Sebastian Time

I am never eager for the children to go back to school in the Fall. I love having them home. I love that they have plenty of time to play together and let their imaginations run wild. I love that our evenings are full of swimming and picnics and movie nights, instead of going through papers, practicing spelling lists and helping with homework and last-minute projects. I love that our mornings are laid-back and stress-free--no food to pack, special clothes or gym shoes to wear, or show-and-tell objects to remember.

So, imagine my surprise when I discovered that I really do love having them in school too! Now they are getting a bit older, they can remember our routine better without having to be constantly reminded, some of them can even tie their own shoes, and, best of all, they are all excited to go learn and have fun! What I didn't anticipate was how fun it would be to have solo time with Sebastian. That first week of school I put on the Wiggles for him to watch and he really loved it! I realized then that his TV experiences had always been for the older kids. In fact our whole daily routine had been for them. It has been so nice to focus on this developing little almost-2-year-old. It has also been thoroughly enjoyable to have a 2-3 hour nap time block in the afternoon to attack projects that are normally too far down the list to get to--like organizing my pantry, switching out the kids' summer and winter clothes, organizing the kids' school papers from last year into memory albums, or cleaning out my own closet.

One day I organized a trip out to a local farm with a bunch of other mothers from church. Sebastian really enjoyed the animals, and couldn't get enough of the old farm tractors!

We have made all the other kids jealous by going to the gym to swim with Sandy a couple times. Sebastian loves this so much that he frequently bursts into adorable little happy dances while playing in the water.

We also started going to a little storytime at the library. They do a couple little stories and songs for the little ones and then bring out some toys to play with. The librarian remembers their names and does a great job preparing. She can't carry a tune at all (not even row, row, row your boat!), but the little ones don't mind in the least. :)

We have had gorgeous autumn weather and this little guy is never happier than when we can play outside.

 I love waking up happy to start another great day! I guess that's a sign that life is good. :)