Summer Life

It's hard to believe we are staring August in the face.  It seems like yesterday that I was packing up the twins' first grade work and pulling out our second grade stuff.  Pure insanity. 

Today, we dropped the twins at their first day of VBS.  It's not at our parish (or our local one), but is at a nearby Episcopal church that was very open to special needs.  They were quick to respond to emails and very accommodating; I think (I hope!) the kids will have a blast.  They both loved camp.  Bobby went to a local special needs/autism friendly camp and every morning, he was raring to go (which really helped my heart!).  Maya went to a Girl Scout camp, 45 minutes away, where she got to ride a school bus for the first time.  She was surrounded by girls she knew and, like Bobby, she had a blast.  Michael spent the week having some rare, one-on-one Mommy time, which is the plan for this week also.  Right now, he's playing an education game on his tablet, but in five minutes, we're going out for a bike (well, tricycle) ride, then we'll head to the park for some play before the rain hits again.

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Michael celebrated his second birthday at the beginning of July.  Talk about time flying!  He loves (and is proficient in) ASL.  As much as I don't want to "rush" his education, he is fascinated by his siblings and, due to their work more than mine, he has started sounding out words and writing letters.  I have a feeling we're going to have another early reader.  He's a big fan of Elmo (much to my dismay!) and he loves to watch the Elmo music videos on YouTube.  He tells us that he wants to be a priest when he grows up. :)  His favorite person in the world is his Grandpa (Peter's dad) and he is really such a sweet little guy, although he can be a PIA when he wants to be!

Michael's 2nd birthday party

Michael, picking out a birthday present with his "birthday money"

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Maya loves being a Daisy Girl Scout.  We just finished out our first year, with me as her Troop Leader (and working as the Events and Trips Manager for our Service Unit).  She had a great time and met so many wonderful girls.  It's a great way to keep her connected with the kiddos from her old school.  She is such a mini-Mommy and huge helper to me.  She'll often offer to babysit (take the boys to the lower level playroom) while I'm cleaning.  It's really adorable.  Her favorite subjects are math and science; she is truly her father's daughter!  She loves to sing, and often will accompany me to Mass when I have the early cantoring assignment, so that she can sit at the cantor area.  She sings her little heart out.  She sang in the children's choir at church and loved it; she can't wait for it to restart in September. 

Maya, with one of her Daisy Sisters, at Bridging & Rededication

Miss Maya, July 2015

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Bobby is growing in leaps and bounds.  His verbal skills are improving day by day, and we are at the point where he will answer questions in real time for the most part.  He still scripts when he needs to, but his language has really expanded, due both the speech therapy but also due to his increased desire to communicate.  I read the book, The Explosive Child, which really changed the way that he and I interact.  He loves to draw and has a great memory.  Reading and writing are still his favorite subjects (clearly Mommy's boy!) although he has a gift for numbers as well and I think math is more an issue of application than it is aptitude.  He enjoyed his first try at day camp, and asked if he could do it again next summer, so I take that as a big positive!  He loves to interact with people and, as his verbal and auditory processing skills improve, he is really making the effort to forge new friendships at places like parks, etc.  His favorite place to go, other than his paternal grandparents' home, is the Aquarium and, whenever his chore chart fills, that is what he chooses for his reward.

Bobby, arriving at the Aquarium for our last Mommy-and-Me Date

Bobby, on day 2 of his first day camp experience

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Peter and I are doing well.  We hit the big 17 in June, and are still very much in love and happy.  Days are tough at times, but the hard times pass quickly when you have someone else to lean on.  He's a great dad and works hard so that we can maintain a stay-at-home parent presence.  The kids love their "Daddy Time", and I've never seen a man balance his commitments as well.  He's a great example to them, and to me.  We're both preparing for Lucas's arrival in, gulp, 10 weeks, and the changes that will bring to the dynamic of our home. 


Spring 1999, Navy Marine Corps Ball

Fall 2013 - one of my favorite pictures... right before the MCM and getting pregnant with Michael

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It's time for me to take Michael for his bike ride (well, tricycle ride!)  It's due to rain later and I don't want to miss the bit of sunshine we have!