9.29.2013

Eighth Birthday

You asked to go to the Tundra Lodge again this year for your Birthday. We went for your sixth as well, and you loved it. We decided that you could bring more friends this time, because we weren't going to stay the night. You selected Jaymee, Zach and Logan. No surprises there. :)
Uncle Tony also joined us for the day.

You decided you didn't want a cake this year. You just wanted Smart Cow.

Knowing that you would all need to eat, we started the day at Moe's (your favorite restaurant). You all ate lunch, and then we headed over to Smart Cow, where we had ice cream.

Finally, we went to the Tundra Lodge. It was a super fun time. I wore earplugs, which proved to make a much more pleasant experience in the long run. Something about that giant water bucket that dumps all that water ever 2 minutes...

I kicked out your Uncle Tony and your Dad a couple hours in. There was no reason for us all to sit there the whole day. They went to our house to play video games. :)
I plowed through a ton of photos I needed to edit for work.

Around 7:30pm we packed up and headed out. Logan's parents came and got him, we dropped Jay off at home on the way by, and Zach came home with us where Aunt Pam came and picked him up around 8:30.

They stayed to watch you open all your gifts as we also skyped with Gra and Pepere. You got every Playmobil thing you asked for, including the mansion and all the furniture. You got your first real knife and sheath from your Dad. And you got the fort builders that Jaymee has, which you love.

The day was a success. You are eight! 
Good night. 

9.25.2013

Good Day - Fun Play

Today, you are having such a good day. Your mood and attitude are amazing. You're positive, fun, dedicated, kind, honoring (even when I asked you to empty the dishwasher), friendly and cute!

You've been diligently plugging through school for five hours now, with only one 20 minute break for lunch. You're having fun and even adding your own things to your studies (i.e: can we look up bats and Ibis? can I do Fire Typer - after your typing lesson)  I'm not sure what is up but I wish I knew what determines that you have such a day. I'd make it happen more often.

Yesterday, you started rehearsals for the play you were recruited into. Miss Teresa, the director of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, with Evergreen (our top local theater production co.), thought you would be perfect for the part of a student named Hobie in the play. 

You just asked me a couple months ago if you could be in another play. Your last one was years ago when you played the Cheshire Cat in Alice and Wonderland through the YMCA. So, when this opportunity came up we were grateful for it. 

Your first rehearsal was adorable. There are lots of kids, from about your age to high school students. You all had introductions, a lesson in projection, warmups and a full read through of the script. It was awesome. I'm so proud of you. And the first thing you said to me when it was over was that you wish you had even MORE LINES!!! Shocked me out of my shoes. This is not like you at all. We'll seeeeee!


Your rehearsals are twice a week for an hour and a half each day. The studio happens to be right next to a scrapbook and card making store/workshop. So, I will be toggling between having dinner out with your Dad (who works about a mile from your rehearsals and gets out of work just as you begin) and making cards with the ladies during your rehearsals. Your Dad and I love a little alone-time-date-night, and I could sure use some mama-hobby-time, too! Perfect all the way around. 



9.18.2013

A Day to Remember

Today, I don't want to forget:

how you did school so well, and I'm pretty sure I learned more than you. 

how your dad was home with his second round of the cold he gave me that I can't seem to shake. So, at noon we ate lunch, and then we let you play minecraft while he snuggled me and watched a movie and I napped. 

how you got a "Paper Pumpkin" card making craft kit in the mail from Gra, and you and I had the nicest, easiest, most conveniently fun time creating them after dinner. 

how during dinner we all watched another Little House on the Prairie together. 

how you and I played Playmobil, and my people had dinner with the campers across the river. the way they hit it off and are going to build some furniture, go fishing, and have dinner together again tomorrow. how one family will buy a puppy from your pet store, and how your son is going off to warrior school for two weeks! :)

how we decluttered your room, cleaned your fish tank fresh, replaced all the light bulbs as dimly as we could, and started a new (hopefully successful) night routine to help you fall asleep better. 

how I will stamp the date and write a brief line of todays memorable moments to read next year on our new memories calendar, and then I will climb into bed next to your sleepy daddy for more snuggles and a show before we pass out for the night. 

how I love you and our little sweet family so much. 

I love you Zeek. 


9.17.2013

Sept Update

We're a couple of weeks from your eighth birthday. You're getting so big. You're more loving, sweet, kind, patient, funny, intelligent, and fun to be with than ever. You've really come a long way this year. 

Some of the things I think you'd like to know about or remember when you are grown:

You used to be kind of haughty and sassy toward me around others. You aren't anymore. 

I have had quite a few people tell me that you are such a good boy. At one of our Homeschool gatherings, a mom who observed us throughout the day later complimented me on how polite and respectful you are. And one of my closest friends thinks you are the best kid ever (this is NOT the only reason she's one of my best friends). 

You are a read-a-holic. You read books that are way above your grade level. We just finished reading together, "The Ship's Cat Doris" by Jane Simons, and we are now reading, "Beryl, A Pig Gone Wild" by the same author. You are reading a book called "Bulldog Won't Budge" by T.T. Sutherland. You are also into a book series called "Doyle and Fossey Science Detectives". You read about 3-5 medium length kids' novels a week, not including what you have to read for school. 

You are a pretty picky eater. I blame your parents. You really only like to eat pizza, tacos, chicken nuggets (thankfully, I've nailed down a homemade recipe you actually like), cheese burgers, ham and cheese sandwiches COLD ONLY, hot dogs, apple sauce, any berries but blue, bananas, apples, pear, carrots, peanut butter and jelly sometimes, meatballs (meatball sandwiches), meat loaf, cereal, pancakes, muffins, lemon poppyseed anything, french toast, waffles, and your absolute favorite... eggs benedict. 

That may seem like quite a list, and I'm sure it's missing an item or two, but this is NOT a lot to chose from when it comes to feeding time. You don't even like spaghetti anymore!
I honestly don't worry much as long as you keep drinking your green drinks.

After hating Frank almost as much as you hated Apple when she was a puppy, you finally love Frank, almost as much as you love Apple now. You'll never love any dog like you love your Pug Doug. She is your princess. You make her a special bed of pillows and blankets in whatever room you are in, and she sleeps with you every night. You have about 100 "pet" names for her. 

We'd all still like a teacup Chihuahua. It's a sickness - this dog thing. 

WE ARE NOT GETTING A CHIHUAHUA. 

You're doing brilliantly in school. Well, if I'm going to honestly gush on and on about how amazingly genius you are, I will honestly add that you aren't great at math. Mainly subtraction... I've never seen you pick something up and not wax with it by the end of a lesson. Math waxes you more than not. I'm not stressing over it though. You're so young, and there is plenty of time (and brain development) for catching on. 

Back to how well you are doing... 
You are in an accelerated writing curriculum. I basically had to train and test to even know how to teach it to you. It's INSANE! I'm learning so much. And you are treating it like it's baby stuff. Sometimes, I even double your lessons (like today) just so you're not board. 

When I was a kid I studied and memorized things for tests, and then as soon as the test was over I forgot at least 80% of what I "learned".
You learn stuff, and it's like you love it. You act like you've gained something from it. Like you got a new toy. And your retention is out of this world. 

For example: last week, two of your 12 vocab words in Geography were biotic and abiotic. You aced the vocab test in the first try (not uncommon) and then today, you were playing and you said, "Stop that you crazy thing... I am not a thing. I am biotic. Not abiotic."   

Your vocabulary is vicious. Your Dad and I love it. 

I wish I found more time and motivation to write here for you. I'm less guilty over not keeping up now that you are of an age that you will likely remember. 
I am having you post here this school year now and then. 

I'm sure I'll be back now and then too. :) 




9.04.2013

First Day of Third Grade

Today I did Bible, math, science, spanish, art, gym, and reading. We got class room pets this year. HEMIT CRABS. Totally unexpected.   

Zeek


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