Micah's First Day of Kindergarten

I woke up this morning around 6:00, thinking that there was something important going on. A few seconds later, I realized what it was. Micah's first day of school! Oh shoot, I should have woken up earlier! So, I rush to get myself ready. Before I can get to Micah's room, he walks in our room. I asked him, "Do you know what day it is?"

"It's my first day of school!"

He puts on the clothes I set out on his bed last night while Paige and Devon wake up for breakfast. I hurriedly make their morning meals and Chris' lunch, hoping I don't miss the bus. Micah comes out of his room dressed handsomely, and here's the proof.

Micah eats his oatmeal and gets his school stuff, his backpack and lunch box.

We walk out the door after breakfast, around 7:30. I'm hoping we didn't miss the bus, and after 15 minutes, I'm wondering if it will come up our street at all. The transportation director told me it would come up here, right? I'm kind of stressing, thinking of a plan if the bus doesn't come. But, silly me, I stressed over nothing. The bus showed up around 7:50, and Micah was eager to get on. Here's a picture of his backpack boarding the bus. (I almost forgot to take a picture at all. I guess this is better than nothing.)

I introduced myself to the bus driver and stepped back as she closed the door. I can't say I didn't get emotional as I waved to Micah, heading off to school. But, I'm so excited for him! Although he has a teacher and is at school most of the day, my job to teach him is not over. I still have a responsibility to see that he learns what he should to progress and (eventually) leave our home to be on his own and raise his own family. I know, that point in his life is a long time away. But today, I reflected on how much ALL of my children need me to nurture them. It was a fresh start for both Micah and me.

My Oh My, How They Grow... And Scream

Both Paige and Micah had check-ups at the doctor's office recently. Paige is 3 feet tall and weighs 27 lbs, tall and skinny. Only one shot, and she actually handled it pretty well. Micah, on the other hand, was a different story.

I decided to be truthful from the start, when he asked me if he was getting shots that day. From that point on, Micah was very concerned about it. He would ask over and over again, "Am I getting shots today?" After the doctor took his measurements and so on, Micah anticipated that the shots would come next. For about 15 minutes, he screamed, "I WANT TO GO HOME! I WANT TO GO HOME!" (My apologies to the doctors and nurses who had to hear that.) I tried to calm him down, but the only way to do that was to go home. He needed those shots for his health and in order to attend school. A male nurse came in and held Micah down while another nurse gave him his immunizations, FOUR of them. Both were very nice, telling Micah how brave he was. After all was done, they even gave him a couple of certificates to Taco Bell and Incredible Pizza. So, after that, he decided that the next time he got shots, he would be extra brave. :) I'm just glad he won't need them again until he is 12.

Paige's 3rd Birthday

On June 26th, Chris and I had family over at our house for Paige's birthday celebration. It was fun to host dinner that Sunday. Paige wanted brinner (breakfast for dinner) for our evening meal. We served pancakes, eggs, and bacon. And then, she opened her gifts. She received books, a puzzle, and clothes that she needed. Of course, there was dessert (even after our really sweet dinner): Mickey Mouse cake and ice cream.

Micah, Me, Paige, Aunt Sarah, and Uncle Joe

PAPA! (He's her favorite.)

Paige loves to read. It's a good thing she got more books!

Madi, the fun and very active cousin

Grandma and Devon

Devon loves cake... to be on the wall as well as in her mouth.

Aunt Jeni, Madi, Grandma, and Devon watching Paige open her presents.

I'm sure Paige enjoyed spending time and playing with her family. We always have great times together.

Feelin' SO Good

The cameras flashing reminded me of glitter shimmering in the sunlight. The screaming threatened my ears... and my own throat. I didn't think that these moments would happen. I didn't think that I would be able to listen to his voice live and in person. But, it happened, and I was there. I watched Michael Buble perform at the JQH Arena in Springfield. What an amazing experience!

 

Yesterday, my mom-in-law and dad-in-law (with a couple of their friends) went with me to the concert. I had been waiting for this day since we bought the tickets a couple of months ago. I felt like a giddy teenager as I walked through the arena doors.

The warm-up act was a group called Naturally 7. They are an acapella group, and they performed amazingly. Each person was able to imitate an instrument like drums, harmonica, scratching records, and the bass.

Around 9 pm, one of my favorite songs, Cry Me A River, started playing. And every song after that was so enjoyable. The live band was superb! Michael Buble is such a great entertainer. He not only has an awesome voice; he is also really funny! Everyone in the crowd was eating out of the palm of his hand.

When he went through the crowd, there were several of his security men (in the orange shirts) there to protect him. 

It was a dream come true. If he comes in town again, I will definitely be trying to attend another of his concerts.

It's Hard to Hold On to Her

Devon has really brought out more of her personality lately. She has a dramatic temper, and it's hard to hold her, because she is so squirmy. Devon loves to climb. A few days ago, she used a step stool to climb up onto the couch. Then, she went from the couch to the fish tank stand. What a monkey! She copies her sister quite a bit; she does the same hysterical laugh Paige does. Now that she's seen how to clean up from her siblings, she has started doing that more on her own. She can pick up her spoon from the tray and feed herself. Devon is also so close to walking; she will walk with me a few steps only holding one hand. Just in this last month, I've seen her grow so much.

Last Friday, she had her 15-month doctor's appointment. Here is how she measured out:

Length: 30 in.
Weight: 20.6 lbs.
Head Circumference: 18 in.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Devon grow. She sometimes reminds me of Micah. For example, today she was walking around the house as she was pushing the laundry basket. I remember when Micah did that in our little apartment in Idaho. Lots of fun memories!

Learning In The Classroom

Well, summer is here, and for Micah that means school. He is attending a Pre-K Summer School, and three days into it, he has had a lot of fun. He still doesn't know his teacher's name, and he's not sure if he has made any new friends. But, he is still really enjoying it, and I have to say that I'm enjoying it as well. The house is so much more quiet in the mornings. :)

On the first day, Micah got a time out. His teacher gave him several warnings not to run away from the class when they are in the hall. Well, he obviously didn't listen, so it should be no surprise that he was crying about it when I picked him up. When I saw him crying, I thought, Oh no, Micah doesn't like school! Thankfully, he likes school, just not time out. It's kind of funny what he did, because he also liked to run away from his Primary teachers as well. They were able to bribe him with candy to help him be reverent. Man, oh man. His behavior is something else. I blame Chris. His mom has some similar stories she has shared with me.

On a positive note, Micah tells me of the times he plays in the playground, colors and cuts out pictures, and listens to stories read by a teacher. He gets to eat his lunch in the cafeteria with his classmates. Overall, he is adjusting really well. I'm so happy for him! Below are pictures of Micah showing off a frog he colored and cut himself!

Since I'm down one child during his school hours, I'm trying to take the opportunity to focus more on potty training Paige. I didn't realize how hard training a middle child could be with two others needing my attention at home. Especially since Paige hardly wants anything to do with the potty right now anyways. My goal is to have her using the potty consistently by the end of the year, before she will graduate to the Sunbeams class in Primary at church. Wow. I'll have two Primary children next year. Devon will be able to go to the Nursery class in just a few months. That's just crazy.

Cox Medical Mile

All of us woke up at 5:30 this morning... No doubt an unusual thing that happens here. But, we woke up excited to participate in this year's Cox Medical Mile. Micah trained for this race, and he was really looking forward it. We started out strong, and Micah kept a good pace with us. He jogged the whole way! He finished the race in 13:29!

Chris and I ran the 5K afterwards. Mentally, it was a tough race for me. I really had to tell myself to keep going. But, I ran the whole way and finished it in 25:20, a personal best. Chris finished it in 40:41, doing a one minute run/walk. We had a ton of fun! It was so cool doing this together. We didn't get any pictures at the race, but here we are post-race.