First Fireworks

After our baseball outing, we took Bennett home for some food and a nap. Our community does a fireworks display the weekend before the 4th. We had hoped when we strapped him into his carseat that he would fall asleep for the evening . . .

but he opened his eyes as soon as we got settled to watch the fireworks. We met up with Aunt Kelly and someday "Uncle" Jake. So, Bennett was wide awake and got to see his first fireworks display. He didn't seem bothered by the noise, and occassionally seemed interested in the colors in the sky.


Aunt Kelly caught this great picture of our family's first fireworks. Although it's a little early, I wish everyone a special and wonderful 4th of July with your families!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Yesterday, we took Bennett to his first summer baseball game. We got tickets from our neighbors who have a player staying with them. For a while, Bennett sat on Daddy's lap and stared at the field. He seemed to be intrigued with what was going on. And then . . . he started to talk (loudly) and then he started to fuss which turned into some screaming! Okay, so for my other mothers that read this, does your heart always start beating fast when your child is loud in public? I know we were outside, but I feel overly self-conscious about my baby annoying other people with his noise. We left the game early, but our team had just had a grand slam and taken the lead 5-1. It was a beautiful evening for baseball!

My New Best Friend

I guess a bib is a better friend than a thumb :-)

Hold On To Your Hat!!! (And Shorts)

Baby Pool--Here I Come!

Because Bennett loves to splash so much in the bathtub and Ryan and I are getting tired of being soaked, we decided we would purchase a swimming pool for the summer. Bennett "swam" in it for the first time yesterday and loved it! He splashed so much he got it all over his face! Then, he was reaching for his boat, went face first into the water, and came up laughing and smiling!

Just Hanging Out

I think the best part of parenthood so far has been watching Bennett explore and experience all the things we take for granted in life. He has been out playing in the grass for the first time and really seems to like it. We also introduced him to trees and leaves. He loves to reach for the leaves and watch them move!

Tasty!

We fed Bennett rice cereal for the first time today! The first bite went over very well, and he really seemed to like it. He enjoyed helping Mom and Dad with the spoon. And even though he got a little messy (okay, a lot!), he was all smiles!

Happy Daddy's Day!

Ryan got to celebrate his very first Father's Day! Last Father's Day, we shared the news with our families that Bennett was on his way. This last year has been such a wonderful journey! It has been so fun to watch Ryan become a dad! His patience has definitely grown! He loves to make Bennett laugh and smile! For Daddy's Day, Bennett gave Daddy two books which he personalized with his name and footprints and a picture frame post-it note holder for his desk at school. But the best gift of all--Bennett himself!

Five Months Old!

Hard At Work

When the hat goes backwards, you know Ryan's working hard! I was barely able to even snag this shot--he kept hiding in the tree as he was cutting branches and asking me why I was taking his picture. He was not very cooperative!

No Covers For Me!

At one point, Bennett was completely covered by his blanket. Then one leg and both arms poked out.

And then the other leg!

And then he just wanted to chew on it :-)

Friday Night Gathering

As usual, we were hanging out with the neighbors tonight. It was a perfect night for a fire! Cody did a great job taking care of Bennett, and he even fell asleep, as peaceful as can be, in Cody's arms. Daddy did a great job taking care of the fire! Friday nights with the neighbors are the best!

Table for Three

Bennett joined us for supper for the first time tonight! Although the highchair seems a little big for him, he seemed to enjoy sitting with us and being a part of the action!

Looks like we'll have to work on table etiquette, though :-)

First Year Reflections

Well, my first year of teaching is now complete! What a joyous and stressful experience it has been--and, boy, have I learned a lot! I didn't realize all the work that goes into creating a kindergarten classroom. Although I may be biased because it is the first group of kids that were "all mine," I can't tell you how much I loved them! They are such a sweet and loving bunch! On the last day of school, which proved to be extremely emotional (only for me!), we witnessed the wedding proposal of one of our teachers and said to good-bye to one of our classroom friends. We also celebrated the birthday of one of our friends, who happens to have many special needs. To other children, he makes a lot of loud noises, throws things, and is gwaked at. But to my kids, he is just another part of our family. One of the special education teachers came down and asked if we could sing happy birthday and record it so he could listen to it with his family that evening. So we all sang, and when we were done, everyone was quiet. Then out of the blue, one of my little girls shouted, "We love you!" That almost made me burst into tears of joy right then and there. My students have learned how to easily accept and appreciate the differences of our special friends this year--one who is autistic and one in a wheelchair. What a great lesson of tolerance and openess to learn at 5 years old--shouldn't we all be so lucky! Wouldn't the world be a much different place if we had all had this opportunity? So, I was reminded that alll my hard work had made a difference in the lives of these 14 children--I'm so excited to have them back next year! And when we presented our friend with a good-bye book, I started to cry (again!) as I tried to tell him how much we would miss him and his kind heart, polite and quiet demenor, and his wonderful smile. And one of the students asked why I was crying--just another example of how thoughtful and caring this group is and has become over the last year. So as I began the first few days of summer vacation dealing with a very angry set of parents, I struggled to remember how great this year was. And I was having a total pity party for myself that I only received gifts from 3 families--not that I was expecting gifts, but a thank you would have made my day. As I checked out Merranda's blog and saw he kids hard at work making thank you cards for their teachers, I am reminded that there are some families out there that truly appreciate all the hard work and love that goes into being a teacher. Never, never forget to offer a simple thank you to your child's teacher because we do so much more that what is seen--we constantly worry about what is going on with your little ones even when we're not at school, we seek out every avenue to help those that struggle when we don't know how, and we miss your children when they leave for summer vacation--and I cried as I put them on the busses for the last time for this school year and was excited with anticipation of what next year would hold when they step off the bus for the first time as first graders! With this post, I'm going to stop feeling bad about the family that is unhappy with me, and remember the great things that happened--here are some of the highlights:
1. one student is reading at a mid-second grade level, with 3 others reading well into first grade levels
2. all but one of my kids can tell time to the hour, and they can all count to 100 by 5's and 10's
3. all but one know ALL 10 of our kindergarten sight words
4. one of my kids has found a passion for writing--over one weekend, he wrote 2 lengthy stories!
5. one kiddo, who was EXTREMELY far behind, has finally started to make a little progress
So, all things considered, this was a roller-coaster of a school-year, but despite the recent issues, I know it was a truly amazing and successful first year!

What Happened?

Hmmm--not sure why Bennett keeps tipping over in his swing. Even when the activity bar is on, he tips. Sometimes I catch him all tipped over like this and he's chewing on the activity bar!

Splish, Splash!

Bennett has now mastered the art of splashing in the bathtub! He loves to grab and hold things, so we've been adding some bath toys--he has his fish which he loves to chew on, two small boats, and a book. When he tries to grab for his boats, they always move in the water, so he bats at them with his hands and causes a huge tidal wave! Somehow, I never seem to get wet--Ryan, on the other hand, always ends up having to change his clothes after bathtime--funny how that works :-) And even during bathtime, he loves to suck his thumb!

So Peaceful

Thank goodness for summer vacation! I'm so excited to have the next few months off to hang out with Bennett, take some good pictures, and maybe do a better job of updating my blog--but I did only say "maybe." :-) I took this picture one morning when I went to get Bennett up for the day. He has been rolling on his sides a lot and has rolled over twice--both times I missed! It looks like he may be a side-sleeper--one thing he gets from mom!