Just Because

Lizzie is getting so big & is as goofy as ever. I love her sense of humor & how she seems to learn something new EVERY day! Just yesterday her most used phrase was "Hey" whoever she was talking to "wanna hear something?" and then she would proceed to "whistle". She was mostly just making a very quiet whistling noise through her teeth but it was too cute. When I asked her where she learned to whistle she quickly pointed to me! Man, was I shocked. I had no idea I was such a great teacher, I don't even remember it happening! She also has this ADORABLE little bike that Aunt Sarah bought for her & yesterday she rode it when we took Jay to school & picked him up. She isn't the best at steering but she pedals like a champ! Sometimes she wants to go as fast as she can & I have no hope of keeping up with her! She wears her little helmet when she rides as well & after school she got a Popsicle from Jay's teacher for wearing it! SO nice! It is really nice to have her bicycle at our house for now, we walked Jay to & from school most days this week & the umbrella stroller has handles that are just too low! It REALLY bothers my back to push her in that! Lizzie's little bike has a handle that comes out behind the seat & is MUCH higher then the stroller handle. It is awesome! She has a new piggy bank also and our deal is that any money she finds on the ground is hers. She has a pretty healthy amount of pennies but a surprising amount of nickels & dimes as well. It is pretty impressive! She loves to get her money out to "count" it. She doesn't worry about the value of the coin she is counting, they all equal "one" to her!


Jalen is almost 7 1/2 and I am amazed every day by what a big boy he is getting to be. He is almost finished with first grade & he is already reading at a second grade level! He is a curious & funny little guy. He likes to read the reference books from the library (books about dinosaurs, sea animals, plants, etc.) and then tell me about the things he's read. It is also fun to talk to him about Star Wars. After all these years it is still his favorite & he LOVES to talk about the Episode 7 movie he wants to make when he gets older. His imagination is endless & he draws what he imagines. He is a really good little artist & I am proud to say I can almost ALWAYS tell what it is he has drawn. In the picture above you'll notice his hair is EXTREMELY short. He was sort of growing it out but now that it is getting ready to be hot again we decided to do a buzz cut. He really likes having his hair this short but I have to admit, it makes him look older so it isn't my favorite! Am I the only mom who feels that way? Does anyone else want to stop time & keep their kids little forever? I LOVE my boy so much it makes me nostalgic to think about him getting older. Anyway, Jay is an amazing student when it comes to his "seatwork" and I am proud/frustrated that the time honored practice of spelling out things we don't want the kids to hear is pretty much out the window now that Jay is such a good speller! He can decipher almost everything we spell & then says it out loud so his sister knows too! Oh well, we get to practice talking in code or something!

The kids are getting bigger, the time for baby is getting closer every day & we are so excited! Life is really great right now & I know it will only get better as time goes on!