preschool

We are entering a new era for our family.  preSCHOOL.  My sweet little guys have the opportunity to go 'for prestool' as James would say, and we are so excited to watch them grow & learn.  It has been a little bit hard for mommy to give them up some, but I think it's been good practice for all thus far.

My little buddies were so excited about their backpacks that they set up a 'bus' & got on so they could 'go for prestool'.  They had just watched a video of their older cousins getting on the school bus for Kindergarten & 2nd grade!  ;-)

We went for a tour & open house at the school with our neighbors & buddies.  Best part = they have a friend in each of their classes.  So good to begin a new journey with a friend.

Mommy had the boys practice 'school lunch' with their lunch boxes & snack bags so they wouldn't throw away anything important!  but also so we could make sure I didn't forget anything...  honestly I wasn't super excited about packing the lunch, but then I was a little sad to not have my boy at home for lunch all the time!  sometimes giving up helps you cherish though.

Our big guy James on his first day.  I didn't cry (too much) dropping him off.  Gosh it.is.hard. to let go (even just a little).

Hayden on his first day - and the o'le pro James with his 'too cool for school' in the background.  Mommy isn't giving this guy up very much, but when he gets to go too he really loves getting to do the same as big brother.  It hasn't been too hard on him missing James, but I'm hoping for some time to just have more attention for my Hayden bug this year.

Oh, preschool, my boy learned how to fasten his button on his shorts!!  just took them one day - mommy had been trying for months!  Why is it that some lessons are just easier to learn from others?  That is a funny thing about this life.  I'm hoping and praying that the lessons he continues to learn from others can help him grow into the man he can be - just as much as the lessons he learns at home from his mom & dad.

I'm so excited to see how much he grows over the year... he's already recognizing more of his alphabet letters & I am so proud to have the front row seat to see his mind expanding.

jumpy, bouncy, thing.

 One of the most fun toys we've had for our boys has been this jumpy, bouncy thing that they can use starting around 4 months old when their head control is strong enough.  All of the boys have been so cute playing in it, and here is a shot of each of them.

James - June 2010

Hayden - December 2011

August 2013

I love watching them play.  I am grateful to have toys that have gotten great use & to see all of my little guys in the same phase is so much fun for me.

Here is an old-y but a good-y James loves his jumper

a little (a lot) of our Cal

Warning: many pictures of my cutie Cal about to flood the feed...

So I can't help it.  My sweet 3 month old baby boy letting us see his personality & showing off all kinds of new tricks.

Sleeping through the night!!  Rock star status = bedtime 7/7:30 pm - 5:30/6 am with another stretch of sleep till 7:30... (this is not typical, I'm just a happy momma).  He's done this now maybe half a dozen times, and I'll take it!! every time.  ;-)

I had no idea he had such a silly, cute, pointy tongue!  It makes me laugh&laugh.

We said good bye to our baby swing & have moved up to the jumpy, bouncy, thingy.  So far, he sits with his bear & bunny as his back support, but he does love the piano keys & lights already.  He's getting the hang of it at 3.5 months!

He has been having so much fun on his play mat & really starting to scoot, reach, grab, turn, & roll.

a reach... & a grab!

Sitting up in the bumbo with his nervous nelly of a momma making sure his heavy little noggin doesn't overpower his neck, haha.

making it up to 90 degrees while on his tummy!

My favorite: the toe grab!!  I can't get enough of this phase, I just love love it.  and the sucking on fingers, its precious.

Fighting to get that roll from back to belly... this series doesn't capture it, but the very next day he made it when I was changing his sheets in this crib!  Amazing to see it become so simple to him in only a few days.

And another Fav: thumb sucking!  haha, neither of his brothers did this (much) but loved their pacis.  Jury is still out on whether or not the thumb will actually soothe for sleep, but for now, I'm enjoying watching him suck his thumb - its just so cute.