You've Got a Friend in Me!

Well I don't have the best track record for getting our family out into the social scene.  I often stay in my own comfort zone at home or am preoccupied with other commitments and don't make it a priority to initiate time with friends- whether my own or the kids' friends.  Not so this month!  We have been wheelin' and dealin' over here:)  For example, this week we've already had 5 extra children at our house and it's only Wednesday!  That is big for us.

I don't have pictures of all the fun friend time lately, but here's what I've got:

We had our first ever friend sleepover last weekend and it was a success!  Gray tends to be like me--enjoys being alone; likes friends but isn't that comfortable reaching out to new ones.  He is so used to following big brother around that when he is with his peers, he doesn't quite know what to do.  But he's gotten a few chances lately to hang out with a friend of ours who is also a younger brother and it's been great for the two of them to learn how to be buddies.  Gray was thrilled to have him spend the night, especially after Joshua had gone over to a friend's house last week for his first sleepover.

Happy, but sad.  We celebrated our final preschool this week.  The newest little girl couldn't come, but we had the two that have been coming since last fall and it was definitely bittersweet for me.  I love these girls--like, really love them.  I think at first I just like the idea of them, but as they have opened up and begun to trust me, we have really bonded and I am sad to be finished with our special time together.  When they first came, they didn't know their letters, still spoke a good bit of Spanish with their English, and couldn't write their names.  It is slow going to only work once a week with little ones that don't have the longest attention span, but they have made so much progress and I'm really proud of them.  Tuesday we worked through a little book I made for each of them with words they can sound out, then we got to the party stuff...

Making cupcakes!

Playing...this is some sort of group game they were doing of their own initiative.

Eating lunch (Yasmin's fav--chicken nuggets) and decorating cupcakes.

We let the boys decorate too.

And crafting with beads and pipe cleaners.

Last week we had our first try at having over a select age group of KNO kids to the church for a game night.  It was super fun and great to have a smaller, more manageable group.  Joshua had a blast with the other 3rd and 4th graders.

 Little miss social butterfly got some play dates too.  This girl is ALL about little girl friends and she is not shy about initiating.  She was feeling low after the boys were having all the fun with their friends so we asked a little girl from church to come over.  Turns out, this little one was also craving some friend time!  Julia ADORES her and they have great silly fun together.

 They told me they were putting on a dance show for me.  They came down, posed for pictures, changed outfits, came down, went up to practice, and I don't know what happened after that, but the show never materialized!  They sure were cute as they can be, though.

It has been a full month, though we haven't been anywhere or done anything super noteworthy.  I am so thankful for friends and looking forward to more fun times ahead!

Swimming, Swimming, in the Swimming Pool

We have ourselves three little swimmers, thanks to my friend Dana's great instruction this summer!  They are having so much fun and even swimming across the pool and jumping in the deep end.  This is major for us!  And Julia is hot on their trail in her little float thing.  She goes all over the pool kicking her feet and not a bit afraid.  I think she'll be swimming for real next summer!

VBS and More

Two weeks ago we got to experience Good Shepherd's VBS again.  The last time we participated, Julia was 6 months old and the boys were in the preschool class, so this is the first time they got to really see and do it all and believe me, it is quite a production.  The kids absolutely loved it and I'm finding out even this week all they learned.  Today at lunch, Julia suddenly said, "When we were at the tabernacle, I learned the word sovereign."  She didn't really grasp the meaning of the word, but hey- that is a tough concept for a 4 year old.  I was surprised to find that the boys have a pretty good understanding of the tabernacle, what it meant, how it changed when Jesus died, etc.  Thankful for the great teaching they are getting and the fun they are having along the way!

I helped out in the "marketplace" during the week, so I got to see all the kids come through and help them make things with clay for the first 3 days and make spice bags (or stink bombs, as many of the boys called them) on the last 2 days.  It was a lot of fun and great to be able to get to know more of the kids and put faces with names...or big kid faces with baby faces, since many of these kids I used to know 4 years ago when we were a part of CGS.

I really wanted some of the KNO kids to be able to experience this VBS, but wasn't sure how it would go trying to transport them, if they'd like it since they don't know anyone, if they'd come each day since they can be unpredictable.  The first morning was a little rocky as everyone in the 3 houses we were picking up kids from were asleep (it was early!  especially for summer).  But we made it, got everyone to their groups, and they loved it.  And the other days they were ready to go every morning, so it really did go well and I'm hoping to get some transportation help next year so even more can come.

The last 2 days I brought a few older kids to be my helpers.  It was really interesting to watch them.  When they helped, they were more helpful than the average kid, I think because they have more responsibility at home than most kids their age, with often being in charge of several kids in their homes.  But they also loved sneaking away to make crafts of their own, moreso than the other helpers, I think because they haven't gotten a lot of the little kid experiences that many kids do.  They really enjoyed themselves and wanted to do it again.  Good thing we have another VBS at Grace Hill Church in a few weeks!  My kids can't wait.  Julia said, "I don't want to just go one time and that's all because I love VBS FOREVER!"

I haven't taken pictures much at all, but other highlights lately...

The Saturday after VBS, we met two families from our shepherding group at Lake Crabtree (ha!) for a picnic dinner.  We got there early and piled in a paddle boat, which was pretty fun, but hot.  We enjoyed a big game of kick ball, the boys loved trying to catch tadpoles & finding snail shells, and Julia adored getting time with her little friend.  They were so cute, just laying in the grass chatting away.  Leaving was a little tough.  Gray absolutely reeked from the lake water/mud and Julia was so sad to leave Eliana.  ("But Mommy I want to stay with Eliana FOREVER.  UNTIL I DIE!")

Sunday we met two families and a single guy from church for the last get to know you lunch from our Sunday School class.  Once a month for 3 months, we were matched up with a few other couples so we could get to know each other better over a meal.  We thoroughly enjoyed each one.  As much as we love being with the kids, it's just so nice to get out and have adult conversation!

This past week was Matt's week off of school, so he's been studying about half the time and hanging out with us the other half.  We spent an afternoon at the pool with Kim and the cousins, went to Jordan Lake one morning, had a cookout with Matt's family, and today he and Gray are headed to the movies.

Joshua got to go to Carowinds with Lydia, Jackson, Stacy, and Stacy's friend Sarah.  He was nervous in the days leading up to it, but boy did he have fun.  "The best day EVER" I believe he called it.  As predicted, he took a little time to warm to up to some of the rides, but once he got into it, he was into it!  The Gold Rusher was his favorite.  A boy after my own heart:)  Now, I could handle going to an amusement park with him just fine...when I have gone with Matt, I end up so nervous with all the pressure to ride the scary stuff with him. :)

It's been a fun two weeks and really an enjoyable summer.  Last year I had a list of things the boys had to do each day, like chores, reading, writing, playing outside, etc.  This year we've just gone with the flow.  I've made them clean up some.  They already read like crazy on their own.  Gray made up a poem and wrote it down the other day...I really do need to make him practice handwriting a little more.  But overall, we are just hanging out and doing just fine.  Lots of swimming, movie watching, taking walks, board games.  Just simple days with not a lot planned and I love it.