Hello again

Oh hello blog.  Nice to see you again.  Man it's been so long since I've seen you.  Yeah this summer was crazy busy.  Can it possibly be the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year?   Well it's so good to see you again. .    Maybe we should do lunch sometime?      You ask how are my kids doing?  Great they've grown a bunch.    Here are their first day of school pictures. 

Emily- 8th grade!!  Be man on campus this year at Indian Hills Middle School

Jane- 5th grade- Super contentious student who is little upset that all the "bad" kids are in her class.

Aaron- 1st grade-  Champion at making friends at Sprucewood

Spencer- thinks he is as big as the others and independently found an old lunchbox packed it full of snacks and put it in Aaron's last years backpack with his new "Tommy Shoes" (Vans which happens to be almost the same as his friend Tommy at daycare) was set to go off the school with the others.  Oh the howling I heard when he soon realized he was stuck home with mom all day.  

I dropped them off for the traditional red carpet 1st day entrance.   There were way to many people in front of me to capture Aaron marching in but here is Jane's entrance.  I always get a little choked up as the kids walk through the doors.  Mostly because I love fresh starts, pencils and new shoes.  All of which make up the first day of school! 

After school we headed up to Pauline and Johns for a BBQ with Bart's cousin Greg who was in town with his family sending off their son Chase on a mission.  Jane was thrilled  when she got word that Jeff was setting up the slip n slide.  She loves herself a good slip n slide.    It was a perfect way to send off summer and welcome a new school year!

Her name means Beauty

It was just a lovely day to see Belle get married.  She was such a stunning bride.   Since birth Belle has been so nice, calm, gentle and gorgeous.  My kids love her especially since she so graciously took over for us while we were in Italy.  In fact after I got back and enforced mom schedule it took a few days for them to stop saying, "I wish you were nice like Belle." 

She had her wedding at a neighbors yard and Barn that was built for occasions like this.  Everything was perfect and you could feel the love she and Garrett had for each other.

Congratulations Belle!  May you have a life full of happiness.

I am Aaron (hood)

Aaron is officially finished with Kindergarten.   I just love this picture they took for his diploma. 

He was so excited to participate in his classes kindergarten graduation.   I'm sure this is the first of many school programs where he will be planted in the back center (you know the place reserved for the tall kids.  I myself hung out there right beside Kristina Blackburn and Heidi Brinkerhoff during my grade school years. 

 They sang and sang, had a slide show, honored the kids with their diplomas and then fed us cake.  Aaron did his part "Learning the letters has helped me learn how to read".  Good thing we've worked on the /r/ sound the last few months each night as he's read out loud  to me. He nailed all those many /r/'s like a champ!!!  A lot is expected from the son of a Speech Therapist. 

Aaron's had a busy last few months.  He finished up his second year of  "Let's play music."   He worked so hard at his piano homework all year and it paid off as he was chosen to play his favorite song "I am Robin hood" for his recital.   Due to Belle's wedding being at the same time as his recital I had to miss it.   I was so sad  but Bart stayed behind with Aaron and took some pictures of my stellar boy.   Bart's report is he didn't miss a beat accompanying the other kids.

Aaron has also ventured out and tried wrestling for the first time.   In true Aaron style it took no time at all for him to make friends with the other wrestlers and got out some of his energy out having fun along the way.    He was even brave enough to participate in a couple tournaments. 

Aaron was all smiles each Monday night as he headed off to baseball with Bart's childhood mitt.    He hustled to the ball no matter where he was standing in the outfield and when he was up to batt he seldom needed to use the T.    He and Bart set out to Walmart one night and came home with his own black bat and a bucket of balls and he's been out in the backyard with whoever will pitch to him since.

His kindergarten the last month or so has had a theme each day with the corresponding letter.    Last week for letter /r/ they reviewed their field trip day at Thanksgiving Point.  

 Tuesday was Western Day for the letter /W/ .    Aaron was so excited to wear the bolo tie Grandpa Dick gave him a few years ago.  Handsome little cowboy isn't he?  

Aaron eats like a horse and has a heart of a whale and wears it on his sleeve.  It's a wonder to me how this boy isn't 400 pounds.     I love his happy go lucky light up the room smile.  Just the other day I happen to be walking by his primary class as they were transitioning from singing time to lesson time and he saw me and his whole face lit up like  I was a celebrity that Bart had finally chased down.   He sure knows how to make my momma heart burst with love!  

Fierce

Jane is a fierce competitor.   She sets her mind to something she wants and doesn't budge.    Stubbornness is a curse and a gift and for this girl she uses it to her advantage.  

For instance take the school fun run.   They changed the route this year to run around the neighborhood instead of in circles around the school field.   I don't know if having a destination instead of laps switched something in Jane who didn't care much before but she was hell bent to come in first.    I loved hearing her story when she came home from school.   "Mom, Each grade started separately.    Fourth grade was the second class to go.   I just wanted to win and kept going and going and didn't stop for water or to walk or anything and the next thing I knew all my friends were behind me and I was passing 5th graders and I'm pretty sure I was the first girl in my class to finish even though when it was over I felt like I couldn't breathe and thought I was going to die. "  Jane was so enthusiastic telling me this story.  I love her competitive spirit.  

Jane also finished out the soccer year with a bang.  Her team took 1st place in their division.  

After her coach handed out the metals some parent joked it was pure gold and they jokingly put it in their mouths.  This little team who seldom won in the beginning was bursting with such pride of accomplishment that no amount of gold could do. 

Jane pushed herself every time she got on that field.  She always gave it her all no matter what the score was.     Jane  is really hard on herself which is hard to watch and parent her through.   For instance for some time she would casually mention how she wished she would be player of the game an honor the coach gives out each game.  Well a few weeks ago she came off the field after a great game looking so deflated and upset.  We get in the car and I say wow Jane you played great out there and she replied "No I didn't!  I didn't get player of the game.  In fact I never gotten player of the game and I never will"   I attempted a pep talk about positive thinking, the power of attraction and not needing the praise to know your are successful but she ran into the house when we got home and shut me out the rest of the day.     I often fear that her self critic will shut her down but I've noticed it just fires her up more.  The next game she went out on the field with a fierce determination and sheer grit. She hustled and scored like never before and finally received the honor of player of the game.   I was beaming with pride when she came off the field this time as well as total relief that our car ride home would be so much more pleasant than the week before.  

Sparta is switching things up a bit and her coach she's had all year is trading places with another coach who rumor had it had some problematic parents who were driving her nuts.   Kaylum her coach isn't one to put up with crap so I'm sure that was the reason for the switch.    He is intense to say the least.  Many times during games when I'd hear him barking orders out to the girls or calling out a mistake Jane made and my mama bear side wanted to go pull Jane off the team and shelter her from the storm of criticism but I've come to see that his style of coaching has fueled a desire for the team to improve.  Jane is mentally tough and learns from the reprimands which has made her a better player and handle the challenges of life better.     Besides Jane loved him as a coach so I just kept my mouth shut!  

Jane was so happy Nona and Papa came to support her last couple games of the season.   Nona even braved the frigid Park City temperature, wind and rain and then treated us to McDonalds afterwards.  Jane felt her love as she told the McDonalds clerk who asked about Jane's metal "Not only did they win but this girl's the best on the team and I'm not just saying that because I'm her Grandma."  

Crying my eyes out

It's no secret or no lie that I kind of worship Spencer's hair.    From the afro of his younger days

 to his messy curly "boy haircut" he calls it.  I just can't get enough of his curls.    Spencer  is use to a lot of attention with his toe head curls and would often would rub his head saying "My cuwly haiw."   

I'm not sure how to describe the shock, sadness, annoyance and anger feeling I had when I came in the door from a long day of work to have Jane march Spencer right up to me and show me what he had done to his hair. 

The only thing to describe it was like the movie "Little Women" when Jo walked in the door from selling all her hair and her vain younger sister Amy exclaimed  "Oh Jo your one beauty"

With all vanity we all need some humility and Spencer took it in his own hands to humble mine. Many have commented that is sort of a right of childhood passage to cut ones hair but other than Emily nipping Jane's hair this is our first catastrophe with hair.  (Now that I think of it I'm truly amazed my busy body always into something with his hands Aaron didn't cut his hair)

So Bart got out the clippers and gave him a summer buzz cut.  

Tow heads don't do buzz cuts well.  I learned that from a diy failed hair cut I gave Aaron around this same age.   He looks very bald!  I am grateful he at least has a perfectly round head.  I guess something good came out of him being such an onry cus as a baby and didn't give me the chance to lay him on his back too much.  

My dad always says the only difference between a bad hair cut and a good one is 2 weeks.  Hair grows back even though curls  will take more than 2 weeks.  Occasionally Spencer will rub his fuzz and say "Hey mom my cuwls are coming back."    Yes there is hope!!