A Quick Catch Up

We've had a good summer so far.  The kids will all start back to school in about a month.  Seems funny seeing our southern friends already getting back into the school routine when we kind of feel like we just settled into our summer one.  Jack spent a few weeks in TN with family.  I don't really have any pictures to share of his time there, but he was busy and had a blast.  He still randomly tells us things about his trip that come to his mind that he hasn't mentioned yet.

We're down to single digits in our Parker countdown.  He is officially due in 9 days.  I had a Dr. appointment yesterday, seems like things might be starting to progress, we'll see.  We are all anxious and ready for him to arrive.  As of a week ago he was estimated to weigh 8 lbs. 4 oz.  I'm very curious to see how big he really is. 

We have a lot going on over the next month.  Once Parker arrives we'll pretty much have family in and out through the rest of August.  The kids will start school on Sept. 6th and on Sept. 15th we are moving again.  Yes, you read that right, moving again!  We are pretty excited and blown away at the provision of this move.  I'll share more with you later and show pictures.  Thankfully it will be an easy move as we are only going up one floor in our building.  It will be a 2 bedroom, newly renovated apartment.  We think it will fit our family nicely.

Here are a few pictures from my phone over the past month or so.

The kids one morning on our way to church.

Jack having a slice of pizza at the airport before he boarded the plane with a friend of ours to fly to TN.

A funny story.  He sometimes gets motion sickness so I had Dramamine for him to take and he didn't really want to take it, doesn't like the taste.  He said "what do I do if I feel like I'm going to throw up?"  I told him to tell Mr. Larry and to either go to the bathroom or use the little bag in the back of the seat pocket.  He said, "Is it the kind of sick where I'll be sick for a few days or will I just throw up once?"  I told him only once.  He said "Ok, that's fine.  I don't mind throwing up once."  He was determined to talk me out of the medicine, the took the pill.

Freddy T. reading to Lillie and Elliott one night while Jack was gone.

Lillie having a pop corn party with her babies.

Elliott enjoying a Popsicle on a very hot day.

I'm not sure what was going on in this picture.

Lillie got her face painted at a block party put on by City Uprising participants with the Gallery Church.

My belly a month ago... it's bigger now!

Jack dug up his first worm on the playground.  Very proud moment.

Lillie found a baby worm, although you can't see it in her hand.

Here's Elliott with the baby worm.

Hopefully we'll be announcing Parker's birth with lots of pictures any day now!

Summer Break Is Finally Here!

As of Wednesday, June 27th, we officially have a 1st grader!

Jack finished up his Kindergarten year on Wednesday and what a testimony of God's faithfulness this school year has been.  You can read about our journey to Kindergarten here.  This school year has been an amazing adventure.  Jack loved each day of school.  I can't remember one time having to convince him school was going to be fun or dragging him out the door.  He was ready to go each morning and always seemed happy as he came through the door at the end of the school day.  We loved his teacher, Ms. Roni Morris.  She was just the teacher Jack needed to help set a solid foundation for his education.  She was tough and challenging, but loved what she did and was passionate about the kids learning and did a great job of educating them.  Ms. Morris has been teaching at PS 40 since 1979 and is retiring this year.  We are so glad she stuck it out one more year for Jack to have her.  

Jack did well in school.  I was concerned that he might have a tough time because of his age and lack of preschool experience.  Fortunately Jack adapted well and is a great student.  We are very proud of him!  He has made some special friends over the past year and with that we've made good friends with a handful of families from Jack's class and school.  

 This is Jack and his buddy Ryan.  

 Jack and his cubby buddy Liam.  

 Last time at Kindergarten pickup

I'm ready for 1st Grade!

On another note.  We received word mid June that Lillie and Elliott got in the morning Pre-K class at PS 40.  This is what we were hoping for and we're pretty excited that it has worked out.  They will start school at 8:20, same as Jack and will get out at 10:40.  It's a short morning, but they will be on the same school calendar schedule as Jack.  We are planning on Freddy T. taking all 3 kids to school and then Parker and I will pick them up :)  We'll share more Pre-K news as the school year draws nearer, till then we are looking forward to enjoying our summer and eagerly awaiting Parker's arrival!

This was on the way to registration.  They insisted on taking a backpack and could not understand why all we did was paper work.  I think they are ready!

A Little Glimpse Into Our World

Some of these aren't the best quality pictures, all are taken from my phone, but it's a little glimpse into our world lately.

 This is on our way to church a few weeks ago.  It was a messy day, but the kids were thrilled to put their, raincoats, umbrellas, and rain boots to good use.

 On a somewhat warm, wet day this is how Lillie dressed to go get Jack from school.  Winter monkey hat and her baby, Hannah, tucked into her raincoat.

 Elliott spent one morning recently dressed like a pirate.

 Lillie came out of her room the other day and said "surprise!"  This is how she was dressed, or not dressed!

One morning last week Jack said he was picking out his own clothes for school. This is what he came out in.  Interesting for sure, but he was very proud of himself.  He told his buddies at school he picked out his clothes.  He was especially pleased with his shirt selection!

Easter Challenge

One of the challenges Freddy T. and the staff at Gallery Church gave the congregation, during the Easter season, was to gather a group of people or one person on Good Friday or the day before and read Mark 15.  We got a great idea from one of our friends in the church to invite people over to dye Easter eggs and let them know we would be reading part of the Easter Story.  So we invited a handful of friends from Jack's school and our neighbors over.  We had a great time decorating eggs and hanging out and Freddy T. read the Easter story from the Jesus Storybook Bible, since the majority of our audience were little ones.  

 I think we had 25 cups of dye.  A little risky, but no big problems.

 

 Jack was so excited to share the story from this book.  We read from it most nights before the kids go to bed.

These guys paid close attention the whole time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, including our family, we had 7 adults and 12 kids!  Everyone had a great time!

His Name Is...

This little monkey officially has a name!

Parker David Wyatt

The kids have been calling him Parker for weeks, but we had our final family meeting today over lunch and made it official. It may seem strange to make his middle name David since that's Elliott's middle name, but Jack thought it was appropriate since he and Freddy T. share the middle name Thomas and me and Lillie share the middle name Beth, that Elliott and Parker share a middle name. I really like that he put so much thought and logic into it, so we're going with it.

Can't wait to meet this little guy sometime in August! As for now, my stomach is already pretty big... kind of having a hard time imagining another 18 weeks with this growing boy!

Easter

Happy Easter! 

I had not planned on doing anything fancy for Easter.  We haven't the past few years and the year before that the kids just got their swim suites in their Easter basket.  They don't even have Easter baskets.  The ones we had ended up breaking because we really don't have space to keep stuff like that and it stay in one piece.  I have had intentions the past year or so to make felt Easter baskets, just never get around to doing it.  Anyway... Saturday Jack asked if we were going to have an egg hunt.  I had not planned on it, but told him he would have to wait till Sunday to find out.  After the kids went to bed Saturday night I headed out to Walgreen's to purchase plastic eggs and create some kind of egg hunt in the apartment for when they woke up Easter morning.  Notice they had to use their Candy Corn Halloween bags to hunt their eggs with.

 Freddy T. had to get Jack's "big" egg off the top of the mirror, Jack could not reach it himself.

 Lillie woke up about an hour after the boys so the fun of an egg hunt was over.  She didn't seem real interested.  She just sat in the floor and let the boys bring her all the eggs that belonged to her.

They had a good time.  

We headed to church and had a wonderful Easter service at The Gallery.

Afterwards we ate lunch in Madison Square Park and ran into our friends, the Chockley's, so we joined them.  The kids had fun playing.  Afterwards it was a pretty typical Sunday afternoon.  The kids were worn out from the weekend and all took a nap, myself included.  

Here are a few shots of the kids helping take down and store the Gallery Kid area.  It has to be set up and torn down each week.  

Jack is moving the gates, they are pretty heavy. 

 Elliott is hauling a mat.  Look behind him you can see Lillies head....

 Here is her contribution.  Hanging on and going for a ride!

 Lillie and her buddy Sadie.