Back To School {September 2014}

I'm a month or so behind, but the kids are back to school! We've settled in nicely to our new school routine and schedule. I must say the schedule this year is fabulous and it is only going to get better from here on out!

Shane has transitioned into full day 1st grade. He jumped back to school loving it, but then realized that he didn't have as much time to play any more. Weeks 2 and 3 were quite a bit harder. He reverted back to crying before school and not wanting to go. By week 4 he was back to loving school and no tears, which makes my life so much easier! We just had conferences last week and he is doing great. Math comes pretty naturally and easy for him. He is working on his reading and writing, but right where he is suppose to be. We are doing a lot around here to make reading fun and something he'll enjoy doing. Writing is his least favorite thing to do, but he has great ideas, it is just getting him to get them down on paper.

Adalyn has started her 1st year of preschool and is loving it! She goes two days a week for just a little over 2 hours each time. Days that she doesn't go she is upset and wants to go more. She is 100% the opposite of her brother at this stage in life. It is so refreshing to drop her off at school when she has a big smile on her face and can't wait to go.

I work on Fridays from 9-2pm as a Parenting Educator at Lake Washington Toddler Group. Moving my work schedule from Saturday to Friday has been really awesome. I didn't expect the day change to effect me so much, but it really has.

Between having Shane in school full time, Adalyn in school a tiny tiny bit and my work schedule things seem to be flowing nicely. On Friday's, while I work, Adalyn goes to a friends house just minutes from where we leave. She gets to spend the day with an awesome Mommy and her daughter who is roughly the same age as Adalyn. I feel super duper blessed to have had this childcare fall into my lap.

Here's to an awesome school year!

First Real Soccer Season

It happened...Shane asked to play soccer.

After his dislike for it when he was a toddler I thought we might just skip over the whole soccer thing. But then he started to play it at recess at school. Then he started to talk about soccer non-stop (in the middle of baseball season). Then he wanted to play soccer at home. Finally, he asked if he could join a team. Ok, Ok, we'll let you give soccer a second try. And darn it, he likes it a lot and he is actually even pretty darn good at it, too.

He plays on a U-8 soccer team called the Juanita Lightning. They haven't won a single game. But they are getting better and better each game and it is a lot of fun to see the boys improve each week.

This particular game they played a super super good team. Shane also played a whole half as goalie for the first time. I don't think goalie is his favorite position, although he played it really hard and intensely.

One of the funniest things about Shane playing soccer is how right in the middle of everything he is. After living with this kid who has had major anxiety and is super sensitive and hated soccer when he was 3 years old because the kids were to close to him and there was too much movement. He is now right smack in the middle of it all. It amazes me every time I see him play. It is a huge reminder of how far he has come.

Cheering his team on from the sidelines. Another awesome thing about this soccer season is that we've yet to play or practice in the rain! I'll be a soccer Mom any day in the sunshine. It's that cold, rain and mud that gets me. 

Today after practice he asked me if he could play next season, too. I think we may have ourselves a soccer player. Shhhh....Don't tell him that there is a such thing as indoor soccer. I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.