Goodness Gracious!

Goodness gracious! Where do I even begin? I know my last post was a commitment to blog more this year, and every time I wanted to blog, I felt I really didn’t have anything relevant to say. I really did think about blogging many times, though—I just thought I would try to change the format and make it more of a catchy, fun blog, like all of the other incredibly fun blogs I have read in the past….. Unfortunately, my blog doesn’t have that same ‘spark’ or enlightened quality that displays the blogger-in-residence has attended a writer’s workshop.....(I certainly have not, but if anyone wants to pay for me to go to one, I’m in!) So it is just back to the proverbial, Stanley blog grindstone. I don’t have a way with words; I merely transfer life’s musings onto my blog to save for some day in the—(gulp)--not so distant future, when I am a little old lady seeking to remember my younger years when Logan and I were both young with our little people running around our house. I want to continue to document to preserve these precious memories to share with my future self, husband and children as the years continue to roar by. So here’s a long starter post to catch everyone up with our family….. So—what HAVE we been up to? Logan and I are expanding our family yet again! We are excited to welcome the newest Stanley, boy #3, into the household in late October. I felt like we had a name for both Weiss and Klein by this time around in my past pregnancies (it’s like week 27 for me now), and so I am ready to get this little guy’s name finalized! Yes, it is certainly harder to find a name when you have a “threepeat” of the same sex…. Hopefully this will be nailed down in another week or so. I have the name I would like his to be; I’m just waiting on the husband to mull it about. I finally finished my master’s degree…. YEAH! I completed all of the national tests that were required after many years of being a mom and going to school…. Of course, I am not going to be gainfully employed in my prospective degree field at the present moment. After my kiddos leave the nest for college one day, I would love to start working again and utilize what I have learned, but now is not the appropriate season. I love being a mom, and this is where I am in life right now and wouldn’t trade it for the world. In late April and throughout May, I got certified to teach infants and young children aquatic survival lessons, and I LOVE it! It’s a nice little part-time gig for me, and it is extremely rewarding and fulfilling! I am thankful our family (both grandmothers, in particular) could rally around me and take care of the kiddos when I was away at Dallas during the weekdays. Logan was also busy with the role of ‘super dad’ during my training. Speaking of Logan….Logan is busy with work, loving it as usual, and has some interesting ministry opportunities coming his way… Hopefully I can talk more about that in a later post if things happen accordingly to God’s plan! We’ll see in the next few months what will pan out. Things are a bit up in the air because of the arrival of the little man in October, but I am sure this ministry opportunity will eventually occur, and I am super pumped for Logan! And the boys? They are both growing so fast…. Weiss is five (going on 50) and will turn six in December. Klein will turn two August 8. Weiss will be starting kindergarten this fall, and we are homeschooling him, so this is truly a new journey for me, because I will have to get my ducks in a row more than he will! I won’t go into the “whys and why nots” that tend to occur with anyone who home schools, but if you have questions, just ask me in person, and I’d be happy to answer! Right now, though, it seems like I am getting books in the mail every day and we are currently ordering furniture to set up his ‘classroom’ area, which is more like a workspace for both Weiss and me. I’m contemplating what our daily schedules will look like, and deciding what days we will tackle certain learning elements. I’ve recently attended some workshops and also reading plenty of literature to prepare me for the task at hand. Weiss will also be attending Classical Conversations, which is a Christian home school methodology and home school co-op program, on Thursdays. I’m excited because I’ll have a group of families to learn from, and I am very excited for Weiss because the kiddos in the program are truly great kids with amazing families. I’m looking forward to new friendships made (both Weiss’s and my own) and all of the memories we will make. It will certainly be a new stage in life for both Weiss and our entire family! Weiss is also starting team soccer this fall, may continue to do art classes with an instructor he has worked with in the past here in town, and I might sign him up for martial arts. (I need to check on the martial arts bit!) Klein is growing up so fast—it seems like he is growing up much faster than Weiss did at this age. I don’t know if it is because he is the second child, or if second children are ‘with it’ faster because of their older sibling, but he understands much more than even I know and is picking up so many new words very rapidly! He’s got a quirky little sense of humor and is quite personable with people, like Weiss. And speaking of Weiss….Klein and Weiss definitely favor one another in looks when comparing their features! It will be interesting to see if all three of our boys look alike! I certainly need to label their baby pictures because if they are each wearing the same or similar clothing in the pics, I may forget who’s who one day! Klein has the cutest little expressions and words, and is quite jovial most of the time with a smile on his face. He usually wakes up in a great mood, is eager to get ready of a morning, brush his teeth (yes, he enjoys this!) and hair, and he doesn’t balk when you put his shoes on. He is pretty easy in most departments, if you ask me! Klein will be attending ‘preschool’ (or technically, ‘pre-pre-preschool’ since he is a two-year old) at the Bluebonnet Learning Center at the First United Methodist Church. I loved their program for Weiss, and I am super excited that Klein is starting. Yes, it is a bit bittersweet because Klein is so young, but each Tuesday and Thursday he is gone will allow me to get some really productive school time in with Weiss and ensure I have things accomplished, especially when the newest Stanley arrives. Klein will be in ‘school’ from 8:30 to 2:30, so it will also allow him time for a nap, which is a good thing to keep in his schedule! This is just a ‘starter’ to the multitude of information I have missed…. I regret ending so abruptly, but I also want to do a bit of reading tonight! Hopefully the next post will come sooner rather than later! I need to make my blog more of a priority in my life!