Heart melted

“It’s okay Brody. I know it hurts. Just squeeze my hand. Squeeze hard so it doesn’t hurt. I’m here for you.” Brody got an owie on this ankle while playing at the park one day at daycare. Cohen rushed over to make sure he was ok. He comforted Brody the entire time I was cleaning the owie and talked him through all the pain. Heart melted!

Sweet traditions

I love my girlfriends annual cookie exchange tradition. What I think I will love even more is getting my girls to help in making all the cookies. This past year was extra fun because we made it a big girls day with getting our hair done, lunch, and then ending with making some cookies. Sevea was great at putting the peanut butter in the middle of the crackers. She was also really good at taste testing. Brynna joined us for the cookie part of the day and she did a lot more taste testing than helping make them. Looking back at these pictures makes me think we need a summer cookie exchange as well. Hmmmm…

Another year down

These crazy kids are very excited for summer. They all had an amazing school year and have grown so much. Some more than others when it comes to height (hello Grayson) but all of them so much in academics. I still believe Kindergarten is such an amazing year to look back on. The year your baby is truly no longer a baby. Grayson was a great reminder of that…even if they still have emotional moments that remind you so much of a baby ;)

You would think seeing Grayson go through Kindergarten would help prepare me for Cohen’s turn. Nope. You would think sending him to one more year of preschool would help. Nope. I’m still not ready for him to go. Because then he will not be my baby. He’s proven over this last year that I can’t make him stay my baby whether or not I send him to Kindergarten. This last year he has learned so much. He has a thirst for knowledge and keeps surprising us with all the things he knows. He’s excited for lots of fun this summer but is already talking about Kindergarten. I have a feeling his first few days of Kindergarten will be very different than his big sister’s. Making it all the more real for me that my baby is grown.

It certainly is crazy to think back to when this girl started school. A little piece of me could never be replaced after that. I couldn’t ever be the same mom again. I had to wear a new hat and help her through a whole new time in her life. Although I’m never sure I’m doing it right or doing enough, she has year after year become a kid I could only hope for. School doesn’t just teach academics. She experiences so many things during her time at school…that I can’t be apart of. But she’s proving that she doesn’t need me. She had an amazing year academically but surprises me most in her continued growth in maturity and in her compassion for others. The summer is already off to a great start thanks to these traits in her.

We’re going to make sure to soak up all the fun summer will surely offer us because after summer ends, this one is one step closer to Kindergarten too :(