Sebby goes to school

Sebby went off to kindergarten today.  He's been waiting so long!  Ever since Abe started school, Sebby has asked me when he'll be able to go to school too.  I thought I was totally prepared for it, but I admit I shed a few tears (after he was out of sight, of course).  I watched him through the classroom window as he put away his backpack, detoured to investigate something under the teacher's desk and peer into one of the electrical outlets, and then began to search vainly for his own desk.  (He was confused because when we went in for his meeting last week, _I_ sat in his desk and he sat in a different one.)  After a while he went up to his teacher, slipped his little hand in hers, and told her something, to which she replied, "Wow!  Good for you!"  Then I think he asked her where his desk was, because she led him to it.  And finally, when he was all settled in, he looked back to see if I was still watching.  I was.  And he smiled and waved excitedly with both hands and blew me some kisses.  And then I left him to it.  My sweet Sebby.  I miss him!

Monkey backpack he got for his birthday

Various

Daisy, like every other baby in this family, likes to hide under the table

Last-day-before-school-starts Picnic

Ky recites "Bear in There" (a poem) during the pre-county-fair recital

4-H and County Fair

Sebby and Abe were in a 4-H club with their cousins this summer.  My mom was their leader.  She did tons of fun projects with them and they competed in some contests at the county fair.  Abraham and Sebastian both recited poems they'd memorized, and modeled the aprons they'd decorated.

Seb claps for himself, then responds enthusiastically when the MC says, "Shall we hand out the prizes?"

Afterwards the boys each got to ride one ride.  There was great excitement.

And then I found Abe and Seb showing their medals to the chickens.  (They seemed impressed.)

One more week

I can't believe summer is almost over.  Abe AND SEB start school next week.  I can hardly stand to think of it.  I love having them all home with me!

The birthday festivities

This handsome guy turned five, and he's not shy about admitting it.  Grocery clerks, construction workers down the street, lifeguards at the swimming pool---Seb lets them all know that he had a birthday and we went camping and there was a stream there and he chose orange juice cake with fresh mint leaves for his birthday cake and so on and so on and so on. 

Dirty face from helping plant flowers---he loves to help with "grown-up work"

Awhile ago he fell off his back and knocked out his two front teeth. Well, he knocked them backwards, and the dentist took them out a few weeks later at his checkup. Seb screamed and cried during the pulling, but he quickly recovered his aplomb, and was soon telling everyone (grocery clerks . . . construction workers . . . lifeguards . . . ), "Look at my gums! Soon the teeth will grow back in, in one or two years."  He's still very handsome.

He for some reason started holding up his fingers whenever he tells someone he's five, which would be fine except he's never done that for any age before, so he doesn't really know how, and he always ends up with four or three fingers up and then stares at his hand awkwardly until he finally figures out how to get it right.

Seb still loves sprinklers and carwashes.  He got another sprinkler for his birthday---this one has five coverage patterns it can rotate through.  He also got a set of straws which can be put together in various configurations to do funny things like drinking from several cups at once or looping around your arm.  He makes tiny "water parks" with them too. 

This straw was letting them drink water and hot cocoa at the same time.  "How is it?"  "Kind of watery."

(Abe benefits from Seb's presents as well)

Sebby is clever and surprising and funny and inquisitive and adventurous.  He gets more fun every year and we're so glad we have him!! 

Camping

We went camping up in the Uintas for Sebby's birthday this weekend, and we had so much fun.  We were afraid we wouldn't be able to find a campsite, but we did, and it was just perfect, and everyone had such a good time!  Well, I exclude all the campers in sites around us, of course, who had to listen to Daisy screaming until 3 a.m. (not that she stopped then, but I put her in the car at that point) and then to me accidentally setting off the car alarm and not being able to figure out, in my zombie-like state, how to turn it off.  Sorry, guys!  But other than that---it was idyllic.  I saw 37 meteors.  We ate like kings.  And we finally got Daisy to go to sleep in the trunk.  You know the little sunken-in place in the back of a minivan?  It's just about the size of a bassinet.  Once she was out of the tent and in her own little nest there, she was either too exhausted to cry anymore, or as happy as could be.  (Don't worry, I slept in the car with her too.)

The campsites were really spread out and there was lots of space around, so we actually felt like we were all alone out there.  [Although I can't say the same for those around us---see above].  It was quiet and set away from the road and there was a little stream and pond right by our tents that sounded like rain while we slept.  (Or tried to sleep.)  Just lovely.

Malachi was cute because he was finally big enough to do more than stay right next to us and try to fall into the fire.  He actually went hiking around, exploring and making his own little homes among the grasses and trees.  You could tell he felt really important about it.  I heard him pretending to be many, many things, including but not limited to: a toll booth man, a garbage truck, someone putting someone else in jail (policeman? prison guard?), a cake-baker, and a rocket ship.

I really don't know what is going on here

Daisy quite enjoyed interacting with the local flora and fauna.  I'm sure there were many foreign substances she did not ingest.  I'm also glad they make some little girls' clothes in brown these days.

My favorite part, though, was just watching the boys go off exploring together.  They'd say, "We're going on an adventure now!" and off they'd go, hand in hand.  Abe was so responsible and adult about it all.  "Don't worry, I'll keep track of the boys, Mommy."  He was the captain of everything (submarines and missiles played a prominent role at the pond) and so eager to help with pitching the tent, building the fire, and all the other manly duties.  And Sebby---he kept reminding me how big he was.  Every other sentence started with, "Now that  I'm five . . . "  The three of them were excited about every tree, leaf, and bug in the vicinity.  When they start recounting their adventures, no one on earth can get a word in edgewise.  I'll leave you with a picture of them, those three intrepid explorers:

Babies with babies

(Hopefully we don't get ourselves into some sort of ridiculous Russian Doll situation)

Daisy's been sick for a week or so (you can see her eyes are a little red and bleary), but she was feeling well enough to have some cake and open her birthday present yesterday.  I wasn't sure if she'd like it.  But . . .

 . . . she did.  Hooray! (*chomp*)

Bonus: Two cake pictures (leery . . . then pleased).