October 27

Andrew has recovered from the flu, Parker from the croup, and Dylan squeezed by with a mild cold. Troy got the mild cold also, but all in all we got through that batch of sickness without a hitch. This last week we have had such beautiful fall weather. We have tried to take advantage of it as much as possible. We have frequented Blacklick, a local park, and this morning we drove down to Three Creeks Park in Grove City. The fall colors are just amazing.
Andrew is loving school. He had a bit of a rocky start. His teacher had a baby three weeks before school started, so he had two substitutes while waiting for his permanent teacher. I think all of the change was rocking his boat a little, but his teacher is now back, and he loves it. The crossing guard told me that she loves to see Andrew coming as he usually is skipping down the sidewalk.
It’s been quite funny this year to see Andrew let his guard down a bit. Last year he was preoccupied with the rules and making sure that he followed all of them. This year he has ‘broken’ some of them. He told me one day that he brought a toy to school and put it in his desk. When the teacher wasn’t looking, he would put his hands inside his desk to play with it. Then another day he told me how the teacher was giving the class some instructions. When his teacher would turn her back to the class, Andrew would stand up and then quickly sit down before she could see. I loved the look on his face as he was telling me about this, pure triumph.
Parker has continued to do his reading book, and only has 14 more lessons until he has completed it. He is now trying to sound out every sign that we pass, and it is quite funny to hear what he sounds out. He is my little pal, and I am really enjoying having so much time with him during the day. He has a way of keeping me most humble. The other day as I was putting on my makeup, he walked into the bathroom and promptly said, “Well that looks embarrassing!”
The other day he was invited to a friend’s birthday party. This was such a big deal as Andrew has been the only one to be invited to a birthday party so far. The day of the party was a school day, and Parker the whole morning kept reminding Andrew that he was going to a birthday party and Andrew wasn’t.
Dylan is cruising all around now. When he first started walking he would walk with his hands above his head to keep his balance. Now he walks with his hands by his side and it makes him look so much older. It still amazes me how much he understands of what we are saying and how close attention he pays to everything. He follow directions very well, like if we ask if he wants to get in the bath, he will walk into the bathroom and wait patiently as we get him ready. If we ask him if he wants to go to bed, he will find his frog and dog and go to the fridge to get his milk. He loves his brothers and will often try to tackle them if they are ever on the ground.