Monthly Recap: October 2020
Yall know football reigns supreme in South Georgia but around here THE game is when two local rivals play each other (Lowndes VS Valdosta). This year Kye and Zach wanted to go so we all met up with some of the fam prior to the game for dinner!
It worked out where someone had an extra ticket and Britt wanted to go too so she attended her first Lowndes game! It was so sweet of Aunt Casey and Elizabeth to have her and she had a blast and Kye and Colt had a great time together too.
And Tessie? Well Tess said “I don’t like watching football and I don’t like playing stuff” SAME GIRL SAME. She was totally content to come home with Mommy and have an ice cream date. It ended up being probably one of my most favorite moments with her ever – she was in this super adorable chatty mood and we just talked and talked. I loved it!
I love going and doing and struggle with too many weekends in a row of just hanging at the house so I took a Saturday and took the kids to Target to do their Christmas Wishlist Shopping. Basically we browse the aisles and I take pics of the stuff they like and then we talk it over and decide which items to put on their Christmas list.
It’s SO FUN and we all had a BLAST! Spear did A-MAZING too and added to the fun. He was so into it and wanted to carry an item around for a bit but then would do so well putting it back. We spent 2 hours at Target and didn’t spend a single penny but had so much fun!
I love that Tess wants LOTS of books for Christmas and that Kye still gets excited about toys 🙂
We left Target and went over to Lowe’s to pick up a Build and Grow Kit. It was perfect weather and a perfect day to have family time. Another free fun activity and it was just THE BEST DAY!
We’ve always loved the Lowe’s events and are so excited to keep it going with Spear. He was super into it – heck all the kids were! Daddy was in heaven helping each of them build their project and I love that Kye is still so into it too. He was all about building it all on his own!
They were each so proud of their finished products and can’t wait to add more patches to their aprons
To end the perfect Saturday I went out with my crew for dinner! We tried a new restaurant downtown, which is RARE for us to frequent and walked around a bit and just enjoyed getting caught up. I needed the night out and it was so great to just have that time with some of my favorites! I’m super blessed in the friendship department.
As we were standing by the cars chatting before leaving we heard a loud sound and realized it was a wreck happening right by where we were standing. It was one of those super slow-motion moments.
It appeared that it was a hit and run to a motorcycle and we saw the driver of the motorcycle on the road and thankfully people were there helping him and I think all of us called 911 to make sure help was on the way.
The driver did move and was transported to an ambulance and didn’t appear to have any external injuries, there wasn’t any blood which is a blessing. I took pictures to show my kids to let them know NOT TO DRIVE MOTORCYCLES.
I know some people love them but I do not get it. They are so dangerous! While we were standing there someone noticed a gun on the ground too which was all very crazy. Apparently it was the motorcycle drivers. We also talked to other people who witnessed it all and found out that the motorcycle actually ran the red light and HE ran into a car, not the other way around.
The car was parked just up ahead and I can’t imagine what the people in that car were experiencing when a motorcycle just hit them! It was all super crazy and had all of our adrenaline pumping.
For Book Club we did a Witches Night In. It was a smaller group but it was great to just talk and visit too. Sometimes a smaller crew allows for those deeper conversations!
I also went to the dentist for my check up and always think it’s so crazy when I get an x-ray and you can SEE the piece of the dental equipment IN MY ROOT. Years ago I had a not so great dentist experience and I won’t ever forget when I heard him say “oops” and found out a piece of the tool had broken off in my root canal. Apparently it’s pretty common!
Zach and I had our very first marriage counseling session and it went really, really well. It was awesome what just ONE hour can do! I’m not saying we’re a “one and done” on the counseling but it was SUCH a great experience for us and for our marriage!
Grandpa and Grammie sent a little fun in the mail for us all and it was such a well-timed unexpected surprise that really blessed us in a such a big way! The kids were THRILLED with their mad libs and we were all cracking up at the combinations they came up with.
They each fully completed the books because they loved them so much and didn’t want to put them down! So thoughtful and meant so much 🙂
Kye decided when he started middle school that he wanted to a ALL THE THINGS. All the clubs he could sign up for – he signed up!
One of which was archery! He did not have an archery option in Elementary school and he was excited to try it out this year. Well. He LOVES it! He had his first tournament on Halloween and at that point none of us had seen him shoot. We were blown away impressed with his natural talent for it and it’s a great sport for what we were wanting for him too.
We like the idea of Kye having something that has a team element but is more of an individual sport. It’s good for Kye to have that pressure on him as he tends to have perfectionist traits and we want that to be challenged a bit and also help teach him you’re not going to be perfect all the time or naturally great at things all the time either.
We all loved cheering him on and are excited to see if this develops into a passion for him!
One thing he does have a passion for? PIZZA ha! Finally Zach was able to perfect Kye’s homemade pizza 😉
Kye is really loving school and was super bummed when he did stay home a day for rest. We just had a bit of the crud (no fevers or anything) and I know this year is a better safe than sorry year so he had a good day of relaxing!
Kye made honor roll with distinction for the first 9 weeks of middle school – he’s just really found his PLACE and is thriving! I am also super impressed with middle school life so far as his teachers do so many fun things to keep the kids engaged and learning!
A big thing I was nervous about was Kye riding the bus home from school with the high school being with the middle school but so far it’s gone really well and has been a smooth experience. Most afternoons he stays after school anyway (literally often it’s EVERY DAY he stays after) for an activity or club meeting so he doesn’t ride it often but when he does he takes his Nintendo DS with him and it keeps him busy doing something for the short ride home.
Britt has become quite the little artist and loves drawing. She also loves writing and is working on a story which speaks to my heart as I loved writing stories growing up!
We debated letting Moritmer go but Zach said we could actually bring him inside instead! I’ve been researching turtles as pets and we haven’t made the actual move yet as I don’t want to put him at any sort of risk transitioning him inside.
Britt said all the boys in her class said she’s the best artist and that they all said they want to “date her” I did the typical mom-thing and said “Date you? Where are you going to GO?” and Tess chimed in quickly “Chick-Fil-A of course!”
Britt loves school and got all A’s on her first 9 weeks report card with actual grades (they don’t give number grades until 3rd). She is loving it and is just so HAPPY to be IN THE BUILDING!
Tess is also loving to draw and is also doing so well in school. She loves reading and loves her sweet friends.
She is also getting really into fashion. She’s my first child to express any interest in choosing her own clothes for school so I’m trying to roll with it. I was picking out her clothes and then she’d come down in the morning wearing something different anyway – so why not just let her go for it?
She takes it VERY seriously and lays everything out the night prior and will talk through her choices and what goes with what (literally it’s like me shopping my closet when I watch her ha!). She is ALL about the school dress up days and has so much fun with it!
She has become SUCH a great reader. I’m blown away by her reading skills and her enjoyment of it. She reminds me so much of Kye always asking if she can read longer. She read her first Dog Man book and LOVES them. We’re also working through an Abeka series of early reader books together.
For the second year in a row Tessie is all about dressing like a witch at Halloween time. I think it’s so adorable!
She lost her second tooth this month and also got a nice big bruise on her chin from zip lining in the back yard. She is so tough and said “it only hurts if you touch it!”
Spear’s speech services were up until age 3 and then he had to be evaluated by the local public school to see if he qualified for services in the school system. We went up to the school for his evaluation and he did GREAT. Which is kinda NOT GOOD when it comes to trying to qualify for services ha!
I knew during the eval that there was just no way he’d end up qualifying…and I was right. He doesn’t. We are still working with his current speech therapist as she’s been AMAZING at understanding and supporting his need for continued speech services and we’re exploring our options for continued services since he’s unable to qualify for the school.
We are hoping to use our local college like we did for Britt rather than go the private route which can get very expensive. His current therapist is amazing and really aligns with my hardcore-ness and agrees that he still needs services and while he has WORDS for his age, he’s pronunciation is still delayed.
I’m so thankful for how far he’s come and I am confident that we will keep pushing and find the best path to keep getting him the services he needs!
He LOVED doing the Christmas wishlist shopping so for his post-speech eval reward we went to look at some more toys 🙂
Spear is getting to that easier stage of toddler life where running errands is becoming a FUN outing! We ran into UPS store one morning and happened to see Lindsay and Wake! They were heading into Publix for Lindsay’s flu shot so I just joined on in and got mine too! Friends make everything better – shots included right? 😉
Speaking of running errands we ALSO went into Hobby Lobby the SAME morning and he still did AMAZING. He was ADORABLE and sweet and it was so fun having people give us that “aw he’s so cute” attention rather than the side glances of “get that child under control” attention ha!
Since he did so well we even looked at the toy selection they had and he, again, did great when it was time to leave and just told the toys bye without any fits!
He even went on a TWO HOUR Sam’s trip with me one morning and did SO well there too. The grocery store is the toughest with him because he literally wants to hold everything and will eat it haha. So many times I’ve gotten home with bite marks in packages!
With this big boy status life we had a night where the kids were ready for bed early and so the girls and I played Spear’s first pre-bedtime game with him 🙂 He was SO excited!
He also went with me to vote for the presidential election and I realized it’s the last time I’ll have a kid in a stroller with me to vote!
We found a show on Amazon Prime called Stinky and Dirty and screen time has become MUCH more successful now. Prior to this show he would NEVER sit still for any sort of screen time but he is ALL about the vehicles and it’s so handy when I need to make lunch or get ready in the mornings!
His concentration is really improving as well as his attention span and imagination with pretend play. He is still an excellent sleeper and loves his bed – I’m in NO hurry to transition to a big kid bed for him!
Outside helping Daddy work on the treehouse is his favorite place to be and he loves looking at tractors or any construction vehicle!
Zach’s Aunt Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer this month. We are praying for her multiple times a day, every day. For her full healing. For her strength. For her positive energy to fight this! We know God is good and we know He can heal her and heal her fully!
We helped put together a chemo care package for her with some goodies and sweet cards from the kids. We love our Aunt Karen and would love if you’d join us in lifting her in prayer as well! She will do 18 months of chemo treatments and, so far, is doing well with them!
I had a few sweet moments myself this month. Not only did my dad and step mom send the sweet care package with the Mad Libs but they also sent me flowers for my birthday which meant SO much to me!
I try really hard to always be there for my babies and I’ve learned that Britt is an external processor. She just needs to talk through things and all I need to do is listen. Not respond, just listen. I’ve really been trying hard to show up for her in those moments and it makes a difference! She wrote me this note during church and it meant so much to be! It says “Thank you for being there for me, you are awesome!”
I love my babies and love seeing their bonds together. The girls have that natural BFF friendship and always want to do EVERYTHING together! It’s so cute!
Tess wants to be JUST like Britt and Britt loves it and never seems to be annoyed by it. Tess is actually the one who will sometimes want her space and will sometimes ask for a picture by herself and usually when that happens Britt gets upset and her feelings are hurt.
Usually I feel like you’d think an older sister would want that distance sometimes or would be annoyed by the “copycat” sibling but not with my girls – at least not yet!
All the kids are all so close and all just have such LOVE for each other. My prayer is that as their mama I foster those bonds and that they continue into adulthood!
Out of all the kids I’d say that Tess has the closest relationship with each of them on their own. She’s closest to Britt, and to Spear, and to Kye. As Spear is getting older I do think he and Kye will have a special bond and will get closer too!
Spear is starting to be able to truly PLAY and that is def helping Kye to connect deeper with him. Of course Kye adores him but I just think the bond he shares with Tess is the closest right now. Spear actually is the only kid who gets annoyed with Tess. I think she smothers him a bit too much and he senses how obsessed with him she is so he tends to push her away more. Typical guy 😉
All the kids are really into watching football with Daddy and it makes ME so happy to see Zach loving that quality time with them. Britt is really into it and it’s adorable – she says she’s going to play football next year!
I love my babies and love being their mama! October was a month we’ll remember for many reasons and I’m thankful that so many of those reasons are such sweet moments. God is good.
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