Adventurers at heart

Although it's been evident since they were very small, we are seeing more and more adventure, experimentation, and stretching of previous boundaries lately with all the boys.  They are in a phase of climbing and jumping off of everything we pass, creating catapults with old lumber and buckets in the backyard, and getting really, really dirty.

They were recently inspired, after all the rain, to put even more water in the sandbox and turn it into a mud wallow.  I let them go, and they had a ball - slipping, slopping, and splashing.  

After all that play, though, they were too dirty to even come in the house for their bath, so they got a pre-bath washing with warm water in a tub in the yard.  Luke was not so sure about what was going on!  He even had sand caked on the top of his head; I'm pretty sure he had help with that.

 

As the third boy, Luke is trying to grow up as fast as his brothers, which usually means he's climbing jungle gyms and other playground equipment to keep up their pace.  He thinks he's so big - and he is! One night this week I noticed how tight his pajamas were getting and asked him if he was growing so big - his response (while flexing his muscles) was, "Yes, so strong and so mighty!" Then he jumped into my arms, "I love you so much Mama!"

 

I love these nature-loving boys!  For Halloween, Caedmon dressed up as a snow adventurer (completely his idea - his construction worker costume had somehow gotten lost and he needed a new costume right away.  Knowing candy was on the line, he improvised quickly!) Luke has had a lot of fun with this giraffe costume, and Isaac put together his own costume to be his favorite TV adventurer, Chris of the Wild Kratts.

We took the boys to a park to take family pictures recently.  In the car on the way, we were preparing them to give their best smiles and told them we'd like to hang the portrait in our home.  Isaac asked, "Mama, when I am grown up, can I have one of these pictures to hang in my house?" I replied that he would be welcome to do so. "Do you think my wife will like it?"  I told him that I was sure his wife would tell him what a cute boy he was when he was 5 years old.  He blushed and giggled delightedly.

Every night we sing songs with the boys.  Caedmon has learned some new songs at school that he's enjoyed sharing with us, and Luke surprised us recently with his own request.  He told us "I want a song from my Sunday School."  We asked him to start singing and he began "Praise Him, Praise Him, All Ye Little Children." We sang it together, then he told me in his most serious voice, "I eat goldfish at my Sunday school" while nodding vigorously.   His teacher is a family friend who told us that the first week of class, he was very unsure about being there without us, but after seeing the routine,  was more content the second week and after playing for a few minutes, stood up and announced loudly, "Time for goldfish!"

School starts again!

Already, the summer is over and our guys are back in school.  It's hard to believe we have a first-grader and kindergartener already, but when we look at these guys it's clear that they're ready!

Caedmon has loved his first few weeks of first grade and is doing wonderfully.  (He also lost his first tooth right before school started!)  Every day when I pick him up and ask "How was your day?" his response is "Great!!"  He has a terrific new teacher, sweet friends, and a busy year ahead.

 

Isaac started kindergarten this year and is off to a great start, too.  He has a sweet class of friends and teacher at school part of the week, and the other days we do all his schoolwork at home.  We think it's a wonderful balance of time at school and home, especially for a kindergartener, and we're looking forward to the year ahead.  It's wonderful to be able to see his delight when he picks up a new skill or does his work well!

 

 Luke, always ready to take on whatever his brothers are doing,  has come right alongside Isaac and has his own activities while Isaac is working on his homework.  He packs a backpack and a lunchbox (with crackers, pumpkin seeds, whatever he can find!) and carries it with us on school pick-ups and drop-offs.  He has become very talkative, especially on the days it's just the two of us, the only quiet time so far has been when he naps.  But it's a sweet time for me to get to spend with just him!

A picture summary of the past months

Since I'm soooo far behind on posts and know I'll never catch up, here is a quick look at the last few months in pictures and brief snippets:

The amazing snow (in my opinion, a result of Isaac's faithful prayers each day since around the first of the year - praying specifically for enough snow to make a snowman.) We had so much fun building snowmen and an igloo, which stayed for several days!

The time that Isaac and Luke have had at home on their own has led to a sweet friendship - Isaac really wants to help his little brother learn to ride a tricycle.

We were so excited that one of Caedmon's art projects was selected (only 4 of 50ish kindergarteners at his school) to be exhibited in the downtown library's art show.  Each school in the ISD had a display.  Caedmon had been so enthusiastic about his collage anyway, so it was really neat to see his work honored!

We had a super fun few days at the farm over spring break.  My boys were ready to do some fishing, and really did a great job managing the rods and reels on their own.

Isaac has no qualms with holding the fish.  

We celebrated Easter day at home this year - the boys looked so handsome in their special church clothes!

Luke celebrated his second birthday!  He has grown up so much, blessing our hearts every day with his funny, sweet personality.

Isaac had such a great year in preschool!  He was so proud to show us his classroom and work at open house.  He really made some sweet friendships and had an amazing teacher; we were delighted to see him flourish and blossom!  Now he's ready to start kindergarten!

From the mouths of babes

A post from October, 2014, that I never published:

Our days are never, never dull.  I would venture to say that each day is a bit more interesting than the last as these boys grow.  Although that comes with a fair amount of challenges, there are so many times that I laugh out loud (or if it's necessary to conceal my humor, bubble over inside.)  The way these guys take in the world, process it, and verbalize what they've seen is so precious.

We recently discovered a bow and arrow toy on the dollar aisle at Target.  Caedmon had some money that he'd earned and knew that was the perfect thing for us to take home.  For days afterwards, he would wander around in search of his "bow and arrow sticks."  Meaning, the arrows.  On the other hand, Isaac seemed to have trouble keeping up with the "bone," the thing that shoots the bow and arrow sticks.

Caedmon had a big growth spurt and was ready for a bigger bicycle earlier this summer.  We helped him make a plan and chart to do extra jobs around the house to earn money to buy that new bike.  We were so proud of him, he worked really hard and saved his money and finally had enough for a bigger bike.  We bought the bicycle ahead of time and the morning after he had earned his last dollar, we had it set up in the living room for him to find.  He inspected it all over and was very impressed with the bike's "stabilizer leg," a clever description for the kick stand.

The bigger boys have become eager to have bedtime stories shared while they're settling into bed at night.  We've shared many of our childhood stories and made up quite a few along the way, but recently encouraged them to tell their own stories.  Caedmon plunged right into a story about his current favorite subject, ocean animals, telling a bedtime story about Whaley the whale shark who got separated from his family.  Whaley asked Dol the Dolphin, then Ah the Octopus, then Puff the Puffin, and so on, naming a host of ocean creatures, if they knew where his family was.  After getting only "no's" in response, Whaley finally asked "Stick" the remora who said, "Yes, I know where they are, I am stuck to them right now!"  I thought that was quite a witty ending to his story!

On a recent trip to Costco, Isaac was looking ahead as I shopped and saw something interesting, and asked if we could get one of those "continent balls."  He and Caedmon both use that descriptor of globes.

Isaac also tickles us frequently with his thoughts.  I was washing his ears at bath time this week and he asked, "How did those bees' wax get in my ears?"  I would want to know how bees snuck wax into my ears, too!

He has had some truly sincere and heartfelt prayers for one so young - and also quite honest.  He worded his gratefulness for our food this way recently: "Thank you for all the wonderful creatures you made.  For us to eat."