School boys

In that time when the boys were babies up until they were school age, I felt like that time would last forever. We spent all day, every day together. We woke up, ate together, played together, went to the store together, everything together. The only people my kids knew were family members. During that time that was our world, they were mine and I was theirs. All of a sudden in the blink of an eye I was putting Matthew on a school bus. Then before I could get used to that the time came to send Riley off on a school bus too. Now their world has expanded to include teachers and friends, it's not just us anymore. That's a scary thought! So many things change when they start going to school. You learn just how important all the little moments and lessons you taught them really are. I think the boys have definitely adapted better to being school boys than I have!



Matthew has many friends at school and does really well with his school work. I have his school work hanging up in the kitchen. Every time he brings home a great school paper I can't help but to think back to when he was learning to write his name or when he would draw stars all over the wall instead of on paper! He is such a smart kid, and though he rushes through a lot of things, he has a really great work ethic-he understands that practicing makes you better and he has a drive to be in his words "the best, the fastest..." etc. at everything he does.

Riley loves school too, but I won't pretend it doesn't feel good when he some times says that he wants to stay home because he will miss me or when he jumps off the bus and yells "mommy!!!" or tells the teacher that rides with them "my mom is here, there she is!!!" He is always really proud and excited when he brings home his paintings or projects. He surprised us all when he came home writing and spelling his name! Though some times he is shy about it, perhaps the best thing is when he will sing us a song that he learned at school.





Matthew looks so highly annoyed that I'm taking this picture! There they are, my two school boys. Life is certainly different since the days we spent all day together, and though they are growing up so fast and are getting more and more independent, they will both always be my babies, even when they are my age...and something tells me that Matthew will still be making that face from this picture when I tell him so!