Enjoying Togetherness

I think this is such a cute picture. Sam and Jason were both having cereal this morning. 

We made it through the first week of school! Sam is having an amazing time. In the morning at drop off, he waves goodbye and jumps out of the car. Even a year ago, this would have not been the case. He loves both of his teachers so much!

I met 175 new students last week at my job. Another semester brings lots of new adjustments for all the different types of students and personalities in class. It seems I have many first time college students this semester. It's good because they are enthusiastic, but it's difficult because they are trying to figure out how to navigate through all the expectations of being a student. We'll see how it goes. 

Jason now has to drive to Austin on Tuesdays and Thursdays to drop Sam off and then drive all the way to Temple. It's more time in the car for Jason, but so far so good. We are trying to find someone to carpool with from Sam's school, but we haven't found any families that live as far north as Round Rock. We'll keep looking, though. 

Austin Steam Train

To celebrate my dad's birthday last Saturday, we took a trip on the Austin Steam Train's sunset trip. The train started in Cedar Park, stopped briefly in Bertram, and turned around in Burnet. 

Sam was so excited about the train ride. We took the Amtrak to Dallas last November and he loved it, so I knew he would like this trip too. 

He played mostly with Titi (my mom) on the ride. He also enjoyed looking out the window. There wasn't much entertainment on the train, so Sam made his own fun. 

Sam wasn't at all interested in taking pictures on the train. Hopefully my parents got a few good pics on their iPad too. 

First Day of Preschool!

I can't believe Sam is in preschool! Where did the time go?

I was nervous for Sam all day yesterday. It took me all afternoon to prepare his school stuff. He was a little anxious yesterday too. He knew school was coming up, but it's hard for a four year old to know exactly what that means. 

To help Sam prepare for school, I made him a book with pictures from our trips to the school, pictures of his classroom and teachers, and an idea about what his day will be like. The book is called a social story. It helps kids with anxiety to know what to expect in the future. It helps Sam plan his day in his head. 

When he got up this morning, he was a little anxious. He didn't want to get dressed. He got in the car pretty well. When we pulled into the school, he threw his hands into the air and said, "Yay!"  Then he wanted out of the car. He walked up to the front door, he put his school stuff in his classroom, and I walked him to the playground. I gave his a kiss and he said bye. Then he went to play. Wow! I didn't expect him to transition so smoothly!! I really hope he has a good first day!

Meet the teacher picnic

Sam met his teachers and classmates yesterday morning! He was very hesitant at first, but once he walked into his classroom, he really started to enjoy himself. The classroom is set up to help meet sensory needs, so Sam really liked the play dough, sand bin, and the cash register. 

Sam's teacher's name is Ms. Alyssa. The assistant is Ms. Corina. They were both really sweet to Sam. Once he gets used to the schedule, I think he will LOVE it there. 

We were supposed to have a pizza lunch after meet the teacher, but the delivery driver was in an accident and all the pizzas were ruined. So there was a Popsicle lunch instead. 

Four more full days of summer left!

We are on the last days of countdown until summer ends and school begins. Yikes! I have mixed feelings about starting the busy schedules and heavier workloads. 

I'm glad to get back to a regular schedule. I'm glad to have more adult interactions. I'm glad to have some time out of the house. 

I don't look forward to the busy schedule, the difficult students, or the very long days. 

I guess there are benefits and drawbacks to everything. 

We are trying to find lunch ideas for Sam and me to take to school. We've bought cookbooks and made lists. Here's one graphic that I found on FB that looks like a versatile lunch for me. Yum!!

I pray for a smooth semester. Thankfully God is in the smooth semesters and the rocky semesters too!

Trip to the outlet

My parents took Sam back to school shopping last week at the outlet mall. While there, he discovered the moving rides. He loved climbing on the school bus, spaceship, ice cream truck, apple truck, and several others. 

I wanted to take a picture with him, but he wasn't cooperating.

Answered Prayers

Our prayers have been answered today!  Since we decided to move to Round Rock rather than finishing our house being built in Georgetown, we were pretty sure we'd lose all of our deposit on the new house. Since the house is still in the building process, we tried to appeal to the sales manager to get a portion of our $12,000+ deposit back. The sales manager said no. So, Jason contacted the president of our builder and told him about our situation and decision to move closer to Austin. Today the president called Jason. They are refunding our FULL deposit!!!!  It is more than we could ever have hoped for!!! We are so thankful that God softened the president's heart for our cause. So thankful!

Inner Space Caverns

We visited Inner Space this morning. Jason had never toured in the entire time he lived in Georgetown!

I thought it would be cooler down in the cave, but it wasn't. It's a constant 72 with humidity at 95%. We were sweating by the time we got done!  

Sam liked the tour. Even the total darkness!

Growing Garden

My tower garden is still growing like crazy! The lettuce at the top is no longer eatable, but it's fun to see how big it will grow!

We've gotten several cucumbers so far. They aren't bitter at all. I'm picking them when they are small, and they are yummy. 

The basil is growing very well too. I didn't think it was going to make it because the lettuce was hogging the light. Now it looks very happy. 

The tomatoes had a setback a week ago.  I accidentally unplugged the pump in the heat of the day. They got pretty wilted and lost their blooms. More blooms are starting to grow, but the growth is slower because it's SO hot. I would have given up on my soil garden by now if we still lived in the farm because of the heat and water needed. It's nice to still have something producing in August. 

I look forward to a fall garden this year!

School starts soon!

We received Sam's supply list and a note from his teacher in the mail this week. I can't believe it's already time to think about the start of school!  I think it's going to be a really great school for Sam. I hope he transitions smoothly. 

Next weekend there is a parent work day to get the campus ready for the fall. I am looking forward to meeting other families at the school, especially parents of Sam's classmates. I hope we can form some friendships with other parents who have kids with speech delays. It seems like everyone is so busy these days. It's hard to find people willing to take on new friends. It's on God's hands, so we'll have to see how it goes. 

On August 21, there is a picnic to meet the teacher. I think meeting Sam's teacher will help to calm my jitters about Sam going to school 5 days a week. I pray that she will take the time to get to know Sam and foster a relationship with him. I know the small student to teacher ratio will help give each student one-on-one attention. I hope reality is as good as advertised!

Updating plans

The house we are buying is stuck in the 1970s, so we are planning some update projects before moving in. Here are some before pictures:

Inspection Day

Our offer was accepted for the 1970s house in Round Rock! It took Sam and I 22 minutes to get to therapy from this house!  It will be an even shorter trip to Sam's school. That's why we decided to move to Round Rock. It will be best for our family. 

Of course, Sam found the bunny in the front yard.  

Evening Walks

Sam loves to walk around the neighborhood in the evenings. There are really nice sidewalks, a duck pond, and lots of trees. We see bunnies, Sam's favorite animal, every walk. He named each bunny (Momma,Dadda,Baby) as we go by.  

We take Lucy and Buddy in our evening walks, so Sam likes to take something of his to walk too. At first he pushed his bunny on a tricycle. Then it was two bunnies on the trike. Then it was two bunnies and a dog. 

Lately he's traded the trike for his scooter. One time he brought his vaccum cleaner -that must have been a funny sight!  

He's also walked his toy dog who falls over with every crack in the sidewalk.  

Sam's dog gets thirsty and has to swim in the duck pond with Buddy. Jason humors Sam by helping his puppy swim.