8 Years

Where to begin, I blinked and Reed's 1st grade year was over! I still have to take a second to remember he's in 2nd grade when someone asks. The jump from 1st to 2nd grade also meant another year of switching schools but this year he switched districts so now he'll be at the same school through 8th grade. It happened last minute and he was really upset about the change. He still gets teary eyed talking about his friends he doesn't see everyday anymore but the good news is he has already made some great new friends and is in class with a few kids he already knew. The big plus for us is not having to retrain a new staff, parent group, etc. about Reed's allergies every year or two.

 
Reed often leaves us scratching our heads. When we had to put Dodger to sleep we were so afraid to tell Reed but he hardly seemed upset. Fast forward to a few weeks later when we were watching a movie about a girl losing her dog and he's bawling. I think he is more empathetic than sentimental and truly feels bad for other people when they are upset more than when something happens to himself. We've been putting a lot of pressure on him lately to be more responsible. There has been a shift in the last few months and our expectations of what he should be capable of remembering and be able to take care of on his own have definitely expanded. Sometimes he can handle remembering to feed his tortoise, make his bed, getting dressed, etc. and other days I have to double check he has his shoes on before we get to school. I think he's constantly thinking/processing and mundane every days tasks are easy for him to push to the bottom of the priority list (much to my dismay some mornings).

While we do butt heads sometimes, overall Reed is a great kid. He can push my buttons like no one else but I love knowing that deep down he is a sweet and honest kid that others enjoy spending time with. I love that in 2nd grade he still is so innocent and full of wonder. I wish I could stop time for a bit but will do my best to remember the highlights because with Reed there are definitely lots!!!

Interesting Facts

Weight: 50.5lbs

Height: 4' 1.25"

Clothing Size: For the most part Reed wears a Big Kid Small or Medium depending on the brand/sizing

Shoe Size: Big Kid 1.5M or 2M depending on the brand

Reed likes: Reading, playing or watching video games, swimming, playing with Hotwheels, building Legos, riding his bike, playing soccer, and playing anything with Kieran.

Reed dislikes: When he's not in charge or when people have a different opinion than him.

Nicknames: Reedster, Buddy, Money #1, Reed-man, Darlin', Love, and Reeder.

Food: Reed still loves hot dogs, as well as pizza and hamburgers. He's added a new favorite to the list - seared Ahi Tuna. He will eat any meat, carb or fruit but is super picky when it comes to veggies and refuses to touch a bean. He's been trying to be open to new foods and has found he's a pretty big fan of raw bell peppers, yams, and lettuce. He is allergic to dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.

Communication: Reed is a phenomenal reader. He is currently reading at a high 3rd grade/low 4th grade level and almost never goes to bed without reading at least a little bit. I always have a book with us and even if it's only going to be a 5 minute car ride he usually cracks it open to get a bit of reading in.

 

Favorite Colors: Blue and Orange


Favorite Subject: Reed is really liking social studies right now he also loves anytime his class gets to do science experiments.

Favorite Band/Song: Imaginary Friends by Leisure Time Astronauts, Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffet, and Conga by Gloria Estefan

Best Friends: Switching schools has meant Reed reconnecting with his best friend from preschool. He says Wyatt is definitely his best friend at his new school but he also spends a lot of time with a new friend, Kevin. He still talks about Faith often and is sad he doesn't get to see her everyday.

How Reed is sleeping: He goes to bed around 7:45 pm and sleeps until around 6:30 am most mornings. He sleeps in a twin bed, with a night light and sound machines, and a few stuffed animals (Soft Sheep is always in the mix).

When he grows up he wants to be: a Farmer like Tio

Milestones over the last year:
Reed attended his first fieldtrip without Mom tagging along
The Reedster performed solo at Peach Blossom (poetry reading contest at Fresno State)
Reed learned how to tie his own shoes (finally)!!!
The Monkey experienced his first Earthquake (Ridgecrest magnitude 7.1)
Reed did the summer session of waterpolo and loved it

August 2019 Happenings

The month of August kicked off with our favorite annual event - Fun Day! We went with a hippie theme and had a kid free, groovy, diving contest, fueled afternoon/evening.

The last week before school started was super busy. Daycare had a different theme each day and the boys participated in a 3 day soccer camp.

HMC was working on gathering footage for a social media campaign for National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day. We let the kids loose in the HMC kitchen and they had such a good time that when we got home they wanted to keep working on kitchen creations.

A few days before school started we got a call that a spot at the school Reed has been on the waitlist for had opened up. It was a big rush to get all of the paperwork done and Reed wasn't thrilled with the last minute switch but by the afternoon of the first day he was already loving it and it has been a great experience so far. Meanwhile Kieran started Kindergarten and he and Lyla are in the same class. To say they are inseparable is an understatement and watching them together is just the cutest. Also, Kindergarten is exhausting and K fell asleep anywhere and everywhere when given the opportunity the first two weeks of school.

August also brought a new addition to the family. Auntie M and Kevin welcomed baby Will and he is adorable. When we went to meet him, Kieran was so interested in him, held him a couple different times, helped feed him, and wouldn't stop talking about how cute he was. It was completely unexpected but so, so sweet.

Towards the end of the month we got away for a night with C, Tio, Mikael, and Erin. We went out to dinner, went to a Kacey Musgraves concert, and had a leisurely breakfast. It was less than 24 hours but it was a refreshing getaway and Kacey was absolutely amazing!

C and Tio had a family dinner at their house to celebrate Zach's 3rd Birthday. Somehow I deleted most of the pictures I took but we had a nice afternoon of swimming and then finished up with an awesome dirt themed birthday cake. To say this Little Guy is someone special is an understatement and he constantly brings a smile to all of our faces.

Other August happenings included primo hangouts, lots of reading, yoga, an evening with the Siegels, a visit from the Askims, picnics before soccer practices, and an outdoor movie night with a bunch of friends.

July 2019 Happenings

A July update on the last day of August - that seems about right! We started off the month like most Americans, celebrating 4th of July. The Parkinsons hosted their annual firework watching party on July 3rd and we had a great time swimming, catching up with friends, and of course watching the fireworks. Then we went to Pepe and Nonna's for festivities on the 4th. Lyla had everyone playing the Pretty Princess game, Pepe set up an inflatable water slide, and Tio took the boys fishing and they caught a massive cat fish that turned into the highlight of the night (sorry I have no pictures only video).

The boys wrapped up waterpolo by playing a scrimmage against a neighboring town. I wasn't able to attend but Jon and the Grandparents all went to cheer them on. Kieran was not a big fan of waterpolo but Reed loved it so we'll have to see if either is interested in doing it again.

G-Momma and I planned a puzzle play date and the boys had a great time having lunch with her and finishing a pretty impressive puzzle too.

We joined Grandma and Grandpa one weekend on a hike to Jenny Lake and the boys did awesome. They were definitely motivated by snack breaks and lunch by the lake but had a great time and requested we go again soon.

The highlight of the Summer for the boys was Lego camp. I was worried they had built it up so much they would be let down, but it did not disappoint and they were sad when it was over. It was 2 hours a day, each day, for a whole week and since it didn't fit nicely into most of our friend's schedules some of us moms took turns carpooling and walking the kids to and from daycare. It was definitely a team effort but very worth it for the kiddos.

Our company donates tons (literally hundreds of thousands of pounds) of fruit to our local food bank every year and we have done other things to support them over the years but never actually volunteered our time. I decided now that our kids are getting older it would be a great experience to volunteer with them. I organized a volunteer night with the food bank where with our co-workers and their families we put together over 600 boxes of food to be disturbed to local families. It was a wonderful experience and definitely something we hope to do again soon.

After talking with Jon's cousin Megan several times about her piglets and the steer she is raising for FFA we decided we needed to take a visit to the farm. The boys have always loved Megan and so they had a great time learning more about the animals from her and of course liked getting to interact with them too. Auntie P met us there which they were super excited about too!

After our stop at the farm we continue a busy day with getting some allergy testing done for Reed. Note to self - always bring Kieran along to entertain Reed - this made the appointment go so much more smoothly!!! After the tests were complete we met up with the Nenadovs for a much overdue playdate. The kids got along great (except for some arguments over hide and seek rules) and Heidi and I got to catch up. We rounded out the day with a final swim lesson for the year. They boys did amazing this year, learning the basics for all four strokes and improving a ton. Of course they are still in love with Morgan and are sad when they don't get to see her as much once lessons are wrapped up.

Auntie M and I decided we needed to get the boys all together for a play date before baby #3 arrived. She also needed to get out of the house because Kevin was gone for the weekend. We met up at a play place in Kingsburg and the boys had a great time playing together. They are definitely boys and a bit rowdy compared to some of the much sweeter girls playing! I also managed to finish Baby #3's quilt and surprised Auntie M by giving it to her before his arrival.

After a successful hike a few weeks before, Grandma and Grandpa asked if we wanted to go again. This time we went off trail and had to fight a marshy area filled with mosquitos and a few streams but Grandpa made a game out of looking for the metal markers that were on a bunch of the trees and the boys once again had a great time.

Sprinkled in during the month were a bunch of other random happenings - pasta making, checking on our fruit in local grocery stores, making smores around our fire pit, working in the garden, and going to a Fresno Foxes soccer game.