Hi, I'm Stephanie, and I'm the mother of a Kindergartner

So.  As (all five of you reading this) know, today was the BIG DAY.  The day started off normal enough.  The first realization I had this morning was that I made a good choice putting Henry in afternoon Kindergarten.  He came down the stairs about 5 minutes after the morning bus left our neighborhood.  At this point, I don't know how he is ever going to get enough sleep for 1st grade!  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  I'll think about that next week.

We had breakfast.  We played Legos.  I cleaned.  The kids argued.  Normal!  Then it was 10:15, and I had to feed Henry something filling and nutritious to get him through the afternoon.  I made Henry half a turkey and cheese sandwich with some grapes to eat before he left for the bus stop, knowing he would get a snack at school, but nothing else substantial until 2:30 when he was dropped off back home.  It didn't really phase Henry.  "Cool!  A sandwich!"  This is a kind of weird con of having afternoon class, but I'm telling myself it's only one year and he probably won't even notice the difference.  

What DID get noticed was Henry getting to eat something.  The wee one in the house wanted his lunch, too, but ended up settling for some good ol' goldfish.  I'm hoping Wyatt gets the hang of things soon or I shall go crazy trying to explain to him why Henry is eating lunch and he is not.

Moving on.  It is 10:40.  Henry's bus comes at 10:54.  I asked Henry to come over and sit with me for a minute so we could pray together.  He was very happy about this and had a big smile on his face the whole time we prayed.  Then we took a few pictures!

I know, I know.  Cute. 

And also, someone loves his brother!

Then we ran out the door to get to the bus stop in time!  The bus stop is right in front of our house, so we made it without delay.  I will sum up our bus stop experience with two words.  Bright.  Hot.

Then the bus came!  It came to a stop and I turned to my right to talk Henry through the process when what to my wondering eyes did appear??  MY CHILD running up the bus steps with great cheer!  I had to gather my jumbled thoughts quickly and yell out "Let me take a picture!"  He gladly obliged, while a shorter family member tried to become a stowaway.

Henry sat down in the very first seat.  He was the first Kinder to be picked up and all alone on the big bus but he sat down with confidence and a huge smile.  Have I mentioned that he has been talking about riding the school bus since he was 2?  The sweet bus driver lady shut the doors and Henry looked down at us and waved. 

And that's when I started to cry. 

My sweet, shy, timid child just skipped up the steps of his bus and waved goodbye on his way to big kid school. 

I was dealing with bittersweet feelings of sadness and loss but the little brother was plain out angry.  Here he is watching the big cheese wagon that stole his big brother away:

Since it was the first day, parents were invited to come to school and hang out for a bit.  Henry knew I would see him there but he didn't know I'd be waiting as he got off the bus.  Surprise! 

Yeah...I still can't get over this whole school bus thing.

The principal met all the kids as they got off the bus and walked them to their class.  There was something about watching all these little guys taking in their surroundings with huge eyes.  Oh yeah.  It was the fact that THEY ARE STILL BABIES!

 

Some nice helper lady welcomed Henry and helped him find his cubby.

Then his teacher came over and said hello!  She seems really great.

Then the kids could either play with blocks or look at books on the carpet while we waited for everyone to arrive/get settled/etc.  Unfortunately for Henry, the bus was a little late getting to school on the first day and clean-up time occurred approximately 30 seconds after he sat down with some blocks.  His preschool teachers will appreciate what happened next.  Tears.  He's never been great at transitions, especially when he hasn't had enough time to complete what he's doing.  But he did so good.  He didn't make a loud noise, which is what we're all used to.  He just looked at me and broke my heart as big ol' croc tears spilled out of his eyeballs and he said quietly, "But I didn't even get to do it."  I gave him a squeeze and told him that he'd get another chance and that the teacher just wanted to get their new and exciting day started.  

Usually, these moments last a loooong time, as Henry tries unsuccessfully to regain his composure.  Today though, he pulled it together and found a seat near the back.  The teacher took roll.  When she called his name, he raised his hand:

 

...and then I left.  I walked out the doors, but took a quick look back through the window before I took off.  My baby looked back at me and with a little smile on his face, he waved.

And here is where I cried again.  I waved back, blew him a kiss and made my way back to the parking lot.  So many thoughts.  So many memories.  So many feelings!  I am still trying to fathom how he's even old enough to be here.  Beyond that, I am completely dumbfounded at his courage and confidence today.  We have prayed and prayed about being brave and trying new things and remembering that God is always with us all the time, everywhere...  It's like today, it just clicked.  For whatever reason, he was just so excited about the whole thing, he just went for it. 

Hi, I'm Stephanie, and I'm the proud, proud mother of a Kindergartner.

I shall not be a cliche

It is just Kindergarten. It's school. He's 5. He's had two years of preschool. No biggie!

He's so excited so I will be, too! There will be no tears here. All smiles. :)

....
............
...................

Until he steps onto the SCHOOL BUS TOMORROW and I mourn the precious past five years of his life!

What the heck? Honestly, mothers of the past. You said, "Time flies" but you did not say, "One day, you push a baby out of your body and the next day, he goes to Kindergarten!" AH!

Oh, Henry.  Remember how 5 minutes ago, you were learning to walk?

Remember how when you went to bed last night, you were my cutesy, chubby, dubby baby?

And then you woke up today and POOF!  You're all tall and lean and handsome. 

What.The.Heck.

Okay fine!  I'm like everybody else because I cannot let go of the feeling that I'm leaving something behind.  That today is the VERY LAST DAY with my little guy before he becomes a big school kid.  All old and stuff.  Kindergarten.  Pfft.

SOB!

To be continued...

Look at me! I took pictures AND I blogged-ish!

After a couple months of cool and rainy weather, Oregon finally remembered it was summer and graced us with a full week of warm, sunshiny days.  The boys did a lot of sweating and a LOT of water play.  Bring out the sprinklers! 

Of course, I dusted off the camera (ahem) and thought it would be the perfect time to capture some awesome brother photos!

Why am I always so naive?

Why is it that when you ask a five year old (FIVE YEAR OLD?!  Still getting used to that...) to smile, they hear, "Okay, now...show me face contortion!" ??

Then there are the rude interruptions, such as airplanes flying overhead:

Yes, in fact I did say, "Henry, smile in such a fanatical way that you don't even look like yourself!"

I've read in several different articles that the best pictures of kids are random, spontaneous, not planned.  Do they mean, catch off guard?  'Cause I got pretty lucky with this one:

And then I might have shed a tear at the little boy who stole my baby away from me. 

HOW IS HE FIVE YEARS OLD?!

On a hot day, one must go to all measures to stay cool:

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids:

And last, but not least, you must have fun!

Just remember to never-ever both look at the camera at the same time or if that accidentally happens, make sure that one of you is definitely NOT smiling.  At least, not normally.

One of these days, my two-plus years worth of trying for that perfect "brothers" picture will come to fruition.  Until then, I will be satisfied that I can at least capture how much fun they have together!

Happy Summer!

FIVE

Five years ago today, you changed our lives forever. 

We were Jim and Steph, married couple.  We became Jim and Steph, parents of Henry.

My sweet boy, this seems like a huge age to me!  Last night when I tucked you in before I went to bed, I was struck by the fact that it was the last night of your babydom.  Today you entered into the world of Big Boys.  It is hard for me to accept that you are a Big Kid now, when it seems like it was just yesterday that I was singing songs to you wrapped tight in swaddling blankets. 

This year, I have loved seeing you learn and grow and experience life.  You are a kind and loving big brother and you surprise me constantly with your care for Wyatt.  Not to mention you have taught him all the main Star Wars characters and how to properly wield a light saber and he is only 2.  Your love of Star Wars keeps me giggling and your love of turning anything long and thin into a light saber is always enjoyable to watch.  You love your friends fiercely and want them with you at all times.  I have been amazed at your ability to pick up a set of intricate Lego instructions and build a Star Wars ship all by yourself.  At the same time, your mind dreams up so many different ships and shooters and castles and "guys" on its own, and I love to see that side of your imagination at work.  Most of all, you are learning to control your emotions (finally!).  Still a sensitive boy, I am so proud of you when you stumble and fall, yet pick yourself up, saying through gritted teeth, "I'm okay."  You don't know what a hurdle that is that you've crossed. :)  You walk into new situations with new people, still timid, but with a new bravery, and you walk out of them with new friends and good memories.  I'm so proud of you!

My prayer for you this year as you walk into a new world of Elementary School and new teachers and friends is that you would always know that Jesus is with you.  That when you're shy or scared or embarrassed or unsure, with all the new things that will happen, you will be sure of His presence and love for you.  That you will never forget that He is always there to help you, to give you strength and courage.  I pray that you will never doubt how deep our love runs for you and that we can assure you of that every single day.  We are so thankful for you - for all the special and unique things you bring into our world.  There is no one like you - not even close.

 

My sweet, sweet boy.  How I love you!  Happy 5th Birthday, Henry!

My Jedi Knight

It's no joke. He takes this very seriously, as you can tell by the following pictures. Luckily for him, his friend had a costume party for her birthday so we had to make him a Jedi costume with a pillow case, a belt and some of my knee socks.

My Jedi:



We ended up actually making him Obi-Wan because of the color of available pillow cases I had.  He dictated to me who wore what and that he could only be Obi-Wan in that color, of course.  Mmkay. The only thing Henry said was missing from his Obi-Wan costume was a beard, but he didn't like the idea of my drawing on his face with make-up. So for the pictures sake, we had a little fun this morning:

To say the least, he had a blast at the party, and the little boys played Star Wars to their hearts content.  There's not really much else to say, except,

May the Force be with you.

I'm TWO!

Hurray!



Well, his birthday was last Monday (May 30th) but such is the life of any child after the first, I think.

To sum up his development, he is doing awesomely super and, as our pediatrician told me today, our kids have sure given us a good workout. What does he mean?

Wyatt - 2 yrs
37 1/2 pounds
36 inches long

And in case you were wondering,

Henry - at 2 yrs
43 pounds (zoinks!)
38 1/2 inches long

So yes, you can say that. However, I am wondering why my arms aren't super-buff. That doesn't seem fair.

Anyhow. Wyatt is a smart and healthy boy! Even though we have "behavioral issues," they are considered totally normal so instead of being frustrated at his continual desire to challenge his mother, I will PRAISE THE LORD for a happy and healthy (albeit crazy) child.

We sure love you, baby boy. You are a spunky one, that's for sure, but so was (is?) your mommy so I'll try to remember that. ;) You bring energy into any crowd and melt the heart of those who are lucky enough to cuddle with you. Thank you for your silly faces and never ending desire to make your family laugh. You are growing too fast, but I am enjoying hearing you speak in mostly understandable sentences. Though it is still funniest when you are babbling full speed about goodness knows what. I love that you have no personal space whatsoever and you must sit as absolutely close to your brother as possible.  Like half sitting ON him.  You are a funny, funny boy and I couldn't be more thankful for the joy God gave us in you.

Happy Birthday, Wyatt!

Mowa cookie, pease?

That's what I hear all day.

You can't be a part of our family if you don't love our Monster Cookies!

FYI:
Mowa = more, for those of you who don't speak toddler.

Our Little Graduate

How can explain how proud I am of this boy?

When he started preschool 2 years ago, he was a timid, shy little guy who didn't want to talk or take pictures or participate in class.  While his personality still keeps Henry on the shy side, he has grown leaps and bounds in his confidence and ability to try new things.  I couldn't have asked for a better school or better teachers to love and lead my little guy as he emerged from his cocoon.

I seriously thought that I would be unaffected by a preschool graduation.  That was pretty dumb of me.  My baby started preschool as a cute-as-a-button, rolly polly toddler and he is graduating as this happy, tall, handsome little boy.  He has changed so, SO much and I am suddenly aware of the loss of his babyhood.  I know there are many incredible moments and memories to come, but I think I might spend a little while wondering where the time went so fast.

It was nothing short of incredible to see Henry happily run up on stage when his name was called to receive his "diploma," knowing that not too long ago, he wouldn't have DARED do that in front of all those people!  I could go on and on, but I'll just say that Henry...Daddy and I love you so much!  You are a smart, funny, silly and creative little boy and we couldn't be prouder of you!  Thank you for making our lives full just by being you.  And for using the Force on me all the time.

And here are a few pics from the night:

Never serious for long...

 aaaand...

we've lost all seriousness.

Wyatt was proud of his big brother, but wanted to get his hands on some cake!

(do you like my pirate face?)

What says Preschool Graduation better than a giant serving of sugar at 7:45 pm?

And one last pic...Henry and his teacher, Mrs. Nelson, as he left his very last day of preschool. 
A treasure!

I am just so very thankful. 

New Start

I might have had a tear for the removal of sweet, baby Henry and his trees, but it was time to add Wyatt to the banner!  I needed a simplified, clean look, so back to a Blogger template we go.  It's refreshing, really.  Hope everyone is having a great week.  So far, I'm surprised I haven't gone completely grey, but hey - that's life! 

(that's me attempting to laugh off the minute-to-minute trials our second born gives me every day)

This one, he doth confoundeth me

Well, it is really lame that Blogger went down and erased everyones posts.  EVERYTHING I typed is gone, but my videos were still loaded.  LAME.

Anyhow, my post said something about Wyatt being a monster.  Which he is.  But he balances that out with being rather sweet and cuddly.  And apparently he knows his letters and can kind of count, so when a stranger at the grocery store looks at me in horror as he screams full-blast and hits my arm, I can yell back at her, "IT'S OKAY BECAUSE HE'S SMART!"

Anyhow, enjoy!

A really long post about Legos

I feel like I live in my own private Lego Land.  In the past 6 months, Henry has become a Lego fiend.  FIEND.  What does that mean, you ask?  It means that I have permanent Lego marks on the bottom of each foot. 

While Henry is pretty good at keeping the Lego's in one general area, his little brother IS NOT.  Sometimes Wyatt thinks it is fun to throw Legos or take them for rides in his truck or hide them in speakers.  It's a special treat whenever Jim and I sit down to watch a movie and there is a little hum coming from the sub-woofer.  And the best part is that neither Jim or I can do anything about it.  We have to wait for Henry to stick his skinny arm inside and pull out whatever treasure Wyatt has placed inside. 

Anyhow, I digress.  Did you know how many clear legos they make these days?  A lot.  That is how many.  Also, do you know how tiny legos can be these days?  Very tiny.  At first, I was like, wow!  Cool!  Look at all these awesome accessories!  This would make the perfect headlight for a Lego car or the awesomest center of a flower! 

I am pretty sure I have vacuumed up half of what hasn't gotten stuck between my toes.

So far, this doesn't seem like a very positive blog post.  I will now change direction.

Legos are one of the awesomest things that has happened to our Henry!  It's like he found his "thing."  Mix Legos with Star Wars, and we are in Hea-ven.  Every morning, he finishes his breakfast and walks straight to that box of teeny tiny parts and dumps it into a heaping pile. 

This is when the magic begins.  Though he stays pretty close to certain themes - Star Wars, shooters, spaceships - he is always excited to create new things.  I love it.  LOVE it.  And he's so good at it!  He has a mind for that kind of concentration and can even follow the directions on his own to build Lego creations.  He might use his poor mother to look for all those ridiculously small parts, but he must be the one to put it together.

One of my biggest challenges these days is keeping Lego Darth Vader or Lego Obi-Wan out of "someones" little pockets when he goes to school or church.  Henry is so proud of these little guys, he thinks that everyone is going to be just as excited about them and he MUST share them with the world.  It is quite thoughtful, really.

A few weeks ago, I retrieved the mail and threw it on the counter.  A few minutes later, Henry walked up, pulled a piece of mail out and said, "Mommy....what....is this?!"  With a look of pure astonishment and unbelief, he held up this:

which became his favorite reading material.  I am not even kidding you.  He would lay on the ground on his tummy and just look and look and look at all the Legos.  Then he would talk about them.  And he would have to show us things.  Then he would show us again an hour later because surely we didn't remember the awesomeness of it all.  This catalog is so tattered now, I am tempted to toss it, but Henry has asked me to please tape and staple it back into place so he can continue to enjoy it.

Have I seriously just typed this much about Legos?

If you have a little boy (or girl, whatever) and you have experienced this:

...you know my joy.  My little guy using his imagination and creating is just amazing.  It also doesn't hurt that he enjoys doing something ON HIS OWN for a good length of time.  Just sayin.'

Here are some more pics of our boy and his toys for our family's enjoyment:

The tongue plays a big part in his concentration...

TaDa!  A shooter! 

Truly, this has been an awesome addition to our daily routine; something fun that we all enjoy doing together and something that Henry enjoys doing on his own.  It is really cool when your kids find something that they just love to do.  Especially when that thing is not a video game.  Woohoo! 

Now if only I could create some kind of fence to quarantine the Legos to one area...or keep Mr. Sneaky Pants (aka Wyatt) from hiding them in various locations throughout the house.  Like his diaper.

So okay.  I realize that if Henry ever hears about Lego Land, we will probably need to figure out how to get there eventually.   And I guess I'm okay with that.  There is nothing like seeing pure excitement on the face of your children, and I cannot even imagine what that would be like upon entering such a place for Henry.  Totally, totally worth it.

Jim?