weight.  He talked to us about height genetics and probabilities, and said Finn should be around 6’4” as a fully grown adult – barring any complications.  (We told him we did a height predictor for Jake and got 6’8” – 6’11” and he was shocked again.)  We told him we weren’t worried about him being 6’4” we just wanted him to not have complications.  He agreed that we just want to make sure Finn is healthy.  We continued to talk about our options and concerns, and as we told the Doctor about the developmental improvements Finn had experienced, he was truly surprised.  Had never heard of the meds making those kinds of changes.  He was really stumped.  And he’s the EXPERT!  The Doctor was completely prepared to do blood tests and get Mr. Finn qualified for growth hormones.  But, after spending time with is, thoroughly examining our boy, and listening to our story, he decided to hold off.  He told us to come back in 6 months (around Finn’s 3^rd birthday – when we will see ALL of his specialists again) and we’ll see how he’s grown.  I am ready for Finn to blow his mind again in 6 months.  Will you pray for that with us?

Finn - March 2014 (under 22 lbs)

Finn April 2014 - 24 pounds!

That’s where we are today.  While typing this post, I have had text conversations with 5 people about various topics, shared ***** with 2 customers, made plans for the 7 year old who is out of school next Friday, talked to my husband on the phone, and corralled my 4 kids as well as some neighbors & friends that have been in and out of the house 100 times in an hour.  WHEW!  #momlife never ends!  And I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Back to School – 2013

(If the blog looks different, that's because it has taken on a bit of a March of Dimes Make-Over for Team Finn's Fans until the Stillwater march for Babies!)

Well, the first week of school is under our belts.  All of the kids had “new” in some form or shape as they went back to school.  And they all had GREAT weeks.  I am so proud of ALL of them.  They each have their own struggles to overcome and their own way of dealing with the changes.  We had some bumpy moments, as expected, but overall, the Little Dream Weavers each had a positive experience this week, and were ready to go back for more this morning!

The Twisters.  Emma and Lara started 6^th grade at the middle school this year.  They are on the same “team” (set of core course teachers), but have selected different electives.  Their lockers are both bottom lockers, and are next to each other in the hall, and they have 7^th period math together.  But, for the rest of the day, they are going totally opposite directions – don’t even have lunch together!  They are bus riders, and the first few mornings were rough with late arrivals, missing breakfast, and some general confusion.  The first day, the bus was an hour late picking them up AFTER school!  But, they thought it was fun to just hang out with their friends after school waiting!

EMMA. Emma is loving the independence and the social aspects of 6^th grade.  She has already made several new friends at the bus stop and in her classes.  She is my true fashionista, trying out a new “style” of clothing almost every day.  She carries her purse everywhere (this is new for us), has been wearing make-up to school (just a little) every day, and almost ALWAYS has her phone up to her ear.  She is a true tween girl in every way.  Outgoing, outspoken, up for adventure at any moment!  And she NEVER STOPS TALKING!  She loves her classes, and has stayed very organized so far this year.  We hope the trend continues!

LARA. Lara likes the middle school.  She is really enjoying her PE class because of all the variety it offers.  She has her lunch “split” by 2 shorter periods of PE, so I think she is fascinated by that as well.  Plus, she gets a PE locker AND her regular hall locker, so she has plenty of space to store her stuff (Or lose it, she’s still pretty good at misplacing things.  We’re working on it!)  She carries her purse as well, but only because she has her inhaler in there!  Lara is a quiet force.  She has enjoying reconnecting with old friends, and is slowly getting into the middle school grove. 

JAKE. Jake is in somewhat of a “new” situation as well.  He started 1^st grade back at the elementary school he went to Pre-K in, but he barely remembers anyone from 2 years ago.  Plus, this is the first time he has been at a school without his older sisters!  He is walking to school most days with some neighborhood kids, and walks home in the afternoons ALL BY HIMSELF!  Nana the Wondersitter is at home waiting for him, and I hear she stands at the window watching anxiously for him.  And she texts me the minute he gets there!  Eases my heart for sure!  He loves his 1^st grade teacher and her student teacher as well.  He has several old friends in his class, and a new friend who lives in the neighborhood is in the class next door, so they play together at lunch and recess.  It’s also fun for him to have a playmate so close – they both enjoy video games and spend some afternoons together defending the universe!  He is exciting about taking snack for his class the first time this week!  He says his favorite part of the day is recess.  The first day they went outside 4 times.  He was pretty disappointed when he learned they really only have 2 recesses each day – that was just to make Day 1 more fun…

FINN. Finn started his first experience outside the home (and the protective arms of his Nana) last week.  He is enrolled in a pre-school  20-30 month old class at the Early Childhood Center at the Methodist church close to our house.  We went to orientation on Monday, and he started class on Tuesday.  He goes Tuesday and Thursday for most of the day – includes lunch and a nap.  We are hoping this helps with his speech delay and (lack of) social skills and some manners as well.  He is a textbook spoiled preemie who doesn’t do much for himself, so this setting should stretch and grow him!  He did great the first day, and while Thursday drop off was a little rough, he is getting a lot out of the experience and I can’t wait to look back at the end of the semester and see how it has changed him!  He loves all the new books to look at and the puzzles.  And of course, recess.  Who DOESN’T love recess?

4 kids.  3 schools.  It makes for a hectic schedule, but we love it.  We are gearing up for Fall activities as well.  Jake thinks he wants to play flag football – I need to check into that.  Dance starts next week for Lara, and fall volleyball is right around the corner for Emma.  I’m checking on a “Mommy and Me” gymnastics class in the evenings for Finn and I, too.  Of course, we couldn’t do all of this without the family support we get.   Grandpa is on dance drop-off duty this year!  I bet he’s thrilled… LOL!  Let the games begin!

(Signs are available through Dream Weaver Prints Etsy Shop)