Catching up

Things have been totally hectic lately, and I've neglected recording the sweet, funny, and trying moments that come up every day with Hope and Grant. I don't mean to, but life has just been happening so fast the past couple of weeks, it seems I don't have time to sit and capture it. And that's a shame! So, here's my best attempt at a recap.

Hope is still thriving in first grade. The work load is much more intense this year, but she's enjoying it. Her reading has improved a lot, to the point that she reads us a (beginner) book at bedtime every night. I'm impressed that she reads with such expression and comprehension! It's a relief, since she never seemed to care much about letter sounds all through preschool. She seems to enjoy math even more than reading, and usually knocks out her entire week's worth of math homework on the first day that she brings it home. Daddy the math major is very proud :)

Grant enjoys preschool, and I think it's very good that he's going, but I think he's sometimes bored there. Unfortunately, being one of the oldest kids in the class, he's likely going to feel that way in the future too. But I think there's a big difference between a 3 and a 4 year old, and less difference as children age, so hopefully it won't matter as much further into the school years. Still, his teachers are great and they tell me he's doing a "beautiful job." Grant is totally into this little girl, Sydney, in his class. She's adorable, and they play well together. He is definitely enjoying the routine of going two mornings a week, with play dates or errands the other days of the week. We've started going to a gym that he actually likes because the children's program is actually more like a gym class rather than daycare.

From the time that we get Hope off the bus until the time I have to start dinner, we are inevitably playing Legos and doll house. We've owned both of those things for ages, but somehow they just got interesting again. Grant would like to sit and build Lego guns all night, and Hope would easily play doll house just as long (assuming I'm playing too - she has fired Daddy once or twice because he's not as good at making the dolls talk!). Dinner, clean up, baths, and bedtime is usually kind of a whirlwind, and everyone is tired at the end of the day.

So, we keep pretty busy during the week and weekends are always spent playing with Daddy or catching up with friends. We've had a couple of homeowner type headaches to contend with lately, which have dragged on and on and taken up too much family time and resources. I'll be happy when we can put all that behind us! It's the time of year when holidays come one after another, and with kids in school, it's just too fun. We'd like to just focus on that! We're eagerly anticipating a visit from Uncle Ben and Aunt Carrie this weekend, and spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with our extended family!

Halloween was sweet this year, with both Hope and Grant having school parties to anticipate. Hope was a rock star, and Grant went as Spider-Man (but then changed to Batman in the evening). We went trick-or-treating with our neighbors again, and enjoyed it very much. Until it started drizzling and Grant said he wanted to go home! Daddy took him home, where he then helped Grandma and Grandpa hand out candy at our door. Apparently Mr. Social Butterfly liked that just as much if not more!

This post is long, and relatively pointless. Looking back in a few years, I'm not sure if reading this will capture the harried feeling we've had lately, and the urgency we feel to rest every chance we get (even from artificial pressures like keeping up with a blog!). But I do know, because it's painfully obvious, that these are the White Bread Days, and that they're passing quickly. Even though the days can run into each other and carry hassles along, I hope to remember certain things about the last few weeks:
Hope telling me multiple times a day, with such emotion, that I'm the BEST mother in the world and she loves me SO MUCH.
How Grant loves to snuggle and play games together on our phones, making his funny comments ("Bust!" or "Aw, yeah, baby!")
The way Hope and Grant love to wrestle and chase and play together lately, making for sweet mornings (even though they are earlier than I'd like!)