School is 2 weeks away!!!

As the summer is nearing its close and school is about to begin here in a little over 2 weeks, id like to give an update on the kiddos as things begin to change once again around here. :-)

Joseph is now 8 years old and will be starting 2nd grade. He spent the summer swimming, playing with friends and of course watching some tv and playing video games :-)

Samuel is 6 and will be starting school!!! I'm thrilled he got the teacher I wanted him to have and I know he will love school but its hard letting another one go... :-) He has grown up so much this summer, and he is very excited to get to school and learn how to read and be in a "big kid school".

Jonathan is 3 and doing much much better with potty training. He has to be 100% potty trained to go to preschool in september so I'm not sure if he will be going or not. He is really doing well so he might just get it by then. :-) He is my wild child, full of energy and always on the go, but also so sweet and loving. He loves to be read to, and although he is speech delayed he has really come a long way this summer!

Anna is 5 months old and just doing awesome. She's a great eater and sleeper. She laughs, smiles all the time, rolls over both ways and is showing the begginnings of crawling. She curls her knees up under her and tries to move but falls onto her back. :-) I know its just a matter of time and I will have a little mover on my hands. :-)

Over the summer we vsited missouri and our friends and family there. We went swimming, went to VBS at our church, played outside, had a visit from my stepson for a month, and the older boys went camping. We had some playdates here and there, and had some visits from cousins and grandma and grandpa. It was a great summer!

I am a little sad about the summer ending, but I'm also looking forward to the school year getting underway. Mike and I will both be volunteering at the school this year so it will not only be exciting for the kids but us too!!!! With Mike's new work schedule (2 10 hour nights, 2 10 hour days) although it's rough, it is allowing him the opportunity to take part in our children's education by going and volunteering. I have done it the past 2 years and it is just incredible! I'm so looking forward to doing it again this year for both Joseph and Samuel!

Hope you all out there have a blessed school year!! Here are some pics from the summer :-)

Joseph is 8!!!!

Each year since I have been blogging, I try to blog about each child on their birthday. Today joseph is 8 years old. He is my first born biological child. (I have a stepson who is almost 15 :-) )

I remember finding out I was pregnant for the first time and how everything was exciting..... and even now.... as he is turning 8 ...... it is still exciting!

He is a sweet, sensitive child who makes me laugh, loves to cuddle and is learning to love and serve God which makes me so happy as a mommy.

He is an ideal older brother to his younger 3 siblings and he not only looks out for them but wants to help care for and teach them as well. I love seeing them interact and I look forward to seeing how those relationships continue to develop as they grow.

I could go on and on about him but I'll keep it short and sweet :-) I am so blessed to be his mom. Happy Birthday Joseph!!!

Just when you think its going good..... :-)

Well I feel I must be honest.... because it might encourage someone else having difficulty.... I was so excited last week when Jonathan seemed to be picking up potty training extremely quick, only to have him regress these past few days. I don't now what happened but he went from going on his own to the bathroom whenever he needed to go to peeing in his pants. :-(

I was a little discouraged but then I read that usually to fully potty train it takes up to 8 months and so I thought ok... let's go back to square one. So we are back to taking "big kid potty breaks" every half hour or so and hopefully he will get back in the groove quickly.

But no matter what... when I look into his sweet face and see him smiling at me I just can't be mad.... or upset.... he's just too darn cute! :-) And it helps knowing that he will get it eventually... not as fast as i orginally thought... but he WILL get it... and it just takes time and patience....

Potty training, rolling over, laughing... life :-)

Well.... we had a few milestones happen in our home these past few weeks.

First is potty training jonathan. 4 weeks ago he showed major signs of readiness but we were getting ready to go to Missouri to visit family so I wanted to wait until we got back. So 2 weeks ago this Sunday we started potty training. My "method" is to go straight to real underwear. I ask about every 30 min if he has to go, limit fluid intake and so far it's worked for the boys, we will see in a few years if it works for Anna. As for Jonathan, I'm happy to report that 2 weeks later he is about 98% there. He only has accidents trying to make it to a bathroom and those are only once a day or once every 2 days. I'm so excited and thankful to not have to buy diapers for him anymore! :-) and he is so excited to be a "big boy" :-)

Anna has decided to laugh... roll over from back to stomach and scoot across the floor. :-) I can't believe how big she is getting!!! She is 4 and 1\2 months old now..... it goes so fast!

Only 4 and 1\2 more weeks and my sammy will start kindergarten and joe will go to 2nd grade!! We are all enjoying summer but looking forward to school again too.

Here are some recent pics of the kids..... I'm so blessed!! They bring so much joy to my life!