Xander started a round of swim lessons by himself on Saturdays this month…he’s having a blast!
Category: Xander
Xander…
Xander has been enjoying taking gymnastics and swim lessons, working on sight words, making his own special creations out of cardboard boxes, and rooming with Jonas. Here are a few of his most recent questions:
“Mommy can we get a pet horse this weekend?”
“Can I have some booger medicine please?”
Gingy the Gingerbread Man…
Jonas was SO excited to bring Gingy the Gingerbread Man home for a sleepover tonight. He came running off the bus with him and loved introducing him to all of us (especially to Maw who came for a sweet visit and graciously brought us dinner). Here are a few pictures from Gingy’s time with us…
Climbing Wall…
The boys are loving the climbing wall Tom built in our garage. Here they are burning off some energy before school…
Walking to School…
The boys and I decided to try out walking to school this morning. It was great to be able to do it with friends (it totally wouldn’t have worked otherwise since Jonas was running so far ahead and Xander was walking so far behind…luckily Roman didn’t start the fit pitching until we were on our way back). Here are a few pictures I was able to snap of the cuteness…Jonas with Eleanor and Xander with Claire.
Saturday Swim Lessons…
The big boys have started up a round of swim lessons on Saturday mornings. They are having fun and learning a lot. We usually try to get Roman in the pool with one of us during their lesson so he can kick around…otherwise he’s making a mad dash for the pool from the bleachers or he’s squealing and running in the hallways trying to get to the pool…if you can’t beat ’em join ’em. (He’ll be old enough to start lessons in the spring which I know he’ll be beside himself excited about.) Tom went with us today, so he got to join in on the fun.
Noble Springs Dairy…
Xander and Roman and I headed out to Noble Springs Dairy this morning for a tour. They usually really dig things like that, but for some reason…this time around…they became very quickly NOT INTO IT in a big way. Xander does not do hot or walking long distances. It turned out to be much warmer than I thought it would be, and my thought that I could get away without bringing the jogger stroller since I have such big boys now…was wrong!!! Looking back on it, I suppose it was quite funny but not in the moment to have two fairly big boys pitching laying down fits and refusing to walk while everyone else went merrily on their way. It wasn’t surprising to me in a way with the week I’ve had but still a bit of a kick in the pants on the way out the door at the end of the week. Needless to say, we left early. They were both excited about the barn cats, and that’s about it. The picture of Xander with the goat sticking his tongue out at him is pretty telling (definitely how I felt about my boys’ attitudes, obviously how the boys felt about the farm, and most likely how the farm animals, farmer and fellow tourists felt about my tantruming, wailing children). So there!
I Spy Downtown Franklin…
Xander, Roman, and I met a few moms and kids from our moms’ group for a preschool edition of a self-guided walking tour of downtown Franklin. It was really fun! It started out a little rocky with the bookseller arriving late to open up and only having one I Spy Franklin Preschool Edition book (we ended up just walking down to another shop to buy two more) and Xander pitching a fit because he didn’t want to leave the charming little kids’ room in the back of the bookstore without a story book he fell in love with (I totally get it). But the boys ended up getting really into it…I brought an extra piece of paper and a crayon for Roman, and he was right there in the middle of it. We spied the columns and a clock on the courthouse, the four owls on top of the buildings in the square, the statue of a man on the obelisk in the roundabout, the interesting shapes laid into the brick-face of the old bank, a gate that looked like gingerbread…and even made crayon rubbings of the first letters of the boys’ names from engraved stones in front of the courthouse and from a metal dial at the base of the monument in the square. I can’t wait to go back and take Jonas!
Sight Words…
Xan-Man has shown an interest in learning how to read lately, so I decided to resurrect our long lost “lessons” on Mondays and Fridays (when he’s not in preschool) and focus on sight words with him. I found this great packet for sight word practice on Pinterest, and he went right to town and LOVED it so much that he asks to do it every day now. Go, Xander!
Rainy Day Fun…
We’ve been taking it really easy this afternoon. The big boys intently worked on their cardboard box creations while Daddy organized the garage; and after Roman woke up from his afternoon nap, he very much enjoyed giving Ah-Ah a ride on his tricycle. While Daddy and Roman visited with a friend who stopped by to say hello…Jonas, Xander, and I took an impromptu walk in the rain and then went for a nature walk, collecting acorns in our butterfly net and piling them up for the squirrels.
Xander Lately…
I’ve missed several monthly updates on Xander over the summer, so I’ll catch you up. He is loving gymnastics (he has a REALLY small class…two kids including himself…and a super sweet coach), having a blast with swim lessons (he went from crying and clinging to fearlessly jumping in and going underwater and swimming to his coach), and enjoying his preschool class (he has bonded very quickly with his new teachers and is blessed to know half of the kids in his class from last year). He’s been showing a bit of aggression towards his brothers lately (which is out of character for him, but I think, being the only introvert in the house besides Mommy, he’s just trying to find a way to establish his boundaries and carve out a space of his own). He’s turning out to be the most laid back of the three in a lot of ways, is almost as tall as his big brother and wears the same size shoe and is looking like such a big boy, and continues to bless us with his tender heart and sweet spirit.
Franklin Classic 5K…
Jackie and Phil surprised me by coming in town to cheer me on in the Franklin Classic 5K!!! It was such a grand gesture that meant the world to me…what special people who teach by example how to love in action and not just in word.
It was a hot morning for a run, and I went too fast out of the gate and ended up almost getting sick and having to walk for a little while about halfway into the second mile which killed my time…oh well, what can you do but live and learn not to give in to the adrenaline. Next time, I’ll try to stick to my best training pace…atleast I beat my time from the last race and hit my goal time on my last training run before the race.
“A real fighter fights whether or not the bell rings…I know why the caged bird sings…” – Matthew Ryan
On the Lake…
The boys and I loved going on a boat adventure on the lake with MeMe, PaPa, Aunt Jean, Aunt Julie, Cousins Jordan and Dylan, and Aunt Jeanne. Jonas, Xander, and I went out on the tube (Xander and I fell in, which if I’m to be honest was more a little scary for me). It was fun just hanging out on the boat together and eating lunch with everybody on the dock.
Preschool Picnic…
The boys had fun at the preschool picnic tonight…jumping in the bounce house, drawing with markers, and climbing trees. It was so precious to see Jonas reunited with his teachers from last year (and the years before) and Xander connect and love on his teachers from this year and last year. They were welcomed into open and loving arms, and it filled my heart to overflowing with gratefulness for this preschool community that feels like family that we are blessed to be a part of…here’s Xander with Mrs. Kapolas, his dear teacher this year who he’s already LOVING just two days into the school year.
Xander’s First Day of Preschool…
Xander had his first day of preschool today…
He met his sweet teachers at his allergy meeting and at his Get Acquainted Day last week and had warmed up to them a little bit but DEFINITELY started putting the breaks on this morning when he realized Jonas wasn’t the only one headed to school. On the way there, he said, “Mommy, I want to be a baby so I don’t have to go to school.” How much alike we are…I remember feeling that same way…not wanting to grow up…when I was a little girl. He started bawling as soon as we pulled into the parking lot. Roman started pitching a fit too (oh the timing of siblings), but he just wanted to wear his backpack (my big boy diaper bag for him). So there I was…carrying a crying Xander and his backpack while Roman be bopped in like he owned the place, toting his own and keeping me from losing it while I laughed at his cuteness. Roman even tried to get into the classroom while Xander was sprawled on the floor crying in front of the door. Poor buddy…I’m so thankful for the compassion that God has revisited upon my heart for Xander that’s competing to take the place of the frustration and impatience that tends to crop up when I see so much of my young self in him. I’m just trying to coach him through it…there are great gifts that go along with all of that sensitivity…so I’m just trying to concentrate on those in moments such as these and pray for the wisdom of when to back off and when to give him a gentle (if uncomfortable) nudge. The gentle uncomfortable nudge was definitely the way to go today…when I picked him up, he was all smiles with two pictures in hand that he made for me…dear sweet boy. Tom was at home with a sleeping Roman, so I took Xan-Man to Sweet CeCe’s to celebrate his bravery in making it through his first day even though he was scared. Yay Xander…Mommy’s cheering you on, buddy!
Xander’s Get Acquainted Day…
I went with Xander this morning to his Get Acquainted Day at preschool! He got to meet his teachers and half of his classmates (two of whom were in his class last year), sign in by writing his name on an easel, color a fish for the hallway bulletin board, get his picture taken for the first day of school, work on an art project of his own making, circle up for story time, and find his cubby. He went from hugging me to hugging his teachers in no time. I think he’s going to love what he gets to do and learn about in class this year…I’m so excited for him.
Sprayground…
Xander and Roman and I drove out to the Sprayground downtown this morning for some water play with a few friends from our moms’ group. I was so glad I wore my bathing suit because it was such a hot morning and so fun and refreshing to play in the water with the boys…they loved splashing me and pouring cups of water over my head. It was the perfect splash pad for little ones especially, as the water sprayed up from the ground in varying degrees of height and strength and there was plenty of room for kids to spread out and do their own thing (even when it started to get more crowded). I can’t wait to go back…hopefully before they close for the summer…and take Tom and Jonas. We even got an Icee from the concession stand on the way out (I hadn’t had one of those since I was a little girl…my Grandpa used to buy them for my dear cousin and I when we stayed with him and my Granny for a week every summer). Yay for bringing back and making childhood memories!
Car Wash…
Xander and Roman had fun helping me wash my van and Tom’s car this afternoon (it brought back a lot of sweet childhood memories of driveway car washes with my Daddy).
Xander’s Card for Mommy…
Xander made me the sweetest card today! He asked for my help in spelling “From Xander To Mommy”, so I started at the beginning and let him know each letter in succession. He was super excited about already knowing how to spell his name when he got to that part, noticed the start of a pattern in “Mommy” with the M’s and O’s, and enjoyed alternating each letter in ROYGBIV order. Yay for Xander!
First Day of Kindergarten…
Jonas had his first (half) day of kindergarten today!!!
He asked me yesterday, “Mommy, were you scared when you went to kindergarten? I’m not.” I told him that I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect but that he’s good to go because he’s been in and out of that school since he was a baby, played on the playground, met all of the kindergarten teachers on screening day, and knows a lot of the kids from his preschool and our neighborhood and moms’ group. I’m so excited for him!
(I have been a bit of a nervous wreck this week, but I’ve found myself feeling WAY more happy than sad about this new adventure for Jonas. Having worked at this precious school, I’m thankful for the parent-teacher-staff partnerships and know that he’ll be welcomed into the arms of family and that feels really good.)
He was all smiles this morning and just be bopped right into his classroom. Tom and I got to go in with him and show him his cubby and his desk (a special first half-day perk) and give him a hug and a kiss goodbye…we enjoyed our special morning with just him. Tomorrow, I know his little brothers will be excited to…in the words of Roman “go for school”…and drop him off at his classroom door (a special second half-day perk) with more hugs and kisses. Yay for Jonas!!! What a huge day.
