Cooneybits – Enjoy!
The kids still smile, laugh and continue their antics. Fighting still occurs daily, but I pray for more patience to deal with these situations.
Mike: Still working for Peter Whitehead Builders. Spent this past year working again at Highlawn Farm renovating some old farm houses but is now in Becket leading the build of a guest house. The job is 1/2 hour away, and after 6 years of him working 5 minutes away, it has been an adjustment. He just finished his hunting week…his favorite time of the year.
Christine/Me: Still working for Studio Two 20+ hours per week in personal time. Strangely, though the kids have gotten older, this has become more difficult instead of easier. I now go in two mornings a week while Seamus is at Pre-school.
Isabelle (8 1/2 years):
- Grade: Third grade
- Reading, reading READING!
- Loves getting together with friends
- Dress-up; putting on make-up;
- plays with American girl doll or barbies
- happy, skipping, exhuberant about most things
- Activities include: soccer, skiing, t-ball etc. – hoping for gymnastics or ballet.
- Still learning swimming
- Big teeth coming in…she had to get a palette spreader this past fall for top and bottom of mouth. She has handled this so WELL.
- Piano Lessons?
- Isabelle made her First Communion this past year and was in a ballet show as a rainbow fish!
Jack (6 1/2 years):
- Grade: 1st Grade
- LOVES reading, though has moved from chapter books into comic books. A few months back he read a book that gave him severe nightmares and he’s hesitant to read anything fantasy, serious, etc.
- LOVES puzzles, card games, chess, word games and crossword puzzles
- enthusiastic, expressive, passionate about all things
- loves all sports
- Activities include: soccer, basketball, skiing, t-ball; and chess etc.
- Still learning swimming…he’s afraid to put head under water.
- lost top and bottom front teeth.
- 1st grade has been a huge adjustment
- Jack has been experiencing severe headaches this past year. The doctor is thinking it may be migraines (like Mike’s dad), but we’re seeing a specialist next month for testing.
- Piano Lessons?
Seamus (3 1/2 years):
- Grade: Pre-School (3 mornings, two hours each) at Morris. Jack and Bella wait in room in the morning because he starts earlier. He LOVES that.
- Loves playing with Jack especially (because he acts crazy), but will now play often with Isabelle. They are fast becoming friends
- LOVES to make Jack and Isabelle laugh. He’ll do or say anything to make them laugh.
- Sentences really coming along
- Smart as a whip, like his siblings
- He’s so like Jack, but he really is a different type of little person. His personality is really coming out and it’s beautiful.
- A happy boy, especially when we are all together (of course he also has WILD tantrums)
- Shy if he knows he’s the center of attention.
- He has dimples and the greatest smile (brown eyes and hair)
- He loves to follow me around the house, or Daddy when home, or best “JACKO” if he’s around.
- Being at school he’s really come into his own. Now he’ll also play by himself and ‘enact’ little situations. Like last night he played in the sink for an hour with a few animals and water. He talked and talked and acted out situations. So cute. Playing with kids his own age has really helped for this side of his personality to come out.
- Still takes nap in afternoon
- Two days ago we took off a side of his crib (yes, he was still in a crib). I was extremely sad, but he was psyched to have a ‘new’ bed. At least now we can snuggle with him.
Activities for September-December 2012:
September: 1st grade for Jack and Third grade for Isabelle, and Seamus Pre-School; Columbia County Fair with the Loves, Apple Squeeze, Soccer Wednesday afternoons; mike redoing our addition room; walks around town; staying at the cottage; BrockTrot and Isabelle and Jack’s 2nd race (WE WERE SO PROUD!!!! Isabelle came in 21st out of 60!); raking and cleanup at the cottage; Isabelle gets her palette spreader; Monarch butterfly hunting; planning of Christmas card.
October: Berkshire botanical garden fair; picking apples at Bartletts; soccer; hike at Bird Sanctuary; halloween parade and trick or treating; playing and eating snow
November: hike to Monks pnd; Mom coming back from Johns; Thanksgiving and visiting with family; Seamus’ Thanksgiving feast at school; haybale jumping in Richmond; Mike hunting at cabin; visit to Wards; First snowfall.
December: decorating, decorating decorating; cutting down tree and decorating; making cookies/drinking eggnog; holiday cheer; dinner in the dining room and a fire; and LOTS of singing.