Finley starts Middle School!

Finley's first day of middle school/6th grade looked a lot different this year. 

Our county has decided to start with at least 9 weeks of virtual learning from home and then will decided if it is safe enough to go to school in person. 

Luckily we have a nice office for Finley to set up camp in! Finley will be attending a magnet middle school geared for AG students. I am hoping he can keep up with the work load and that his teachers will be good virtual teachers! Our new house is much closer to it (only 14 min away) and hopefully soon that will come in handy. 

Some days it is a challenge to keep the babies away from Finley while he is trying to work. Right now he only has live class once a day for an hour, but that should increase after the first few weeks. 

I am grateful that Finley is so independent and that I can just check in with him every now and then on how school is going. The twins don't allow me to monitor or do much more than that!

I am grateful that I am a stay at home mom and don't have to make hard decisions about what to do with my children given these uncertain and constantly changing times. 

The first week of online learning encountered a few Canvas outages, but by the end of the week things were up and running smoothly.

We are looking forward to a great year of learning whether it is at home or in person at school. 

At least most of us are! LOL! But honestly Finley is taking it as it comes and just rolling with it without complaint! I am grateful for his willingness to work on school from home despite the chaos around him! He rarely complains or gives push back making my job so much easier. Now if only the twins would follow his example!

 

21 months old!

Hunter and Jackson are now 21 months old! We have definitely entered the toddler stage and maybe even the terrible twos! We hear a lot of whining and crying on a pretty regular basis and the boys take turns having major meltdowns. Not so much fun!

Hunter is talking up a storm these days! He is adding new words and signs to his vocabulary every day. He is always eager to try to say something new. He loves dancing, animals, bubbles, books, music, signing time, wearing hats, riding Finley's scooter with help, and Elmo. He can often be found playing independently. He is still a biter and we are trying so hard to break him of this habit! He has a devilish grin when he is acting naughty. He is a pretty picker eater and hates having his teeth brushed. He adores his big brother Finley and has started giving great hugs and kisses.

Jackson is still the strong silent type. He will say a few words and a few signs but prefers grunting most of the time. He loves taking things apart and figuring out how things work. He is such a mama's boy that he is wearing me out! He refuses letting anyone help him with anything when I am around. He loves books, snuggling, riding a big boy bike with help, galloping, and throwing his food on the floor when he is done eating. He hates having his teeth brushed, giving up his paci, and sharing toys. He recently start walking down the stairs all by himself. 

Here's a few highlights from the past few months:

The boys love waving and watching the mailman drive by!

They both enjoy walking around the lake like big boys. 

The pool has been our saving grace this summer!!!

So grateful to have a fun place to take the boys and get out some energy!

Every now and then they will get along...

But it doesn't last long!

Hunter is not a great sleeper and he seriously wears me out some days!

The boys love blueberries, but only when picked fresh from the bush. They refuse to eat store bought berries.

Loving on their big brother!

Loving on their da da!

The summer hummidity sucks, but I love what it does to the boys hair! Check out Jackson's curly mohawk!

Hunter's hair is still growing wild and unruly! I am getting more and more tempted to cut it! Especially the rat tail!

Safety first!

Trying out our new table!

Jackson putting on sun tan lotion just like his mama!

Loving on Finley.

When things are quiet...you know there is trouble!

This was almost an entire box of brand new tissues! LOL

We love stealing Finley's phone!

Hunter loves wearing hats!

Can you find Hunter?

Poor Jackson had strep throat the week leading up to our move. He was so sick and tired he passed out on the couch watching a video.

Sweet nugget.

Again Jackson with the tissues!

The boys recently started holding hands while walking down the stairs!

And having dance parties on the table!

The boys are enjoying their new house and adapting pretty well! It is nice that they each have their own room and we don't have to use our room for naps anymore! This summer has flown by but we have been lucky enough to have the pool and tennis to keep us busy and get out of the house!