Goodbye Kindergarten & Second Grade

Luke made fruit kabobs for breakfast!

Dearest  Joshua and Luke,

Another school year has come to an end!  Wow!  A 79 day reprieve from checking agendas, packing lunches, homework, and all of the other fun things that come along with school.  Actually Luke was quite taken aback that he did not get the 104 vacation days that Phineas and Ferb obviously get via the theme song to their show.  But 79 days it is, and we will make the  most of every one of them!

The last week of school was filled with so much fun ~ field days, reward day with a movie at the high school, the ending of Mad Science (both boys were sad about this), and Luke ~ he starred as the best crab ever in the kindergarten play.  Both boys loved field day, and it was extra special that Dad went along to help their classes go through the stations (even though Dad just had surgery and was wearing a neck brace).  Both boys got to go to the high school to see The Rookie because of their good behavior during the school year.  Read on to find out how The Rookie impacted Joshua:

The next day at a baseball game, Joshua runs on the field and exclaims, "Guys, look!  I am being serious about the game!  Look guys, I am being serious."  In the meantime, he is practicing throwing and catching, but it is very important to him that the others know how serious he is being.  I am not sure what his teammates were thinking, or how much they even paid attention to him at that point because no one really said anything to him.  I could not wait to ask him why he had this change of attitude.  Come to find out after talking to Joshua, it was The Rookie.  Joshua explained that baseball meant so much to "that guy", that he wanted to get better and be  like him, too,  And all along I thought it was the heart to hearts that we have had with him about paying attention, his team counting on him etc. Whatever it was we have seen some change with Joshua and his "seriousness" with the game.

And Luke ~  he was the best crab I have ever seen in the kindergarten play, and I am not one bit biased.  Luke's crab walk was most memorable!  He shuffled left, then, right, left, right and on and on.......just like a real crab.  Luke's "crabby" smile was the most precious as well.  Luke practiced and practiced for his songs in the play.  The entire play was adorable in every way! 

Luke is the third crab in line!

Both boys are sad about not seeing their friends every day at school, but they are both very lucky to see friends outside of school, too.  Another school year is over, but there is a lot to look forward to over the summer ~ community vacation bible school, drama camp, art camp, swim lessons, baseball, and did I mention moving into a new house?  A vacation to Branson?  Seeing cousins?  A  vacation to a waterpark? 

I love you both very, very much!

Love,
Mama

Joshua's First Communion

Joshua praying & posing at First Communion

Dearest Joshua and Luke,

We celebrated Joshua's First Communion Day on April 7, 2013.  It was a beautiful day filled with so much anticipation, love, and closeness with Jesus.  Joshua went to practice for two days prior to the big day just to make sure he knew and understood exactly what to do.   Two days before the big day, we tried on Joshua's white shirt and navy suit pant to find out that Joshua must have had another growth spurt because we had just bought him  anew white shirt in January, but the sleeves were too short now!  So off to the store to get a new, long sleeved white shirt, almost a week after Easter.  We found one that fit perfectly ~ thank goodness. 

 I will admit that I got a little sentimental thinking about Joshua's First Communion.  I remember his baptism so well, and here we were with his First Communion.  I can't help but think that his Confirmation will be here before we know it.   But I do not want to rush time at all. 

Father Bill & Joshua

Joshua is usually not nervous over events.  In fact he likes to "perform" in many ways so it was a little surprising to me that he was nervous about his First Communion.  I think the fact that there were practices made him nervous. There were a lot of little things to remember.  He was also particularly unsure about holding his baptismal candle.  He was so afraid that it would catch something on fire or burn him.  Also, he was nervous about having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the mass.  Which he did ask to leave two times to use the bathroom.  We let him go the first time at the very beginning of mass, but when he asked the second time, I explained to him that he probably did not really have to go to the bathroom.  I told him that sometimes feeling nervous made you think you might have to go to the bathroom.  It turned out that it was nerves because he was just fine! 





Joshua made a funny face once again when he tasted the wine.  That is good because I would not want him to really like it anyway!  After lots of pictures, Joshua requested lunch at Golden Corral.  He enjoyed the meal a lot.  I think the big draw for him is the cotton candy and ice cream with gummy bear toppings.  Or maybe it is the chocolate fountain and marshmallows.  It is definitely a favorite for him. 

Joshua standing by the anointing oils

I am very proud of Joshua.  I know I have mentioned his love for Jesus.  It is strong.  And Joshua can tell you so many stories from the Bible, who and what things were happening at what time, and most importantly how God loves us all.  Not just how God loves us, but how Jesus is the light, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, how the earth formed and how we are waiting for the paracea where God is all and all.  He is teaching us all so much. 

Luke & Joshua with St. Nicholas

Luke has been good with all of this most of the time, even though Joshua has been getting so much attention with all of this.  I know that it will be Luke's First Communion in no time.  But I am in no rush for that either.

I love you both so much.

Love,
Mama

Six Candles For Luke!

Luke's birthday party

Dearest Joshua and Luke,

Yes, there were six candles on top of Luke's birthday cake this year.  And what a lucky kid!  He was able to celebrate his whole birth week!  His first celebration was at the firehouse with his school friends.  Several friends from his class came to celebrate with him.  His friends heard a great fire safety presentation ~ you can never hear fire safety rules enough!  Then, they all had a chance to get into the fire truck and sit and squirt the fire hose!  The children broke open a pinata and played Pin the Tail on the Donkey, too.  I insisted on the kids playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey because it was a traditional birthday party game when I was his age.  The kids seemed to enjoy it! 






Rollerskating fun!

Luke also got to celebrate his birthday with his cousins on his actual birthday.  Luke chose to go roller skating.  It was fun!  Even Uncle Luke and Aunt Lisa were roller skating.  Then, the cousins went back to our house for fun in the afternoon.  We also dyed Easter eggs for Easter the next day.  Luke requested pizza pasta casserole for his birthday dinner along with a Dairy Queen ice cream cake.  Luke was so lucky to have his cousins here to celebrate with him.

Dying Easter eggs for the Easter bunny!  Best Cousins!

There are so many wonderful things about Luke.  I often say what a big heart Luke has ~ and he does.  A sensitive heart, too.  He thinks a lot about how other people are feeling, and he does not like when other people are sad.  He wants to fix whatever is wrong for them.  Luke can get his feelings hurt, too.  He does not like getting into trouble, and he has such high expectations for himself.  Sometimes his expectations can be too much, and we have to remind him that we all make mistakes and it is OK to make them.  Luke adores his big brother, Joshua.  Sometimes they do not show it to each other, but Luke always misses Joshua when Joshua is not at home with him.  Luke likes a lot of things that Joshua likes.  (By the way, Joshua feels the same way about Luke.)  I am very proud of Luke!  I love him dearly.

Luke and Papa

In fact, I  love you both more today than I did yesterday.

Love,
Mama

Forgiveness, Acceptance, Love.....

Luke & Joshua in a Beyblade race

Dearest Joshua and Luke,

     As I was taking my sheets off the bed this week, I found a pleasant surprise under my pillow case ~ two small white hearts with "love" written on it.  As I asked who put them there, Joshua broke into a sweet, sly smile.  He said, "I did it Mom!"  He was so proud of himself and rightly so.  That certainly made my day!  And to think of the many nights I slept on top of those sweet words!

  


  Joshua is preparing for his first communion.  He made a blessing cup several weeks ago.  He drew our family, a chalice and patten, a butterfly and a cross.  We have been attending meditations each week at the Atrium.  I have to say that I have learned a lot during this time.  Joshua has been teaching me some things as well.  Wow!!! Joshua truly has a deep love for God.  I admire that so much!

Joshua kneading his bread at the First Communion retreat

     The other evening, Luke and I started watching Dumbo for our movie night.  Daddy and Joshua were at a birthday party for one of Joshua's friends. Luke was so taken with the cute babies and how the babies were delivered by the stork!  Luke loved how cute Dumbo was!  Luke had difficulty understanding why they locked up Dumbo's mommy or why everyone would make fun of Dumbo's ears.   After all, he could not help the size of them.  Luke was very disturbed by this concept, and asked to stop the show.  That is an unusual request for Luke.  I told him how it would be a happy ending because everyone would find out how special Dumbo's ears really were, but after several protests, we finally turned it off.  Luke truly has a sensitive heart and does not like it when people let their feelings hurt. 

Joshua listening to Miss Barb at the retreat.

    Since you have been old enough to play with other children, I have tried to instill in you that all children/people are different and differences are good.  Even as a teacher, I always taught my students that people can be alike and different.  Differences are good, and can make life much more interesting.   I have tried to remind you that every one of us is a son or daughter of God.  God made each one of us special and unique in our own ways.  As an adult, I know that there are people I am more comfortable with than others, but I hope I never judge others by how they look, live, believe, etc.  I have found that you really do not know what challenges other people have in their lives.  People may seem one way, but you never really know what challenges people are living with or what it is like to walk in their shoes. 

     I hope that both of you learn the importance of accepting people as they are, not judging them.  Do whatever you can to help others and to make life better for others.  As we pray every night, please ask God to use your heart and hands to do his work on earth.  What would Jesus do if he met these people, or were friends with them, or even if he was part of your family?   How would God want you treat these people? 

     And if you run across people that judge you unfairly or treat you differently based on how you look, live, etc., please be patient with them.  Very patient with them.  Ask for help in forgiving them if you need to.  It is not easy to live this way, especially when you have been deeply hurt by someone...but God will give you the strength to forgive and move on.  Forgiveness can be given at any time, but it does take time to build trust with someone again.  God will help you.....

     Please know that I love you both tons and tons.

Love,
Mama

Dear Joshua and Luke,

     Both boys showed off their basketball skills with their games this weekend.  Luke played Friday night and Joshua played Saturday morning.  Joshua has been using a trick play during basketball in which he does a trick pass.  He acts like he is going to pass the ball to one teammate.  Then, he quickly passes it to a different teammate.  His team is starting to get used to this pass, and he has come in very handy for the team.

   Sunday was a great day form us as we went on a day trip with one of our favorite families.  We began the day with a visit to Bucheits.  The boys wanted a chicken and a rooster complete with a hen cage.  Or maybe a cute bunny as a pet.  We ate a quick lunch at McDonald's, then off to Baldwin Lake to feed the geese.  The kids had a lot of fun feeding the geese bread and crackers.  Next, we went to Popeye's home and looked around a bit. The kids played at the playground for a while, too.   We ended the day by filling our tummies at a nice smorgasbord.  You were both almost asleep in the car by the time we got home! 

     We also met Miss Rachael, our new nanny and housekeeper.  You both liked her so much when you met her.   She is very nice.  She is going to be able to help us so much at our house  She is going to help get you ready in the morning and once in a while after school.  She is also going to help with housekeeping and meals a few days per week. Initially you both did not want to get anyone to replace Miss Sara.    But Miss Sara has not worked regularly with us for a while, and with our busy schedules, we really did need someone to help us.  Miss Rachael will certainly not replace Miss Sarah, but I do think you will find another Big Sister and friend to enrich your life.   Miss Rachael will be a nice young lady to work with.   We are very excited to add her to our family. 

I love you both more today than I did yesterday.

Love,
Mama

    

      

Sweetie Pies

Dearest Joshua and Luke,

     Sweetie Pie day is not just about sweetie pies, it is also about sweet pie. Yes, Daddy and Luke sampled several sweet pies in  town this last weekend.  After trying eight different pies, Luke's settled on his favorite  pie ~ a pizza pie ~ from his favorite thrift store. 

     It is also true that we have the two smartest boys in town ~ and we are not biased at all.  Joshua had all A's on his report card and Luke had too many E 's to even count!  Wow!  We are very proud parents, but even more we are proud of our boy's behavior and their love for learning at school.  I always loved school as well.  I liked playing the teacher and the student, too.  Maybe that is why I always wanted to be a teacher, and why I work in a school today! 

     Joshua and Luke both started basketball last week.  Joshua is happy to be practicing and spending time with new and old friends.  I have not figured out why Luke likes basketball yet, but he continues to play each week.  Sometimes he really wants to play and other times he tells us that he wants to quit.  But as long as he is signed up for this session, we will make sure that he plays.  And he does seem to enjoy himself once he is there.  One of the great things about this league is that it is an instructional league. The coaches have been totally awesome.  They focus on skills and teamwork. And there are about six to eight games all in the same place.   It is a perfect league for you two. 

     I love you both very much.

Love,
Mama

Looking Forward to 2013 ..... Kindness!

Sweet angels! 

Dear Joshua and Luke,

     Ready or not, 2013 has arrived!  We have so many things to do and look forward to this year.  I must begin by telling that kindness is weighing a lot on my heart right now.  Every night we pray that God uses our hands and bodies to do his work on Earth.  I really feel that God needs us more than ever right now.  I believe that we are being charged with bringing light to others.





 Joshua sang in the choir at another church in town at a joint Christmas celebration to celebrate the official end to the Christmas season at church - Epiphany.  We are so proud of Joshua.  He enjoys singing and he is so good at it.  He brings smiles to so many people that watch him in the choir.  After the performance, many people stopped us to tell us that Joshua stole the show.  It must have been his big, beautiful smile while everyone else was singing in the performance.  Later on Joshua mentioned that he did not know the words to the song because they always practice it last during practice.  Joshua always leaves a little earlier to get to the Atrium for his religious studies.  Makes sense! :)

Joshua singing in the choir under
Sister Judy's direction.
 

     While both church choirs were practicing for the last practice before the show, Sister Judy talked to the group and thanked everyone for participating. She mentioned that the choir members bring light to others who hear them.  She said that if there was ever a time we need light it is now.  And to bring light to others.

     That struck a chord in me. It was time to stop thinking about it and start doing something.  I had been thinking about needing to more actively bring kindness and light to others.  We often strive to do it, but we need to bring ourselves to do even more for others.  Many people around the world had been planning random acts of kindness, particularly in honor of the adults and children that died in CT weeks earlier.  One mom friend asked people to do random acts of kindness in honor of her birthday.  Great idea!  Others mentioned that they were going to do 26 acts of kindness in honor of the 26 lives lost in Connecticut.  While that was tempting to follow, I could not yet bring myself to get closer to the sadness in Connecticut.  The sadness and aching in my stomach has been there since December 14.  I have not been able to shake it, but at least now we have something to focus on that is so needed in our world. 

Joshua, Luke, Grandma Nichols & Mom
(Daddy is taking the picture.)

     So we have decided to make kindness our theme for this year.  Kindness throughout all aspects of our lives.  This is more than the usual things we try to do, but really reaching out for the most vulnerable people around us.  Stretching ourselves to be more kind and thoughtful to others.  This will be more than paying for the person behind us in the drive thru.  More than giving a few dollars to a homeless person.  More than praying for others.  As a family, we  ARE going to do more. 

    Both of you have been very giving and have big hearts already.  Whether it is Joshua playing piano for the residents at the nursing home or it is Luke making sure that someone eats a slice of Grandma's pie so that she is not sad (even though Grandma told you this was nothing to worry about), you are both the best!  Together we are going to find more ways to bring God's light to others through kindness. 

     I love you more today than I did yesterday.  (Yes, that is possible!) :) 

Love,
Mama