"Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to school we go...We had some fun, but it's just begun...Hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho!"That's the song I've been singing in the car each morning as I drive our 3 older boys to school. All the boys are off to a great start. They were ready to see their friends again and they are still at the age where homework is light and learning is an adventure! :) I feel very blessed that all my boys love school; no tears have been shed; no little arms have clung to my legs when it was time to say goodbye. There is always a part of me that questions if I am meant to be homeschooling instead, but so far all signs seem to confirm that my children are where they are supposed to be. Each year I will discern anew, but for now I am very thankful that the boys seem happy and are certainly thriving acedemically, socially, and spiritually at the schools they are at. This year Joseph is a 4th grader at St. Andrew Catholic School, and Michael is a 3rd grader. Dominic is attending pre-Kindergarten 4 afternoons a week at Our Redeemer's Lutheran preschool, which conviniently is only a few blocks down the road from his older brothers. I could have started Dominic in Kindergarten at St. Andrew's, but I felt very strongly that he still needed another year to mature socially. Academically, he is quite advanced, but in other areas he is very much still a little boy who just wants to play. And that's OK. No need to rush kids into growing up too fast, I say. :) Plus, I just love having his contageous joy at home with me as much as I possible. I don't like to imagine what next year will be like with the three older boys gone
all day :(
Everyone is adjusting nicely to the school routine again. One thing that has been a huge improvement for me over last year is that I am getting up earlier in the morning. Paul and I get up together to sip coffee while we read the gospel reading of the day and an insightful devotional to help us apply the reading to our personal lives. It has been very sweet to snuggle beside my spouse on the couch and begin our day in prayer. I feel like it has drawn us so much closer to each other and also to the Lord. What a gift! Then when he heads off to work, I still have time to pray a little bit, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, and pack lunches---all before the boys are even out of bed! This change has been revolutionary for me! I'm a happier and less stressed mommy, which hopefully creates a happier, less stressed home, spouse, and children. The previous few years, I would try to sleep in until the first child awoke me (which of course made me very grumpy), and then I always felt like I was one step behind and running around like a crazy woman to get lunches made and get us out the door on time. So needless to say, mommy's new routine has been a blessing in more ways than one! :)
The only challenge I've been dealing with so far has been adjusting Nathanael's nap schedule to blend with the school routine. We've had a few hairy days, but all in all he has been a real trooper.
Here is Dominic giving a final snuggle and goodbye to his "best friends" before heading to school.
Dominic posing at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Preschool.
Dominic loves driving to his school and seeing these 3 tall crosses greet him each day.
My three handsome school boys, ready for another year of learning!
May God bless our school year and yours too!
Last week we celebrated two big 10s in our house: Joseph turned 10 years old, and Nathanael turned 10 months old! Nathanael celebrated by popping another tooth through the gums, creating a grand total of 7. He also learned to balance while standing up this month, but still has not successfully taken a step without holding onto something. His favorite activity right now is pulling up to the standing position and then walking along whatever he happens to be holding onto. There is no doubt that we will soon have an agile walker to chase around!
After the exciting baseball game, the boys returned to the house to have some pizza and open presents. All the boys oohed and aahed over the cool stuff Joseph got...
One of Joseph's friends sure knew Joseph well by picking out a model airplane kit along with some artist pencils and a sketch pad.
After all the presents were opened, we finished the celebration with a Dairy Queen chocolate-chip cookie dough ice cream cake decorated like a baseball. A sweet ending to a very sweet day for my very sweet 10 year old boy! :) I am so blessed to have 4 boys who are all uniquely sweet and fill my life with more joy than I ever imagined possible!
