School Begins!!!

Another school year has begun and it was a BIG one for the Hopes!!!! Andi started kindergarten, Riley started high school, and Craig began 2nd grade! Here is Andi with her very very best friend Emylie Stoker!! Prayers have been answered - we were able to move in across the street from Emylie (they have been best friends for a couple of years now; this was a true blessing for those little girls and their mothers) and luck of all luck; they are in the same kindergarten class!!!!! School has been a dream come true for Andi - she has spent her entire life trying to catch up with her older brother. The day I explained she would never catch up to Craig (she was sure if she just tried hard enough she would be the same age as him someday) she cried the angriest little tears! School has completely validated her position as a "big girl" and she is as happy as can be! I LOVE her teacher and I am grateful for all her hard work! Andi is eating up like candy - I just hope her love of school continues throughout her education. I love you sweet little girl!

No, that is not a photograph smudge! The Sat before school started at Riley's first cross country meet; Andi feel directly on her face and lost nose skin! The wound actually looked worse in person but she was still as cute as can be on her first day!

Craig looks very joyful but don't let is deceive you! When I went in to wake him up, I said, "Time to get up baby boy, it's the first day of school." Craig's reply, "I wish it wasn't." Craig is not a fan of school. It started in kindergarten, crying and not wanting to go. He didn't cry during 1st grade but he sure was happy every Sat!!! This notion baffles me! As a person who loved school I simply can't relate! He is a sweet boy though and goes without whining, does his homework, almost always gets green frogs and is meticulous with his handwriting! BUT, he sure loves 4 day weekends!!! Our school has a behavioral tracking system - each day they color their frog a color; green = wonderful, yellow = warning, orange = loss of 5 min of recess, and red = loss of all of recess, talk w/principle and a note home to parents. Craig always gets green frogs - in all of 1st grade he got maybe 4 yellow frogs for occasionally talking too much or giggling. He came home last week with an orange frog!!! What the what? There was a note informing me he had hit a boy during recess. The story - apparently a little boy was chasing Andi, Andi was upset by this activity, Craig served as protector and hit the little boy and told him to leave his sister alone. I actually had a hard time being upset with him! I have been working to foster an "older brother/protective" role for him with his little sister. Craig has always been the best of my children at being happy for others, encouraging, and kind but there was also the "older brother/torture"element going on too. It has really warmed my heart watching him take to his role so wonderfully! He has been charged with walking Andi home from school each day. She waits for him at the door and they walk home together. He doesn't go with his friends, she doesn't walk with Emylie - they walk together; occasionally holding hands. It is about the cutest thing you have ever seen! Across the board I have seen an almost complete lack of torturing on his part - now we just need to teach her to quit pestering him :( We had a talk about not hitting, talking to a teacher if there was a problem but in the end I gave him a hug and told him that although he made a poor choice, I was proud of him for taking care of his sister!

Now for miss Riley - this is a "Mom, really? Aren't I too big for a first day of school picture?" The answer to that is NEVER - I will be following you to college and taking your picture from the bushes! It is crazy to me that my little girl is in High School!! She is now a Centennial Patriot and a darn cute one at that!! She is doing amazing in cross country!! She has been one of the top two runners on the JV team and two weeks ago was put on the Varsity team!! I am so proud of and amazed by her - she ran 7.5 miles the other day just for fun! She is now immersed in the world of football games, seminary, homecoming, etc. etc. At this very moment in time she is at a dance with the rest of her giggly friends! I am very grateful for the group of friends Riley has! They are a good bunch of girls and I am glad for the positive influence they are on each other. Riley received her patriarchal blessing last Sunday; between Conference sessions! It was a beautiful blessing - I cried as I listened to the promises my baby girl can receive as she lives a worthy life. I am so proud of the wonderful, thoughtful, funny, enthusiastic, sweet and often silly young woman she is! I am a blessed mother!

Since Cooper was born I have been infused with the desire to enjoy every little moment of his life - every poopy diaper, every late night feeding; I just want to savor every little smile, giggle, and the feel of soft baby fluff hair against my cheek! I have found that in my desire to enjoy the baby; this feeling has overflown onto my other two little ones. I find I have more patience for the small things and hug them just a bit tighter, smell their hair more often, and watch them play a little more! With Riley starting high school - over night trips for cross country meets, senior boys at school, and all the fear of teenage years that I feel ill prepared for; I have felt more anxiety about her and a little less enjoyment! It hit me the other day - I have this all backward!!!!! I have 17.5 years left with Cooper but only four short years left with Riley at home!!! In answer to many prayers regarding how to have a teenage daughter, the answer - enjoy her! May I always take the moments to hug her, smell her, laugh with her, listen to her, and enjoy the amazing person she is growing into!