yay! school!

1. Isaac started kindergarten! He had been eagerly awaiting this day all summer long, as had I. Not that I was excited for him to be gone 2 1/2 hours a day (okay, maybe a little excited), but I really thought that he would just love it.

So, I don't think he 'loves' it, but he definitely doesn't hate it... I guess that's good. I feel like we are both feeling a little let down, though. Him, because it's not what he had imagined or hoped for, and me, because he doesn't love it like I had hoped for. He has already started asking me if he 'has to go to school tomorrow', and looks forward to Saturdays, even when it's only Monday. I'm not quite sure why he has that attitude, because he loves playing with the other kids and overall speaks positively when I ask him about his day. Maybe it's just not as fun as his preschool experience, and he isn't really learning anything yet that he doesn't already know. At least he isn't the same kid I was at his age. I was socially paralyzed, but he doesn't hesitate to join in the fun on the playground. It's helped ease my anxiety about him going to school to be able to watch him play with the other kids when I drop him off. So, hopefully we will see a little more enthusiasm about school as the year roles on.

I had to include this picture because Isaac and Luke's smiles are so goofy.

2. Luke started his first year of 'real' preschool. He had been equally as excited as Isaac about going to school. Luckily, Luke has LOVED his school experience. Of course, preschool is a lot more fun than real school and he only goes two days a week, but I'm pretty sure he would be happy if he could go every day. I'm very excited to see what Luke picks up this year. I haven't been a very diligent mom when it comes to teaching alphabets and numbers and writing (that's what professionals are for, I say :), so he will benefit immensely from his experience. It's cute when I ask him what his favorite thing about school is, he says, "All of it!".

Asa had to get in on all the pics. He was quite bummed that he didn't get to go anywhere like Isaac and Luke.

3. Asa got stitches for the first time. It's actually the first time that any of my kids have had stitches (shocking, yes). He slipped in the bathtub and hit his chin on the side of the tub. It was not a fun experience to hold him down while they stitched him up. I'm sure he has forgotten all about it, but I'm still traumatized from it.


4. Okay, so for some reason, Isaac feels the need to give you updates and/or observations while he is using the bathroom. The other night was probably the best 'observation' that I have heard yet. As I was sitting on the couch, I heard:

Isaac: "Mommy, when I look down, my testicles look kind of weird, like they're old."
Me: "Yeah, sometimes they look kind of silly."
Isaac: "Like an old man's?"
Me: "Yep."
Isaac: "That's weird."

5. Adam got his 'big bull elk'! There had been much anticipation around here for the past few weeks as to whether 'today was the day'. Adam would go out almost every morning as me and the boys would eagerly await his return to see if he had gotten one. I can't count how many times Luke would talk about daddy getting a 'big bull elk'. The boys even got pretty good at identifying a few different elk calls that Adam would practice. Asa even got pretty good at doing his own elk call and identifying any animal with antlers as an 'eh-oh'. So, finally on Saturday morning, we got the call and waited the rest of the day until he finally made it off the mountain to see the prize. Isaac and Luke have been as excited about showing it off as Adam has.