Jack and Owen have grown up a lot in the last few months, and we just recently started school again for both. They also had their half-birthdays last month, so they are very proud to say that they are now five-and-a-half and three-and-a-half. In fact, Owen was a little indignant when I told him he would get to be in the 3-year-old class this year at school because he told me, "Mommy, I am not 3! I am 3-and-a-half!" There's a HUGE difference, there, in case you didn't know.
Back in the spring, they both struggled much more than we ever expected with our move to the rental. They seemed to really mourn the old house and had a hard time understanding that we would be moving twice. They each dealt with their anxiety and worries in different ways--Jack becoming emotional and having melt downs at the oddest times, and Owen picking up a temporary stutter and not sleeping well at night. It took us all about a month to adjust, but they settled in, and thankfully, seem much more excited about the move to the new house in a couple of weeks. Our old house was really special to all of us!
This summer we spent A LOT of time at the pool. It was SO hot, and it was pretty much the only place that I could go and not feel completely sick and wiped out by the little baby busy growing inside. The boys love to swim, particularly Jack, and he got quite good at swimming with all that practice. We had a pretty uneventful summer, otherwise.
This year was a pretty significant year for Jack because he started kindergarten this year! Matt and I decided to send Jack to a small Christian school here that's a little unusual. Jack goes to school 3 days a week, and he's home with me 2 days each week. Some call it a homeschool co-op, but even that description doesn't seem accurate to me, because many homeschool co-ops are not nearly as traditional or structured as this school. Jack follows a very traditional school day on the days he goes to school--the only differences are that his class size is 10 kids, the day is shorter, and it is a Christian school. At home, we follow his teacher's lesson plans and use the same curriculum, and I do a lot of extra work with him at home to supplement what he is learning, too. So far it has been a really positive experience for all of us. Jack seems to love his teacher and new friends, is excited about going to school, and talks all about it when he's at home (which is a pretty significant change from his preschool years, where we rarely heard about his days at school). Jack also has a new interest in writing and is constantly writing little notes or making signs for his room or practicing his letters. I could honestly go into great detail about our experience here, but I'll save it for another post and another day.
Owen loves his preschool class and his teachers adore him, too. They describe him as a leader in the room and says he has a constant smile on his face. I love to hear that! Owen can be pretty shy, so I'm glad he's coming out of his shell at school. Unlike Jack at age 3, Owen loves to tell us all about what he is learning in school, and who he played with each day. I also love that Owen has his own place to go apart from Jack because Owen spends so much time imitating Jack and looks up to him so much, which I love, but it's nice to see Owen have his own thing, too.
Jack started playing soccer with Upward this fall, and he loves it! The program is excellent--very organized and a great intro to the game. Jack has scored two goals this season, and for a kid who's not really into sports, he seems to really be enjoying the season.
And as far as the baby, which we found out is a GIRL!, she spends her days kicking, sleeping, wiggling, and hiccupping. And we can't wait to see her face. The boys are very excited to meet her, though they have not one bit of interest in feeling her move at all. Jack has wanted a baby sister for quite a while, but Owen really could take her or leave her at this point. Hopefully, he'll like her a little more when she's here and not ask us to take her back to the hospital like my brother did when I came along! I just went to the doctor today at 32 weeks 4 days, and she is estimated to weigh 4 lbs, 10 oz., which is in the 54th percentile. This is a pretty big change for me from the boys, who always measured ahead. This pregnancy has been pretty easy, I have to admit. The tummy aches and exhaustion in the beginning were rough and lasted til about 20 weeks, but since then, everything has gone very well, which I count as a huge blessing. I'm anxious to see and hold her, but I'm also trying my best to enjoy this pregnancy, since this is for sure our last baby.
That's just a brief update on each...I'll try to write more about the boys soon, and how things are going in the new house. Fall is our favorite time of year, and I hope that we can get in and get settled so we can begin some of our favorite fall traditions very soon!!
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