Levi - 9 months!

And finally, I need to update ya'll on our littlest dude...

First, though, I should probably note that from 8/20-10/6 I have been very busy with coaching volleyball.  It was really fun, great for the budget, good to get back on the court, great for building relationships with 8th grade girls.  Mostly good things.  It was difficult, however, for this momma to be away from my baby so much.  He has changed so much since my last post!

Here's some notes on our Levi-bot and his quickly emerging personality:

• Levi is a smiley boy.  I think I have probably said that about each of our kids, but it is always true!  Just yesterday there were at least a dozen people that Levi smiled at while walking around Camas.  I know because they would suddenly turn and smile at me, or kind of at me.  Then, I'd realize they were looking past me and smiling at Levi, who was riding along on my back.  It is really fun, and, incidentally, a great way to meet new people!
• 8-9 months is one of my very favorite baby stages.  He loves to sit amidst a pile of toys and watch his big brothers wrestle and play.  However...
• He is just starting to get a bit frustrated with this immobile baby-stage...  I can just tell, through the wiggling of his finger and toes, that he really longs to join that aforementioned wrestling match.
• He loves his mommy.  Really lots.  Not so much into letting just anyone hold him these days.  Needs to at least have me in sight if he can't be in my arms.  And I do feel that after the late night nursing sessions, hundreds of dirty diapers, and hours of care, that I can indulge in this baby-love.  
• Levi is finding his voice.  When he is tired of sitting in his chair, whether in the car or at the table, he definitely lets us know in an ear-piercing way.
• He has 2 bottom teeth and 2 just-emerged top teeth. Here's a picture of the first tooth:

• Levi loves to nibble on most anything we put in front of him.   In this video, you can see him trying out some new foods.  And, even better, you can here his awesome Chewbacca chuckle!

• He LOVES bathtime!  [Even though he doesn't get one all that often.  Ben got one every night.  Sam maybe every 3rd night, Levi when he's too stinky to kiss...]  Here's proof: 

Everybody loves Levi!

 

 Consta-smile.

Some Sammy Time

I have loved having some extra time to spend with my little Sam these last couple of months.  Usually, he and Ben are so stuck at the hip, that it has been difficult for me to know Sammy simply for Sammy's sake, you know?  Here are a few things I have learned:

• Sam is a sweetheart: He says, many times a day: "I love you Momma."  "I love my little Levi."  "I miss Ben." 
• He enjoys helping me with chores.  You name it: folding laundry, washing Levi's diapers, pouring "gredients", sweeping, picking tomatoes.  Whatever it is, Sam loves to help.
• He's a quiet one.  Without a big brother to rile him up, Sammy enjoys playing quietly with himself, helping me, or exploring around outside.  Usually, silence in the house is a bad sign, but lately I have gotten pretty used to it!  Sam will be out on the swings, coloring, reading a book quietly in his room, or snuggling on the couch with his blanket.
• Sam is our musician.  The other day we were visiting Auntie Sarah (a place he loves to be!), and Sam said, "Mom, we have to go home!"  Why, buddy?  "Because I need to play Daddy's guitar.").  At church, he watches our worship leaders with intensity, feeling every beat.  I am, in fact, on the look out for a children's guitar, if anyone reading this happens to have a lead...
• Sam still takes 2-3 hour naps!  Translate: 2-3 hours of Mommy time when I can get Levi's nap coordinated on the two full days when Ben has school.  I have not had this much time to myself for quite some time! It is fabulous.
• Sam loves learning.  We do our little homeschool pre-school on most days.  He sits down with such importance and seriousness.  He is a joy to teach.
• Sam loves every moment he has with his brother.  On Tuesdays and Fridays, the full days when Ben is home, Sammy wakes up bouncing off the walls!  Well, they both do.  Heck, so do I.  I love having all three of them under the same roof with me.  It makes me feel that all is right with the world.  
• Sam is a very eloquent little guy.  The other day he started out his sentence like this: "Actually Mommy, I've realized something important..."  Remember, he's 3.
• Sam's takes this pretending thing very seriously.  When he is wearing his knight costume, he IS a knight (don't call me anything else, Mommy.)  When he is wearing his Spidey costume, he is Spiderman.  When he takes it off, he is not Sam, oh no, he is then Peter Parker.  Here's the video to prove it:

We like to have our lunches in unconventional places, 

like in a teepee, or on the front steps, or, like this day, on our treehouse!

 

Walking home from dropping off Ben at school.  I am so grateful that at least one little man still loves to hold his Mommy's hand!

 

 

Kindergarten for Benny Boy

I can NOT believe the time has come.  Our sweet Ben is old enough for Kindergarten.  I've dreaded this, I've anticipated this, I've worried, prayed, agonized, and waited for this.  Thus, begins the journey of sending our kids to public school.  I've been planning another post about why Nate and I want to send our kids to public school, but for now, let me tell you how Ben is doing!

Here's some pictures of his first day.

I am so glad that Ben went to pre-school, even if it was just for one trimester.  This helped him anticipate what was coming and be excited for meeting new friends and playing on the playground.

After dropping Ben off for his first day of pre-school, I just barely held it together as I speed-walked to the car with Sam in tow.  As soon as I shut the door, I burst in to tears.  My first lovey, my buddy boy, my little man was growing up much too fast.  I would have to share him, not only with his pre-school teacher, but with all of the new friends he would make at school.  I would miss him dreadfully.  I DO miss him dreadfully.

I was pretty sure that dropping Ben off for the first day of Kindergarten would be even more difficult.  With Levi in the carrier, and Sam holding my hand, I felt my throat begin to swell as I watched Ben walk next to his new teacher to place his backpack carefully in his cubby.  Just then, Sam asked me a question.  I had to snap out of my moment of grief to help him, then ran into a few other friends dropping off their kids.  I gave Ben a big hug, whispered in his ear to remember that Jesus would be with him and I would be praying.  I left him looking happily at a book, sitting on the colorful carpet amidst a dozen other little ones.  He barely looked up when I left, so I knew he would be okay.  I also knew he would be home in 2.5 hours.  I teared up just a tiny bit each time I felt the heartache of miss him that first week, but overall did pretty well.

The first time I shed some real tears was a couple of days ago, after Ben came home bummed about his day at school.  At first, we could not get out of him what was wrong.  Eventually, it trickled out that a couple of instances with other kids were less than positive.  Apparently, some kids in line kept telling Ben, "No cutting! No cutting!"  The problem?  Ben had no idea what "cutting" meant, so he did not realize he should go to the end of the line.  Over dinner, we demonstrated for Ben what this meant, so now he gets it.  Poor kid.  The other instance was at recess.  He was in the line for the tether ball and wanted to play with the boy.  The boy, however, just kept playing by himself.  Ben never asked to play, ("I'm too shy, Mommy!), so it wasn't really the boy's fault, but Ben was left standing by himself for quite a while.  Anyways, I was telling my mom about this that night and I soon as I started explaining his day, I started crying.

It is hard to send my little one out "on his own" for a while each day.  It is painful to think about him standing at tether ball feeling so sad.  It breaks my heart to think of other kids shouting at him about cutting when he doesn't know what it means. I so want to protect him, keep him under my wings, have him where I can see him all day.  It would actually be so much easier for me to keep him home!  But, as my Mom reminded me, Jesus is with him.  Ben told me himself that when he was riding on the bus, he remembered Jesus is with him.  When he was playing with the toy bear in his classroom, he remembered that God made the bears.  This schooling thing is an act of trust on my part.  A big huge reliance on my Heavenly Father to take care of that which I love the very most.  And you know what?  On Thursday, when Ben came home from school, he was skipping and excited about all he had learned. 

I started this post over a month ago now, and I am so pleased to report that Ben is enjoying his time at school.  He has met a couple of little boys that are now his friends, and he speaks fondly of his teacher.  I have been able to do some teaching in his classroom (yay!) and will have my first official volunteer post in there next week.  We meet him for lunch sometimes, we walk him to school, and overall I am already feeling connected to our little local school!  God is good.  Also, I've noticed how our devotional times in the mornings have taken on such a relevance.  Ben listens closely, asks questions, remembers little details about what we discussed in weeks past.  We pray for some of the little ones in his class, for his teachers, and his school.  We memorize verses for him to say while he walks through the doors (Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged.  For the Lord, your God, will be with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9).  We sing songs which I purposely hope get stuck in his head. 

I am excited to see how God grows our family this year: grows our faith and trust in His protection, grows our love for our community, and grows our diligence in teaching our children how to live in the world but not of it.