Happenings

We've started out the summer with a pretty busy schedule and plans to do more fun things in the next couple of months. We're anticipating a vacation to the Gulf Coast depending on what happens with the oil spill. We had to cancel some plans in May, so we are hoping that Matt can take a day off work and we'll have a Family Fun Day where we can enjoy some fun activities and spend the day together. I am also trying to figure out what to do with our "fun room" downstairs. It will probably become our school room so I would like to paint and update the furniture down there. And add in some storage for homeschool books and desks or a table to work on.

We are continuing to work on potty training with Aaron. I have been doing lots of laundry, and between potty accidents, swimming lessons, and playing in the pool there are wet clothes everywhere. Aaron is wearing big boy underwear during the day, and I've already had to raid Elliott's underwear drawer to find more dry underwear.

Aaron is talking really well now. I can understand almost everything he says, but occasionally ask for a translation from Elliott. The boys are playing together much better now which is really nice. I even got dinner started tonight while they were playing happily downstairs. Yay!

Aaron is very expressive and gets in your face when he's trying to tell you something. His excitement is contagious and you can't help but smile.

Elliott's soccer season was canceled after the flood, so he only got to play 3 games. He is taking swimming lessons now though and is very comfortable in the water. We are almost finished with the Five in a Row curriculum that we have been using. I have all of our books for Kindergarten and just need to go through and make our plans and get some school supplies. Elliott has just finished reading a collection of "Dick and Jane" stories. We celebrated with an ice cream treat tonight. By the end of the book, he was reading more comfortably and with more expression. It is amazing to watch the progress that he is making. He is eager to learn and I think will be fun to teach.

Most of the time, Elliott can be found playing Legos or Star Wars. His tools are gathering dust in his workshop, but he continues to choose toys that involve building and when asked says that he wants to be a "worker" when he grows up.

He also has his first loose tooth. I am not ready for that at all. But he has had these teeth since he was 4 months old, so I guess it's time for them to come out. It just seems like something that should only happen to "big boys," and it's hard to believe that my baby can be big enough to lose his teeth. And I remember some traumatic tooth-pulling episodes from my childhood and do not look forward to actually pulling his teeth.

I think that's all the news I have for now. If I ever get our fun room cleaned up, painted, and organized, maybe I will post some pictures. Don't hold your breath waiting for that post!

Elliott enjoying his ice cream sundae after reading 193 pages of "Dick and Jane."

Slip 'n' Slide Fun

Elliott and his buddy Caleb

Elliott, Aaron, Caleb and Seth
I had to contain them in the pool to get them all in the same picture!

Star Wars

Elliott has become quite a fan of Star Wars lately. When I saw the advertisement for a Star Wars Party at a local bookstore this weekend, I knew we had to attend. And the timing worked out well for Elliott to wear his new Storm Trooper costume. He has started getting an allowance so he combined his savings with some money he received for his preschool graduation, and we ordered his costume on eBay. On Thursday, he saw the mailman pull into the driveway and ran out of his room screaming "My costume is here!"

On Saturday, Elliott donned his costume and borrowed blaster gun and we headed off to the bookstore. We saw his cousin Princess Leia AKA Sophia and they had their picture taken with a Storm Trooper. Elliott also had pictures taken with Darth Vader, Obi Wan Kenobi, and Chewbacca. He entered a contest for best costume but was beaten out by a pint-sized Storm Trooper who wooed the audience with his cuteness.

Aaron's favorite character is Chewbacca. He liked the 7' tall furry creature from a distance but was not as enamored when he got up close. The boys had a fun time and like telling everyone about the characters they met.

Elliott the Preschool Graduate

Elliott is a preschool graduate! His graduation ceremony was last week. The kids did a program first where they sang a few songs. They sang “Jesus, You’re My Firm Foundation,” “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High,” and “Special, Special, Special Me.” Elliott was quite the entertainer. He was very silly and at one point shouted out to the audience, “Savannah, don’t you laugh at me!” He must get that from Matt. I was more like the little girl who Mrs. Michelle had to escort down the aisle because she’s so shy. After the kids sang their songs, they went out and put on their caps and gowns, then the director Mrs. Brittany called their names as each one marched in to Pomp and Circumstance and got their medal and diploma. The graduates did one more song (complete with scarves that had been rolled up in their diplomas) and then they got to throw their hats up in the air. Elliott must have missed the directions to go sit with your parents when he was searching for his hat, because he sat back down in his chair on the stage and stayed there by himself while Mrs. Brittany honored the teacher of the year and parent volunteers.

After the ceremony, the families went downstairs for a reception in the gym. The boys had cake and punch, and we picked up Elliott’s scrapbook that his teacher Mrs. Michelle had made for him. It had some pictures from the year with his friends and teachers and some of his special artwork. He also got a little Bible.

When I picked him up at school the day of graduation, Mrs. Michelle said that Elliott told her that he was wearing his tuxedo to graduation. This is the tux that he wore a year and a half ago and is very short on him now. I had to break the news to him that he couldn’t wear it anymore except to play dress-up. He handled it well though.

Elliott really enjoyed preschool. He only went one day a week, but he liked playing his friends there and he had the sweetest teachers.

Family pictures from Easter