Crescendo

Christian has given himself a new nickname, and I think it's so clever that I just had to share...the artist formerly known as Christian is henceforth to be called Crescendo (not sure of the spelling just yet - it might be more like "Christian-doe").  He keeps me laughing.  They all do.

~Andi
  

Back to School

Sometimes it doesn't take much to make me feel like an inadequate mother.  Grant's first day of school was Thursday.  I made sure he was well rested, well fed, well dressed, well supplied with pencils, crayons, kleenex, hand sanitizer, etc.  We arrived at the school with plenty of time to spare...only to find that all the other mothers were taking pictures of their children on their first day of the new school year, but did I have a camera with me?  No - on this one I failed.  I don't have pictures of his first day of kindergarten from last year either.  Maybe I will do better with Christian and Justin.  There are some benefits to being a second or third child.

Christian wants to be in school so badly.  He was completely convinced that he was going to get to go to school as soon as he turned five, when he finally learned and understood this week that it was going to be an entire year before he could start school, he was very disappointed.  I told him we would have school time at home each day that Grant was in school.  He liked that idea.  I haven't pushed formal learning times with Christian because he is so scary smart already.  But with "school" each day he will feel like he is helping me practice to become a teacher.

Speaking of teaching, I start classes again tomorrow.  I've so enjoyed my month-long break, and I'm not looking forward to having class every night (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...might as well be every night anyway).  Oh well.  There's no denying it is what I am supposed to be doing, and my children are not neglected in the process.  Brian is a huge help with the children when I am in school.  We are getting through it together.
Happy New School Year!

Maybe the Dishes Will Clean Themselves

I have dishes to do, but I want and need to write some things about what's going on around here.  I don't know what's wrong with me...why can't I get more done in a day?  I am busy all day long, rarely taking any time for myself, but still the house is messy and I haven't posted anything to our blog since my birthday nearly 3 months ago!

Lots of things have happened since my birthday: Justin turned 2, I started my summer classes, Grant finished kindergarten and started summer school, we had a big party for J's birthday and Brian's college graduation, I had the worst class of my entire college career (sorry, no details here...I do not wish to dwell on it...I made my "A" despite the worst instructor ever), Grant finished summer school, we went from too few kids in my daycare to too many, Brian started Enduring Creation (check out his blog for details on that - enduringcreation.blogspot.com), Grant and Christian had their first formal swimming lessons, they attempted a week's stay at Grandma and Grandpa's (they stayed a day before getting homesick), and the highlight of my summer -  I got to spend a day with my Mom and go to the Nauvoo Temple with her to do some of the work for my great grandmother.  How I needed that!

How's that for a quick update?  Maybe I can still get those dishes or something else done tonight. 
~Andi