Milestones

Where do I begin? How could I let things go? What have the Two Tykes and the Princess achieved since we last left you, hanging in the balance, waiting for the next update???? (ha! I am teasing...)

We did have a few milestones that we went through...

Maybe I should post by child, maybe I should do a list? Maybe each milestone is so fabulously wonderful to Mommy (ME!) that they each deserve their own post??

I'll have to think about it...but I will start with this:

Samuel graduated Kindergarten. My baby - my sweet, sweet baby is now a first grader. Wow. And, HUH???? I could take you through all the memories in my mind, but I won't make you suffer through that. I will say that he was quite the proud graduate, making Straight A's on his report card, and getting the award for Responsibility in his class. We are very proud of him! Kindergarten graduation was a cute little event. They received diplomas and walked across the stage in their cap and gown. They moved their tassle to the other side to symbolize the graduation.

As a group, his class recited the 23rd Psalm, which Samuel had no problem memorizing for the event.

As I look back over the last year, Samuel has come a long way. While we still have our issues that we are working on (who doesn't?) he has really shown himself to be a bright boy. His biggest problem is remembering to be a BOY - not an adult. We constantly have to remind him that he is not to discipline his brother, reprimand his mother or be demanding to his father. But he has learned how to be humble, and when he is not busy being emotionally five years old, his humility is shines through and he is repentant for his behavior. He is a wonderful big brother, with a very trying little brother. To Hannah, he is the sweetest, most loving boy and she adores his every move. It is almost as if she knows that he prayed for her before she was born...that he is the one that asked God to send him a sister that he would name Hannah Grace. He dotes on her like you would not even imagine. He is an excellent reader and writer. He wants things to be correct. If he mispells a word, he wants to take the time to go back and correct it - not leave it incorrect. He has done an excellent job on learning his math facts and understanding the concepts. He is better at concentrating and has just generally matured over the last year.

I was reading Cousin Miranda's blog and she was describing some of the challenges of sweet Austen. It made me smile, because those are the same challenges we have with Samuel. The distraction of his creative little mind, always thinking about the next idea, project or adventure he is going to take on can pull him away from even the most simple task. While that is exciting to watch as he grows and develops, it is also completely frustrating, especially for a mom (ME!) that lacks patience.

Thanks to Caitlin, I read a blog of another mom about grace and mercy. Samuel is teaching me about both grace, and mercy and how I need to be better at bestowing both of those things on my children. After all, isn't God, our ultimate Father, bestowing grace and mercy on me every day? Aren't my daily stumbles and sins equivalent to the whining, back talk and sibling bickering Samuel gets reprimanded for each day? And yet, I am still safe and comforted in the arms of my Father as Samuel is in the arms of his parents.

As Samuel has grown over the past year, so have I. As he continues to grow, and show that he is just exactly like his mother (Poor, Poor Samuel) I know that he and I will continue to have our challenges to over come. However, if I can temper it all with grace and mercy, similar to what I receive from God every day, sweet Samuel may turn out to be just fine. He's off to a good start, thanks be to God.

To Samuel, we say congratulations on a job well done! You can do anything you put your mind to - as long as you try.