Sam at Six

Sam is an easily excitable young boy...he gets really, really excited about special occasions. The night before a special occasion (holidays, special guests arriving at our house, placing his Scholastic book order at school, etc...), he often has trouble sleeping. He usually falls asleep without much trouble, it's staying asleep that he find difficult. He wakes up throughout the night...just hoping and praying that it will be time to get up. Such an eager little guy. {grin} His sixth birthday proved to be no exception. He was up at 2:30 am...let that sink in for just a moment...that's right...2:30am. He asked if it was his birthday yet. His daddy lovingly said, "No, it's not. Go back to bed." Poor Brad, he really is a loving daddy...just doesn't do so well when awakened from a deep sleep. {grin}
So, the festivities began early...officially at around 6:15 am or so. He enjoyed breakfast with his dad at the hotel on campus. It's very near our house, very yummy (Sam really enjoys the "waffle making station" and the "little boxes of sugar cereal"), and very inexpensive. They talked about all sorts of boy things and consumed massive amounts of sugar. Bonding time.
I was enjoying a cup of coffee when they arrived back at home. Sam asked if his voice sounded different now that he was 6. . . so cute. He told me he felt taller...and his arms felt longer.
I arranged for a babysitter to come for an hour so I could join Sam at school for lunch. I took 24 monkey cupcakes for his class to enjoy. Lunch is served "family style" at Sam's school. Each student is responsible for getting their own drink from the cooler and a tray for their food before they take a seat at the small table. Bowls of food are placed on the table...and the children serve themselves and then pass the bowl on to a friend. They are reminded to say, "Please" or "No, thank you." It was amazing. I sat on the end of the table...nestled between my sweet boy, Sam, and a little boy named Earl. Earl was quick to show me his Spiderman shirt...and to tell me that you shouldn't eat turtles. He told me that turtles had "stinky breath" and the smell would make you sick. Too funny! I can't begin to imagine all that a kindergarten teacher hears from her students...or what my own son is telling her! Sam's classmates were very excited that we'd brought "monkey cupcakes" to share with them in honor of Sam's special day. They gobbled them up and were left with nothing but chocolate-laden faces and cupcake liners. What a sweet payment for my labors in the kitchen the night before. {grin}

That night, we celebrated as a family. Yummy dinner, cherry cheesecake for dessert (complete with candles and singing), and then we gave him our gifts. He was delighted...and the other boys managed to be delighted for him in spite of wanting his gifts.

 

Sam at Six:

• Loves Kindergarten.
• Reads very well.
• Loves his baby brothers and delights in making them laugh. Doesn't delight in them when they steal his toys or "mess up" his legos.
• Has lost 2 teeth.
• Is beginning to express opinions about what he wears. ugh.
• Is obsessed with character t-shirts. I loathe character t-shirts. We're learning to compromise. {grin}
• His school bus driver has told me repeatedly what a good boy he is. {sigh}
• Is doing several chores each day and earning an allowance.
• Loves to ride his bike.
• His favorite color is red.
• His favorite meal is his mom's spaghetti and meat balls or McDonald's cheeseburger Happy Meal.
• Thinks his daddy is a superhero.
• Hates to wear "handsome" shirts (any shirt with a collar).
• Loves to play and wrestle with Luke...his best buddy.
• Loves to read the story of Samuel being called by Eli...he told me that must be what he hears sometimes in the night.
• His imagination is remarkable...creates his own little world when he plays alone in his room.
• Wishes that he was able to see more of the movies his friends see. We have pretty strict rules about movies, tv shows, etc... He asked me why adults would make movies that are bad for kid's hearts and minds. {sweet boy, i don't know}
• Has started showering instead of taking a bath.
• Wears a size 2.5 shoe.
• Wears a size 7 pants.
• Wears a size 8 shirt.
• Is adored by his parents.
• Is growing in wisdom and stature. {grin} 

We love you, sweet Sammy Boy! :)

Living at the Speed of ...well, Life

I have been neglecting the blog lately, because I have not been neglecting my life! It seems like just when I think things are beginning to slow down a bit...the madness get even madder around here!
Just to recap the last couple of weeks:

• Sam lost another tooth (bringing his total to 2).
• Luke decided that napping isn't as much fun as it used to be. (sigh)
• Caleb bit Matthew on the arm...it left a bruise and a very, very sad baby boy.
• Matthew refuses to say, "Mama." Instead, he grins very sheepishly and says, "Dada" with great pride. Then he giggles.
• Every year I am surprised at how much "busyness" comes with the start of the fall semester at the seminary. This year is no exception. Fall picnic for faculty, fall picnic for post-graduate students, retreat for faculty members (Brad will be away most of the weekend), and on and on. This year, Brad is teaching a new curriculum...even more prep required than normal.
• Sam celebrated his 6th birthday - on 3 different occasions. Once with all of his grandparents and his Uncle Rob (Brad's brother) while they were visiting over Labor Day weekend. The second celebration came on his actual birthday - breakfast out with Daddy, lunch at school with Mommy, and then gifts from our family after dinner. The day after his birthday, a party for his friends at our house. It was fun to delight in our boy - but, I am so thankful it's over. {grin}
• The washer died. It made loud, painful, horrible noises and then stopped working. At first, I was miffed. Then, I reminded myself that it was used when we purchased it 5 years ago for $100. Doing laundry for $20 annually doesn't sound so bad. {grin}
• We bought a new washer/dryer...ugh. That was painful. I am looking forward to having a big machine to wash the many dirty clothes our family produces in...but, paying for it was not fun.
• We got a new entertainment center. This is the first new piece of furniture in our house that didn't require assembly. I love it! It's durable, sturdy, and filled with storage opportunities! {thanks mom and dad - what a generous birthday, anniversary, Christmas gift}.
• Brad passed his German Competency Exam (must be able to read and translate a theological article written in German) as part of the requirements for his PhD program. God has gifted him with an amazing mind! {grin} Praise the Lord - Brad is one step closer to being finished.

• Caleb had another bout of "asthma-like" symptoms. He was breathing very rapidly and it was scary. The folks at the ER were very kind and treated him quickly...although, it was a very long night. Poor little fella was so tired and unable to sleep because of bright lights and unfamiliar noises. We are following up with a pulmonologist at the local Children's Hospital in October.
• I got a bike for my birthday, my hubby baked me a cake, my big boys made me cards/pictures, enjoyed lunch with my hubby...felt so loved as I celebrated another year.
• Matthew and Caleb were diagnosed with another ear infection. One more, and our pediatrician says we're having the conversation about tubes.

I know that I am leaving some things out...my feeble mind simply can't keep up! {grin} Life if busy, full of activity, full of noise, full of motion, and full of love. Even at the breakneck speed we're traveling at...there is plenty of time for hugs, kisses, and giggles. {sigh}

Favorite Foto Friday

A few weeks ago, we were enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon at home.  Well, okay…with four little boys around it’s never really a lazy afternoon.  

Sam was playing in his room when he spied some superheroes out his window.  We live in a cul de sac with 7 houses…there are 11 small children (ages 7 and under) who live in said houses…9 of these children are BOYS!  It’s heaven on earth for our little men, although I am not sure how the little girls on the block feel about it.  Anyway, I digress….

The point is you are bound to find all sorts of things going on around here.  Your dad’s fishing boat could become a pirate ship, you could rocket off into space while bouncing on the trampoline, your bike could become a race car travelling at the speed of light…or you could become a superhero! 

When Sam spotted his friends in costume, he just had to join in the fun.  So, this foto of our neighborhood superheroes is a favorite of mine…because these are some of the sweetest days of my life –and I don’t want to forget them.  {grin}

LiveJournal Tags: fav foto friday,sam,luke,neighbor boys,superheroes

"Dad, It's Not Working..."

Our sweet firstborn son has lost his first tooth. We had been expecting the event for several weeks now...the tooth was so loose for so long, I thought he might not even notice when it fell out! One evening, as I was cooking dinner, he shouted from the living room, "MOM! MOM! I LOST MY TOOTH!" He was over the top excited...we were too.
Sam's permanent teeth had begun to come in behind his baby teeth. When we visited our dentist several weeks ago, she suggested if they weren't out by his birthday - we would need to make an appointment for her to "help" Sam along. {grin} His dad and I were motivated to get them out quickly to make room for his new teeth to come forward, to avoid a potentially traumatic dental appointment (we've had only positive experiences thus far), and to save a few hundred bucks by doing the work at home. {snicker} So, we offered a visit to Sam's favorite dining establishment, McDon*ld's, when he lost the first tooth. We came out money ahead, for sure!
As we were getting ready for bed, Sam told us he'd like to put his tooth under his pillow for the "tooth fairy." We've elected to tell our boys this sort of thing is a "game" some families play...but, there really is no tooth fairy flying around collecting the little gems. {grin} So, he decided that he wanted to "play" the game...mostly, I think he was looking for some cash!
He carefully placed his tooth in a small plastic bag and put it under this pillow. He drifted off to sleep in great anticipation. Fast forward to 3:30 AM...I hear little footsteps in the hall, then our bedroom door opened. I hear a small voice say, "Dad, it's not working. The tooth fairy isn't coming." Sweet boy. Brad drags himself out of bed, mumbles something about coins, and then hobbles to Sam's room to tuck him in bed again. When he came back to bed, he said, "I suck at being the tooth fairy." Sam received a quarter and his parents learned a good lesson...don't forget to put the money under the pillow before you go to sleep. The children are paying attention! {grin}