First Bible verse

His first memorized Bible verse.

And a little more respectfully! :)

And I had to include this one because I love how he says Proverbs.

Great job, sweet one!  Keep those precious words in your heart!

The treasure box

If Jack stays on ‘green’ at school, he gets to pick from the treasure box on Friday.  Man, you’d think that thing was filled with gold!  He talks about staying on green and even told me when he got on yellow.  “Mom, I didn’t put my book away when Mrs. Rachel told me to, so I got on yellow.  But it’s ok.  I got back on green.”  Last Friday he picked a party blower from the box, and today he came away with some great sunglasses!  “Mom, mom!  I have ta show you what I got from the treasure box!”  He loved them!I had my camera in the car, so I asked if I could take a picture of him wearing his new glasses.  Little ham!He smiled and then said he wanted to take a picture of me, too.  I’m totally willing if he’ll always be!!

The outfit

Sam wore one of my favorite outfits to church this morning, and it’ll be the last time he wears it.  Tear.  This definitely meant I had to take some pictures.They were being extra cooperative today, but Sam did try to run away a few times.  Good thing Jack’s fast! :)Love, love, LOVE ‘em!

Too busy to hop in the bath

Hide and Seek

Well, I didn’t really seek.  I just enjoyed watching them play!

Happy HALF birthday!

Jack’s first day of school was also his half-birthday, so of course we celebrated that night!  And you better believe he’s counting that half year.  Just ask him how old he is.  I always tell him he’s my t-tiny and that he’ll always be my baby (“no, I’m a big boy!”), so in an effort to keep him little, I reminded him over the last month or so that he was ONLY three and he could not turn three-and-a-half until he started school.  He’d periodically ask, “Mommy, I’m still three, right?”  YES, buddy!!  So when he started his new school and asked if he was three-and-a-half, I had to answer yes to that, too.  Goodness.  I’m so thankful for his health and his growth, it’s just all happening so fast!

The recipe

I talked to my aunt, and she said I could share her recipe!  I promise you’ll love them!  I have four dozen in my freezer right now!

Ingredients
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 C butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 C uncooked oats
12 ounces chocolate chips
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*Preheat oven to 350.
*Combine first three ingredients in mixer until smooth.
*Beat eggs and vanilla together and add to first mixture.
*Combine flour, baking soda, and oats and add to above.
*Add chocolate chips to combine.
*Form into balls and bake for 7-10 minutes. (I always bake a bit longer, so work with your oven.)
*Makes four dozen.

His first day in the Threes

After talking about starting a new school for about a month or so, Jack’s first day in the threes at Eastminster Day School was here.  What?!  He woke to a garland of gold stars for the gold star student!!, (“Hey, who put those stars there?”) and we sped along through the morning routine.He HAS to be in the classroom by 9:00 (big change for mommy!), so we made sure to pack lunch the night before (he loved that part and it was pretty much a mommy dream come true!) and headed out the door with some time to spare.  I had all these pictures in mind, but I was determined to be on time, and he was loaded down with a bookbag half his size full of school supplies (that were SO fun to buy!), so we got the traditional in front of the door shot and hopped in the car.  Look at our big boy!  This big day also happened to be his three-and-a-half year-old birthday, so I think he was feeling extra brave.First, we headed to church to drop Sam off in his brand new naps-on-cots-and-drinks-from-cups classroom.  We saw one of Jack’s little buddies, and they excitedly waved at each other.  That’s when I thought Jack was going to get sad about leaving his friends (I was!), but instead he said, “Mom, do you think Reece will be sad today without me?”  “No, buddy.  I think he’ll have a great day!”  And he said, “Good, me too!  And I’m NOT gonna cry when we get to my new school!”  And he was right!  We pulled up to Eastminster and I gave him a big pep-talk.  Turns out, I was the one that needed it.  We started to walk up the path and I got my camera out.The lens was fogged up, so I stopped to clean it, and he turned to say, “Come on, mom!  Let’s go!”  Oh, goodness.  We saw Erin and Chole on our way in, and she was doing good, so I got a boost of confidence.  Thanks, Erin!We made it to Mrs. Rachel’s class on time, so we had a minute to get settled before I had to be peeled away leave.  He put his lunchbox in it’s spot, hung his bookbag in his cubby, we took a picture, and then we hugged. I did brush his hair, but every time I do, he messes it up and says, “I like it crazy, mom.”

He squeezed me pretty tight, and I him of course!, and then one of his assistant teachers came and asked if he wanted to read a book.  And then he let go.  He just let go.  And that’s when I told him for the millionth time that morning how much I loved him and how proud he makes us-and then I had to leave before he saw my face.  That was hard.  How in the WORLD am I going to handle Kindergarten! I snuck a couple pictures through the door,and then got in the car and called Mark.  And cried.  And he told me all the things my head knows but that make my heart want to run right back in and grab that boy and never let him go.  But this is good for him.  And so I drove away.
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When I came back to pick him up, he ran to me with open arms and a big smile, and then monkey-hugged me really tight with a, “Mommy!!!”  OH, that does my heart good!!  And when we got his bookbag, he opened it and said, “Hey, Mrs. Rachel took all my things!”  Guess I forgot to tell him that he doesn’t have to carry all those supplies with him all year long!

We came home to our traditional first day of school cookie chat (with our favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies this time!) but this year he was way more into the cookies than the chat.  His answers to “What did you do at school today?” and “Who did you sit with at lunch-time?” were nothing and nobody.  Ok, so we’ve gotta work on that!I could tell, though, that it was a great day.  And for that, I’m so thankful!  Jack, you’re going to learn so much this year!  Be a good listener, a good student, and a good friend!  I’m so excited for you and forever grateful that I have a front row seat!

His first day in the Toddler-Twos

This little one-he’s such a happy, go-with-the-flow kind of baby.  And this morning was no different.  He had his last day in the Toddler-Ones on Thursday, and today he moved to the cot-napping, cup-drinking classroom.  Nope, not possible, but yep, it happened.He has Ms. Tina, who Jack had and LOVED, and sweet Ms. Dorthea.  He walked in like he’d been there forever and sat down to play with the new toys.  “Wood, block!  Wood, block!”, he said.  I got a big squeeze and a kiss, he told me, “I lu loo” and “Byeeee!” and then he walked off.  Wow, really?!When I picked him up, Ms. Tina said he, and three out of his five classmates!, fell asleep right away on the cots.  Can’t wait to see a picture of that!  SO thankful for such a great first day, Sammy!  Can’t wait to see all you’ll make and all you’ll learn this year!  Be a good boy!!

What a difference a year makes

Two nights before

So it’s Saturday night, two nights before our t-tiny starts a new school.  I go into his room to check on him, just like every night, and I have a moment.  I hear the fireworks at the stadium from First Night Carolina, remember back to my first nights at USC, and then flash forward to his freshman year in college.  I immediately thank God that he's only three, and that he’s still a baby, and that I get to check on him-in our house-each night.  I’m going to blink and it really will be his freshman year.  I stay in his room a little longer tonight.  My t-tiny...surrounded by all his guys. He's still a baby.

They play hard!

We had some really pretty after naptime weather this weekend, and the boys took advantage of it.  They played hard!  You can’t really tell in the pictures, but I had some sweaty-head boys when we went in!Sam LOVES to wear hats, so as soon as he sees Mark with one on, he asks for it-and gets it!  “Hat!  Hat!  Hat!”Monkey see, monkey do.I gotta see that one again.  Oh, I love it!And those toes?  I’m gonna eat ‘em-after I wash ‘em.Aaaannnnddd we’re seeing the sweaty-head.  Time to go in for some water!

He loves the bath!

Be still my heart

Eighteen Month Well Check

Healthy, happy boy!  Thank you, Lord! Check-up two months late!

Height:  34.75 inches, 97th percentile
Weight:  29.8 pounds, 85th percentile
Head Circumference:  19.75 inches, 93rd percentile

Sam videos

Just a couple recent favorites!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t ever want to forget the sweet little way he answers our questions with ‘ok’.  Sorry to ask you the same question a million times, but I had to get it on video!