Ryrie:
Last week Ryrie got sick on a day when I was planning to be gone all day with George. It was a good opportunity for me to baby him a bit and also let him get some peace and quiet at home for a bit on his own. I cancelled half of my plans, so it worked out well. At the end of the day he commented on how nice it was to stay home and how much he liked the quiet. I think that sometimes that's why we get sick--we just need a break from life to reboot, reenergize, and restart. He seemed to be needy of that this week along with a little extra attention from me--always glad to deliver on that one!
I like it when he asks to sit by me on the couch or at the table, when he helps in the kitchen, and when he calls me on things. Such as...he had asked me not to let George into their room because he likes to play with their lego guys. Well, the boys were gone all day on Tuesday because they had basketball right after school for two hours (final party), and there was a tiny window of time after bball and before YM and so we came home. They went up to their room and Ryrie soon came down and said, reproachfully, "Mom, did you let that little RedHead up in our room?" We went up and boy was it ever a mess! He had beheaded and torn apart all their lego men--a whole drawerful--and broken one of their ships. They were a bit upset, but didn't really get too mad at him, which I thought admirable considering the circumstances!
I like practicing with Ryrie. He is becoming really musical. He sometimes wants my help, and always likes it when I come stand by him and listen to him. I think he thrives on that a bit, so I try to do it as much as I can. He gets great grades in school and seems to love it. He can be a bit lazy sometimes and seems to think he can handle anything, which can be good or bad! He told me he didn't think I needed to go to Parent Teacher interviews because he knew I'd like the grades he's getting. Confident! Last week while fasting, he almost passed out. I think he's growing, and his appetite is sure increasing. He actually tends to choose more healthy food than most of his brothers, so that's a great sign!
Ryrie is taking Mathmagic and Band as options in school this term. He seems to really enjoy them both! We went to the Kub Kar Rally for Owen and it was neat to see on the front row the older brothers and sisters that are Will and Ry's age--W and R were right in there with them--they seem to be a fun group of nice kids. Happy to see that for sure.
William:
Will is often super quiet, but when he breaks out of his shell he can be philosophical, crazy, silly, or loud. I like seeing him in all his ways, and I'm always a bit surprised by these outbursts. I think certain friends and certain subjects (ie: hockey) pull it out of him at different times. He also has been asking some great questions lately--none come to mind just now--which helps me read him better. The other day James asked the boys to think of a friend that they're closest to--he was teaching them about prayer at the time--and we both could tell that Will was thinking of Ryrie. That was pretty sweet. James said that he was talking to the twins about what life would be like without their twin--Will was cute as he kind of burst out with, "I don't know what I would do without Ry!" I've noticed that he is a bit competitive and we need to watch for ways to help him not give up before he's tried something just because he thinks he might lose. It seems like he's less interested in playing games with us for that reason.
Will is taking Shop and Foods as options this term. He comes home all excited about the food they made that day--he really enjoys food. He is growing like crazy too--the suit we bought him for his birthday is starting to look a bit short through the sleeves! He made a beautiful wooden crate and now is almost done making a metal hook. He remembered all the steps they had to take to make the hook--sounds intense! They were heating and hammering metal! I'm quite impressed. He's signed up for Guitar next term and is excited to have his own guitar. He wants to practice on it with James before he starts the actual class. His first term, he took a muscle development class and by the end he could do 3 pullups from a dead hang! He's starting to get some muscles on him! He and Ryrie continue to love hockey and work hard at it. It's really fun to watch them.
The other night we went swimming as a family and afterwards it was lane swim. James took George out, but the others all wanted to swim lengths. Ryrie swam 1,000 meters and Will and Owen weren't far behind him! That was with the help of fins, but still, it was really fun and they all said they'd like to do it again. They even let me give them a few pointers, which is always a bonus! James is enjoying being in YM with the twins. He said they are a little shy in some settings, but I think as they grow older and have more activities they'll continue to grow in the depth of their involvement. They said that Young Men's is the most fun of all that they've experienced in the church so far (Cubs and 11 Year old scouts came close though!) I'm so glad they feel that way.
I like having discussions with them about their futures. William usually initiates the discussion that when he and Ry are a bit older they can earn money teaching piano to little kids. This seems to be a good motivation for him to practice and improve so he can get to the level he needs to be at to do that. I like the way he thinks about that! They also both have started babysitting for our next door neighbor--they babysit for us all the time--and that has been a great teaching experience in more ways than one for them. They shovel snow for two different elderly couples and get paid quite handsomely, and they deliver flyers on two different routes now--each of them takes their own route--so they are starting to earn some pretty good coin! They talk all the time about their missions, and they are planning and saving for them. I sure depend on these two for so much and appreciate the helpful, cheerful attitudes they bring to our home.
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