The stockings were hung...

This story is so...Tyler. Okay, so a few years ago I sewed stockings for the whole family. They're nothing special, but they all match and didn't cost me a fortune, so I'm pretty happy with them. This is what they look like:

Ah, but yes, if you look closely enough you will notice one of these things is not like the others. Yep. That's right. That one...with Tyler's name written on it in black permanent marker.

Last year after the stockings were hung, I was walking past and noticed that something was different. When I looked closely and saw what Tyler had done, I was soooo angry. When I asked him about it he said he just thought it would be helpful for Santa to know which stocking was his. This is just so typical Tyler. He didn't do it just to be naughty or to make me mad. He genuinely had a good reason for doing what he did. I couldn't stay mad. I simply flipped all the stockings around- problem solved.

Well, this year as I got out the stockings, I noticed the one with Tyler's name on it and I kind of got mad all over again and then laughed a little at the whole memory of it. No longer than 30 seconds later, Tyler walked past the room and pointed to the stockings and said, "Hey, do you want me to put every one's names on those so that Santa knows whose is whose?"

I about fell over laughing so hard. At lease a year later he has the sense to ask first before tagging things with permanent marker!

...And the point was well taken. I will head to the craft store to look for some fun iron-ons or fabric paint to make them all different. Maybe I'll put Tyler in charge.

Mini Bob

It turns out that not only was Robby named after his grandpa (my dad), but he also just so happened to inherit one of grandpa's biggest weaknesses: being EXTREMELY ticklish under his chin. When I was younger our family would have wrestling/tickling matches. If one of us kids wanted to completely paralyze my dad and make him defenseless, all we had to do was tickle him in his neck. Done. He'd become a laughing, squawking, gasping mess with his chin tucked down trying with any ounce of remaining energy to defend himself.

Robby is exactly the same way. All it takes is one wiggly finger being poked into his chin and he can barely breathe because he's laughing so hard. Well, this becomes a problem when we're trying to get his helmet on to ride his bike. The minute my fingers come near his neck to try to get the buckle and chin strap under his chin, he starts thrashing and laughing and even drooling. Every time. And I think it's funny every time. See for yourself.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was fantastic! We started the day off by participating in our neighborhood turkey trot. My friend Tiffany has hosted this event for two years now and I give it two thumbs up! Our family participated in the one mile fun run together (Gus in the running stroller). It was the perfect way to start the day. The weather was perfect and it was fun to do something active with lots of our friends and neighbors.

After the run, it was time to start preparations for the big meal. A few days prior to Thanksgiving I was at the store and picked up a flavor injector for the turkey. Robby saw it and asked what it was. I told him it was so I could give the turkey shots. His eyes lit up and he said, "just like me!" And so Robby got to be the official turkey poker.

Tyler was also a great help. He peeled all the potatoes all by himself.

This year was the first time in a long time that we haven't had out of town visitors for Thanksgiving, but it's also the first year that we have actually had the opportunity to live close to family. We were so glad to spend this holiday with John's brother and his family (they live only 15 minutes away). Unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures. I suppose I was too busy palying and eating! The kids had so much fun playing together and I certainly appreciated the help with the food. It was a very relaxing and nice way to spend the holiday with those we love.

During the Thanksgiving break we also decorated the tree, went out to dinner, and went to see a movie. The cousins were kind enough to let us borrow their Kinnect for a few days so we also spent some fun times playing that (a huge hit with Tyler). ...and we made sure there was plenty of time for this

Goodness me, Gus turns three!

I'm a little embarrassed by this, which is why I've never mentioned it on this blog, but Robby's nickname is Gus. I'm embarrassed for a couple reasons. First, I'm embarrassed because Gus isn't exactly a great name. It's kind of ugly. And secondly, I'm embarrassed because of how he got that nickname. When he was a newborn, he wasn't exactly a pleasant, happy baby. He was quite fussy and so he started out as "Grumpy Gus," and now Gus has just kind of stuck with him. Gus, Gussie, Gussers, Gus Gus...Yep. That's what we call this cute little man.

So there you have it. Gus is out.

AND it just so happens that he turned three last week! Yep. Gus had a birthday and we celebrated Buzz Wackyear style (that's how Robby says Buzz Lightyear).

His favorite present was this Buzz scooter. Neither of the boys have a scooter (I guess we like to invest in bikes around these parts more than scooters), so they borrow the neighbors' scooters all the time. Every chance Robby gets he rides his friends' scooters and he loves it!
So now he has one of his own and he is so cute scootn' around the driveway and garage on that thing.

This is my favorite age (I felt the same when Tyler was three). I love listening to what he has to say, as well as how he says it. Our lunchtime conversations with just the two of us are always a delight. I feel so blessed to have some good one on one time with him every day.
Robby is such a happy, sweet, tender boy. He has a few friends that he just loves and genuinely cares for. He gets super excited over little things and when he does his voice squeaks and goes like three octaves higher. He loves his big "bwuver, Ty-wer" and wants to play with him all the time. He melts my heart when I kiss him goodnight and tell him I love him and he replies, "I wuv you too mommy" every night. He loves to sing and remembers the words to songs very quickly. He likes cuddling and he loves to run fast.

We sure do love our little Gussers and we're glad he had a happy birthday!

Halloween

Here's the Halloween run-down:

Robby went to a Halloween party with some of his best pals. They were so adorable! The kids had the best time playing some really great Halloween games and activities. I loved watching him play and interact with his cute friends. He seriously had the best time!

Robby and I did a little pumpkin carving.

Tyler on the other hand, decided that this year he wanted to make this paper plate skeleton instead of carving a pumpkin. I think it turned out pretty cute.

For dinner, we made mummy hot dogs.

And then it was time to hit the streets.

We took a little break to ride on the hay ride through the neighborhood.

Of course, the boys had to check out how they did afterward.

A few days after Halloween, we took some of our candy (the junky stuff) and did some science experiments. We separated it out into a cupcake tin and tried to guess which ones would melt the fastest and which ones, if any wouldn't melt at all. I think Tyler had fun and I sure enjoyed getting rid of some of that candy! (and if you look closely in the foreground of the picture you can see the top of a vial of insulin. Yep. That's about how it goes in this house)

We rocked the walk!

I'm slow to update this blog, but I wanted to post a few pics from our JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, even though it was a few weeks ago.

But first, thanks to everyone for your support. We surpassed our fundraising goal and are so very grateful for family and friends who donated to our cause. Our Chick-fil-A event was also a huge success. It was so great to see so many people come out to show their love and support for little Robby. I was truly touched.

The actual walk was great. Tyler was given my Garmin watch and foot pod and was in charge of tracking our pace and distance. I think it kept him engaged and entertained. Robby rode most of the way in the wagon and seemed to be content to take it all in.

3/4 of the way through the walk, the boys found this tree with all it's horizontal limbs and just couldn't resist, so we climbed trees for about 15 minutes, which was fine by us. At about that same time we met up with our friends, the Porters, who also have a son with Type 1 Diabetes.

It was nice to spend some time walking with them. Quinten was very cute to Robby. I could tell that he understood and appreciated the bond that they share and I'm sure he feels proud to be a positive role model for Robby. I love how cute he is trying to crouch down in the picture to be right next to Robby. Sweet. Toward the end of the walk, I saw two little babies (each one no older than 10-12 months old), one had a back pack strapped to his tiny little back which held his insulin pump and the other had a pocket sewn directly onto the back of her little onesie to hold hers. My heart sank. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to manage this disease in an infant that young. I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I considered the constant worry those mothers face all day, every day. It really hit home and reminded me why we were all out there walking that morning.

Again, thanks for your support. It was an awesome experience.

Dump trucks, dirt, and superheroes

How on earth did I get so lucky to have this much cuteness in my life!?!

In case you're wondering, there is still time to donate to the Walk for a Cure on behalf of this darling little dude. Visit our website at www2.jdrf.org/goto/teamrobby.

*We recognize that the website has a minimum $25 donation requirement, but if you'd like to donate an amount smaller than $25, feel free to send a check to our home address. Make checks payable to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (or JDRF). We will be able to submit those on the day of the event.

Thanks again everyone! We're getting excited for our walk!

Ty's tri

Yep. Tyler got in on the action this summer too! Every year our community hosts a running event that benefits our community storehouse. They have a fun run and a 5K. Several schools in the community compete to see who has the most number of participants, so it is pretty widely advertised and promoted at the school level. After hearing about the run for a few weeks at school, Tyler came home and told me he wanted to do it.

Now let me say here, Tyler hates running. We have never pushed him into this kind of thing because in the past, he has told us how much he doesn't like running and we completely respect that. He likes other sports and outdoor activities and he's an active kid, so we've never really pushed him into running. So after his persistence in asking to do the run, we figured, why not? We would happily support his desires to give it a try. To be honest, we were just hoping he'd have a good time. Sure enough, he had a great time and surprised us all by running the entire mile without stopping. I think he really enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment and of doing something that is difficult for him.

Here are my two handsome finishers...all smiles!

A few weeks later we learned of a kids triathlon being held in our area. When we told Tyler about it, he was all kinds of excited, especially after having had success at such an event and having just watched my triathlon experience (along with all of John's tri training as well).

The event was perfect for him. He still qualified for the youngest age group (4-6 years old), which would mean his tri course would be very easy for him to accomplish and since our main goal was for him to have fun and feel successful, that was important. At packet pick up, Tyler was very excited to get all of his numbers for his helmet, bike and shirt. And John and I laughed at the fact that we had to buy him a USAT (USA Triathlon) license and we wondered if we could get a family pass next time since three of us are now licensed.

The night before the event, Tyler and John very excitedly got all the stuff gathered and ready and then John took a moment to go over the event with Tyler. Here they are looking at the map and discussing transitions and rules. They were so cute.

The big day arrived and Tyler was ready. He woke up bright and early...and very excited. I have to say that this whole thing put the biggest smile on my face. Seeing all those little kiddos all lined up and waiting their turn to start was beyond cute (keep in mind, some of these kids are only 4 years old)! This event was so well organized and both parent and kid friendly. For Tyler's age group, almost anything goes. The kids were allowed to use life jackets, fins, or the help of the lifeguard (there was one for each lane, just in case) to complete their one lap. Yep, that's all he had to do was swim from one side of the pool to the other! I was glad that this would be easy for Tyler and that he would easily feel successful. It was just as much fun watching some of those other darling, little kids with their tiny arms just going as hard as they can in the water and their big goggles propped on their tiny faces. I loved how they each had a lifeguard coaching them along and helping for those little ones who needed it. They were adorable!

Here is Tyler all set to go! (He decided that he wanted to use his fins for this. I think it just helped take the edge off his nerves knowing he would get to the other side really quick with them on). Oh, and don't you love how they even ink the numbers on their arms and legs just like the real deal? Ty thought that was pretty cool.

After the swim, he set off for the bike. Like I said, this event was very parent friendly and one parent was allowed into the transition area to help. Thank heavens because most of these kids can't even tie their own shoes! In fact, the transition area was pretty fun to watch. Where normally you'd see rows and rows of expensive bikes and equipment, this time you see rows and rows of bikes decorated with cartoon characters like Lightning McQueen and Barbie and even lots of training wheels! It was very cute.

The bike was the one part Tyler felt the most confident in. He loves riding and knows he can go fast. I was mostly worried about crashes. Can you imagine sending 50 4-6 year olds out on a one mile bike race?!? But again, it was so well organized, and they had volunteers stationed every 50 feet or so to help out. Tyler finished the bike rather quickly and he told us later that he passed most of the other kids.

And finally, the run. John met up with him and helped him finish the run. Again, I was so impressed with this event. Even the finish line was awesome. They had an official race announcer that announced each participant as he/she finished along with music and other race commentary that was typically quite upbeat and funny. And even a race arch that each finisher got to pass under.

I was so proud of him for attempting something that appeared to him to be difficult and I'm so thrilled that he felt happy and successful. He sure is a cutie!

I had to give it a "tri"

Several weeks ago, I competed in my first triathlon. I knew I could handle the run and bike portion of it, but the swim...no way. So at the beginning of the summer John volunteered to teach me to swim. I figured he'd just show me a few pointers over at the neighborhood pool and I'd just kind of suffer through the swim with a combination of what he taught me, the back stroke, and a bit of dog paddling and call it good.

Lucky for me, my husband saw it differently. He signed me up at the gym under his membership for the summer so that I would have access to a lap pool and he agreed to be my swim coach. I love that from the very beginning, he believed in me more than I did (he always does).

I'd have to say that that is what I enjoyed most about this whole experience. I loved learning something new and feeling successful at it. I went from barely being able to make it across the pool to being able to swim laps for 30 min! I love that I now have a new sport that I enjoy and a new skill that I can improve.

And so I spent the summer juggling my training between three sports instead of just one, which actually proved to be an interesting problem in resource management (time and energy). It was also an interesting logistics problem in that John is doing the same (only on a much, much larger scale-more on that later). Each week we'd coordinate our weekly training schedules and even worked it out to where we spent many mornings biking on our trainers in the garage together.

The training went fine, but there was one glitch in the whole plan- the HEAT! As I mentioned in my last post, this was the hottest summer in Texas history. There were days where our overnight lows didn't dip below 85 degrees. So when I discovered that the event didn't even start until 9:00am, I was deflated. By the time I would start my run it would be fast approaching the low 100's.

Well wouldn't you know it, the night before the event, a cold front moved in and for the first time all summer, our temps were not expected to reach the 100 degree mark! I was shocked to leave my house that morning and realize that I was unprepared for this weather. I hadn't in my wildest dreams thought I was going to be cold the morning of the event, but I was indeed freezing! In fact, as I arrived at the transition area to get set up, I had to call John to tell him to bring jackets for the boys. We had literally planned for the day to be sweltering hot with hats, shade umbrellas, frozen water bottles, etc. Who knew we were going to need jackets!?! (and the funny thing is, we had two days of glorious, lovely weather and then it heated right back up- I so lucked out on this one!)

With the cooler weather, I was stoked. I knew the wind was going to be a much bigger factor on the bike, but I didn't mind that as much as I would have minded the heat. Overall, everything went well. I was more than a bit nervous before the race started as I looked around and realized that the field of participants was a little more aggressive than I had expected. Not too many people looked like first timers like me! My swim time was a whole minute slower than I had anticipated, but that's okay. I learned what I would do differently next time (I started with slower swimmers and had a difficult time passing in the lanes). The bike and run went fine- Again, I learned a few things along the way that I would do differently, but overall I was pleased with my performance. I have to say, I used to think that triathlons were like exercise ADD because I'm used to doing one thing for a really long distance, but I can honestly say I loved it. It's very dynamic and exciting with all three sports in one event. I love how mentally engaging it is with all that is involved- especially the transitions and all that goes into making them smooth. It was a blast! So, yes, I loved it and yes, I will totally do it again.

Summer's over...THANK HEAVENS!

This summer was definitely one for the record books...literally. It was the hottest summer on record here in Texas. We had 70 days of temperatures at or above 100 degrees. And when I say above 100 degrees, I mean like 108-110 (which is not normal for us). We also haven't seen much rain. I think we went over 6 or 7 weeks without rain. There were days when we'd even just hope for a cloud or two just to give us some relief from the sun. It also didn't cool down much at night. Needless to say, it was a pretty miserable summer. Our AC and water bill are higher than they have ever been and the landscaper around these parts is looking mighty brown and sad.

I'm glad it's over. Here are a few pics and tips on how to stay cool (in case you ever need to know):

1. Choose a house right next to the neighborhood pool.

2. Go there often, but only go before 10 or 11am, after that the pool water just feels like nasty warm bath water and you will literally melt on the short walk home.

3. Take your whole family there and get as soaked as possible.

4. Bring your friends with you...especially if they bring donuts :)

5. Teach your children how to help keep YOU cool.

6. Lay in front of the industrial sized fan with the air blowing up your shirt. 7. When all else fails, freeze a bunch of toys in containers in your freezer, unload your ice cube compartment, and play with ice cubes (this activity may only last a few short moments, but it will keep you cool if you pile them in your lap or down your shirt).
We're so glad summer is over.

Oh, and here is a video of Robby trying to swim. He seriously swam laps across the pool steps. We'd have to make him stop and take breaks in betweeen laps. I love his little arms that flap like crazy!

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

See that little guy on the far right with the blond, fluffy hair? Yep. That one. He needs a cure. He is a brave little boy and has endured well all that diabetes has thrown his way. But we are hopeful. For the first time, scientists are predicting that a cure is achievable during his lifetime. So I will hang on to hope and I'll do my part to bring that cure to my little boy.

The juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the worldwide leader in funding research for type 1 diabetes. I strongly believe that when a cure is found, JDRF will have played a major role in that process. We love JDRF, their mission, and the support we've already received from their outreach programs.

On October 22, our family will be participating in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. We'd like to ask for your support in our fundraising efforts for this event. There are two ways you can donate to team Robby:

1. Go to www2.jdrf.org/goto/teamrobby. Click on donate to this team or donate to a walker- it all goes to the same place (I'll leave a link on my sidebar).

or

2. Join us for dinner at the Keller Chick-fil-a (Alliance Town Center) on Monday, October 3rd from 5-8pm. Order dinner and mention that you're supporting Team Robby and a portion of the proceeds from your meal will go directly toward our goal. We'd love to see you there!

Thanks again everyone for your support and generosity!

My thoughts on open adoption...continued

(this is the rest of a story that was started in the previous post)

And so it was. I sent out an email to Tyler's birth mother asking her if she'd like to meet us for lunch. It was short notice since we would only be in Utah for another week and I felt so bad about kind of springing it on her like that. Keep in mind that this would be the first time she's seen Tyler since she so tenderly placed him in our arms over six years ago. For us adults, these types of things take time to process! I realized that this was a lot to ask. I also felt bad that because I had been slow to act on those promptings, John wouldn't be able to join us. He had to return to Texas for work. He was quite disappointed about that, but we both felt like we should move ahead with our plans, for Tyler's sake.


I received a quick response from Ty's birth mom (we'll call her J). She was willing and excited to meet with us, even though it was short notice! Later she would tell me basically that she trusted John and I and knew that if we felt like it was a good thing for Tyler, then she wanted it for him too. Amazing. I think it is safe to say that we all want what is best for Ty- his needs and wants in this whole adoption are our top priority.


We arranged to meet at a park near her work during her lunch break. When I told Tyler the news, he was very excited and then told his grandma and grandpa that he was going to meet his birth mom the next day, and then he added "because I've never met her and I don't know what she looks like." He was so sweet, excited and matter of fact.


I won't go into all the details of our meeting because some things are just special and private. But it was awesome. I think we were all nervous at first, but probably Tyler least of all. He wasn't the least bit focused on internalizing the whole situation (just how I wanted it). The boys sat and ate their lunches on a park bench, which was perfect because it kept them sitting and engaged. She asked him questions, he told her stories and details from his little six year old life, we took a few pictures, and then the boys went and played on the playground while J and I sat on a bench and chatted for a few more minutes. It was fun to ask her questions like "so who do you think he looks like?" and "where does he get that thick hair?!" -details that will be fun to share with him someday when he's older and actually understands genetics (although the pictures will speak for themselves. He looks just like her!).


And with that, we said our good-byes, gave a few last hugs, and that was it. It was short, simple, and perfect. As we drove away Tyler said to me, "So THAT'S what she looks like!" I think that one statement sums up exactly what I had hoped to accomplish that day- to clarify and remove any questions that he had in his little mind...and that seemed to be the only one!


As for me, this brief meeting allowed me one more opportunity to thank the woman with whom our hearts are eternally linked. I can't tell you how happy it made me to see her again, and to see her happy and doing so well. She is my hero. I am humbled each time I ponder the sacred role she played in bringing Tyler to us.


As I hugged J one last time, I whispered thank you in her ear. But it wasn't just thank you for being so gracious and meeting with us today. It wasn't even thank you for taking time away from your work and your busy schedule. It also wasn't simply thank you for staying in touch, even if at times it might have been difficult and painful. My thank you to her was so much more than all of that. It was thank you for bringing the most precious gift into our lives over six years ago. Thank you for making our family whole and complete. Thank you for granting me the greatest desire of my heart- to become a mother. Thank you for showing me the true meaning of sacrifice and selflessness. Thank you for showing me what true love looks like. Thank you for being strong and courageous in the face of heartache and agony. Thank you for the joy you have brought to our lives. Thank you.

My thoughts on open adoption

I've debated whether or not I wanted to share the experiences and thoughts from this post, but since I've always felt strongly about promoting adoption, I decided to go ahead. I also wanted to clarify what open adoption is and possibly shed some light on why I think it is such a healthy, positive thing.

As many of you know, Tyler's adoption is an open adoption. That can mean a lot of things these days. In our case, it's definition and boundaries have evolved over time. We went into our adoption experience knowing that we agreed to and that we desired an open adoption. At that time, it meant that we would have contact with the birth mom before, during, and after placement, but all communication would go through our case worker and our adoption agency (LDS Family Services) and that the frequency and type of communication would be decided between us and the birth mother. We met Tyler's birth mom shortly after she selected us and a few short months before he was born. That meeting was sacred and wonderful. Words can not describe it. After that, we corresponded through emails and letters that were sent directly to the agency and then forwarded on to us or her. At the time, we were discouraged to share last names, addresses, etc. We met again on the day of placement at the hospital where Tyler was born. During our trip to Utah, we drove Tyler passed that hospital and re-told him the story about how that was were he spent a few special days with his birth mom- where she loved, cuddled, and held him close before sending him to his family.

After that, our communication continued to go through the LDSFS for a time. And that was fine. I think it helped us define boundaries and begin to feel comfortable in our new roles and relationship. But after a few months, it didn't really fit our needs. The nature of our relationship just naturally progressed into a looser, more relaxed thing. We exchanged email addresses, home addresses, last names, etc (and of course, she reads this blog). It was just easier to keep in touch that way and it just felt right.

We send letters, cards, gifts, pictures and she does the same for Tyler. People ask me all the time what Tyler thinks of that. Well...he's always known he was adopted, so receiving and sending letters and such has never really been out of the ordinary for him. One year as it was approaching Tyler's birthday, he said to me, "Do you think my birth mom will send me a card? She always remembers me on birthdays and holidays!" How great is that?! He knows she remembers him and loves him. To us, it just felt right.

I have always loved that Tyler knows all the pieces to his story. He knows he was adopted, he knows what his birth mother looks like (from pictures), and he knows a little about her from our correspondence. Even though he has all the details, I knew that eventually he would want to meet her...and I wanted that for him too.

I guess I assumed that his desire to meet her would be expressed as he was much older, but as we were planning our recent trip to Utah, he mentioned her name as he was listing off all the family and friends he wanted to visit while we were there. At first I just brushed it off and figured he was listing all the people that he knew who lived in Utah. He brought it up once more, but again in a very casual "by the way" kind of thing. I casually asked him questions about his thoughts, but that was about it. John and I talked about it and then dismissed the idea. Since Tyler didn't bring it up again, I really didn't push the topic.

Several weeks later, and while we were in Utah, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was something we should purse- that it would be a good thing. And when I get a feeling that I just can't shake like that, I tend to perk up and follow those promptings. John and I discussed it and prayed about it, and decided it was the right thing at the right time.

And because I have since been asked countless times WHY we chose to do so, here was our reasoning (but let me assure you, reasoning only accounts for half of why we did it. Those gentle nudgings from a divine source far outweighed any reasoning). I knew that most adopted children at some point or another choose to meet their birth parents. I also knew that the typical age is between 18-24. I suppose in my mind, I didn't want Tyler to be at an age of self discovery, you know, the "who am I?" stage and have to factor in the adoption aspect. I want him to get to that age and already have part of himself figured out. I feel like adolescence is a time in which young adults are trying to put together the puzzle pieces of who they are- trying to fit all the pieces together. I just wanted Tyler to have all the pieces BEFORE he reached that age. It only seems fair. Plus, as he reaches the age of trying to define himself, he doesn't have to wonder "who am I? who is my birth mom? what does she look like? Who do I look like? should I meet her?" Or when someone asks him "do you ever want to meet your birth mom?" He can respond confidently, "I already have and if I'd like to again, I'm sure I could."

All those thoughts, coupled with my confidence in Tyler's understanding of adoption and his positive feelings about it, we decided it would be a good thing to do. I also knew that while Tyler is still young, he won't over-think, over-analyze, or over-process the whole experience. It would be a simple, innocent meeting.

First day of first grade

Last week Tyler started first grade. My goodness, does he every look grown up in this picture! My heart was still so sad to send him off that first day (and every day since), but at least this year I was less anxious for him and less fearful of the unknown. But most of all, I feel that this year he is much more ready to be in school a full day. I really hated full day kindergarten, and felt like kids that age weren't really ready to be away from home for that many hours.

That first day was full of first day jitters and excitement. After school, Tyler told me that after I left him in his classroom (only a few seconds after this picture was taken), he said he really wanted to cry. I told him that I did too. And hearing him tell me this made me want to cry even more.

But, we all made it through that first day, and that is cause for celebration- a "first day hooray!" party.

Complete with a trip to the ice cream shop!