It seemed a bit strange at first, Brady heading off on the first day and me not. I love my job and have been at it for 21 years now. This is the first "first day" I've ever missed. But guess what? I can't think of any better reason not to be there. We're having a blast! After the big boys clear out, we have a leisurely breakfast, watch a little Mighty Machines, do a little baking (we especially like to make bread, muffins, cake and/or cookies), get dressed when we feel like it, go to the library or get groceries or play outside on the new swingset or dig with a shovel or find spiders or other bugs or something equally boyish, hang out our laundry which involves playing with the clothespins (by playing, I mean taking them to various places and hiding them), look at books - which has now become something he loves to do, etc. Oh, speaking of hiding things, I seem to have "misplaced" two spatulas. I thought when I found the canned milk in my sock drawer I might be onto something but I was wrong.
Anyway, after lunch and a snooze we like to hop in the stroller and walk Cooper (our dog) to the mail and then have a little snack on the way back or go the park or visit with some friends. By then, Brady's usually home so that's always "boy time" while I get supper ready. Sherman gets home around 5:00 (until lobster fishing starts) and that's a pretty special time of the day too. After supper, we like to be outside until bathtime. There's always something to water or dig or move or climb. Then it's in the tub, jammies and baba, songs, prayers, kisses for all - yes, even Cooper - and bed usually somewhere between 7 and 7:30. Life is little-boy good.
I LOVE this picture!!!
Something else you may not know is this little guy has learned to whistle. Well, sort of... Brady whistles ALL THE TIME. His teachers tell me he'll be working away at something and start whistling and not even realize it until someone says something to him. As I'm typing this I can hear him in his room playing X-Box and whistling. Well, now we have two whistlers. One who really whistles, one who does this really high-pitched sort of screamy thing to mimic a whistle. It's too funny, especially when they're whistling to each other. The dog just goes under the bed til things quiet down.
Like all little kids, he loves our shoes, especially Brady's. I've tried to get a picture of him with them on but I haven't been successful yet. He also seems to really likes my sandals.
We had a visit this week from Jackie (Early Intervention). It was the first time she'd seen him in a while. We decided to stop all appointments for the summer - we just wanted to focus on him and us and being together and we had a GREAT summer! Anyhoo, Jackie was pleased with how he's doing (she said she could never get him to even look at a book) and she also said she understood and agreed with our decision to just relax and let him be for the summer. There are still things to work on, and we will continue to do that, but we all can see progress and that's the main thing.
As I stated in a previous post, Sherman recently put a window in a wall here where there was no window. That has meant dry-walling, crack-filling, and painting. Our kitchen was yellow. I decided to change the colour to a greenish something-or-other and we had to, of course, paint at night because little hands are drawn to wet paint. So the next morning I brought him out for breakfast and he was so amazed that the kitchen had miraculously changed colour over night, he just looked around and said, "Wow!" It was pretty funny at the time.
Anyway, things are good. We feel like he's really settled into our family and is enjoying his new life. He's happy and growing and learning and trusting and trying and changing. He loves being wherever we are doing whatever we're doing.
We hope this brings some level of peace to all of you.
Boots and shorts - his "work" clothes.
