The Joy of Motherhood (It's Back)!

This summer, if you recall from my previous posts, was fairly bad on the coping with motherhood scale. The boys fought all day over the same toys, and Tommy seemed especially intent on doing the opposite of what I asked of him. 

This weekend though, watching them play in the leaves, I can hardly contain my enthusiasm at the difference in my kids that just a few months of school has brought about. At Tommy's parent/teacher conference Friday, his teachers had only the best things to say about him.  And, (are you sitting?) not a single tantrum. I am so, so proud of Tommy.  He is starting to look so grown-up these days, and I know my snuggle time with him will be over before I realize what happened.  He insists on holding my hand each morning we walk P to the bus, and I gladly let him. 

Patrick loves school. The girls love Patrick. At his school's open house last week, Tom and I were perplexed by the number of girls (and not just kindergarten) who ran up to hug him.  When we asked how he knows them all, he just shrugs his shoulders.  He comes home from school and sets himself up immediately at the kitchen table to do an hour or more of homework. That would be self-imposed homework.  He practices his letters, tries to spell out words (he got box all byhimself), and writes in his notebook.

This was a page he completed today, and below is one of his self portraits.

P started CCD this year too, so we haven't added many outside activities this fall.  Having her brothers around makes Kaya happy.  And me? My sanity has returned, and I feel like I can enjoy fall and all it has to bring.