Zion cracks me up.

I know that all kids say funny things, but I think Zion wins the prize in our family. Instead of yesterday, he says, "last day" and instead of tomorrow, he says, "to morning". Instead of substitute (as in teacher) he says, "Ab-sta-tute" (I guess because she was absent, right?)

So last night he wanted his special blanket before bedtime. I told him to look in the dryer for it. He yells up to me from the laundry room, "it's not in the dryer, it's still in the wetter!"

I hope I always remember how cute he is now, in 10 years when he is 17!

Love you Zy!!
Mommy

a small paper star

No matter how many books you read. You will never be prepared for motherhood. I once read a quote that said, "Becoming a mother means, for the rest of your life, your heart will walk around outside of your body". I think, so far, that is the best quote on motherhood in my opinion.

I picked Zion up from school last week and he had 2 yellow paper stars taped to his shirt. They said, "___________ is a star." and someone had written Zion in the blank.

I asked him about them, and he told me that they had a lesson on respect. What it means to respect someone. Then they had a chance to color stars, add a name to them, and give them to a classmate. He told me all about who gave stars to girls and who he gave stars to. He got stars from Joshua and Leo, but "not any girls".

After we got in the van, Zion pulls out 2 yellow stars for Isaac and "Mickal". I told Zion how proud I was of him for thinking of his brothers, (and then strongly encouraged his brothers to show a little more thankfulness).

And then he says, "I made you one too mom. And daddy. I didn't have enough, so I had to draw it and cut it out, but I colored it purple cause it's your favorite color."

Motherhood is, by far, the hardest thing I have ever tried, (and believe me, I am still trying.......) but it is by far the most rewarding in even the smallest ways.

How many days..........until MY birthday?

Michael and Zion have exactly a month between their birthdays. Michael’s is July 7th, and Zion’s is August 7th. So around the middle of June, Michael starting counting down the days on his calendar. It was a morning breakfast announcement before school each day.

It was only a few mornings until Zion started asking,

“How many days until MY birthday?”

“I don’t know buddy, about 50 I guess” I replied.

And then the questions continued each day. Zion was quick to tell anyone that made eye contact (at Wal-Mart, the commissary or church)…

…“I am 4 ½, it’s ____ days until my birthday! Then I am going to be 5!”

Most people at least smiled and a few would comment on what a big boy he was getting to be. He, of course, was thrilled. To add to the excitement, we went to SeaWorld and he hit the 42 inch mark by the top hair on his head. He glowed and he rode the “BIG BOY RIDES” which included Journey to Atlantis and Shipwreck Rapids.

The bad news is, mom wasn't having such an easy time with her baby boy's transition from pre-schooler to BIG BOY. It made my heart hurt. I didn't have ANY babies. What happened? How did the time pass so quickly?

So on the last night that he was 4, I took this picture. I wanted to remember what he looked like, in the hours before he was 5. Thinking that eventually, having a 5 year old would sink it, and I wouldn't be quite so sad.

He was so happy that TOMORROW he would be 5.

The next morning when I woke him up. I said, "Good morning! Today you are 5!"

He popped out of bed quickly with a questioning look, "Mommy, how many days until I'm 6?"

(photo taken 8-6-2006)

Homeschooling Zion

So I always said I would never home school.....and then I would follow it with a little, unless God told me to. (just to be on the safe side). If you don't think God has a sense of humor, guess what happened??

Yep, he told me to home school Zion. So I researched options and all that, and to make a LONG story short, I ended up with a program called K12. (I love it and you can check it out online http://www.k12.com/)

ANYWHO.......how cute is this little guy?

And I can't believe it, I taught my own kid how to read!

It was VERY exciting! We had so much fun together. Just hanging out, me and my baby boy while his brothers were at school.

So one day I am walking down the hall to the laundry room and I see this on the dry erase board. It was one of those things as a mother that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time. Zion's first official sentence.

"Thornton can not blow a wisool"

He had tried so hard the day before to learn to whistle since his brother could. Is that adorable or what??

(photos taken 3-13-2007)