Erik started first grade this month! We found a great charter school that seemed like a much better fit for him than where he was at last year and so far he loves it. It's crazy to see how big he is!
Having Erik in back in school made me realize how much easier life is with only two kids around most of the day. Just having one less kid to wrangle in the grocery store makes such a big difference! (And it means I can use the cute fire truck shopping carts because there's enough seats for everyone. This also makes shopping much easier.)
It's been fun to see Sharli and Maren becoming buddies now that Sharli doesn't have Erik around to play with all morning. They still have normal sibling squabbles, but they're also learning to enjoy each other too. It gives me hope that someday they might actually be friends!
It's a good thing Maren lets Sharli distract her most of the time, because she's learning to create her own ways to entertain herself, and most of them are NOT Mom approved. Like this day when she learned the value of a step stool and helped herself to the kitchen drawers.
Maren's not the only one coming up with creative ways to entertain herself. Sharli got bored and invented "nose coloring". Oh well, it kept her busy for a very long time.
As cute and fun (and crazy and frustrating) as they all are when they're awake, I still love to watch them sleep. They're so peaceful and sweet. Plus they tend to provide some entertainment for us while lying there unconscious, so it's a win for everyone!
 |
| He had to have the headband that matched his PJ's... |
 |
| She fell asleep sitting up. Good thing her tiger was there to catch her when she fell over. |
 |
| Nap time on top of the bookshelf. Makes perfect sense. |
While this month was pretty low key, we did have some fun visitors! Grandma and Grandpa Richins came with Uncle Heber and hung out for a few days. We really enjoyed having them around! We took them to try out a new ice cream place, and we all loved it!
Grandma Kathleen came to visit a week or two later, and it was so much fun to get to spend some time with her! We met up with cousins and enjoyed the AZ Science Center. It was a fun day and a great chance for the kiddos to enjoy being with their extended family.
