Thursday, October 31, 2013

Update

It's been awhile since I have posted. Life just gets in the way. I enjoy writing on here and sharing about our little family. I started this blog as a way to show the world that single parenting by choice is a positive way to have a family. It was also a way to share with family and friends. Time has gone on and instead of showing the world on this blog we are showing the world just through living and having fun. Yet I still don't mind sharing (as long as it's not anything embarrassing to my children). Here is an update from the past few months.

-Jacob turned 8. You can read my post below and see a picture from last summer to learn more.

-Matthew has become my little swimmer. It's hard to know how much he loves it. He is in a phase right now where he says he doesn't like most things just because wants to be silly. His smile in the pool tells a different story though. Yesterday he was disappointed that they played games in the pool instead of having a regular practice. It's a long season and he has a long way to go before March. There will be days he doesn't want to go to practice but most days he is happy to get to the pool.

-Matthew beat Jacob at backstroke! It was only about the 5th time Matthew has ever swum in a meet. Backstroke has never been Jacob's best stroke and Matthew seems to be a natural at it. Matthew took 2nd place and Jacob took 3rd at last week's meet. Matthew's time was just .4 seconds slower than Jacob's best time ever. Jacob claims he let Matthew win.

-Matthew jumped 7 reading levels at school. I could go on for awhile about this topic but I'll just focus on the positive that he is finally getting what he needs at school and loving it.

-Jacob continues to be ahead of grade level. They didn't give him the extra text book for advanced students yet but they are monitoring him closely. He needed to be able to complete his subtraction facts in less than 5 seconds. He is very close. I worked with him last night and he missed 4 out of 56. Jacob's school is a "focus school." Basically, not enough kids are passing the standardized tests (less than half). I saw the numbers at school and it is scary. I know Jacob has gotten a good education there but I am concerned they don't push him enough or go fast enough. I am exploring different options but for now just trying to supplement his education at home. It's really all I can do at this point.

-I'm still working the same job and enjoying it. Every job has good days and bad days but most days are good. I have flexible hours and enjoy the job itself.

-The boys just finished soccer and did great. There was even some talk of having Matthew play with the next age group up but I want him to stay with the kids his age. He just doesn't have the maturity to play with the 8 year olds yet. They both seemed to dominate their teams and age groups.
-Basketball starts this week although we are missing the first week for a swim meet. They are both excited and we will have to wait to see how they do. Matthew is very tall so he may be good at basketball someday. Jacob has been practicing a lot at school with his friends so that should help him too.

That is it for now. I hope all of my readers had a great summer and are having a great fall.

Happy Birthday Jacob!


Somewhere along the line life got busy and I stopped blogging. I'm going to post a couple quick updates now. I can't promise anymore soon but one never knows.

Jacob turned 8 years old at the end of September. My baby is now a big 2nd grader. Here are 8 things I love about Jacob.

1) Jacob's smile and laugh. They are infectious. It is just hard not to smile and giggle when he is.
2) How smart he is. He learns quickly and loves to learn new things. He prefers non-fiction books and enjoys going to museums and zoos to learn more.
3) His determination. This kid is just amazing when he sets his mind to something.
4) His work ethic. That's funny to say about a young boy but this kid has great work ethic. Whether it is trying to complete his homework, getting good grades or completing a difficult swim practice, this kid works until the job is finished.
5) His caring heart. Jacob is a great big brother and a great friend. Sure he fights with his brother and enjoys watching him get in trouble but he also watches out for him and takes care of him. Jacob also cares for younger children and his friends at school.
6) Popularity. I don't want to place any of my children in a popularity contest and I certainly don't take time counting their friends. I can say that Jacob is a very popular kid at school. He is the only kindergartner I ever knew that had friends in 5th grade who would ask him to join their game on the playground. Now in 2nd grade he has friends throughout his school and still has middle school students stop to say hi. I think its his smile.
7) Helpful nature. This goes back to the caring heart a little. Jacob has always loved to help others and that has not changed. Whether it's clearing the table because he knows I'm tired or just helping someone carry something, this kid is always willing to help.
8) His fun sense of humor. This kid is just fun to be with. He really is my pride and joy (along with his brother of course). There is no one I would rather hang out with than my boys.