Noah's turns 12

Noah had a "normal" (pre-covid normal) kind of birthday.  Noah had a really hard time deciding what he wanted to do for his birthday party.  He has 2 groups of friends - neighborhood friends who like to play sports and ward friends who like to play video games.  He decided to combine his friends group and have a "late night".  

He chose chocolate trifle for his birthday cake 

They started the night off by playing kick ball and then had a nerf war and then played video games the rest of the night.   Older kids birthday parties are easy-peasy!

Some great things about Noah right now.

• This may be Noah's best year.  He has loved 7th grade and has transitioned very nicely.  He really likes his teachers and they really love him.  They say that he is so polite and loves to comment and be engaged in class.  He loves learning and on the way home from school talks my ear off about what he learned that day.  His favorite subject and teacher is science.  He works really hard at school and almost always does his assignments at his best.  He gets really into them and will spend hours doing it really well.  
• Noah is figuring out his hobbies and becoming very creative.  Noah cycles through his (non-screen time) hobbies.  He likes to try new things and during that "trial" time he gets really obsessed with it.  Sometimes I hate it but I mostly love it.  He likes to do origami, write comic books. do magic, write stories, and draw.  He really wants to learn how to do animation so he can make his own object-reality show on Youtube.  
• He is my best cleaner and baker.  He has actually become my hardest worker!  He gets his Monday morning jobs done the fastest and the best.  I don't even really have to check him anymore because I know it is always done right.  He started a lawn mowing company this year (handed 10 flyers out in the neighborhood) and made about 100 dollars in one month (he started the second week of August - so their wasn't much mowing left to do).  He wakes up and gets ready for the day, first thing, all on his own. Typically if Noah is going to do something he wants to do it right.
• Noah is very aware of his shortcomings and weaknesses and works diligently and openly to fix them.  Noah has several processes that he has come up with to help him deal with life and he uses them on his own.  IF i go talk to him about hard times he is having he is very aware of what is hard for him and how he is working to overcome it.  He has become very self aware and is good about looking under the main emotion to the underlying problem. 
• Noah is a great cheerleader in our home.  He is always encouraging everyone else - especially with their own creative projects.  He often thinks what other people are doing is "so cool" and he likes to tell them so.  He compliments people a lot.  His teachers have all pointed that out to me - that he is very encouraging to other kids.  He has become friends with this boy at school - Noah gave him the nick name of "Mr. Perfect" because he is god at everything.  Noah often sees the best in people.  

 

First Day of School

It is comical to think that back in March when we went on Spring break there was a chance that we might not go back to school and they talked about having to take an extra week after spring break to let Covid "pass".  The idea that we would not go back to regular school in the fall was not on anybody's radar.  It was around May that talk started circulating that this MIGHT go into the fall.  

Our school district decided to have the kids go back in a hybrid model.  2 days at school, 3 at home.  We also had an option to do 100% virtual school.  I also gave my kids the option to home school.  I let each one of them decide.  They all decided to do hybrid - but "if it is too hard wearing a mask all day then I want to home school."  Homeschooling doesn't scare me.  I have always wanted too, and I was a little heartbroken that none of them chose to home school. But truth be told this ins't my year.  When school started Eve was only 6 weeks old and Dane was 18 months.  Not exactly an easy environment to learn how to home school.  So while i COULD do it, I don't think I SHOULD.  

My kids have been very resilient.  More than I would have been.  They wear masks, only see half their friends, follow all sorts of ridiculous hypocritical rules, and work hard on their assignments.  I have actually quite loved having them home 3 days a week... if it weren't for school.  Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays are SO HARD.  So hard.  I wake up at 6:30 to try and get ahead of the day... spoiler alert - you can't get ahead of your day with 6 kids.  It all just keeps coming.  They all need me, even when they don't think they need me.  But I will be sad when they go back to school.  I would take the hard and them then easier and them gone.  

We had 2 first day's of school.  This was an orientation day.  I am so glad the boys are in middle school together.  It warms my heart knowing they are both there.  Brock is a fabulous older brother to Noah.  

Then the first real day.

Brock and Noah are both in middle school together.  It is wonderful.  They are both doing great.  Especially Noah.  This covid thing is probably better for him- socially.  He has loved middle school and is thriving.  His teachers love him.  They can give him the attention he needs and wants with only 10 kids in the class.

Brock is doing AMAZING.  Things have really clicked for him this year.  He really has gone from a kid to a teenager in all the best ways.  I can't wait to see him grow these next 5 years.  

The picture of Noah was all out of focus.  I am going to take another one... one of these days.

Megan is doing amazing in 5th grade.  She is my dooer.  She does everything, on her own.  She managers her own work and herself wonderfully.  She reads like it is oxygen and we love it. 

Madison won the lottery this year.  She got her favorite teacher and got in the same class AND same cohort as her 3 best friends!  She is pretty lucky.  

These 2 have really become good friends.  Both of them have said to me in private "I am glad we had covid because it brought me and (insert sister's name) closer together.  They sleep in each others beds most nights (something that had NEVER happened before quarantine).  They plan outfits together for the next day, ask each other for advice, and talk about books and school.  I am glad they found each other.

 Yay for the first day of school!!!  8th, 7th, 5th, and 4th.