Growth is the key word around here. I feel like we are all growing in ways right now, all positively, and that for me is the major theme here in the Miller household as we have officially kicked off summer 2024. Let’s take a little look at what I’m talking about.
Reese:
- Completed her first year of grade school. She’s no longer a kindergartener but now a 1st grader. We will miss her teacher, Ms. Stoneberg, a lot but it’s great knowing that her cohort is strong and alive. Witnessing Reese in the classroom makes me a proud mama because she is one of the best listeners and follows directions and gives it her all. Her teachers always love having her and she has a large group of friends at this point.
- Reese’s first week of summer has been a half day bike camp with Pedalheads and her friend Clara. It’s been a nice ease into summer as it’s an afternoon camp so she gets to veg out and hang out with me in the mornings and then we will bike together (!) the 2 miles to her camp. It’s a nice straightforward bike to camp and Reese has been proud of herself for doing it all by herself and has really enjoyed the camp itself. She’s a very good biker these days. I’m very impressed with her on her bike.
- Reese has been expanding her taste buds and foods of choice lately. She now professes that she loves eat, whereas before I thought she was a vegetarian excluding chicken nuggets and bacon. She still loves both of those but also likes hot dogs, burgers, pulled pork and chili. She still loves sweet corn as well as cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, celery and edamame. I realize this is actually quite extensive in the veggie department compared to some peers but Reese generally doesn’t like any of these vegetables sautéed. And she still has a sweet tooth, very much enjoying ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cones, popsicles, anything Nutella, and gummy candies.
- Reese has been more independent and self-sufficient around the house. This includes using the restroom, wiping and washing hands, making herself something to drink or sometimes getting her own snack and even cutting strawberries for Brooke on occasion. Reese has been a sound sleeper and still a breeze for going to bed.
- Reese has been more into doodling and writing in journals lately. She’s been working on sounding out and spelling words in her journals and generally just more interested in letters, numbers and so on.
- Reese just got promoted to level 2 gymnastics and the very first (trial) class had her doing so many more advanced skills as well as a lot of strength building exercises which Reese has no issues with. It was still something watching Reese do lunges, ab extensions, ab holds, box jumps and the likes with girls about a foot taller than her. I couldn’t have been more proud though, not because of her skill but just how she jumped into each activity and gave it her all. I kept remarking about just how physically strong she looked out there.
Brooke:
- Brooke is potty training herself. It all started about two weekends ago, shortly after we brought home a little potty and she started wanting to go commando around the house so we started enforcing the act of going potty regularly. She has still been wearing undies at home most of the time, and still has a fair amount of accidents, but has also gone on the potty correctly more times than not. This week I learned that she has been going potty at school the majority of the time too. She’s received mermaid tattoos the past two days for going potty on the potty the full day. She’s not yet wearing undies at school but she came home with a tattoo yesterday for going potty at school all day. I think she is just afraid to poop in the potty.
- Brooke’s appetite is much the same as before so not much growth there but she will put down 2 hotdogs in a go, 3 if I would let her to. She still loves yogurt, berries, pasta, pizza, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese and peanut butter and jelly. She will not touch a vegetable, not one. Like her sister, she also has quite the sweet tooth.
- Brooke is not so fun to put down for bed these days. She gets wild and ramped up with energy as we near bedtime and then wants to play in bed instead of going to sleep but she also doesn’t want to go to bed by herself so it generally means that one of us is lying down with her for like 40 minutes every night. We fight over who gets to lay down with Reese since the girls go to bed at the same time together, just Reese takes about 30 minutes less time.
- Brooke has a pretty good hang of her scooter and balance bike and you can tell she has had role models in their use. She’s still working on steering but she can get moving fairly well on both and seems to really enjoy them.
- Brooke loves to play salon at home with our pretend vanity set and it is really pretty good acting if I say so myself. She knows how to use all of the tools and how to ask my preferences of things and making sure I do things just right.
- Brooke recently moved up to the preschool room at school with her two buddies: Madison and Halle. She’s really enjoyed being with the bigger kids, having more space and new toys to play with. She now also has a more structured day and more structured activities. Brooke never has an issue playing with older kids and like her sister, her teachers adore her.
- Like any 2 year old, Brooke will lose it from time to time and it’s like the world is over. She also likes to say, “Don’t talk to me” and “Don’t count to three” and I’m not sure where she learned that. Poor Bryan gets on the no list fairly often and she is resilient when she has declared something a must or a hard no.
Chelsea:
- Chelsea is still anxiously awaiting her test results from the last 25% remaining of my SE exam. The message boards all feel the same way as me so I’m sure NCEES is really having a hey day scoring this exam this go around.
- In the meantime, I just started studying for this California Survey exam that I still need to take to get my reciprocity for my PE in the state of California. I really thought this was something I could waive with the SE credentials but California being California still requires it. It’s only a 3 hour exam (I think) and I don’t believe I will have a difficult time passing it but I’m really only allowing myself to study for it for three weeks. I do need it though because my peer who sits in California will be out on paternity leave in November so I will be needed to help fill that role.
- I was really enjoying not studying. I’ve tried going through the house in a piece meal fashion to organize, clean, etc. I have been reading, although Demon Copperfield, which I am currently reading, is such an amazing read but also a seriously long book that is hard to get through when I only have 10-15 minutes at a go. I enjoyed yard work, I enjoyed working out, I enjoyed literally everything by not having to study.
- I just chopped off quite a bit of hair and love it. Honestly, I don’t even know if it looks that good but truth be told, I don’t even care because it feels amazing. It feels amazing not having it all hang on my neck and back. It feels amazing taking only 2 hours to air dry versus like 10 hours. It feels so much lighter, bouncier, and healthier. The damaged ends are gone and I actually feel like I can apply the amount of product in my hair that it needs without using a full bottle in one use. It’s amazing.
- I’m already grieving that it is almost July. Summer here really starts so late and is so short, albeit glorious, that I just don’t want it to already be July. I want summer to last forever and I already feel like it’s going to be gone in a blink of an eye.
- I’ve recommitted to playing soccer and have been loving it. We have a handful of new players to the team that are younger, fun, and go after the ball. Between them and the legacy players who are so nice, complimentary, and enjoyable to be around, it’s a good mix and I’m having a good time. Plus it is just such a good workout, especially since we usually have one or no subs and I typically play center midfield. The girls and Bryan actually came and watched the first half of last week’s game and that made it extra fun.
- I’m looking forward to planning many upcoming vacations. We have a landmark birthday next year and two landmark events the year after so trying to look at all of our options and get out there for it.
- At the same time, trying to stay present, I am looking forward to all of the things this summer holds, big and small. We have a long weekend in Chelan at the end of the summer, a weekend camping trip with friends, SeaFair, and maybe one more camping trip ourselves plus all of the parks, bike rides, and outdoor concerts to look forward to.
Bryan:
- Bryan continues to have a lot of backing and sway at work but is dealing with some more difficult relationships and self-esteems at the same time. I know he is looking forward to the week in Michigan just to get out of the office for some time.
- Bryan has been on the bike and out for early morning runs or rows lately and I am impressed. I feel like now that I’m not having to set an alarm and rush around in the morning to make the school bus, I have become a lazy, but relaxed, human being in the morning hours.
- Bryan has a few fun friend events coming up. He is kicking off the new FareStart Guest Chef Night season tonight as a food runner for the Italian chef from Pasta Casalinga in the market and I think he is in for a treat. He is going to the Mariners game on Saturday night with David and Phillip as a belated Father’s Day gift from us and then he has a weekend in Leavenworth that the guys do annually at the end of July.
- Bryan is very excited for the upcoming Olympics. He’s also obsessed with these new speakers he just got and apparently they have made him a music man.
Brooke only has one day left of school since her school is out next week and we will be starting to pack our bags for Michigan soon. I cannot wait!
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Chelsea
