He's not a baby anymore!

So Tommy is in the first grade now. We had to move his violin lesson to 7:30 AM because his teacher didn't have any availability during after school hours. At 6:30 on Tuesday mornings I try to remember that I made the right decision putting my five year old child into school for six and a half hours a day. I have mixed feelings, but I know the decision to bump him up was the right one. He is very happy there. Explaining the decision isn't always the easiest to handle. Somehow (without boasting) I try to tell people that he's reading at a third grade level and he just passed the second grade end of year math exam. I'm not sure, but I don't think anyone appreciates hearing about it. However, I can't help but be a bit proud. Tommy is a good, smart, go with the flow boy bound for greatness. I love you Tom!

Tommy had his first season of soccer. He scored a lot of goals, but his team never won a game. I just can't believe that time flies by so quickly. He's playing soccer, going to first grade, playing violin..... My baby is obviously not a baby anymore.

The Other Side of the World

Last week I visited the other side of the world. Okinawa, Japan to be exact. Emmett and I have been planning the trip for six months. The itinerary was completed, babysitters were found, travel arrangements were made, etc... I admit that from the beginning I was a little hesitant. I didn't want to leave the children for ten days. I was a little worried about them, but almost more worried for their caretakers and my reaction to being separated from my 24/7 buddies. The trip was difficult and jetlag made it painstaking at times, but all in all the trip was insightful and worthwhile. I learned a lot on this trip.

• I take a lot forgranted in America.
• Not all toilets are built the same.
• Body image isn't an issue in every culture.
• Respect is still cherished in some parts of the world.
• Having a good time is all about perspective.
• Sometimes anticipating the fulfillment of a dream is just as good as fulfilling it.
• I empathize with people who live in a country where they don't understand the language.
• I now realize in more depth the sacrifices military families make.
• International travel is not for the faint of heart.
• I want to be with my family more than anything.

There are many stories with pictures to come. Stay tuned.

More summer photos

Just for the heck of it! (whatever that means.) I just wanted to remember some of these moments.


Tommy is reading a bedtime story to Taylor.

Playing in the fountain at Anne Morrison Park.

We rented a boat and spent the day with Scott and Lewis on the McCall Lake.

Fun at the Fourth of July Parade.

Tommy's Preschool graduation with Mrs. Patricia.

Goofy spouse.

The fruits of our labor. I think I made 15 cups of freezer jam.

Aunt Emily's birthday party.

The joy of Taylor's life.

Rockband! Need I say more?
Vacation to the dunes with Rob and Cort.

The end of Tommy's first season of T-ball.

Just for the heck of it!

Visiting Utah

So my blog is out of order. Sorry! We went to Utah twice this summer. First, I took the kids and went with my mom and sister. We went to Lagoon and met my brother and his wife and their two children. My cousin also met us there with her three kids. It was an adventure and around 10:30 PM I was more than ready to call it a night.

The next trip to Utah was for the annual Ricks family reunion. There was another Lagoon trip in there, a visit to the grandmas' houses, and lots of fun.

Taylor has begun two new things. Preschool started the first Tuesday in September. She loves it and transitioned without any problems.

Ballet started the following Friday. She told me she wanted to be a ballerina. I signed her up for a combo tap/ballet class. She was so excited to go and did great during the ballet part of her first class. The second half of the class was devoted to tap. She did well until there was about ten minutes left. She suddenly froze and got a real concerned look on her face. She started to wimper and soon it turned to a full on bawl. Her teachers helped her but she wasn't at all calm for the remainder of the lesson. When she got out she was beet red and told me that she never wanted to dance again. I was watching her the entire lesson and couldn't figure out what went wrong. Taylor told me she wasn't excited for dance anymore and she never wanted to go back to the ballet place. I continued to probe her to find the reason. Finally she told me, "those tap shoes are too noisy." She couldn't tolerate the sound of 10 little people tapping their hearts out. I can't say that I blame her. Throughout the week I convinced her that the noise the tap shoes make is normal. Today she attended her second tap/ballet combo class tear free.

Summer of Camping

The tradition of camping goes on in the Rick's family trailer. With gas prices so high we went every third week instead of every other week. Here are some of my favorite photos.

My Kindergarten Boy

My baby started kindergarten. Tommy has been so excited to start kindergarten. As I dropped him off his first day of school he said, "Mom, I have been waiting for this day since I was three." A lot of the mom's asked me if I cried when I dropped him off. With a child as excited as he was I was able to fight of the tears. I am so proud of my little boy.