Logan!

I wanted to do a little update on Logan today!  And what a year he has had as well:-)

Television debut! He won 2nd place in a 5K! 

In the zone:-)

His awesome 2nd grade teacher!  He really liked her!

A rare pic of him sitting still!

One of my favorite pics!

We really are trying to get him to lose the Bieber-style hat...

This has been a fantastic year for Logan.  He had a great 2nd-grade year complete with good grades, tons of sports and a lot of growth...mentally and physically!  I am not sure when he will stop growing, but it is kind of crazy at this point.  He now stands at just under 5 foot, 57 inches to be exact.  He also now wears a size 8 shoe, in men's:-( He officially can wear my shoes which blows my mind because I wear a 9.  He also decided that he really wanted to grow out his hair this year so he could "flip" it.  It drives me crazy, but he loves it.  

School went well.  He had just a few challenges he had to work past, like not wanting to sit still long enough to do worksheets (honestly, I don't blame him, but I didn't say that).  But, it is a good life lesson.  Not everything in life is going to be fun (I explained that I really don't like cleaning toilets, but it is a necessary evil).  What he did discover this year is music, art and dance which really fascinates him.  He had a fantastic art teacher that was really good with his personality (Logan can be relentless in his quest to do something when he likes it) and showed them a lot this year. And, of course, there are sports.  Once again, he participated in flag football which is where he finds his confidence and shows his skill and maturity.  Lyndon and I kinda watched in amazement this year when he played (yes, I am bragging about my kid, but it is my blog, so who cares).  He is fast, like really fast and he seems to be in a different place mentally when on the field.  He truly enjoys it, practices and games, but there is something that changes in his face when he is playing.  This year, he was on a team that was 8 and under, and it included a few kindergartners who were playing for the first time.  I was amazed at how he decided to take those kids under his wings and explain things and was a good role model for them.  When they weren't paying attention, he rounded them up and helped them focus.  And, when they did something good, he praised them and equally encouraged them when they tried.  This was eye-opening because at home with his little brother, we don't see that often.  It was encouraging.  We also watched as he ran the ball, over and over.  He averaged one-two touch downs a game and several games he had 3 or more.  One of our biggest challenges was keeping him humble...something he will learn this year when he plays with the older group of 10 and under.  Someone will put him in his place, and he will need it.  Maybe that sounds mean, but us telling him to settle down is quite different from getting out-run or not being able to dominate.  

Once again, it is fun to watch as my kids surprise me.  I believe that is one of my favorite things about being a parent.  They are NOT extensions of us; yet, they are tiny (or not so tiny) people with their own interest, dreams and desires.  All I can do is let them be and try my best to encourage them.  

This next year will be a challenging but good year, I believe.  He is in a new school and new environment which will bring lots of new opportunities.  We just need to keep him focused!  

More to come:-)

Luke!

Still working my way backwards to catch up!  I thought I would do an update on the boys.  And, because this is my blog, I get to brag a little:-)
Today is Luke!

As you can see, everyone is enjoying the evening except Luke.  He has nasty mood swings, and we couldn't break this one!

 Let me start off by explaining that Luke is a very unique child.  By unique, I mean just when we think we have his personality figured out, he surprises us.  One of our favorite things about Luke is his ability to drop one-liners that floor us.  He has perfect timing, and he genuinely doesn't go for laughs, it is just his way of communicating.  There is no one in this world who can humble and put Logan in his place faster than his little brother.  I believe that he developed this skill because Logan can push his buttons like every older brother is trained to do.  Lyndon and I find ourselves having to turn and walk away in order to laugh so they can't see us.  Sometimes, we look at each other wondering where in the hell he heard some of the things he says.  I believe that Luke absorbs everything he sees and hears.  His little brain is always working even if you think he is totally ignoring you.  This was very evident this year in school.  Luke is the child that I always stress over regarding social situations.  He never did well when we left him, and it always took time for him to adjust to new environments.  So, needless to say, the idea of all-day kindergarten freaked me out.  I had visions of phone calls home from the teacher explaining that they couldn't get him calmed down or that his behavior was deplorable because he didn't want to be there.  But, as usual, he surprised us all year.  He only came home once with a "yellow" mark, and his teacher sent home a note explaining that he simply made a poor choice to knock over blocks.  His consequence was to fix them the next morning.  He still talks about that yellow mark today.  He never made that mistake again.  I finally figured out that Luke really likes rules and needs (seriously needs) to be told exactly what our expectations are and what the consequences are for breaking rules.  Once this is in place, he will do anything he is asked.  The problem lies in follow-through.  If you don't follow the rules yourself or if you don't follow through with the consequences, then it rocks his world.  I truly believe this is why the classroom works for him. Expectations are explained from day one as are the consequences.  The teacher, in order to keep it all under control, takes those rules and consequences to heart.  She followed through!  He had a routine and new his role everyday.  There was never a question of when, where or how often because he knew those answers stepping into the classroom.  I guess spontaneity is not his thing!  He likes order which explains his love for building things and numbers, another surprise this year.  Luke loves math and is pretty good at it.  I am guessing he got that gene from his daddy and grandpa...it is not from me!! He actually enjoys working math problems.  Who likes math that much?  At any rate, Luke also decided that he wanted to join a soccer team this year!  I was so very proud of his effort.  Sports have never really been his thing, but he gave it his all this year and actually had fun!  His little team tried hard and won a few games, but in the end it was his spirit that I loved.  He tried and worked hard and even played well with a team which is great considering he really would prefer to play alone.  He had a ton of growth this year, physically and mentally, and I was blown away by it all.  I can only hope that each year he continues to grow more and more.  It has been a blessing to watch!

Love me some Bubba!