Quick Takes #183: Life going fast but in a good way

1. Weekend went very well with the kids tolerating all the traffic we hit on our way north, enjoying the hotel but not being too rambunctious. We were really happy to be able to join in on the graduation celebration of young cousins we hadn't seen in too long and the kids did well meeting lots of new relatives. 
2. Capping off Saturday was the chance to go back to the farmhouse where Charlie spend summers growing up (was his grandparent's ~ currently his aunt's) and go for a walk in a nearby state park that he and his family would spend a lot of time in. The weather was great and the kids had a blast. We then took time to watch the Belmont and cheer on the newest Triple Crown winner. After a later start than intended luckily there was little traffic and the kids slept most of the way home.
3. Today is the last day of school for both the bigs! As I look back on the year the biggest change for Lisbeth has to be the shift from non-reader to reader. Somewhere early this spring she had that aha moment where sounding out words cease to be something she resisted and rather became a tool useful towards reading. I've also enjoyed watching her explore and tackle with some ease different number and math concepts.
4. Liam growth during this past year is harder to pin down; he mastered writing his name, recognizes about 10 letters and can mostly count to 20 (usually skips 15-17).  Mostly what I see is someone who has matured into a student ~ who holds a pencil rather than 'fisting' it and now looks at books as something with letters and things to count. The art he brings home is more recognizable and his descriptions reference ideas and concepts learned in school.
5. Caitlin feels much more mischievous a toddler to me than the other two; perhaps memory fades. Also too my child-proofing is not what it was given that I now have older kids for whom markers and other art supplies are appropriate. However Lisbeth's tendency to get absorbed in what she is creating and Caitlin's amazing instinct for finding the unattended marker has twice this week had me cleaning her and the floors of her artistic exploration.  Bad blogger ~ no pictures; sorry!
6. Planning to include the littles while I knock-off two categories of the Modern Mrs Darcy Reading Challenge this summer by reading The Little Prince (a book originally written in another language) and the Wind in the Willows (childhood favorite) to them.
7. Am looking forward to slightly less crazy mornings and less stressful bedtimes but largely I'm looking forward to a chance to get a better glimpse of my munchkins as they race on by.

Please head over to Kelly's for more 7QT's