2017 In Review

Before school with the threat
that if he didn't smile,
I'd wait until the bus came
to hug and kiss him. 

So just a little about what's happened this year. 

Lane

He left second grade with straight A’s and one of the highest Accelerated Reader points in the school. Each book he reads is worth a certain amount of points and after he finishes the book, he takes a quiz to receive the points. He read a couple books in the Harry Potter series which led to his Halloween costume. He played baseball in the spring and his team went undefeated for the season, while being named Pinto baseball champions in their league. He then went on to play tackle football for the first time, and well…he learned a lot. He started third grade with a great class that seems to work well in groups, Christmas Around the World with 11 different countries will finish out the first half of school. Lane is also wrestling through the winter and finds joy in practicing with his 4-year-old sister…Morgan, however, doesn’t find it nearly as entertaining. 

First 'Duck' Day

Morgan

She left her half day preschool, she was considered a duckling, and started this fall, as a duck, full day preschool. Over the summer, she learned to finally ride a bike, well pedal a tricycle, so next year a bicycle with training wheels. She’s trying to read; she sits everyday with books and makes her own stories…most recently reading her version of the 12 Days of Christmas with “4 huge piles of snow, 3 chocolate bunnies hopping, MOM, I’m reading here?” She is absolutely a little princess and loves to look in the mirror. Morgan also dances each week at a local studio and the class is called Baby Diva, it fits! She prefers tap, but since her new ballet shoes fit better, she doesn’t mind having the rotating class of genres. 

Kyle

First hair cut

He is just the sweetest little boy. He’s in the “terrible two” stage but he’s the best terrible two. He has his little moments but he is truly a sweet boy. His best friend has been our 80-year-old neighbor, Sally, not that Sally even sees him that much but he worries about her and wants to know where she is, working in the grass, watching Pout Pout Fish, or “leavin to town foh a yellow dink.” Kyle loves reading the House that Jack Built and Peanut Butter & Cupcake so much so that Mom can almost read the whole story from memory. He likes climbing up the pantry and now since he can open the fridge himself, he likes to climb and play with the door light. At the start of the school year he loved being the only one home with Mom and sometimes Dad, depending on his shift, but now he just wants to go “pick up sissy from cool (school). He’s still not potty trained…its been so many diapers for so long. Kyle also thinks he’s quite hilarious, dressing in crazy hats and upside down sunglasses, making up his own words and rhyming them, and being the loudest he can be in quiet situations. Especially church…”Is that Jesus up there?” every Sunday. He knows but now asks and giggles. 

Matt & Me

Well he still works in the coal mine and we are both thankful he has a job, he still swings three shifts, which we aren’t exactly so thankful for but know that it provides for all of us. Matt teases the kids and says if they wouldn't like donuts so much he wouldn't have to work. The kids say they don’t need to eat because they want to avoid the grocery shopping trip altogether. Yeah right, they are always hungry and wondering if its meal time yet because they all are starving. 

Pumpkinfest

Siesta Key Beach

This summer we went to Idlewild as a family, and everyone thought that it would be just a great time. When we arrived and received our bracelets and Morgan refused to put it around her wrist, we should have thought maybe it wasn’t such a wonderful idea. When Lane pushed Morgan to the ground once we got out of the car, maybe we should have rethought the trip. Or when Lane kept talking about how dumb StoryBook Forest was, or when the kids hated all the food options for lunch, or Morgan absolutely freaking out when I tried to play in the ball pit with her, Lane being forced to climb the huge net because we knew he’d end up liking it…any of those should have been a huge warning…like flashing neon lights that said GO HOME NOW! But no, we kept pushing through, thinking it will get better, ha, hoping it will get better. Crossing our fingers and walking to Soak Zone what kid doesn’t love swimming, slides, and water fun. I’ll tell you who didn’t like it that day, Lane, Morgan, and Kyle. Morgan was overwhelmed with all the people and didn’t want to do anything alone, Lane refused to even be near her and Kyle missed his nap so at one point everyone was crying and Matt finally yelled “Fine, let’s go home!” To which we all turned around and saw an old neighbor that we loved and had the smiling faces of ‘how have you been?’ while the kids are all sniffling and being made to go home. Yep, skipping Idlewild next summer. The only highpoint was Caillou was there and waved at Kyle, he still talks about it…mom’s not a huge fan of the whiny little Caillou, which means he was a favorite.

Siesta Key Beach

LongBoat Key Beach

We also were able to go to Florida this November for Aunt Laura’s wedding…everyone had a wonderful time. Lane may have had the best time, with all those young groomsmen that were willing to play football, baseball, or volleyball on the sand, he had a constant buddy that was willing to play. Now don’t get me wrong, my kids still stomped on each other’s sandcastles or fought over who got a drink of Sprite but overall they were to busy having fun and playing in the water or sand to fight. Lane met a huge Carolina Panthers fan on the beach and the guy threw football with him, so he was pretty excited. Morgan danced her little heart out at the reception and even though she refused to wait her turn to walk down the aisle she placed her flower petals one by one for Aunt Laura like a pro. She did however give the minister a horrible look when he grabbed petals to help; I mean what 4-year-old needs help doing anything? Lane helped Kyle walk down the aisle and all of the boys looked so handsome. I don’t think anyone wanted to come home. 

Now everyone is in full Christmas mode, always reminding me each morning around 6:30am for the Advent calendar chocolates. And anytime they think about Jesus’s birthday, Santa, Christmas lights, reindeer, all of their eyes light up. And my hope for 2018 is to always see their eyes light up. It’s magic.