Day Camp

The week following Scout Camp and Girl's Camp was Day Camp for Sammy and I.  This is Sammy's highlight of the summer usually as well.  His favorites this year were BB, Archery, and swimming.  He shot up the BB range.  I was really impressed with his consistent accuracy.  One thing I always admire about Sam is his willingness to do everything with enthusiasm and spirit.  He also wants to be sure everyone else is having as much fun as he is having.  I love the time I get to be with him at Day Camp.

Sammy's Pinewood Derby

Sammy loves the pinewood derby. He thinks long and hard about his design and then he is ready to make the car.  It was a  process that took about 2 months to make his car because finding time to do all the steps amidst our busy schedule is difficult.  He and Joel would do little parts of it any spare moment they could find.  One thing about Sammy is he loves to work with his Dad.  He did almost every part of his car by himself (with the supervision and some tips) from Dad.  He utilized school calamity days to do the painting of the car as well.  I love how excited Sammy gets about things like this.  He loves the competition of the race but I think more than that he loves seeing something he built be put to the test.

I thought he was going to explode with anticipation the day of the race.  Finally the race came and he was so happy.  He was just happy to be there and to see his car and his friends' cars.  His car was very well built and he actually won every race in the Pack.  I think one thing I appreciated the most that evening though was to just see him happy for everyone.  He smiles and is excited for everyone all the time.  Being the top car meant he earned a spot at the District Pinewood Derby race a few weeks later.

Joshie decided he wanted to go with Joel and Sam to the District Race.  They had to get there early for the weigh in and then there was a lot of waiting time.  Sam pulled out a deck of cards and they played go fish while waiting.  Sammy told Joel, "Ya, I usually have a deck of cards with me all the time just in case."  When Joel told me about this I realized Sammy is going to be the kid that everyone wants to be around.  He will always come up with something to do to keep busy and entertained or he will do things that will entertain those around him.  He really is such a fun kid to be around...his energy and love for life is contagious.

Last year he went to the District race as well but did not do very well and was a little disappointed because he really wanted to earn a trophy.  This year, his dream came true!  He took 3rd place!  Joel said he was so excited when they called his name.  How I love this kid.  He makes me smile so much...sometimes he aggravates me and frustrates me; however, I have found that if I take a moment and try to see the situation through his eyes I can better appreciate his behavior and reactions.  Sammy is one of the tender mercies in my life...helping me to learn unconditional love and appreciation.

Upward Basketball

The first 10 weeks of the year was full of basketball at our home.  Spring, Sammy, and Josh played Upward Basketball this year.  We had practices on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings and 3 games each Saturday.  I love watching them play and I love seeing the improvement they make in such a short time period.

At the beginning of the year Joshie couldn't even come close to the rim when he shot the ball.  By the middle of the season he was scoring baskets with much more ease.  He is quite good defensively as well...especially when guarding his friend, Lily.  It looked more like they were dancing with each other than playing basketball.  He is a goofball and always smiling during his games and practices.  

Sammy is a natural athlete.  He moves with such ease and grace.  He is super fast and scrappy.  He is an incredible defender and came up with steals out of nowhere.  He really improved his offense this season.  His layups improved as well as his range for jumpsuits.  It was fun to watch him learn and try pump fakes during games.  Again, he always has the biggest smile on his face and is excited for everyone on his team when they do well.  

Spring made incredible growth this year.  She finally became more aggressive defensively.  In doing so she came up with more steals.  She also learned how to do real layups this season.  I loved watching her improve her movement with the ball.  She cuts and drives to the basket now and has more confidence in her ability.  Her games were really intense which made it difficult to get many pictures or videos.  Her team ended the season undefeated!  So much fun to watch this girl play basketball.

Miracles

A few weeks ago we had a parent teacher conference for Sammy.  This was a night I will always remember.  

Sammy has struggled in school.  At the beginning of this, his 3rd grade year, we were told his reading level was at a 1.8.  First grader in the 8th month of school.  He was a third grader.  I knew he struggled and reading was hard for him; however, I was not prepared to hear how far behind he really was.  My heart broke for him as his teacher told us that there was a possibility of him being held back in 3rd grade if things didn't improve greatly.  He has a sister that is just one year behind him in school and she excels.  He would be demoralized if he was held back and had to be in the same grade as his younger sister.  That night I cried for him, a lot.  We prayed for him and we set up a plan, with the teacher to help him.  

When we talked to Sammy I told him right out where he was and that I knew he would get better.  I knew he could do this.  It was going to take a lot of work from him and us and we would do all we could to help him.  I know he was hurt when we told him how far behind he was...but Sammy didn't let this hurt stop him.  I think it motivated him.  Thank goodness for the competitive spirit Heavenly Father blessed him with.  

He began receiving reading help each day with a Title I teacher.  He had extra help with his teacher daily.  We set up a routine for him to read to us each evening.  It was painful to sit and listen to this after a long day when I was already tired, but we did it.  

We saw glimpses of improvement...slowly yet surely.  I started to notice him reading on his own...just picking up a book and reading it.  I never thought that day would come.  I saw him fluency improve.  His comprehension improved.  He would remind me that he was waiting for me to come listen to him read at night instead of hoping I would forget.

Then, in November his teacher told us his reading level had improved to a 2.6!  He improved an equivalent of 8 months in just 3 months of school.  We were so proud of him.  When we told him he just beamed.  He knew he still was behind and needed to keep going.  But, he had the witness that came after his faith.  He had faith to do what we asked him to do each day and the witness came to him when he saw it was working.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago when we went to his conference.  These conferences are only held for students that teachers feel a conference is needed.  I wasn't surprised one was scheduled for Sammy because he is considered "at risk" this year academically.  As Joel and I went to the conference I was nervous.  I wanted to know how he was doing, but I didn't want bad news.  I thought he was improving and I was hesitant to hear differently.

As we sat down with Mrs. Kahook she said to us, "I love Sammy!  He is such a sweetheart!"  Then she told us she scheduled the meeting to let us know how much Sammy has improved. She went on show us that he had improved his reading level to a 3.9!  That is over 2 years growth in a little over half a school year!  That is incredible!  

She then told us that she has seen such an improvement in his behavior in class. At the beginning of the year she would constantly be reminding him to sit down, get back to work, finish his work, pay attention.  She said at recess and gym he was this happy, funny, outgoing, energetic kid; however, in the classroom he was quiet, reserved, sullen, and tried to be as "invisible" as possible during instruction time.  Now, she said, he is the same kid during class as he is at recess.  He participates, raises his hand to answer questions, pays attention, and on task.  He's the same kid at recess as he is in the classroom.  It's amazing what a little bit of confidence can do for a kid.  His Title I teacher told us that he is a leader in their small group instruction.  He makes correlations in the texts they are reading, he comes to group prepared, he helps the other kids remember to be prepared for instruction.  She said he is a natural leader.

I have never before been to a conference when I felt so grateful.  Grateful for an amazing teacher that has turned Sammy's life around.  Grateful for Sammy's hard work even when all the odds are stacked against him.  Grateful for answered prayers.  Grateful for the peace and comfort that we have been given.  Grateful for the miracle that is happening before our eyes.  When we got home I found Sammy on his bed reading.  I climbed up to his top bunk and told him how much I loved him.  I told him everything we had been told at his conference.  I thought his face would crack from the smile that filled his face.  And his eyes, they sparkled.  I held him and tears ran down my face.  As I left his room he said to me, "Mom, you were right.  I can do hard things!"  

Yes, Sammy you can do hard things and you do hard things amazingly well!

Won a Battle...Still Unsure about the War

Sammy is notorious for walking past a laundry basket and dropping his clothes on the floor.  He will often drop them right in front of the basket.  If I had a penny for each time I have had to ask him to come back upstairs and clean up after getting dressed or taking a shower I would have a small fortune and he is only 9 years old!  Last Saturday, after his basketball game, he went up to take a shower.  I followed upstairs and reminded him as he walked into the bathroom to put his dirty clothes in the hamper.  There is one in the bathroom so I really don't know what is so difficult.  He said he would.  Well, a couple hours later I went upstairs to lay Jacob in bed.  I walked past the bathroom to see this:

Unfortunately, Sammy was already asleep and I didn't want to wake him up.  So, we took a picture for proof and bagged up all his dirty clothes and shoes.  He didn't miss them Sunday.  Monday morning came and he couldn't find his shoes for school.  I had forgotten about it too and then it dawned on me.  So, I showed him the picture and reminded him of our discussion before he got in the shower.  I told him he could get his stuff back but he was going to have to work for it.  I did give him his shoes because it was almost time to get on the bus and because I'm such a nice mom! :)

After school he had the privilege of scrubbing the grout on the bathroom floor.  Luckily, it was his basketball uniform he left on the floor so he had great motivation to get it done.  He actually really surprised me at how well he cleaned the grout.  It hasn't looked this good in years.  The next time he went to take a shower I reminded him of this and he said, "Well, the grout is clean so I can leave them out and it will be easy to get them back."  I replied, "Well, the grout in the shower could really use some cleaning and I would be happy to let you do that." 

His clothes miraculously found their way to the hamper that evening and for the last 3 showers he has taken since.  Now, to tackle the dirty clothes in his room......

Sammy

Sammy is making so much progress and growth.  He has struggled with reading and is finally receiving some extra help at school this year.  His teacher, Mrs. Kahook, is such a blessing.  He loves her and knows she loves him. She has high expectations of Sammy and he wants to reach her expectations so he will work really hard for her.  She came to his football games in the freezing rain and snow.  She cares about him and wants him to improve.  We found out recently that his reading scores improved an equivalence of 8 months in just 3 months of 3rd grade.  He still has a lot of work to do but he is on the right track.  He now believes he can be successful in school and in reading.  That is a huge improvement.  We find him reading on his own now without any encouragement from us.  He is being so much more responsible at home  and at school. He is on task and more focused.  Miracles are happening with this kid of our's.  His hard work is finally reaping benefits and he is seeing it.  I think of the disadvantage he had for the first 7 years of his life before we realized he couldn't see or hear very well.  I am in awe of his ability to overcome and work hard when things are REALLY, REALLY difficult.  I'm so proud of him.

Sammy's Field Trip

Joel was able to go with Sammy's class on their field trip to the Great Lakes Science Center.  Sammy was super excited about this field trip because he loves anything science!  They had a great time together.

Some of my Boys

Joshie...6 Years Old

Sammy...9 years old

 Thomas...almost 14 years old

Black Dragons

Sammy & one of his best friends, Aiden

Sammy's flag football team this year was the Black Dragons.  They finished in 3rd place this season and were able to play on the High School Football field for the playoffs on his birthday!  Sammy played linebacker and defensive back for most of the season. It was so fun to see how much he learned and improved in the few short weeks of the season.  He loved being on the team with his friends from school, Aiden and Josh.  They are all in the same class this year as well and their teacher, Mrs. Kahook, even came to many of their games despite the cold and wet weather.  I love watching Sammy play sports.  I love how excited he is when someone else does well.  

Sammy has a football in his hands whenever possible and ofttimes when he shouldn't have one in his hands he still does.  I don't think there is a day that goes by when I have to remind him to not throw footballs in the house.  He plays football at recess everyday and comes home from school covered in mud.  I sure hope his teacher knows I send him to school clean each day.  

Jackson Larsen (he is in our ward) & Sammy

Happy Birthday, Sammy!

Sammy thought his birthday was really cool this year because he had his flag football playoffs in the morning and then went Trick-or-Treating that evening.  It was a busy few days.  For his special dinner with Mom and Dad he chose to go to Bob Evans so he could have hot chocolate and pancakes.  For his family dinner he chose to have lumpia and frozen pizza.  He wanted to have the pizza because he wanted Joshie to have something he liked to eat as well.  Such a thoughtful and kind boy he is.  He really surprises me sometimes at the things he thinks of.  He chose to have ice cream sundaes for his dessert.  We had brownies, bananas, lots of syrups, swedish fish, crushed oreos, and whip cream.  So fun to celebrate his birthday and celebrate the blessing he is in our family.

Sammy's favorite things now include:

*Football

*Wrestling

*Anything with a ball...he is constantly throwing and catching a ball of some sort.  I think he is my mother's revenge for me doing the same thing in the house.  When I am constantly reminding him he needs to take the balls outside, I hear my mother's voice in me.  Sorry mom, for all the headaches I caused!  

*Jumping, running, climbing things, jumping and running some more

*Legos

*Playing marbles

*Cub Scouts

*Green apples and green grapes...anything sour

*Recess with friends

*Coming home from school filthy dirty everyday.  This kid cannot miss a day without a shower because he always gets so dirty.  I asked him one day after school if he just rolls in the mud.  He responded, "No, but sometimes I have to dive for the ball or the base or the person and it is so much easier to dive in the mud."  I personally think he finds excuses to dive in the mud.  I promise his teacher he does leave the house each morning clean even though he doesn't stay that way for long.

*Joking, tricking, and pulling pranks

*Laughing and smiling

Another School Year

Somehow it is time for another school year to begin.  This summer has gone by far too quickly and I feel as if I was just rejoicing in not having to pack lunches anymore and in having all our children home with us all day long.  The month of August has been a blur and I really wanted to freeze time...but I can't so off to school 5, yes 5, of our children went this week.  This time makes me so sad because I feel like I have so little time with our children and that the older they get the less they are home.

Thomas began 8th grade at Kimpton Middle School.  He was excited to get back to school and is looking forward to all of his classes.  He has a full schedule with lots of advanced classes and, of course, his music classes.  He came home excited and happy to be in school again.  He is an old pro by now at this school thing.

Spring began 6th grade at Lakeview and was ecstatic to have Mrs. Gillespie and Mrs. Baughman as her team teachers.  She, too, was excited to start school and so happy to find out she will be going to 6th grade camp at the beginning of October.  Hannah is on her team; however, Bella is not and that was sad to her.  She is hoping to get together with her friends more often during this school year even if they are not on the same team.

Sammy is a big 3rd grader at Echo Hills this year.  He was so excited to start school that he was awake at 1 am the night before.  At 3 am he was fully dressed for school and so he went downstairs to watch cartoons.  I was not aware of this until I came down at 6 am. I am not sure how he didn't crash throughout the day but he didn't.  His favorite part of school is recess, big surprise!

Mary began 2nd grade at Echo Hills with Mrs. Tice. Mary's smile will light up a room and her smile was huge her first day of school.  She was asked to help new kids feel welcome and included...the perfect job for Mary.  She came home very excited about school.

Joshie began Kindergarten.  He is attending Indian Trail this year so that he can go to 1/2 day Kindergarten.  I do not want my little ones attending full day Kindergarten.  He was so excited for school and for riding the bus.  It is always hard for me to send off my little guys to school for the first time.  I have to let go and allow them to be influenced by people other than us and that is hard.  Even with Joshie being our 5th child to go to school, it is always hard and I feel like a piece of my heart goes with him.  The highlights for Joshie's first day were recess and riding the bus.  When Joshie came home from school he wanted to know where Gideon was because he missed him so much.  Joshie also told me he was sure that Gideon missed him...and he did!

Grandma Powell was able to be here with us for the first days of school.  Monday night she took the family to  Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  It was a fun way to celebrate the beginning of another school year.

Sara, patiently waiting for Joshie's bus to get home!