Independent woman

She eats at the table like a big kid.

She only sits in her high chair if she climbs up herself.

She wants to walk. She doesn't want to be carried.

She tries to use the potty.

She wants to dress herself.

She insists on strapping herself into her carseat (with a little help from Mom).

She climbs on everything. Libby has entered an independent stage. She knows what she can do and wants to do it herself. Part of me worries about the messes, bumps, bruises, and overall lack of baby-ness. More than that, I'm grateful that she is so smart, strong, confident, and capable. And I'm grateful that she still loves to cuddle.

Guess what?

Travis has begun potty training. He's still learning when he needs to go, so it may be some time before he's totally there. But he's definitely on his way.

And he loves taking self-portraits.

Rainstorms, black beans, and the Toothfairy

The weekend greeted us with a late summer storm. We threw the windows open and enjoyed the smells and sounds. The boys put on "rain clothes" and splashed outside. Libby splashed in her black beans & avocado. On Saturday, Jamin lost his first tooth. The Toothfairy brought him a dollar bill. He proudly stashed it in his piggy bank.

Good morning, little dragon

In the groove

The fourth week of school has begun. We're in the swing of things.

At 7:45 AM each school day, I load messy-haired, pajama-clad Travis & Libby into the car. Jamin climbs on board with his back pack and buckles himself in. We drive three minutes to Silver Trail Elementary, pull into the drop off zone, and say goodbye to Jamin. For the next 6 hours, the little ones and I play, run errands, clean, read books, eat lunch, and goof off. I spend some one-on-one time with Travis while Libby naps. And I spend some one-on-one time with Libby while Travis plays outside. At 3-ish, Jamin's bus drops him off. He looks so grown up walking home all by himself.

Scott is getting in the groove with school, as well. He's taking a larger course load than he has in the past, thanks to his improved work schedule. He leaves for work at 6 in the morning and arrives home around 9:30 at night. Then he studies a couple of hours before coming to bed.

The kids miss him a lot during the week, but they understand that he's working hard for our family and that this is temporary. We're so grateful for everything he's doing. And we're grateful for the weekends when we get to spend more time together.

Homecoming

Last Thursday, Sean returned home from his mission in Wisconsin.

To prepare, we helped Nanay clean his room and made signs to greet him at the airport. Welcome home, Sean! We are so proud of your hard work, dedication, and service.