It's past time to steal away from all the other household responsibilities and write a little about this milestone. The three oldest went back to school this week. They are all there ALL day EVERY day now and I can't believe how quiet my house is. Asher, Hyrum and I manage to stay busy and the boys walk through the door before I know it. This is the last year that I will have three kiddos in school together. I recognize that this is the time when I have more family autonomy than we will ever have. We aren't beholden to many extracurricular activities or jobs for the boys. I am trying to relish the last of these years.
This little guy is preschool aged. But I felt like this wasn't the year to start anything formal. Whenever I asked him if he wanted to go to preschool he told me that he just wanted to go to grandma school. What that means is that he goes over to Grandma Meg's house to learn the lettters, cuddle and eat treats out of the treat basket. He's a little dream of a thing, loving and cooperative most of the time. He keeps us in stitches with his funny comments. He's been a gift and a joy to me since the day he was born.
Mrs. Jones is pretty lucky to get this little man all day. He's the brightest little thing, eager to learn and follow the rules. He's an intense soul, ready for school with at least 20 minutes to go while he waits on his slow poke brothers. He's reading well and just this summer I saw the lights really go on as he started to really enjoy books. He's also a perfectionist, hard on himself when things don't come easily. He's self assured and doesn't seem to really need a large group of friends, he's happy with the few close friends and one cousin he has in the neighborhood. He's a treasure, for sure.
Noah is the most social of all the boys, constantly seeking opportunities to be with his friends. He is a friend to the friendless and is quick to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. He decided this summer that he, in his words, "is really into geology". This has resulted in rocks all over my backyard and big plans to sell the rocks he finds and cleans off. He likes to read, though not as much as his big brother. He's tender with the baby. He's also constantly worried that he's about to miss out on some fun. We saw this a lot while on the trips that we took this summer- he was almost frantic to make sure that he wasn't missing out. This resulted in a fall of a log in the wilderness and ten stitches in his knee. He started third grade with stitches and a good story to tell. I love this bouncy boy.
And then there's the oldest. He's earnest and sincere and a darn good big brother to this crew. He's also emotional, needing to talk through his day often. He's questioning his talents and wondering what he's good at. He's still a voracious reader, disappearing for hours with his books. I hope, oh I hope that his last year of elementary school gives him the skills and the confidence that he needs before we launch into junior high next year. This boy of mine stole my heart 11 years ago and has yet to give it back. I do love him so.
