Firsts

And there has been a lot of them for Jackson in the Reece house lately.  And by lately I mean in the last couple of months as we all know how slack in my blogging I have been.  However, I think I've said that in every blog I've written in the last six months so maybe slack is just my new norm. 
First Week Without Playgroup
On our last playgroup day we met at our house for a back to school party.  Ella read the group a back to school book while they enjoyed a snack on the parachute and then we passed the apple to give each kiddo a chance to tell his friends what school and class they were going to be in this year.  We then made a craft to give their teachers for the first day which turned out so cute.  A decorated can filled with cookies, that said "With you as my teacher I'll be one smart cookie!"  Too cute.  We then had a pizza lunch and the kids played their little hearts out for one last time on a Tuesday morning. We had a blast as always!

For the last 4 1/2 years going to playgroup on Tuesdays mornings was definitely a privileged default.  My children have been blessed by knowing such amazing families their whole lives and making friendship bonds with such incredible kids.  And words can't describe how amazing it has been to share my motherhood journey with these incredible women.  I hosted the last playgroup at our house about a month and a half ago and it wasn't until that following Tuesday when playgroup was not an option that I began to grieve it's loss.  I knew eventually this would happen with the kiddos getting older and most of them being in school on Tuesday, but our weeks have been quite different without it.  We have adjusted without it and see our friends often but not routinely, and luckily for me everyone in our group was feeling similarly about not likely our groups extinction so we were creative and figured out our many family schedules to be able to get together one Friday afternoon a month for playgroup with the kids and a once a month Mom's Night out. This group has helped to start my motherhood journey off in such an amazing way.  To have friends of strong family value and who have such adoration as I do for their role as "mom",  to share this adventure with such constancy, has been such a gift, a wonderful blessing from God.  I will always look back at the era of this playgroup with teary fondness.

First Day of School
Jackson has now been in school for about a month and he is loving it!  Well what little boy wouldn't in a class of 16 where 13 of the kiddos are boys.  And 2 amazingly sweet teachers who you can tell adore the children in their class.  He is having the time of his life, learning a lot, and telling me all about it when he gets home which is awesome because man do I miss him being gone 4 whole days so I love getting to know about what he's been up to.  I have seen such a change in Jackson's maturity since he began school.  He is so proud of his good behavior, is loving the routine of going and getting to go 4 days a week, remembering and teaching me every song they sing loving playing in the centers and on the fabulous playground with his new friends, and is retaining everything they are teaching him both academically and socially.   Jackson is shining this year and oh how it warms my soul.

 

First Aggie Game

What an amazing opportunity to take Jackson to his first game and man did he love it.  I mean he's already decided that this is the place to go because if he goes there of course he can stop by Honey's house any time he wants he tells me.  My sis/bro in law generously let us use their tickets for the Idaho game and about an hour before the game more of our friends offered the two seats right in front of ours so we took Jackson and Doc with us.  This picture says it all about how pumped Jackson was to be here and man did he love when the band took the field! 

First Time Riding without Training Wheels

This was one of those monumental events in our lives that we will never forget.  I knew Jackson was ready and really probably has been for almost a year to try riding without training wheels because he is so stinking coordinated, but we've just been putting it off due to the extreme heat of the summer and ok my fear of him getting hurt.  One Sunday afternoon when we were in the culdesac I brought up trying and he just went for it.  Bryan stabilized his start and off he went with no wobbling or fear like he had been secretly practicing in the wee hours of the night.  He's working on stopping smoothly but whenever he falls he even catches himself beautifully.  When we went in that night almost a little dumbstruck that it was such an easy feat for him he told us with such confidence "You guys are really proud of me I know!"  And we were.  It was a moment I will never forget.

 

Meeting Gordon for the First Time

My dad was a genius when he named his new baby Angora goat Gordon (Jackson's favorite name).  It was love at first sight when Poppy placed Gordon in his lap. Jackson adores animals but I've never seen him take to one like this.  Gordon would let Jackson love on him for as long as he wanted to and when we weren't down on the "farm" as Jackson calls it he was asking to go back to get some more snuggling in with this sweet little goat.  I'm afraid next time we go Gordon will be almost the same size as his cousin Billy O and Jackson will be so sad not to be able to hold him.  Maybe by that point there will be a new occupant on the farm to love on. 

And because Colin is in a constant state of firsts with how fast he is growing and changing I had to post these cute recent pictures of him to capture this precious almost 21 month old. What an amazing little fellow!