September has been filled with all of these moments-- school routines, ballet, piano, Girl Scouts, soccer, reading, exploring. I blink, and it's the end of the week. I blink, and Cameron has learned heaps of new information. I blink, and Sophie is a kid. A real-life kid!
Sophie reads. ALL. THE. TIME. Everywhere.
Days are filled with silliness, too.
Sophie's school photo. This beauty turns 6 next month.
This stud doesn't turn 6 next month.
Nothing beats family.
Nothing beats an impromptu road trip to a weird farm/zoo/exotic animal location.
I feel like we have been earning our patches as parents this month. The transition to Kindergarten has brought with it a whole host of decisions and discussions that we hadn't anticipated. Our goal is to raise a well-rounded, well-adjusted, joyful, thoughtful, and confident little girl whose amazing gifts are nurtured and supported. Sophie is so bright, observant, reflective, and sensitive. We are proud of whom she has become and whom she continues to become. As a baby, Sophie's needs were so simple: be fed, clothed, changed. When she was upset, it was simple to fix. Her needs were tangible and clear-cut. That's not the case now. Now, as a legitimate kid, Sophie, (like all other human beings!!) encounters different challenges whose answers are not as straightforward. I wanted to vaguely document this on the blog so that years from now, when Doug and I are struggling with even more significant or major parenting dilemmas, we read this to remind ourselves that there is JOY IN THE JOURNEY and to remind ourselves that we are so lucky to have such a smart, talented, and sweet little girl.
Cameron is Cameron. Joyful. Surprising. Kind. Dramatic. Confident. He has risen to the occasion as a student, as a friend, as a brother, as a frequent visitor to the Elementary School. He has befriended three grandmas who happen to each have granddaughters in Sophie's class. Every day at pick up, Cameron schmoozes with these grandmas. He calls them by first name-- "Mary, this is my helmet. Janet, Mommy and I went to Hobby Lobby." He runs up to Sophie's teacher and tells her stories about what he has learned at school. He shows off his new orange bike to every neighbor. If I could break off a piece of his confidence and spread the wealth with other members of the Whitfield family, we would all be set! His newest habit is saying comments like "This is the worst day ever!" or "You are the worst parents I ever had" or "This is the best minute of my life!" His responses to trivial situations with such dramatic statements always make us laugh. He brings an energy to our home that is indescribable. We all need a little-Cameron in our lives.
Now on to October!
