I am still processing exactly what this means, ha!
Moving our oldest into a college dorm more than two hours away from our home was one of my life's surreal experiences. You see, just 18 years ago, I was the one rocking him and wishing for him to sleep just for a moment so that I, too, could rest....and as I rocked him, I played with this little arms and his little legs memorizing every ounce of his being and trying hard to imagine him as an older kiddo - this was next to impossible! To me, he would always be that tiny little baby. And, yet, here we are, 18 years later and my baby boy, the one who first made me a mom, the one I constantly apologize to because he is our "experiment", the one who is the leader of our pack of six, and now he is a college freshman, living away from home, learning how to do this thing called life. My prayer has been and will continue to be that he will always lean back on the foundation we have established for him and know that we are here in the good and the bad cheering him on! My favorite and most comforting words I have received from him since his move have been, "I love it here!" So thankful he has this moment in life! Can't wait to see how God will use him as he grows! The world is at your feet C!
Our high school sophomore....P started off his year a bit unsettled. He was really struggling for a moment on what his next steps would be....after spending his summer serving on two mission trips, working with our church in youth sports camps, traveling, and a bit of football practice, he was torn as to what he was going to do this Fall, play football or work at the church with our Upward program. Ultimately, it all worked out! P is playing football and loving it while he has also been given the opportunity to intern at our church with Upward on the weekends and some evenings during the week! He has a full schedule - school, football, intern, and he was selected to our Cotillion Club for this year as well! We are thrilled to have a front row seat in this guy's life. I was a bit worried on how he would do with his right-hand-man being away at college, but P has handled it all in stride and keeps my car burning up and down the road. Due to this, my street has dubbed my car, "The White Bullet!" Oh dear.
Our middle schooler....so, this is a first for us. Our boys were homeschooled during middle school so MK is our middle school guinea pig. So far, so good. She seems unphased by the jump from elementary to middle....the locker was a bit intimidating but in true MK fashion, she got it and hasn't looked back. The technology aspect is incredible....I went to "Parent Academy" and came home a lot baffled by how everything is at the tip of my 6th grader's fingers if she needs it....the only thing is that she must know how to use it all! And it is a lot....I told Ryan that I am simply amazed we both made it through college! MK continues to dance....she is currently rehearsing for the upcoming performance of Cinderella. She also is doing a tumbling class to brush up on her back handsprings and such. She, too, seems a bit torn at times....she loves dance and yet she is curious about cheerleading.
Our 3rd grader....she is all things Maddox. She recently asked me if I would mind if she chose to drive a motorcycle when she was older. Ummmm, how does a parent even answer that with a straight face?!!? I was dying a little inside. And then in a very grown up, snotty sort of way, she announced that I didn't have to like it if she drove a motorcycle....what?!?!? Who is this child! So, this one is going to keep me awake at night for sure! She still dreams of being a surgeon....she loves singing and was recently selected to be one of the 30 chorus members in her school....she loves all things art, she is an entrepreneur who recently earned over $200 in honor of her friend, Daisy, for cancer research.....she is an old soul, one of the kindest children to ever walk along beside us, and yet a little stinker all the same!
Our Kindergartner....Maryn is loving her year at big school with Maddox. Her best friend, Charlotte, is in class with her. Maryn recently told me that she sits at table One, Charlotte sits at table Two, and "all of my boyfriends" sit at table Three - yes, ALL of her boyfriends! This girl is the only girl of ours to ever even mention the word "boyfriend".....she is killing us! We don't encourage this madness at all but she is so proud of her men! Maryn shocked us all by coming home and reading sight words....we had no idea this was something she knew! She will tell you school is too much work but she is rocking it and we are so proud!
Our preschool girl....goodness, where to begin! Chapman is attending three days of preschool this year. Every morning she begs to stay with mommy yet every morning she goes into her room with a smile on her face. She is the baby to us all, the one who we all think is precious beyond words and the one who can also send us to our knees in prayer when her temper gets the best of her. She is hilarious and cute and busy and cuddly and kind and she doesn't hesitate to tell any one she is the "baby boss".....words will never serve this one justice. She is our Cha and we all are so thankful for her life each and every day! She loves ballet with her sisters and she is taking swim lessons too! When she isn't dancing, schooling and swimming, she can be found playing tricks on us all or pulling every living thing that has been put away back out into one giant and complete mess!
Almost a month in, and everyone is settling in nicely. We have our morning routine, our afternoon routine and our extra-curricular madness. I am often asked how we do it, and, truth be told, I am really not sure. Ryan and I are a good team, he helps when I can't pick up the pieces, and when that isn't an option, we turn to friends and neighbors for a helping hand. It works and we just plan day by day, sometimes hour by hour because if we look further than that, it can be a bit overwhelming! Thankful for my six pack!
Our high school sophomore....P started off his year a bit unsettled. He was really struggling for a moment on what his next steps would be....after spending his summer serving on two mission trips, working with our church in youth sports camps, traveling, and a bit of football practice, he was torn as to what he was going to do this Fall, play football or work at the church with our Upward program. Ultimately, it all worked out! P is playing football and loving it while he has also been given the opportunity to intern at our church with Upward on the weekends and some evenings during the week! He has a full schedule - school, football, intern, and he was selected to our Cotillion Club for this year as well! We are thrilled to have a front row seat in this guy's life. I was a bit worried on how he would do with his right-hand-man being away at college, but P has handled it all in stride and keeps my car burning up and down the road. Due to this, my street has dubbed my car, "The White Bullet!" Oh dear.
Our middle schooler....so, this is a first for us. Our boys were homeschooled during middle school so MK is our middle school guinea pig. So far, so good. She seems unphased by the jump from elementary to middle....the locker was a bit intimidating but in true MK fashion, she got it and hasn't looked back. The technology aspect is incredible....I went to "Parent Academy" and came home a lot baffled by how everything is at the tip of my 6th grader's fingers if she needs it....the only thing is that she must know how to use it all! And it is a lot....I told Ryan that I am simply amazed we both made it through college! MK continues to dance....she is currently rehearsing for the upcoming performance of Cinderella. She also is doing a tumbling class to brush up on her back handsprings and such. She, too, seems a bit torn at times....she loves dance and yet she is curious about cheerleading.
Our 3rd grader....she is all things Maddox. She recently asked me if I would mind if she chose to drive a motorcycle when she was older. Ummmm, how does a parent even answer that with a straight face?!!? I was dying a little inside. And then in a very grown up, snotty sort of way, she announced that I didn't have to like it if she drove a motorcycle....what?!?!? Who is this child! So, this one is going to keep me awake at night for sure! She still dreams of being a surgeon....she loves singing and was recently selected to be one of the 30 chorus members in her school....she loves all things art, she is an entrepreneur who recently earned over $200 in honor of her friend, Daisy, for cancer research.....she is an old soul, one of the kindest children to ever walk along beside us, and yet a little stinker all the same!
Our Kindergartner....Maryn is loving her year at big school with Maddox. Her best friend, Charlotte, is in class with her. Maryn recently told me that she sits at table One, Charlotte sits at table Two, and "all of my boyfriends" sit at table Three - yes, ALL of her boyfriends! This girl is the only girl of ours to ever even mention the word "boyfriend".....she is killing us! We don't encourage this madness at all but she is so proud of her men! Maryn shocked us all by coming home and reading sight words....we had no idea this was something she knew! She will tell you school is too much work but she is rocking it and we are so proud!
Our preschool girl....goodness, where to begin! Chapman is attending three days of preschool this year. Every morning she begs to stay with mommy yet every morning she goes into her room with a smile on her face. She is the baby to us all, the one who we all think is precious beyond words and the one who can also send us to our knees in prayer when her temper gets the best of her. She is hilarious and cute and busy and cuddly and kind and she doesn't hesitate to tell any one she is the "baby boss".....words will never serve this one justice. She is our Cha and we all are so thankful for her life each and every day! She loves ballet with her sisters and she is taking swim lessons too! When she isn't dancing, schooling and swimming, she can be found playing tricks on us all or pulling every living thing that has been put away back out into one giant and complete mess!
Almost a month in, and everyone is settling in nicely. We have our morning routine, our afternoon routine and our extra-curricular madness. I am often asked how we do it, and, truth be told, I am really not sure. Ryan and I are a good team, he helps when I can't pick up the pieces, and when that isn't an option, we turn to friends and neighbors for a helping hand. It works and we just plan day by day, sometimes hour by hour because if we look further than that, it can be a bit overwhelming! Thankful for my six pack!
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