Our First Grader

Every time I thought about sending my son off to first grade -- ALL DAY -- my eyes would moisten and I'd start panicking. Have I taught him everything he needs to know to prepare him? Will he choose good friends? Will he be kind to others? Will he listen to his teacher? Will he try his hardest? Will he enjoy learning? Will he have fun?!"  I was unsure if my time in preparing him for the "real world" was adequate.

The night before the big sendoff I shed a lot of tears. Out of fear, sadness, and the realization that another chapter in my limited years raising Cade had come to an end.

The next morning, all five of us piled in the Subaru (nope, still no Swagger Wagon...trying to wait patiently for that...) to send Cade off to school.  We all walked him across the lawn, then down the hall into his classroom.  He was excited, and Savvy was almost even moreso.  I had forgotten my sunglasses, again, like last year, which I was initally bummed about. You know, sunglasses to hide the tears.  But something strange happened.

I didn't cry.

Perhaps I was too preoccupied with the new baby, and low on sleep to allow the morning's events really hit me.  Or perhaps I just felt calm, at ease, and at peace knowing my son was progressing, and that all would be well.  I like to think it was the latter.

He's been at school now for over 2 weeks and he LOVES it.  I cannot fully express the joy that comes from having a child LOVE school. Every day he wakes up happy to go, and he comes home happy to report that he had a good day.  I love how the first thing that he says when he walks through the door is, "Hi, Mom!"  He doesn't know where in the house I am, but he knows I'm home.  I am so grateful I can be here at home at the crossroads so he has me and the girls to come home to.   Savvy enjoys asking "How was your day at school, Bud!?" and Cade always answers that it was good.

Hallelujiah!

---

Of course we took several pictures to document the day....

Enjoy!

Day before school haircut.  Fantastic Sams was PACKED with kids that day.

The famous porch shot.  I always got my school pics taken on the front porch anyway...

Cade and Savvy giving us the famous "Sour Face" on the school lawn

Happy Faces!

Sibling love!  Oh how sad Savvy was when we got home and she realized there was nobody to play with.  "What am I gonna do now, Mom" she asked.  So cute.

Our handsome 1st grader!

Sitting at his desk, ready to learn!!

Cade's Point of View...

These are pictures Cade took on my phone the day Ruby and I came home from the hospital....

Name Tag

Our Little Sleeping Beauty

Silly Daddy!

Mom...

Savvy taking over Mom's spot

Mom getting ready to go (and a lovely side profile shot to keep me humble)

Remember when...

A few years ago a dear friend of mine told me the story behind a family photo that I was admiring on her wall.  The photo was a surprise from her husband for Mother's Day. When she was out of town with her mom and sisters, her husband had dressed and readied their six children in white shirts and denim for a family photo.  Her husband was unable to contain his excitement and couldn't wait all the way until Mother"s Day to give his wife the photo he had enlarged, printed, and framed.  Unfortunately, she was having a "moment" with some of her kids and had just finished disciplining one of them when her husband thrust into her hands the photo.  Due to the frustrated frame of mind she was in that moment, her initial reaction was far from pleased and before really thinking she began pointing out all the things she would have done differently for the photo--- Instead of crisply ironed polo shirts, her boys were in T-shirts.  Her only daughter's hair was in pig tail buns from just returning from a dance recital (usually she wore her hair down and curled it). The little boys' faces had traces of ice cream or something on them...

She quickly realized hers was not the reaction her husband was hoping for, nor was it the reaction she really meant.  It didn't take long for her to truly appreciate the photo for everything it was: an authentic still capture of a husband's love for his wife, and children's love for their mother.  Now she can hardly look at the photo without tears coming to her eyes because she adores it so much. The picture tells the story of who her children really are.

When I went into my first OB appointment with this most recent pregnancy,  my doctor sat me down and along with some other fabulous advice, he told me that the third child is when you lose control.  He said I may not realize I am a controlling parent, but I soon will once the third is born, because I will find myself faced in moments in which I can't just do things my way (you know, the right way!) and my control will slip through my fingers before my very eyes. He assured me it's healthy and essential to go through this because who wants to raise children in a controlling environment?  I laughed, agreed, but still thought I wasn't a controlling parent....not really. 

Fast forward to 5 days post baby number three. It was late morning, and I was in bed catching up on sleep I had not gotten through the night. Kyle roused me from my slumber and said his parents who had been in town visiting were getting ready to leave. I came downstairs to find Kyle taking photos of his parents and children together.

And these were the initial thoughts running through my head:  Oh, you've got Savvy in that boyish T-shirt?  She didn't even comb her hair this morning!! Oh and look at Cade-- neither did he!  And whew! Boy are they stinky from racing around on their scooters all morning.   Couldn't you have at least thrown a bow in Savvy's hair!  And Ruby, too-- she could have used an outfit change....It looks like Cade needs a haircut soon....

Then I stopped myself.  Remembering both what my doctor told me, and about my girlfriend's cherished family photo, I took a deep breath, and shook off the urge to throw my kids in the tub and re-dress them before taking any more pictures. These are real captures of who my kids are with who they love.  And like my girlfriend, I adore these photos all the more because not only are they beautiful depictions of my children's love for their grandparents, they are unaltered images of who my children are. We were so lucky to have been visited by Gramma Berry, even though she wasn't feeling very well.  It was a wonderful visit and I'm glad we have these to remember it by...

Since that day I've had several more opportunities to willingly "let things go."  Savvy has done more picking out her clothes as of late.  Cade has, too.  People have dropped by to visit over the last couple of weeks and I'm in a totally dishoveled state, as is my house, but we are happy.  This phase is temporary and eventually (that's the hope anyway!) we'll be back on a routine and things will be clean, orderly, and humming along like a well-oiled machine.  I'm doing better to live in the moment and simply enjoy my little newborn.  The laundry can wait (hey, it may be in 7 different piles throughout the house, but they are all clean!) the dishes can wait, the dusting can really wait, because my little girl is growing up before my eyes and I don't want to miss a second of it...

Mama snuggling Little Ruby 

September 5, 2010

Visitors!

Our little girl has been showered with a lot of love from friends and family near and far....

Auntie Becca

Gramma Sheppard

The Hawkins' -- our dear next door neighbors ---

Gramma Berry!

and of course, Cade and Savvy

The Tool Fairy

When Cade was up visiting Gramma Berry's farm this summer, he was in hog heaven. Especially when it came to little treasures.  My son is no different than all the other little boys out there who love to collect things.  From rocks, to nails, to little beads found on the road, Cade is an appreciator of all things small and trinkety.   When I empty his pockets while sorting the wash, I chuckle to myself the things he has collected throughout the day.   The Woodbury driveway up at Gramma's had Cade's pockets bulging at the seams when he came home. He had found all sorts of random pieces of metal and gadgets (I HOPE there weren't any essential tools needed for say, Grandpa's Mustang he's rebuilding....!!!).  Kyle, full knowing that Cade would have these pieces of "junk" displayed all over his room and in his pockets constantly unless he did some serious intervention.  

Enter the Tool Fairy.  Yes, that's right-- the TOOL Fairy.  Kyle told Cade that if he put all those tools under his pillow, the Tool Fairy would get them and pay Cade money for them.   MONEY?!  Yes, Cade's ears perked and he eagerly set out to prepare his tools for departure.  We took a snapshot that night after he fell asleep. Here's Cade's letter to the Tool Fairy.  I suppose you can figure out on your own that he is requesting either a 10 dollar bill or 100 dollar bill....

Too bad for him, he got neither.  The Tool Fairy instead left him a dollar.  But Cade was totally thrilled with it.  And we had one less pile of treasures to step on. :)

Except, the day after I came home from the hospital, Cade got something in the MAIL!  It was a letter from the Tool Fairy....

....With a $100 bill!!!!  It turns out the Tool Fairy decided after examining the tools further that they were worth more money than originally thought. 

Cade was on Cloud Nine, though in this picture he is using his serious face.

I don't think I held a $100 bill in my hand until I was at least 18. Kids these days.... 

Can't blame a Grandma for spoiling them, can you?  At least he has been asked to put it aside for his mission, right?