Boys' Journal

Caleb: 8 years old, 3rd grade

(This picture emphasizes how small Caleb is for his age!)

He came home from school yesterday excited about his artwork that was chosen to be entered into a contest. I exclaimed, "Man, Caleb, you're good at everything you do!" He responded, "I know, my life is so easy." That pretty much sums things up for him! He seems to excel at everything he does from school to sports to piano.

Since starting school, Caleb has received all As on every report card, but this year things seem to be clicking really well. He's finally enjoying reading and it has become his favorite subject (simply because he doesn't love his math teacher this year). He hasn't made below a 97 on his report card so far this year.

Caleb is a natural athlete. He just finished up a season of basketball. Though his team struggled overall, Caleb caught on quickly and was a good asset to the team. He just started a season of baseball and though he is the youngest player on his team (8-10 year olds), he has secured a reputation for being very consistent. He misses playing soccer, since that was another sport that he shined in, but it's difficult to fit in all these sports. He gets to play soccer every day at recess with his friends at school.

The other week in school, the students voted on a boy and a girl "star student." Caleb was unanimously voted the boy star student. He is so well-behaved at school and church (not always at home...), very thoughtful and considerate of those around him.

Caleb is super competitive in everything he does! One example is that he is determined to be the top student in the school for running laps. In PE, they have a certain portion of time set aside for running laps. Most kids choose to walk, but not Caleb. He won a $5 gift card to Sonic last year for being the top student and ran an equivalent of 25 miles--almost a marathon. He thinks he is going to beat that this year.

A few weeks ago, Caleb accompanied a musical number for the first time ever. He played "I Am a Child of God" while some cousins/friends sang at Dallin's baptism. Accompanying and just playing a song are two different ballgames. He did a great job!

A funny thing about Caleb is that he is a germaphobe. If someone is sick, he gives him a wide berth and washes his hands often. He constantly asks questions such as, "If someone has asthma at school, could I catch it?" All the caution must work well because I can't remember the last time he was sick!

He is an awesome big brother and very helpful around the house. That said, he does not like helping with chores that are too dirty (bathrooms, weeding, etc.). His kind of chores are vacuuming and picking up toys.

Carter: almost 6 years old, Kindergarten

He was very mischievous when he was 3-4, so I'm pretty shocked that he has also turned into a boy who does not step one foot out of line at school and church. Though it took awhile, he now says that he likes school and seems to be excelling well.

He finally has gained the confidence to ride his bike to school. The first week of school, he accidentally crashed into someone (it gets quite congested on the sidewalks) and caused both him and that kid to fall. He refused to ride his bike to school after that until a few weeks ago. He's speedy fast on his scooter too, so he could keep up just fine.

Carter is proving to be a soccer star as well. We put him in a more competitive league this season; he is one of the youngest on his team (5-7 year olds) but holds his own just fine. He has learned to kick harder and aim well when shooting goals. He's also a good team player, passing the ball to his teammates.

I'm continuing to teach Carter piano. He's excited about it most of the time.

A problem that we have with Carter is his lying. He does not want to get in trouble for things so he will lie and say someone else did it (usually blames things on Bryson). Our house came with cameras and it took awhile for Matt to get them hooked up, but now we just say, "Alright, we're going to go look at the cameras to know what happened." Then the truth will come out. We've had so many lessons/discussions about it but it continues to be a problem.

Carter is absolutely obsessed with babies and does not understand their personal space. The first thing he does in the morning and when he gets home from school is greet baby Austin.

Bryson 3 years old

Some of Bryson's rough edges are starting to smooth out. He can be the sweetest boy and also an absolute pill. :) He is at a fun age where he is discovering new things all the time and able to communicate well.

Bryson is a Sunbeam at church this year. I was super nervous about the transition because I knew it would be hard for him to see me at the front of the Primary room. Due to a recent ward split, we started the year off with many substitutes, so I had Matt help out with Bryson's class for this adjustment. Now he is doing so well with staying in his chair though there have been a total of 3 weeks where Bryson has fallen asleep during Primary (1pm church; he still naps every few days). If he sees me in the room, he'll call out, "Hi Mommy!" He loves it when he gets a turn to come up and help with something.

As all my boys were at this age, Bryson is obsessed with Daddy. He is super sad when Matt leaves for work most days. If he wakes up in the middle of the night, he usually just wants Daddy (which I'm fine with!).

Bryson is terrified of Mommy or Daddy being angry at him. If he does something wrong, he is quick to apologize to avoid a time-out. He'll cry if he thinks we're mad at him.

Just like his older brothers, Bryson wants to take a turn practicing the piano as well. For instance, if I tell Carter it's time to practice, Bryson will jump on and insist it's his turn.

As is typical with this age I'm learning, Bryson wants to be a helper for everything! He loves to help me cook and help in the yard.

Bryson has been really stubborn about wanting help to say his prayer each day. Within the last week, he finally has declared that he can say prayers all by himself!

There have been a few instances recently where his mischief has led to potentially scary consequences. It's a testament to God's protecting hand in our lives, and I'm so grateful!

Bryson sleeps with Caleb most nights. It helps Bryson sleep through the night and it helps Caleb feel less scared himself so it's a win for everyone.

Austin 6 months

Trying rice cereal for the first time @ 5 months 

He is a Momma's boy and his eyes follow me around if I'm in the same room. Recently, if I set him down to try to do something, he all out wails. It makes my day super fun. He's also in the stage where he grabs for everything which makes doing things while holding him very tricky.

Eating food is progressively getting better. He's tried rice/oatmeal cereal, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, prunes, and applesauce.

He has slept through the night 3 nights in a row (knock on wood!!) going to bed around 7pm and waking up around 6am. It feels amazing to get uninterrupted sleep! That's been the hardest thing 4th time around as I get older.

Austin has just as much hair as the day he was born. I suppose it's a good thing that he has such short hair because he has a bald spot on the back of his head. We also think he's going to keep his brown eyes like Caleb and their Dad.

As the 4th child, he often has to work around our schedule of running the boys to their activities. I feel badly some days that he doesn't get the nap schedule he needs to be a happy boy.

Austin is full of smiles and laughs, and we all love him to pieces!