It has been such a long time since I have have written anything. I think that it is time for me to do an update on my kids.
Matthew is 15. He is such a peaceful, fun kid. He wants peace. He brings peace. He also has such a fun, happy-go-lucky personality. He is pretty chill. He does like to text his friends, watch YouTube, and play video games, but I know/hope that he is trying to find a balance. Lately he has been starting to study Portuguese with Tommy on DuoLingo. He loves to squish and hug Carly and give her kisses on her chubby cheeks. He has been putting quite a bit of time into Jiu Jitsu this summer. He teaches a few kids classes to pay for his own classes and does some other work at the gym to earn a bit of spending money. Most evenings he is there for a couple of hours. Recently he competed in his first fight. He did well considering his opponent, and was great at his defense. He avoided three different kinds of submissions. He also earned his blue belt. He finished his first year of high school with straight A’s. We are very proud of him and the kind of person he is.
Jenny Wren has more motivation than I think I have ever had. She has so many projects going that are super productive. She is starting her own baking business to earn money for a new cello. She recently did a bake sale yesterday and sold 10 loaves of cinnamon swirl bread and 1 loaf of whole wheat bread. She is very close to having a website complete to take orders for her business, but is running into a few hitches with the web hosting company. She has recently taken up water color painting and does some breathtaking work. She is an old soul and loves to watch Bob Ross and the Andy Griffeth Show. She listens to the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkle. She doesn’t like the latest fashion, but usually goes for a classic look. She still sews some of her own clothes and is just finishing up a dress. She has been running most mornings this summer to prepare for her cross country season this fall as she begins her high school career.
Lucinda is still a shining light in our home. She has grown up so much in the last year. She helps out so much with Carly and is the first one to save her when she is crying. She is a very social butterfly and loves spending time with her friends. She is getting very good at the piano. She reminds me of myself when I was younger in many ways. She loves to talk. She loves to move, walk, run, jump, and hike. She has a love for poetry and has many poems locked away in her brain. Recently we were having her decide what kind of school she wants to do this fall. Because I loved going to school, I want to make sure she has every opportunity to do things that will help her true self grow. She was adamant that she wants to stay home and homeschool again. He reasons are many, but the main reasons are that she wants to spend more time with her siblings and she loves having flexibility with learning. She is such a good Lucy.
Tommy Boy still has a huge thirst for learning. Just yesterday we were on a walk when he it triggered a memory of a nature walk we went on at the end of last school year. He started talking about how much he loves science and misses school and then asked me how soon school will start again because he loves science! Science is just the beginning, and many times if I have a question about something Tommy has an answer. He is passionate about learning every subject we place in front of him, especially when it involves hands-on or creativity. Programming, music, drawing, making lists, geography, math, reading, history, writing, imagination, and languages are all things that he will spend hours doing. The hard part is keeping ahead of him. He recently volunteered to do a small solo when our family sang in church, and has taken to listening to jazz and opera. His zest for learning and loving is contagious. He also has a lot of empathy for such a small boy and often comforts others.
Taivan has taken to being an older brother like he has always been one. He is a very unselfish boy and will share anything if someone asks. He loves to play games and we have all gotten to be very proficient at UNO and SORRY because of Taivan’s love for games. He finds the beauty and awe in all things nature. He is constantly coming to one of us to show us a new kind of fungus or bird or insect. He loves to go on walks/runs. He really wants to run the free 5K next Independence Day and has started “training” as we go on walks to see how far he can run. He has recently really taken to reading and loves Frog and Toad and Little Critter. He has a very sensitive nature and is full of questions about gospel related topics. He is still a little shy and nervous, but is making huge strides in this area. We were all shocked on the 4th of July when he decided to stand in line and be dunked in the dunk tank!
Carly. She is growing and changing so much every day. Right now her favorite things are peek-a-boo, patty cake, and looking in the mirror at her cute little self. She says “Hi!” and Momma consistently and I am pretty confident she says nah-nah for night night and sometimes she will say Da-da for her Daddy. She understands a lot! Her little personality is starting to shine. She is a little stubborn and independent. She is probably a little spoiled. She has the most bright blue eyes framed with curly eyelashes. She is crawling and curious and is getting into things that are withing her reach. It is hard to baby proof a house with so many people living here! Thankfully we can all help keep an eye on her. I’m excited to see what her future brings.