Ages 4,6,8

For two months each year, I can say that my children are two years apart, and I have to admit, I really like rattling off their ages in multiples of two. This year, we are in the even zone of 4,6,8. I bet I say the same thing every year, but I love their ages right now. We are out of the baby stage, both a relief and bittersweet, at the same time. No more nap schedules to abide by, bedtimes creep towards the later side, and they’re even starting to sleep in- and by sleep in, I mean wake up after 7am. This past weekend, I was admiring them all playing together at the beach, and just couldn’t believe how big they have grown.

Ryder is just back from camp (more on that in a sec), but apart from that, the remainder of the summer plans are loose. The girls are in and out of day camps, but I really just want to enjoy our little random adventures each day. Last weekend was spent at the beach, watching them riding the waves, catching sea creatures, and making sand castles. All this activity, off on their own, made me realize just how mature they are getting.

So back to Ryder’s sleep away camp. In a previous post, I wrote about his first half. In the beginning, he was terribly home sick and upset, begging us to pick him up. But, after a few tears of our own, we remained strong, encouraging him to finish out all three weeks. And, I am so glad we did because when he called us after the 2nd week, he was a totally different kid. He was having fun and making friends. We planned on picking him up last Friday, but we surprised him at a family camp dinner on Thursday evening, and decided to take him home that night. He was super excited to see us, introducing his new friends to his sisters. We discussed his progress with the counselors, and even they noticed how he had matured in such a short period of time. He seemed a little bit taller, more mature for sure, and way smellier than we left him. I was sure his reformed behavior would go out the window once we arrived home, but so far things have been good. I’m happy to say camp was a great thing for him! This September, he will start a new school geared towards his type of learning, and I couldn’t be more excited for him, as this is just another step in the right direction.

Siella took a new spin on day camp this summer, signing up for sewing classes, and she has loved every minute of it. So far, she has made two full outfits, that I was absolutely impressed with. She has unofficially decided she wants to become a fashion designer- oh and a mom too when she grows up. She insisted on signing up for another week, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll make next! In these past two months, I’ve noticed her make great strides. She sprouted, tall and slender before my eyes, and I’ll be forever enamored by her cartwheels and round-offs on the sand. We are working hard on reading skills over these next few weeks, with tutor sessions bi-weekly. First grade kicks off in September, and her baby stage is way back in the rearview mirror.

Gemma continues to make us laugh, on a daily basis. Next year will mark her first full week of school session, and she’s pretty excited about it. She keeps saying she’s going into kindergarten, when it fact its really only Pre-K! I’m not sure if I can handle them all being in school full time next year (insert sad face)! She’s been quite the fish this summer, and swimming almost exclusively without floaties! She’s super proud of herself, and I can tell she has been pushing to be like her big bro and sis!

If our days continue as they have, with an abundance of time on the beach paired with mini adventures, I suspect we are in for a really great summer! The bigs are now asking for surf lessons, so I’m in the process of researching where to catch some waves with an instructor. I may even take a lesson myself! I’ll tell you, I was a little stressed to not have much planned for this summer months, but with a schedule free agenda, I couldn’t be happier.

Here’s to my 4,6, and 8 year olds, and their summer of ’17!