I'm sure this sets some sort of personal record for longest absence. I'm not great at covering vast amounts of information in a nutshell, but I will try. Probably won't look much like a nutshell.
August began with a three ring circus. The Bryants were spread out in Birmingham, Nashville and the Turks and Caicos Islands. I don't know who was luckier - the kids to get undivided time with their grandparents or Hayes and me to get peace and quiet. I feel certain the grandparents got the short end of the stick, though they might nobly disagree. Children's museums, lake time, library time, movies... quite a way to close out the summer.
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| On two hours of sleep - but we're outta here! |
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| The view from our terrace |
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| Yeah, they had fun too |
Upon our return, we had a week until Peter began kindergarten. We spent it getting new shoes and making sure his uniforms still fit from when I bought them a month ago. (Phew!) Getting back into the swing of things was tough for all of us.
And then school began. And it was great. I mean, every day was better than the last and Peter loved his teacher and his class has great parents and Hayes takes him to school every day so they get time together. I'm not waking Matthew to get Peter to school - win-win for everyone.
Adjusting to full school days was tough. We had a temper issue that resulted in a field trip to a friend's house to apologize. Fingers are crossed that the lesson has been learned. Nonetheless, he hops into the car everyday ready to share what a great day it was. The only details I get are about the lunchroom, but he gets way more talkative when Hayes gets home. He is thriving, which is all we wanted for him and why we jumped through all sorts of hoops to find the right place for him.
Davis began preschool 3 days a week and Matthew goes to Mother's Day Out once a week. These two have been bonding a lot since Peter started school and it is really sweet to see.
As an alternative to a birthday party, Peter asked for a weekend trip to Atlanta. He was a toddler when we last visited my cousin there and saw the Georgia Aquarium. We have been talking about going as a family, especially since Hayes has a particular affinity for aquaria. This was the perfect occasion and I didn't have to plan a party. Win-win. Again! We spent some great time with family and managed to load up the car before realizing that we needed a picture. It didn't turn out.
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| 6! |
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| These boys love a road trip |
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| Legoland Atlanta |
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| Monkey see... |
Since Atlanta we have jumped head first into soccer and swimming, football games and weekend adventures. Oh... and pediatrician visits too.
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| We have been in this exam room so many times lately that I can't even recall who was the patient this particular time. |
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| One day we actually ran out of ice packs for bo-bos. |
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| Can't decide if they belong in the ghetto or in 1983. |
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| Please, would one of my sons please marry sweet Macie?! |
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| Soccer! |
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| Donut Den! |
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| At a Pinkalicious birthday party |
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| Yo. |
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| Titans game.... he came for the M and Ms. |
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| This guy loves football. |
Peter remains a very happy student. He loves school for many reasons, not the least of which is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he eats every day for lunch. Every day. We are striking deals to choose one hot lunch a week. We are working on basketball dribbling these days; our games are actually well-matched since he's almost my height. He likes things done his way and has a strong sense of justice. (No idea where he got that...) He is clever yet also wise, brave yet cautious, strong yet so fragile. He is observant and thoughtful... his gears never stop turning.
Davis is adopting more of a big brother attitude now that Peter is in school. He is experiencing the joys of being "the big kid" while also learning what it's like to have toys taken and towers demolished by his little brother. He does not like the taste of his own medicine, but he recovers nicely and goes back to loving on Matty. Our car rides are made more interesting by his powers of observation and curiosity. His teachers adore him and often remark on how polite, affectionate and smart he is. He's convinced that he can keep up with Peter and Hayes's math riddles and wants so badly to read like Peter does. These two big boys are finding their groove together - they still fight a lot but not every interaction is confrontational. Finally. He suffers from severe selective hearing but I can always count on him for a smile, no matter his mood.
Matthew is the baby, no question. He needn't speak because he has two proxy brothers. He needn't walk because someone always wants to hold him. He has two brothers to watch and mimic, and we must work on using their influence for good instead of evil. Matty is still a happy little guy in spite of persistent ear infections and bronchiolitis. He had a healthy summer but September brought the cycle back on. Tubes may be in our future. He loves music and cuddling, trains, cars and ramps. He will eat nearly any fruit, corn, peas, carrots... and don't even think about eating a cupcake in front of him without sharing. Big tantrum. Speaking of tantrums, he is experimenting with throwing fits and headbutting. It seems age two has arrived earlier with each subsequent child. I still can't bring myself to cut his hair. People mistake him for a girl all the time but I can't cut those sweet curls - I'm too afraid they won't come back!
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| Hayes often leaves us at 5am for this view. Hard to blame him. |
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| Reenie's here! |
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| I was sick so Hayes and Peter delivered the little boys to preschool. Apparently it's rough being Mom. |
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| We've got a serious case of Tiger Fever. |
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| Ensworth's homecoming tailgate before the game |
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| Water break |
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| Who says you need to walk in order to ride? |
