Catch up

So we lost our camera. For some reason I don't think of blogging without pictures, but I also think of blogging as kind of a way of keeping track of our family activities. So I have some picture-less catch up to do. Here go's:

January was great. Too cold and the boys got VERY tired of being stuck in the house all the time and I got VERY tired of them being stuck in the house all the time. We stayed very healthy all through the winter until the last week in January when we ALL got sick. Not fun for 5 sickos in one house but it was nice to get it over with in a week or so. Shameless bragging begins......now....

Kayden-he had a parent teacher conference and his teacher had wonderful things to say about him. She said she could see huge improvements from the beginning of the year to now. I kind of wanted to say told you so, not because she isn't wonderful, just because 6 months ago he was barely 6 years old. There were a lot of changes all at once: all day at school, eating lunch on his own, new homework, learning to read, new teacher/classroom. We have worked very hard every day on homework and sticking to a routine and it has paid off. He just needs time to figure things out on his own and get used to the schedule and then he does great. He has passed off all the first grade words and is on second grade words, he is above the reading level for first grade and just started chapter books. He is also still loving being a yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do, especially since 4 of his good friends all signed up too. He does great in music and is really growing up. I am amazed at how smart and mature he is sometimes, and wish we could just stay like this for a little while longer. He is motivated by money so we have started a little system of 'money chores' and different ways he can earn money. He paid his tithing for the first time on Sunday!

Trace-is doing great in Smarty Pants preschool. His teacher said he is a great listener, which I am jealous of. Not because he is bad at home, he is just very head strong and works on his own schedule-No. Matter. What. There is no rushing him and he is very particular. Like lining up utensils and cups in a certain way before we can even pray, or folding his blankets on his bed a certain way before he will climb in bed and destroy them. He is very detail oriented and is patiently waiting for me to find a good, close, cheap (I know that's asking a lot) gymnastics program for him. We registered him for Kindergarten yesterday and he can't wait to be able to go to the big school with Kayden each morning. He is beginning to read on his own, is wonderful at writing and sounding out words, and makes me laugh every day by the funny things he says. He is motivated by play dates. He is so very social and LOVES to play with friends for hours and hours and hours.

Brooks- What a difference a year makes! Sometimes I get stuck and can't remember what life 'used to be' and we just spin our wheels where we are at. Not having a camera I looked up a few pics from a year ago. Seriously he is the cutest chubby cheeks, blue eyed boy!! He wasn't even walking a year ago! Weird. Now he follows his brothers everywhere and wants so bad to be like them. Every day when they get home from school he runs to their arms and yells "T" or "K"!! So cute and then proceeds to put on their 'packpack' and walk around for a few minutes. He learned to crawl out of his crib, and open doors, and climb up the drawers like a ladder to get to anything he wants in the kitchen. He can even climb out of his 5 point carseat, in stealth mode cause I can't hear him until he's right by my ear and says 'hi', while I'm driving. He comes to quite a few Kindermusik classes each week and never seems to tire of dancing and playing instruments with me. I WISH so badly he would stop growing. Not because I'm not excited to see him grow and learn and become like his big brothers, just because it goes so fast.

I've had many days lately that I've had SO MUCH to do, like could be up around the clock it seems but I've thrown it all out, sat on the rocking chair and read or played or sang, and even a few lucky times we've all fallen asleep for a few minutes. Mostly I sit and stare at my 3 greatest blessings while they sleep and I just try to soak it all in and memorize how it feels right now, to have 3 wonderful, happy, healthy boys! Life is good.