And Just Like That ...

... it's Fall!!  My big boys started school two weeks ago, and the weather started cooling off at the same time.  It really does feel like fall around here!  It is so nice to have some sort of schedule again and to feel like there's something to be accomplished each day.  The boys are just delighted to be in school, which warms my teacher-heart right up!

Tanner started his last year of Preschool.  He is doing the Pre-K program at the same school he's been at the past two years.  We are thrilled to be with Miss Lori and Miss Julie for the third year in a row.  To say we love them is an understatement, for sure.  I can already see how much he has grown and changed since school let out for the summer.  He is so confident walking into his classroom, making friends, doing his work.  I am so glad we decided to give him an extra year before Kindergarten.  One of the best things about school for him so far is that he found a new friend the very first day.  A little boy walked right up to him and said "Do you wanna be my friend?  You wanna play?"  I started talking to his mom afterwards and it turns out he lives right in our neighborhood ... just about three houses down.  To think all this time we've been living so close to each other and we are just meeting!  Another great thing about school this year is that he's in an afternoon class.  I was very nervous about how this would go, but it's turned out to be awesome.  He was bored anyway in the afternoons, trying to entertain himself while Landon napped.

Landon has also started preschool with Miss Lori.  He is in her 3-year-old program and goes two days per week.  So far he seems to really like it.  I chuckled when he got into the car after his first day.  We have about 15 minutes to kill after we pick up Landon and before we can drop off Tanner.  So we sit in the car and eat lunch and chat.  Landon just talked and talked and talked about what happened at school that day, providing me with lots of little details.  I took Tanner inside a few minutes later and told Miss Lori -- "Landon has told me more about school in the past 10 minutes than Tanner has in two years!"  It's amazing how different they are!  He seems to be making friends and talks about different boys that he plays with.  I was nervous that he would be crazy all of the time in there, but after going to meet-the-teacher day, I think he's going to fit right in.  Most of the other 3-year-olds were crazy as well.  Another mom even commented to me that my son was so well behaved.  I honestly thought I was going to faint after hearing that.  :)

Along with starting a new school year, we are also back to the gym.  SIGH ... I love the gym ... I feel like a new woman now that I can go back, leave my kids in childcare for an hour, and get a workout.  I. Love. It.  Up to this point, I've only been able to run.  Now, I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me -- ellipticals, classes, swimming, weights ... I have so much to choose from!  Jon has actually inspired me to do a triathlon next summer.  I don't know whether I'm going to do a sprint or an olympic distance yet, but it will be fun to have something to train for.  It's been so great to get back in the pool after many many years and start swimming again.  It really was my first love as far as competitive sports go!  The best part is, when Tanner is at school and the little ones go down for their nap, I don't have to try and sneak in a workout -- I can actually use that hour or two to get something productive done!  What a treat!  (And I'm laughing now as I act like mopping my floors, doing laundry, or cleaning bathrooms in peace is a "treat" - LOL!!)

Jon and I talk daily about how fast our boys seem to be growing.  Tanner is growing into an AWESOME kid.  We are so proud of him and think he's so much fun to hang out with.  He's mostly kind to his brothers, respectful of adults, and understands the importance of making good decisions.  No, he's not perfect, but he's growing UP, which is just amazing to watch.  So far, I really love age 5!  Just this last week, he mastered the monkey bars for the first time.  He has been working and working all summer.  When he finally made it all the way across, he shouted to me, "Mom!  I kept trying and trying and I did it!  I couldn't do it before but I didn't quit and now I did it!!"  I loved hearing that!  We've also been working hard on reading.  I could sit for HOURS next to him on the couch and listen to him sound out words, watching him beam with pride after finishing a page.  I'm so excited for him as I know this will open up a whole new world!  He is definitely in the very beginning stages, but it's so much fun to watch him grow!

Tanner is also doing fall soccer with Jon as his head coach.  Every Saturday morning, they head to the fields together, blasting "Party Rock Anthem" and "We Will Rock You" from Jon's jeep.  Tanner calls it his "pump-up" music.  I don't know if soccer is really the sport for him, but he sure is enjoying that time with his dad.  And I know Jon loves coaching.  He really is very good at it.

Today was a rough day for Landon.  He routinely gets croupy whenever he has a cold.  He hasn't been coughing, but his breathing today sounded terrible, and after his nap he had a short episode where it was hard for him to catch his breath.  I took him to the pediatrician immediately after picking Tanner up from school.  They gave him a breathing treatment in the office and sent us home with some steroids to help with the swelling in his airways.  He sounds awful.  I'm praying hard that he's better through the night and tomorrow.  I just hate it when he's not well!

Landon is such a sweet sweet boy on the inside. He just wants to have fun all the time and play all day.  It's not uncommon for him to bust out an "I love you, Mom!" at the most random times.  Melt me.  Lately, he's taken to sneaking into our room at night while Jon and I are downstairs watching TV.  When we head up to bed, we find a little bedbug all snuggled up under the sheets (or sometimes on top of them).  It's all I can do not to let him stay in there for the night.

Kellen is our resident sweetie pie.  I know I say this in every post, but we all just love that baby to pieces!  He is such a little light in our house and a joy to all of us!  I've decided that I really really love having a baby and having a 5 year old.  All of the ages in-between are kind of HAAARD!  (Sorry, Landon -- you'll be 5 before we know it, though!!!)  Anyways, back to the little dude.  He rolls all over the place these days and loves to just lay on the playroom floor with a few of his toys and have free reign of the space.  His first little tooth is poking through (his bottom left).  He's starting to enjoy solids a little bit more.  He still nurses about 5 times/day and has an 8oz bottle of formula every night for his dream feed.  He goes to bed EARLY -- once 5:45 hits, he has HAD IT.  It's all I can do to keep him awake until 6:00.  After his dream feed, he sleeps until about 5:00am, so 6-7 hours, when I nurse him and then he goes back to sleep.  I'm trying not to be discouraged that he's not sleeping all the way through the night yet.  I know (hope??) that eventually we'll be there.

Next week, I leave with the boys for a week of vacation with my family.  I'm so excited, but nervous about all the logistics of it.  Hopefully everything goes smoothly!  Can't wait to post all about it!

Enjoy this final picture!  I don't have anything too recent because my camera has been in the shop :(  But, the good news is, $200 later, it is fixed and ready to be picked up!!  ;)  A few weeks ago, Jon put the boys to bed while I was out grocery shopping.  For some reason, Tanner wanted to sleep in the guest bedroom, but Landon was adamant that he wanted to be in his own bed.  A little while later, Jon went up to check on them, and this is how they were sleeping in the guest bed.  So stinkin' cute.