Officially done with Kindergarten

Yesterday was Emma's field day at school marking the official end to her year of Kindergarten. I really can not believe how time has flown by this year.

First day of SchoolLast day of SchoolI find watching a child learn the most interesting and amazing thing ever. This year I think the greatest thing was watching her learn to read. She was reading small books with 3-4 letter words over the summer last year but now it is amazing to listen to her read. She speaks with inflection and emotion and amazes me every time she comes to a big word and just breezes by it. To just sit back over this year and watch her little brain make the connections to figure out what words are has been more amazing than watching her learn to walk or potty train or anything else I can think of. She has a short fuse so she does get frustrated very easily but I have learned how better to deal with that and once she gets it she goes! I'm so proud of everything she has accomplished this year and am looking forward to a summer of fun and more learning to get ready for the big task of 1st grade. Just typing that makes me sad. I'm not ready to let her be away from me so much but I'm so glad that I have the assurance that she has great Christian teachers guiding her and a wonderful Christ-centered environment to learn in. We've been so blessed.

Mother Daughter Banquet '09

Wow! I've been blogging for a year now! I started this blog last year because of this very event. We went to the Mother Daughter Banquet at church and Emma had all of her grandmas and great-grandmas with her and I just had to have somewhere to write about it. Here we are again one year later and so extremely blessed to have all grandmas back again plus Aunt April and her girls joined us too!

This year was a 50's theme and it was so much fun! We got all dressed up, had a soda shop type menu and some fun games including a bubble blowing contest and hula hooping. It was very nice to be able to share this evening with so many women we love.

My baby is four

Tuesday was Jackson's 4th birthday. I just really can't believe it. There have been so many changes in our life over those past four years that everything seems kind of like a blur.

• Can spell his name which is one long run on JACKSON. Sometimes you wonder if there really is an A in there.
• Can count to thirty
• Can recognize all the letters of the alphabet
• Can tell you what sound every letter makes (sometimes confused on G but that's a tricky one)
• Is beginning to sound out words to read and spell. We love the word whammer!
• Has worn out the froggy boots to the point of a hole. That's some pretty serious wearing for thick rubber boots.
• Loves to be read to and will actually sit still for several books. That's a miracle!
• Still has the bb (blankie)
• Still sucks his thumb when he sleeps
• Still asks me to hold him like a baby every time he gets out of the bath
• Can get himself dressed for the most part
• Has an opinion about what he wears
• Loves to pester his sister
• Begs me to play flash cards
• Loves to pray for dinner and before bed
• Definitely a daddy's boy
• Used to cry to go to class at church now cries when we pick him up because he doesn't want to leave.
• Is very excited to start preschool in August
• Says now that he's four he won't be afraid of bugs or going under water anymore. We'll see :)
• Sometimes talks like he's got a southern accent
• Could live in footie pajamas
• Can write a few letters on his own. The Aquadoodle is a definite paper saver for a learning boy.
• Investigates everything to try to see how it works and if he could take it apart. Again, daddy's boy!
• Loves the "How Do Dinosaurs...." books.
• Has more of a tender heart than I give him credit for most of the time.

Asked for a pogo stick for his birthday. Don't know where he comes up with this stuff!

Also wanted a domino cake. Again, I have no idea.

Thank you all for being a part of our lives and sharing our special boy with us.