A Snapshot of Peter

I want to make sure I remember Peter right now.

Gangly, loud, and goofy, he's also helpful, intelligent, and eager.

He still is excellent at pushing buttons and stays in such good condition by practicing daily.

At the same time, he loves Topher immensely and comes home each day to say how much he missed that tiny boy.

He doesn't like to clean, but will help when motivated by the desire to play video games and, more recently, by the desire to alleviate my stress.

He is shockingly smart, he always has been, but now his teachers can see it like we can.

For years he has wanted to be funny, but his inability to understand social cues has made humor difficult. Now, however, he's finally picking up on how to deliver a zinger, how to time it right, and when he should keep his comment to himself. He's not perfect at this, but he's improving.

He wants to hang out with Bryan more than with anyone else. I'm not sure how much longer this will last now that we've been in one place for a few years and Peter has lots of friends. But it's still wonderful that he looks up to Bryan so much.

He's surpassed my skills as a pianist. He still doesn't love to practice, but I think he's beginning to see the benefit. He excitedly ran in from the library recently to ask if I'd heard the song he was playing. I said yes, then he showed me that the sheet music was only the right hand with chords written over the top. He was so pleased that he knew each chord, even though all that was written was a letter or two.

He still loves to read.

He also loves to eat and he is ALWAYS hungry.

He's stuck between wanting to play imagination games with the younger kids, but feeling too big and old to do so. This is especially evident when we're at the park and there are other kids around.

He's nearly done reading The Book of Mormon for the first time on his own. I love that he'll interrupt his reading to ask me a question or make an observation. I was two years older than he is now when I read it for the first time. And he's encouraging Cooper and Phoebe to catch up to him.

He's a good kid. No, he's a good young man.

Sharing

Google Photos reminded me of this gem from when Peter and Cooper were small. I laughed when I watched it because I can imagine twelve-year-old Peter doing something similar.

It's a Celebration

I knew the first week of school would be tough, but by Wednesday of last week I was really crashing. Then on Saturday morning I woke up feeling rotten. The awful continued through the weekend and I stayed home from church on Sunday. On Monday morning I dragged myself to the local urgent care.

It turns out I celebrated the first week of school by getting strep throat. Woohoo.

I've been on antibiotics since Monday afternoon and I feel much more human now. I was scheduled to teach the first week of our preschool co-op starting yesterday, but the other moms graciously agreed to delay the beginning for a few days. Also, no one wanted to catch what I had. I seem to be the only one to come down with it so far at our house, fingers crossed that continues to be true.

This means I've met my illness quota for the school year, right?

Smile for the Camera

"Let's take a selfie with Topher!"

Raise Our Colors High in the Blue

Last Friday marked the twentieth anniversary of my first day of college. That means the students who started college for the first time last week weren't even born when I attended my first class at BYU.

I'm certain I don't feel that old.

The First Week

We made it to the end of the first week of school.

On the first day the kids had a special, healthy breakfast and had plenty of time in the morning.

On Thursday they ate cookies while we hurried to catch the bus.

We are very tired.

That is all.

Play With Your Food

Summer of Scouting

During the summer we only meet once a month for cub scouts, plus day camp, so we made the most of our time together. First, in June we had a bike rodeo. Batgirl attended.

Then Cooper attended a week of day camp.

The boys watched skits on the final day.

In July, the big adventure was going to a ropes course.

That's Cooper way up there.

Finally, in August we played a water fight version of capture the flag which basically turned into a huge water fight. Sophie and Phoebe were fierce competitors and everyone was drenched when we finished.

And So It Begins

Here's the rundown on the first day:

• Peter had an acceptable day, though he didn't want to admit it. 
• Phoebe discovered her friend from last year moved away and she felt picked on by a boy in her class and no one was allowed to check out books even though they went to the library, not her best first day.
• Cooper had an awesome day, he loved his teachers and got to see old friends and make new ones.
• Sophie was a great helper while we ran errands to each of the three schools and two stores and the doctor's office, I think she missed the big kids but also enjoyed having more time with me.
• Topher was a good sport during our errands, but was a very tired boy by the time bedtime came.

Sophie won't start her preschool co-op until next week, but she wanted to hold a sign with her siblings.

Hopes and Dreams

Today is the first day of school. Phoebe is ecstatic, Cooper is anxiously optimistic, and Peter (who did not get the classes he wanted) is dreading it. I'll give a report tomorrow.

In anticipation of beginning, I asked each kid what their hopes are for the new school year. And because Sophie is doing preschool at home, she got to participate as well. Here are their answers.

Sophie: I hope I have macaroni and cheese, and I hope I have a good time, and I hope I have the same mom and the same brother, and that I'm not alone but always with them, and that I'll always come when she calls on me.

Phoebe: To win the coloring contest that is at school, that I'll stay friends with my old friends, that I'll do good and do well in my class. And I hope that I'll get into PYLON (student government).

Cooper: To make new friends, have fun, have fun, have fun, and get smarter.

Peter: I don't want to talk about school because it hasn't happened yet and I want to relish summer as long as possible.

My hopes for the new year? That I figure out the art of juggling kids at three different schools, teaching one in a preschool co-op, caring for the one that is nursing and napping, delivering kids to piano and scouts and dance and whatever other extracurricular activities they sign up for, serving in three different callings at church, feeding my family relatively healthy meals, keeping the house reasonably clean, spending time with Bryan, reading scriptures and other books on a regular basis, and not completely losing my mind.

Bring it on.