Monthly Family Recap: August 2020
School started back in August but we also still made the most of the last bits of summer!
Every single summer we put together a group and go out to the fire station. We learn about fire safety and get to check out the fire trucks.
With Covid this year I assumed the big group gathering was not going to happen and was nervous if I called the station to even ask about it that we’d be turned away…so…I picked up a box of donuts and not-so-casually stopped by the station.
They were SO happy to see us and said they’d missed hearing from us this year and that we better come back next summer 🙂 The timing was perfect as the big truck was already out so they showed it to us and climbed the ladder for us and the kids all got to take turns sitting in the drivers seat.
We’ve been doing this since Kye was a little younger than 18 months old and I LOVE that HE still loves it too! But, of course, Spear was THE kid who was most excited this year!
We got super lucky as we not only got to see the big truck but also got to see an ambulance and a tow truck! We got to watch him tow a vehicle and Spear was ALL about it. We also got extra donuts for the kids too of course 😉
Usually I sell stuff in the kids sale and enjoy shopping it up but this time I decided not to sell things because I really didn’t need to BUY a lot of stuff. With the kids missing so much of the end of the school year, they have plenty of clothes and such that have still barely been worn (my kids LIVED in pjs during shut down).
The girls, Spear and I decided to stop by and check out the deals on half price day after we went golfing as a family for Zach’s birthday. I only brought $80 in cash and that’s all I spent! It even allowed the girls to each get a super fun costume, sass not included 😉
Tess got her sealants put on at the dentist and I also took Kye and Britt by to get their teeth polished. They both have deeper grooves that tend to look a little discolored and the polishing is HUGE. The difference is AWESOME! I shared some of the tips the dentist gave too!
End of summer meant a WHOLE LOTTA SWIMMING. The pool has been such a gift and blessing this year with so much time at home and we have lived it UP in the water – including an end of summer night swimming 🙂
Tess got this super fun Dive N Spell game for her birthday and even the older kids loved playing it in the pool. The girls loved saving frogs and Spear loved swimming to his brother.
Kye said “I will remember this moment forever” he LOVES when Spear is all about him 🙂
Spear started back at school a few days before the big kids did so we had some toddler-free summer FUN! We hit up some snow cones and met Tiffany’s crew at Recoil. We’ve never been to a trampoline park before – whew EXPENSIVE but it was SUPER fun and the kids had a BLAST!!!
I always write a letter to each child on the last night of summer and the kids enjoy reading them before bed on their first day.
The kids all had awesome first days at school (you can read about it here). I LOVE seeing their happy faces running off the bus. It especially made my heart so happy to see TESS so happy and she loved school and was so excited and I love that she said on her little paper that she felt excited too 🙂
I like to make them some cookies on the first day and we sat around sharing about their days. I loved hearing that Kye loved middle school right from the start! So thankful to be BACK!
We usually make ice cream in a bag on the last day of summer but this year since the first day was on a Friday we had ice cream in a bag that night! It’s so fun and yummy!
We love hosting friends and had some friends from church over for swimming and dinner. Kye’s BFF is Harrison and they have such a special friendship. It was so precious to see all the kids playing together (Tess wanted to dress nice…she picked out her outfit) and especially to hear that Kye and Harrison were talking about baptism 🙂
Zach and I split up driving the kids to school. I love that quality talking time together and it’s funny that most mornings I leave to take Kye before the girls leave so they wave us off! While I miss Kye being with them, it’s such a special school year for the girls to have each other and be together. Britt does a great job looking out for Tessie!
They also started having their gymnastics class together and the first time Tess was in her class Britt said she could hardly concentrate because she just kept wanting to watch Tess. Such a sweet sister!
They have the best bond!
Treehouse 2.0 is going great! I feel like I’m def a super cool mom for being okay with a dang 20 feet high treehouse. If we don’t have a broken arm at some point I’ll be SHOCKED haha!
We watched Togo as a family and it was a great movie…we have started joking that Spear is our little Togo. He’s so smart and stubborn and a wild man for sure and I bet he’ll make a great leader like Togo too!
Katie came over to play some Mario Kart and celebrate Zach’s birthday and I also had a girl’s night with Katie, Tiffany and Robyn and we shut Surchero’s DOWN 😉
I feel like our dining room table is always covered with a board game going for the big kids. I love that they get along so well and can play games together.
Our trip to Legoland was SO great and really sparked a new love of Legos for Kye. He pulled out all of his pieces and started making unique creations.
He was so excited for school starting back up, especially for the clubs. He started with TSA and talked non-stop the entire way home after his first meeting. He was SO excited. He has just really found his groove in middle school.
I posted this on Instagram:
Middle school looks good on him 👏🏻
I literally dropped Kye off at 7:15 this morning and didn’t see him again until 8 tonight 😳
He is LOVING the middle school life! He stays after school almost every day for one club or activity or another (tomorrow he has three things after school and has to decide which to attend 🤔). He’s involved in TSA, FBLA, Archery, Wrestling and even does the morning announcements. Plus he’s now part of the church youth group and loving that as well! 🤗
I love that he goes for it in everything he does. He doesn’t shy away from putting himself out there or trying something new and he does let being the youngest in the pack hold him back! 🙌🏻
The last few years of elementary school weren’t his favorite and I’ve just been counting down to middle school for him. I KNEW it’d be his place and if the first nine weeks are any indication – Mama was right ❤️
Love how he’s letting his light shine – so proud of our Kye!
We also finished working through the 2nd book in “The Talk” series on Changes with Kye. It talks all about Puberty and Kye did really well with the talks. I plan to write some blog posts about it all soon!
Kye also officially started with the youth group at church this month and I can’t even handle it. SO GROWN.
I posted this on Instagram:
I love Sunday mornings for many reasons. The opportunity to set aside time to worship God, the chance to show Jesus the appreciation I have for His sacrifice for me, and spending time with our church family.
Sunday mornings sitting in “our” pew is a time of quiet during a week of chaos. And a time where all of my babies battle it out for a place on Mommy’s lap.
Somehow over the years I’ve continued to make room for my babies to fit. One on my hip during worship singing, often one sitting on each leg during the lesson, and always at least two holding my hands during prayers. Even if a kid isn’t able to sit directly on or beside me, I’m reaching around one kid to be able to rub the arm of the one who is “left out” or will feel them playing with my hair.
These moments are my absolute favorite part of the week. I soak up every second of it.
Now that Kye is in 6th grade he will soon be joining the youth group at church. Part of this rite of passage is sitting with the youth group during worship services. No longer will he be part of my pew crew.
It hit me hard during services recently. The realization that these days are coming to an end. I’ve spent the last decade adding to my lap and now I will spend the next decade watching the space around me get more and more empty.
First Kye will go sit with friends and then it’ll be a girlfriend then a wife then his own pew family. The girls will be gone. Then Spear. Before I know it Zach and I will be the little old couple shuffling to our pew watching the young families around us and remembering when our laps were full too. When we could barely pay attention to the lesson. The days of coloring books and snacks and distractions to keep them quiet. The days of my purse being filled with their random trash and my heart being filled with abundant joy.
Thank you God for giving me this gift of motherhood. For giving me these precious years with my lap full.
I had a few people reach out to me this month regarding seeing Kye’s face modeling a face mask…it was a stolen picture! It is a pain to get removed and is STILL on there even after I’ve reported to Amazon several times. So. Frustrating.
Britt had the hardest time when school shut down and she was SO eager to be back in the classroom again! She LOVED being back but she was also super, super exhausted and ASKED to go to bed at like 6:30! She was worn OUT.
I love the way Britt’s mind works because it’s so different than mine. Whenever she “builds” with blocks she builds OUT instead of UP which is so neat to me.
She has officially outgrown her first ring and we’ve been on the hunt for a replacement for her but are struggling to find one in her ring size. I hunted through my own jewelry and found a ring my dad had given me in high school which just so happens to be HER birth stone! It fits her perfectly and is so special to pass down to her 🙂
We had a BIG milestone this month for our family – Tess turned forward-facing in her car seat! She still had a couple of pounds and a few inches before she needed to turn forward, and yall know I’m team rear facing as long as possible.
However, she’s 6. Entering first grade. And my van just doesn’t have a way to be able to be set up to accommodate two kids rear facing that well. The big kids had to always crawl UNDER the rear facing car seats to enter and exit the van. Kye is entering middle school and I don’t want to be an embarrassment to him! We rearranged the van to best accommodate our family while still being as safe as possible too.
Kye and Britt were ready to be separated too haha Kye now sits in the 2nd row with Spear and Tess and Britt LOVE sitting together in the third row! Yes, Kye is still in a booster seat and Britt is still in a high back booster too.
ANOTHER big milestone…Tessie lost her first tooth. Whew it was hard on my heart to let that adorable baby teeth smile gooooooo. She was SUPER excited and it was a team effort as Kye and Britt both helped her pull it.
Not to be outdone, Kye also pulled out a tooth of his that same day!
Six looks good on Tess! She struggled to be on board with turning six but she’s adjusted so well and is truly loving it. She is growing up before my eyes and has started to have her own style and is not team bow or team top knot anymore either!
When I found the “new” ring for Britt I also found my stash of my little girl childhood rings. One of them fits Tess perfectly! She’s done SO well with it and has been so careful and responsible with it!
This month Tess also moved into her new bedroom and is LOVING IT! She is especially loving her new Beddy’s set! They were kind enough to give me a coupon code for 15% off…use code JOURNEY through this link on anything purchased at Beddy’s!
Spear had a special delivery from Loomwell this month. They have these awesome subscription services for infants and toddler up through preschool age. I was BLOWN away by the block set and subscription box.
Spear is continuing to work on his speech language skills and I realized this month that he does a lot of “w” sitting which can cause hip issues down the road so I’m working with him on that now and am also working with him on drinking with a straw to help his mouth muscles develop and working on fine motor skills to help those hand grasp muscles too.
This puzzle game is one of his favorites!
I’m not in annnnny hurry to transition Spear out of the crib. Our little “crib cage” is working just fine 😉 Now that Tess moved upstairs we did keep her mattress so we can give it to Spear when the time is right. He practiced sleeping on it a bit for fun!
Spear loves tractors, mowing the lawn with Daddy, anything with Big Papa and his mama!
He is really turning into a big kid before my eyes and I’m here for it! He loves to fix his hair and say “I cute.” He is also starting to go potty on his own which is awesome! Not really pooping in the potty yet though (pretty much just poops during naps and nights in the diaper). I’m not stressing it.
Kye likes to eat Takis as a snack sometimes and Spear tried them and LOVES them! I about died!
Spear is a wild silly man but he really loves to read and look at books. He’s always content with a book in his hands and it’s precious. I love raising readers!
He is also getting more content with playing with toys – especially any construction or vehicle related ones. I love how he lays down to play. It’s ADORABLE and I don’t remember any of my other kids ever doing this.
Spear’s big milestone for this month was having us say goodbye to the baby gate! We’ve had a baby gate on our stairs since we moved in our house in 2010. TEN YEARS of a baby gate and now it’s GONE! It feels SO weird.
I adore my silly sweet boy! He may be into everything and keeps me on my toes but I love every second of being his Mama. He is really growing up and I love seeing his precious personality blossom!
It was a great month as a family! A video should auto play in this post covering our family fun moments.
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