About the Backpacks

I would like to say that I was one of those mom's who was just so sad when school started...that I would miss our playful frolics in the park...and our meaningful conversations under a shady tree...or maybe our unscheduled blissful afternoons---But alas, when August 30th came around I was ready for some order to our lives. While last Summer was perfectly peaceful, this Summer I felt like I was in Survival Mode. And you know, I'm okay with that. We have many more summers ahead of us. Bring on the backpacks and Back-to-School nights!

Nathan started at Eagle Middle School this year. This is a whole new ball game. We actually HAVE to get up at 6:30 a.m. to get him out the door on time. Everyone that I talked to this summer said, "Aren't you worried about Nathan starting middle school?." I wasn't worried at all. Nathan was ready, and just such a good kid. I knew he was going to do great! We put off getting Nathan's backpack a little until we knew how much stuff he was going to be lugging around from class to class, and how much stuff he could keep in his locker. Mid September he settled on an Under Armor Backpack, from Dick's Sporting Goods. It fit his HUGE binder like a glove. A match made in heaven.

Danny has this Elementary School down pat. The only question...is it cool for a fourth grade boy to have a PURPLE backpack? Nathan a Danny both seemed to think it would be AWESOME! Hmm.....I told him that he could choose what he wanted, but it might be safer for him to go with the more traditional variety.--Still cool though. Part of the elementary is actually the original Eagle High School, so it has an upper and a lower campus. This year, as a fourth-grader, Danny got to make the switch to the big time: Lower Campus. I love the history in an old school.

Ryan repeated Kindergarten this year. We really thought it would be best, given his late birthday and other struggles. It turns out it was the right decision. He is doing great. Ryan picked out this styling, perfectly coordinated outfit. :) He thought it was brilliant that he could layer shirts like this. To curb Ryan's anxiety, he went to school with a Social Story he had written that morning in Therapy. Ryan's backpack selection was Star Wars.

Now even though this Little Miss had been going to Preschool for 3 weeks, we couldn't leave her out of our "Back to School Photo Shoot." Lydia's preschool is on a year round calendar. Lydia's backpack of choice? It's a no brainer: Princesses.

Stryker Football

Danny really started to excel in football this year. It was his first year of Tackle Football, so we weren't entirely sure how it would go. He loved it! He became a great blocker and a real asset to his team, both on offense and defense. Toward the end of the season he actually was awarded the "Hit Man" practice jersey. He got to wear it every day in practice that week. We traveled a lot of places this season. We had games in Emmett, Hailey, and Mountain Home.

The first game was a Jamboree. I think they play eight minutes on defense and eight minutes on offense. It is really fun for the kids because they get to play at Bronco Stadium, down at Boise State. In case you haven't heard, BSU is a BIG deal around these parts! :)

Here are some of the fans that were there to cheer Danny on. The thing that is so funny about this picture is that Nathan is still WAY taller than the other kids, even though the cement is slanting up.

From the left: Nathan, Madison, Ryan, Mitchell, Lydia

Visitors

This picture represents a couple of things about our summer. A few times we were visitors to this lake with family and friends. We even got to go tubing a couple of times thanks to Mike's brother, Brad. We also liked driving up there to play at this beach and have hot dogs and hamburgers, as the sun went down. In August we had my sisters kids, Madison and Mitchell, come and stay with us for 10 days. (I'm not sure how Mitchell didn't end up in this picture). Our family got to enjoy these visitors because their mom and dad went to the Kyiv Ukraine Temple Dedication. That is where Eliot served his mission.

Preschool

Lydia started Preschool on August 12th. She was sooo excited to reach this milestone. She had been looking forward to when she was going to "be a big girl and go to school like my brothers." She was thrilled. Even the fact that she was the ONLY girl in a class with eight other boys, didn't deter her. I guess she is used to being around all those boys. They have had one additional girl join the preschool each month since then. Three girls is just perfect to play BABIES during centers. I think she looks so grown up in her pig tails.

One thing Lydia says to me often, even several times a day: "Am I turning into a mommy now?" "When am I going to turn into a mommy like you?"---Lydia, my darling girl, preschool is a wonderful first step. You are well on your way.

Thriving

This summer Ryan was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. So on August 2nd, he started attending ICA for therapy five days a week. Now what do all of these acronyms mean? PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. ICA stands for the Idaho Center for Autism. My six-year-old son, Ryan, has been found to be on the Autism Spectrum...VERY high functioning. They don't give him the diagnosis of specific Autism because he does not exhibit all of the characteristics, only some of them...that is where the "Not Otherwise Specified" comes in. In all of the research I have done I think that Ryan most closely resembles Asperger's Syndrome. The thing I have realized about kids on "The Spectrum," as they are sometimes called, is that they are all so different. No two kids are alike. Ryan has made huge strides and we continue to be impressed with how far he has come in these few short months. We have gotten so much help, advice and therapy from ICA. They have been amazing. Ryan receives three hours of therapy from ICA every morning and then goes to Kindergarten every afternoon. In addition to this, Ryan receives 1/2 hour of Speech Therapy, 1 hour of Physical Therapy and 1 hour of Occupational Therapy every week. This summer I was so worried about where to send Ryan to school and if ICA was right for us. I just kept telling myself that if September came and Ryan fell apart, that we could make adjustments. Not many decisions are permanent, right? Well, as of right now, he couldn't be in any better place! He is thriving...really thriving.