Some things I want to remember

Today Koyle had a fever because he got his shots for kindergarten yesterday. He wanted me to lay on the couch with him and I choose to put aside my messy kitchen and postpone dinner prep for a few minutes to comfort him. He wanted me to read a book to him, but I didn't want to get up and go downstairs to find a book; so I pulled our blog book off the shelf next to me and we read together some posts about when he was a baby. It was so fun and heart warming to remember some of those moments. And it made me really sad that so many of those little details have gone undocumented. So tonight I want to do just a little update on each of the kids.

Matthew: This boy is keeping us hopping right now. He just turned 8!! We had a Pokemon birthday party on Tuesday that was a lot of fun. He got a lot of great gifts from friends and family and has loved playing with all his new things. (Circuit Building set, Gubs card game, Lincoln Logs, Fidget Spinner, Nerf gun, remote control car, and pokemon cards...) Next week he starts 2nd grade at a new school; both my boys got into the charter school Connor Academy. He also has scouts for the first time. We just dropped $70 at the Scout office to get his uniform and book-geesh. And he gets baptized next week!! It's gonna be a big week. Matthew is right in that in-between age. Sometimes he does things that are so thoughtful and responsible and kind and helpful, and in the next moment he is acting like the three year old. But more and more he is becoming aware of his own sense of self and asserting his opinion and desire to make his own choices. Bathroom problems are up and down still. Just when I think we've kicked it-we will have a bad couple of weeks again. Hoping we don't have problems at school. His best friend right now is Mercer and I'm sad that he won't get to go to school with him again this year. Hopefully he finds another really great friend in his class. Mercer taught Matthew to love Pokemon. This boy is getting tall! He waterskiied for the first time this summer like a champ.

Koyle: This boy has blossomed this summer and it has been so much fun to watch. Over and over I have watched him do something that I would have bet money on he wouldn't even think about. He jumped in a cold lake and floated down a cold river in his clothes (both times bribed with money). He rode his bike of his own choice all the way down to the wellness complex. He rode the water slides at Lava. He jumped at the chance to ride a horse. He tried to sign up for muttin busting and was sad that they were full. He also stayed poop free during all three of our long camping trips this summer!! He really got into the Pokemon thing with Matthew which brought the two of them together this summer which was much needed in their relationship (and for my sanity). He is counting down the days until schools starts. He is so excited and so ready. He is a little bummed he only gets to go for a half day-3 hours really isn't that long. I'm not thrilled that he'll only be at school for 3 hours either. That means yet ANOTHER year of keeping him busy with good things every day. He plays awesome with Landon...if he is in a kind mood. Otherwise he knows how to pester and push buttons. His reading has taken off. He is more of a personal kid, he just does things on his own. He doesn't want to read to me very often, but I know he is reading to himself because I see his progress in those moments he does let me read with him. I used to think he was pulling my leg when he would tell me he read this chapter of a book or that; but now I am believing he actually did. Koyle is resourceful. He can figure out how to get something done to get what he wants. I still need to teach him to tie his shoes though...

Landon: I love this kid. He is at my favorite age. Soooooo fun to talk to. Landon tells the best stories all the time. He is a smart cookie. He's also pretty independent and resourceful-way more than the older two boys. If I tell the kids to get their shoes on because it's time to go. Landon will be the kid who pops into the kitchen a minute later with his shoes on, while I have to drag his brothers to get the job done. He uses the potty which makes his mom and dad more happy than he will ever know. He loves fishing, bears, and making cookies. He is the best helper and will follow me around and help me do whatever chore or job I'm working on. And he actually tries to help. His emotions are still powerfully hot or cold, and we have our fair share of three year old tantrums each day. He has pretty much stopped taking naps this summer, but he still needs them. He gets really tired by the end of each day. He crashes in the car a lot, and sometimes in the evenings too. But he's not really tired enough at 1 o'clock to lay down and take a nap anymore. Such a hard transition, losing that nap. He loves his brothers and wants to do everything they are doing. Or wants them to play his games with him. But he is happy to play on his own too. When he's not snarling or grumpy he is the most pleasant easy going kid. He is so particular about little things and can get very concerned over stuff. Like last night the boys were playing in the water table out back and Koyle squirted his shirt and Landon lost it. The rest of the night he was so worried because his clothes were wet and they wouldn't be able to dry because the sun wasn't out anymore. He has nightmares in his room. A nightmare is a scary dog, with scary eyes, scary teeth, and scary claws. Sometimes the nightmares sleep on his head, or in Lincoln's crib. He has taught himself how to cut with scissors and loves cutting things. He loves doing activities and projects.

Lincoln: This baby just turned 1!! I should do a whole birthday post for him. He started walking last week while we were on our big tour of Idaho trip. He has four teeth on the top finally and 2 on the bottom with some more starting to come through. He loves his brothers and gets so excited to see them, but he especially loves Landon. He gets double excited when Landon is around him. And if Landon is still asleep in the morning I have to watch Lincoln super careful because he will always crawl into his room and climb up onto Landon's bed and wake him up. It's adorable how much he likes Landon. He tries my patience with his screaming and whining and crying. He is very attached to me and I can't put him down and walk away without a meltdown. But very, very slowly that is getting better. I find that on days where he takes good solid naps he is happier and plays on his own better. Days when he takes short naps he is so cranky. Which is a no brainer. But I wish I could just make him take good naps every day so we didn't have to live through the cranky days. He likes driving cars around and will even make the 'vroom' sound sometimes. He loves playing on the big Lightning McQueen car we have. He LOVES the rabbits and gets so mad if we go outside without letting him see the bunnies. He loves to throw and chase balls, or play catch with you. He can be a little snuggle bug and is always giving me hugs and snuggles. He loves his blanket, climbing up slides, drinking water, and his daddy. He doesn't want to be left out of the action.

I am trying to gear up for the next week, and the next month really. Lots going on in the next few days and then real life and schedules start up again and Justin is going to be in Salt Lake the whole month of September doing a Pediatric ER rotation. So I get to juggle the craziness on my own. But we are used to that by now. Although being used to it doesn't really make it any easier. I can't split myself in two, no matter if Justin is home or not. Matthew and Koyle are both doing soccer this fall. They both start piano lessons again in the September (well Koyle is starting for the first time). I have to drive them to school, three times: morning, Kindergarten pickup, afternoon. Matthew starts scouts. And I am doing a rotating preschool group with Landon that starts in September. Twice a week, and I will teach one week a month. I'm excited for it, but the logistics of picking Koyle up from Kindergarten at the same time as preschool is ending is going to be a bit tricky. I'm really hoping I can find somebody to car pool with. And I am the secretary in YW now. Which is great-but I have some work I need to do to get stuff organized because they have basically been functioning without a secretary since last October. Never a dull moment!