Isn't it great? He's a graduate!

Maxwell Tyler, my firstborn, is moving on to the first grade.  I thought Kindergarten just started, like, last month.  But here we are at the end of June, saying goodbye to a fabulous Kindergarten teacher and half-days.  Next year will be a new (hopefully as wonderful) teacher and full days complete with lunches.  Max has learned so much this year!  He is a very proficient reader, does well in math, and improved in writing.  He also had the opportunity to sketch many ninjas and superheroes in his daily journal. :)  All very important for his future success.

We end the year with less teeth in his mouth, but more knowledge in his brain.  So proud of you, bud!  I'm lucky to be your momma.

First Day

Last Day (same shirt on purpose...fits about the same on my little guy)

Kindergarten Graduation

And I loved what he said in his card to his teacher, Mrs. Warrington....

"You've been a great teacher.  You've been so soft with the other kids and also me.  I love you.  I hope you got to meet Tucker.  He's a really, really cute baby.  Love, Max"

Mrs. Warrington was the PERFECT teacher for Max.  I am so grateful that she got his school years off to such a good start. On our trip home from Colorado last month I told Max how many days he had left of school and he started SOBBING when he realized that he was going to have to say goodbye to Mrs. Warrington.  He loves her and so do I.  Thank you, Mrs. Warrington, for being such a fabulous teacher!

Oh, Everett...

Ev man is a heart melter, that's all there is to it.  I've noticed that it's hard for anyone to talk about him without saying, "Oh, Everett..." usually followed with, "I love that boy", "he's so stinkin' cute", or "he makes me laugh." I don't know if it's the cheeks, the eyes, or his hugs.  I am first in line for being smitten, that's for sure.

He does have his moments, though.  If you don't get breakfast in the boy pretty early on, you're in for it.  When that happens I have to just get food on the table and walk away.  He'll refuse to decide what he wants to eat, he will NOT own to wanting whatever you finally decide to just get for him, and he'll just cry and be unreasonable until he finally chills and gets food in his little body.  

For part of the Foster Reunion this year we did "build-up sessions" where each person sits on a chair and for 30 seconds everyone shouts out what they love about whomever is seated.  While Ev was up there Kelly yelled out, "He's really jokey!"  I chuckled because I thought that fit Ev to a "t".  He LOVES to get people to laugh.  And he's at the age where almost everything he says is adorable or funny.  I love this age.

Some of my favorites about the Ev man:

• He can be mid-cry (and we're talking serious tears and wailing), abruptly stop, and say, "Oh.  I'm otay." or "I happy now!"
• He pretends to be Obi Wan Kenobi often, but shouts, "I'm Obi-One-Nanobi!" while wildly wielding his light saber.
• He ALWAYS wants to say the prayer.  So we often have two prayers so that other people in the fam have a chance to pray as well.
• Ev is a great brother and totally holds his own with Kelly and Max.  He's tough, but sweet.
• He nursed a stuffed animal the other day.
• He rarely says I, he, she...it's me, him, her.  "Me want that", "Him do that", etc.  Pretty normal.  But the funny thing is that when he is repeating verbatim what someone is saying, he will change the I to me. Like we're the ones speaking incorrectly. :) This was especially funny the other night when we were reading scriptures. I was saying the verse for Ev to repeat and we came to the name Isaiah.  Without skipping a beat Ev renamed him ME-saiah. 
• Brother is a bruiser.  As in, he is often bruised.  On the face.  A lot.  Often.  Facial Bruises.  Sad, but kind of endearing.
• His eyelashes.  They are long.  Last month he climbed in bed with me in the morning and I couldn't take my eyes off of his lashes.  This is what I wrote on Facebook about that morning with the following picture:  This sweet boy and his eyelashes joined me in bed this morning for extra snoozes. He keeps whispering things so quiet I can't understand and following up with, "You remember dat, Momma?" I just kept smiling and saying yes because I had asked "what was that?" so many times with no success in figuring it out. :)  Such a sweet moment with my little man.

The following are things I posted on Facebook about Everett D:

• While I was mopping this morning, Everett (2) stood on a chair shouting, "Go, Momma! Go, Mom! Alyight, Momma! Yeah!" All the while pumping his fists excitedly in the air. Best I've felt while mopping...well...ever. I'll be renting him out for a nominal fee for your next cleaning day. :)
• Remember how Everett cheered for my while I mopped the floor last month? This morning I was marking my scriptures while reading and he says, "Me watching you mark yours scriptures." I smiled. He began cheering, "Go, Momma! Go, Momma! Yeah!" Complete with fist pumps. That kid is a hoot.

Last month especially, Ev continuously talked about "mine brother at heaven."  I told him many times that I JUST brought him a brother from heaven, but apparently that is not who he is talking about.  "Me miss mine brother at heaven."  "Me love mine brother at heaven."  I've asked lots of questions about this brother at heaven, trying to clarify what he means.  It's pretty straightforward, he is sure he has another brother in heaven.  On our trip to Colorado last month Everett was in his car seat chatting away.  I realized that Max and Kelly were asleep and thought he must be talking to me and Tyler, so I answered one of his questions.  Ev said, "No, Momma, me not talking to you!  Me talking to mine brother at heaven.  Him right there."  I got chills and Ty and I exchanged a raised eyebrow glance.  

Oh, Everett, I love every inch of you.

The many faces of Tucker Elliott

I haven't blogged a lot since this fella was born.  Something about 4 kids and preferring to hold a newborn babe over sitting at a computer.  But you'd better believe I've been obsessively taking pictures of his cute mug.  The evidence follows.

• At 2 months he weighed in at 12 lbs. 6 oz. and was 23" long.
• He's a great sleeper and has given me several nights all the way through, but if he does wake it's just once.
• He's out of our room and in his own.  Actually, the all-night sleeping has been since we moved him in there.  Shoulda done it sooner, I suppose.  Oh well.
• Tuck-Man is super smiley.  All it takes is a sing-song voice to get him smiling.  His brothers and sister LOVE to get him to smile big.
• He MIGHT be a thumb sucker...he's gotten it in there a time or two.  I know there are plenty of naysayers on the thumb-sucking front, but I love it.  Max was a thumb sucker and it was great.  No bink to search for or worry about.  We'll see though.
• He seems to like the schedule I put him (and all of my babies) on and it's so easy to know what he needs.  He is a VERY easygoing babe.  I feel so lucky.
• He's handsome and fun and squishy and cuddly and we're all smitten.
• Brother has a natural faux-hawk.  We can't get that part of his hair to lay down very well.  But it's stinkin' cute, so we don't try much.

Lover, for sure.  So very glad he's here.