Last Day of Preschool

How can this be? Today was Josh's end-of-preschool picnic. Josh is my youngest. I officially am no longer a mom of a preschooler. Wow. That flew by!

As soon as I get the pics on to my computer I will post pics from his preschool days. He went to the most wonderful preschool--the one Ben went to as well. It was located on a 180 acre nature preserve nestled along the coast of Lake Michigan. They played in the mud, threw rocks in the lake, tapped maple trees to make syrup, went sledding, found critters of all shapes and sizes, and in general delighted in the world God made. That is so much better than ABC's and 123's! He has the rest of his life to learn those. This year he got to have a taste of the back yard I grew up with. I'm so glad we were able to give that to him.

We have had kids in that preschool for three of the last four years. It is strange--and sad--to realize we have no more kids to enjoy watching there! I may have to borrow someone's kids:).

A Surreal Moment

I picked Jessa up from school today to take her out for lunch in honor of her eleventh birthday tomorrow. We had a nice chat over crepes at "Cream and Crepe"--a local cafe'. As I kissed her good-bye in the office and walked back out to my car, I was overcome with the feeling I was walking in a dream.

The last time I remember that feeling is on my wedding day, when it just seemed surreal I was getting married to such a wonderful man. Today it just seemed utterly impossible I was mom to an eleven year old! How did that happen? How did she get so big and how have I managed to not break her in eleven whole years?!

It is a surreal feeling to realize I am living the life I always dreamed of because it always seemed to be in the future and now it is my present--in both senses of the word.

Little Boys Part II

Ben is six and just completed kindergarten. Yesterday, while at work with me, he wrote and illustrated a book. It was simple yet amazing, and a testament to Ben's ability to express his emotions--a very important trait for my little men:).


Love Wins
by Ben

Everyone likes hearts.
No one likes crumpled hearts.

Everyone likes stars.
No one likes crumpled stars.

Everyone likes flowers...
...and we love eachother.

Little Boys Part I

My friend Monica is hosting a blog fair about raising boys. Since I have two, I thought I'd get a head start on my entries.

Josh is my fourth child, second son, and most likely the last baby I will have. I wanted to treasure every minute of his baby days. Each milestone was bittersweet because it was my "last first"--the last first smile, the last first sleeping through the night, the last first tooth--etc. I took a picture of his little sweet baby feet and titled it "Sweet Feet." Three years later I took a follow up picture after an afternoon of play. Of all the toys we own, Josh's favorite play thing, hands down, is the pile of dirt left from the previous owners' landscaping projects.

Tagged! The Book List

My SIL tagged my to post my current reading list. Here goes...

The boys and I are reading Magic Tree House books and a variety of other fiction and non-fiction books as read-alouds. Tonight my kindergartener read me an Arthur book:).

I have a hard time putting a good novel down once I've started it, so I only start one if I have a large block of reading time coming up. That hasn't happened lately--not since I was sick last fall. My current non-fiction list includes:

Naturally Supernatural

Siblings Without Rivalry

Raising Cain: Saving the Emotional Lives of our Boys

Teaching Children Authentic Worship

Beth Moore's study on the ministry of Paul

Becoming a Love and Logic Parent

I also read a lot of short stories in search of good material for our children's church curriculum and read a variety of other curriculum resources.

Yet another reason to like spring :)

Spring has finally sprung in our corner of the world. We have been busy with yard work, trying to get our gardens and bushes ready for a new season of growing. I have discovered I am decidedly UNgifted in the area of pruning bushes. They all look as if they have bad haircuts! I am thankful they will be covered with new green leaves in the next few weeks. Spring will cover up all my errors!

Josh was helping me today, hauling dirt from the back garden up to put along the foundation in the front yard. We have a dry basement and want it to stay that way, so we are trying to maintain that grade! Anyway, Josh was supremely disappointed I wouldn't let him keep one of our lovely worms as a pet. Poor little guy just wanted a worm of his very own. I was reminded of a little baby garden snake my brother loved to death at about Josh's age as I told Josh really the worms were to look at but not to hold and have as pets.