Fall

Botoes

What's that, you say?  What is "Botoes"?  It's a nonsensical nickname for Davy that Thomas invented and it has kind of stuck.  :).  I don't know why he started using Botoes, but I suppose that's OK.  Chances are pretty good that he'll outgrow it by the time he's 10.  Quite a few months ago we were driving home from somewhere, all the kids in the car, and Davy was just done with being in his carseat.  Thomas sang out "Botoes to the rescue!  Botoes to the rescue! Botoes to the rescue!" over and over and over again and Davy loved it.  It calmed the beast, and it was such a ridiculous nickname that it kind of grew a life of its own.

Happy Halloween

"Hey, what is it with Darth Vader's breath these days?  When was the last time you think he changed the filter on his mask, anyway?  All I know is that even us Ewoks living in the forest have better dental hygiene than Vader does.  Ha ha ha heh hmmm urgh .......... uhhh,......... he's standing right behind me, isn't he?  Dang it, I hate when that happens!"

 

 

Been away a long time

I don't have a really exceptional reason for the long break from this blog -- just the usual craziness of life in our house, I suppose.  :).  I hope to get back to posting a bit more often, even if it's just a picture here and there. 

We've all been well, it's just that I rarely get more than a few minutes on the computer at a time, and usually that's reserved for bills and bank accounts and such.  Jack and Thomas have been playing flag football this fall, and they have really enjoyed that.  Their last game is this Saturday, and I look forward to a little less rushing around to and from practices and games.

Today the boys have a "Hurricane Day" off of school, so we plan to watch movies, make french bread pizza, make a blanket fort, and generally have fun while the wind and rain pummels the house :).  So far it's just really rainy, but they say the worst is yet to come.  We are very thankful for a dry and warm house today!

First Day of School

And a gratuitous Davy photo :).

So far so good!  The boys are enjoying their new school and teachers, and Peter is enjoying the one-on-one time in preschool with me.  They're a little tired, which is understandable, but they were eager to go on the first day (no tears or whining) and they look forward to going back each day.  Thank God!  I was worried about the transition from home to school.  There may yet be bumps along the way, but so far so good.  I will post more later, but the troops are up and getting ready as I type.  :)

Faux-hawk

I couldn't resist :). 

The boys are all having a great summer so far.  Jack finished 2nd grade and Thomas finished Kindergarten last month, and we made the decision to enroll them in public school this fall.  It was a difficult and humbling decision, but I think for this year, at least, it's the right one.  I really, really enjoy homeschooling the boys, but I was stretched so thin this past year.  In some ways, I think I'm still recovering from all the life changes that we endured last fall.  So my hope is that by handing the majority of the boys' academic work over to the school (of course I'll be involved with PTA/volunteering at the school, and with homework and projects), I will have more time and energy to be a better wife and mother in other areas that are also very important -- keeping a peaceful and faith-filled home, spending more time with Peter and Davy, and just generally being more rested and less frazzled.  My biggest concern is that there will be lots of secular, harmful influences on the boys at school.  I pray that my boys will have the fortitude and wisdom to discern right from wrong and to stand up for what is good and holy.

So, if you think of it, please pray for the boys and me this fall!  In the mean time, we are savoring our off-time together and we are looking forward to lots of opportunities to visit with family members who are coming out:  my parents, David's dad, my sister and her family, and my Gramma in the next few months!!!  I am so grateful that they have made the time and financial sacrifice to come out to spend time with us.  Being away from family has been .... heartbreaking.  I am so grateful for David's excellent and stable job here.  It was the right decision to move here last fall.  But being so far away from so many loved ones has been hard, and we are ever hopeful that we'll find our way back West in a few years.

Our June

June has flown by!  School is over, and although I have had more time freed up in the past 2 weeks not teaching, I have filled it with chasing 4 active boys (the littlest of whom is really getting into things!) and chipping away at household chores and unpacking that hasn't been done since ..... we moved in :).

I will admit that I am still a little overwhelmed by everything on my to-do list, and as a result I  have not been as good about keeping in touch with friends and family (not to mention this blog) lately -- I'm sorry!  I hope to make some good progress on my tasks this week, and then hopefully I'll get back in the swing of keeping in touch. 

In the meantime, here is a picture summary of our June:

This little rascal is really keeping us on our toes!  He is fast-army-crawling into all kinds of trouble :).

Peter is 4!  We all enjoyed this rainbow cake.

Visiting the tall ships in the Inner Harbor for the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner

A Bumblebee replica in the Inner Harbor.

Cunningham Falls, the tallest waterfall in Maryland.

Thomas (our bugophile) found a monarch caterpillar in a nearby park and we watched it turn into a butterfly!

First tooth!

Beach

It's not a Califonia beach, and not even a North Carolina beach, but we will take what we can get.  Our day trip to the Cheseapeake Bay beach was lovely last weekend!  

First Communion!

We enjoyed a wonderful First Communion celebration with Jack this past weekend.  He was so excited, and we are so proud of him!

Opening Day