School's Out!

School's out! I say this with the same mix of sadness and relief that I felt at the end of each school year that I taught... it's amazing how similar the feeling is. We actually completed all 36 weeks of our Sonlight program, except for a very few read-aloud stories that I elected not to do (I found the Uncle Wiggly stories to be too lame for my taste, though Ethan loved them).

And wow, what a school year. Here's the rundown on Ethan Pre-K 4 year. According to my notes we began the year on September 21st- that sounds about right. We read lots of books and worked on listening skills, motor skills, comprehension, etc. He completed a handwriting program that would work just fine for most kindergartners. We read through an entire children's Bible, probably the closest I'll ever come to reading through the Bible in a year (I do not say that proudly).

I personally completed two Bible studies through the women's Tuesday morning Bible study at church; one was Beth Moore's study on Esther, and the other was called He Speaks to Me by Priscilla Shirer. Both were excellent studies that really pulled me into God's word.

In October we painted the entire downstairs of our house, as well as the stairwell and upstairs hallway. We painted the boys' rooms back in September, but apparently I never took pictures. Oh, that's right, we were busy starting school and potty-training Andrew. This is the playroom then...

...and now.

The foyer, as seen from the front door. This is a "now" picture.

In December we had Caleb T....

...and brought him home a few long days later.

Andrew turned three in February.

I should mention that a day or two before his birthday, we noticed that our living room ceiling was leaking. The water was coming from the master bathroom shower overhead, which provided the impetus to get moving on a much-needed bathroom remodel.

Then...

...and now. We have a floor-to-ceiling acrylic liner, brushed chrome fixtures, and three additional square feet in the new shower pan.

We replaced two ugly ceiling fans...

...with these pretty ones; they're remote controlled so Ryan and I don't hit our heads on the pull chains when walking across the room. Note to self: turn OFF the blades when taking a picture of a fan.

In May Ethan turned five. If, during the first summer of Ethan's life, you had told me that I'd have TWO MORE BOYS by his fifth birthday, I'd have suggested therapy for you. And for me.

And now, a shout-out to Andrew and Caleb. If these two weren't two of the most easy-going, cooperative, happy young children I know then all of this preschool work and home improvement would never have even been attempted, let alone accomplished with our sanity intact.

Here's my kindergartner with his favorite teacher!

Whew! I need a vacation!