Graduation

Proud! What a great day of celebrating Sam. Such a massive milestone for him and our family. After moving our family, taking a big risk, starting school up again after 10 years and adjusting to a new city he had the first fruits on Thursday.

The ceremony was wonderful. The administration did an incredible job of celebrating and documenting this year. Watching Sam walk across the front was such a special moment. He has worked so hard to get to this moment. It really is a milestone. His next graduation will be in six years so I love that we got to experience this together.

After the ceremony we did what the Acklands do best...went to the beach. We headed to the beach Max and I have been going to lately and had fish and chips. It was a beautiful night and a perfect way to relax. Once we got home Max and I celebrated daddy with a party.

A wonderful day and night. So proud of who Sam is and who he is becoming.

Beach Life

Aaaahhhhh. Great weather is like gold in my personal economy. Max and I head to the beach almost every day. It takes us 10 minutes but 10 minutes well worth it. This kid was meant to live at the beach. He is the most chilled out he ever is there. Today after working we went for just an hour and he just played and played and played. He is SO incredibly fun. We get a treat at Starbucks after the beach which Max finds hilarious to wipe on his face.
Woody is still a favourite around here. This Sunday he went to his class without me but with Woody. When I came back to get him it was pretty cute to see him & woody still playing together.

Sam is working his way through his exams. He is looking forward to his break but I think he's secretly glad it's a super short one. He loves learning. And I love watching him excel. He has always seemed like a university graduate to me with his wealth of knowledge and thirst for for knowing more.

I am in the recertification process for my Gallup Strengthsfinder training I have. My hours with nannying have dropped and I have to do more driving. Ideally, I would be able to drop nannying and work with my Strengthsfinder training. It's all exciting and a bit scary all at once. I have some refresher training and some fees to pay but hopefully sooner than later I would be able to be recertified and be able to generate income.

For now Max and I are planning for Sam's graduation ceremony from this program - his first on his road to Med School!

Day 3 at the Beach

We have not got much done this week but we have thoroughly enjoyed the beach. Today was warm, gorgeous, and had an empty beach. Mind boggling. My Canadian friend Jen & her three boys headed to the beach with us. We just shook our heads at the empty beach.

Max and his buddies had fun seeing horses, a motorbike and tons of ladybugs at the beach. And I even got a quick swim in the ocean. Three days at the beach can shift my perspective & faith.

Surprise. He's Potty Trained!

He's amazing. No surprises there. I have loved discovering his personality and strengths this last season of life. He LOVES verbal affirmation. He does not like to be corrected in public. As I horribly found out at church Sunday after he burst into tears when I did that. Awful. I felt so bad. He is not motivated by gifts or things at all. He connects to you by sending time with you. He is empathetic and shows it by touch--kissing or hugging the hurt person. He loves praying for people and has a heart that hears God even now. Over and over he has told us to pray for things we later found out that were needed. He loves doing his "sponsibility" aka his responsibility, making his bed, every morning. And when he wants to do something he masters it with little fuss.

One week and he sorted potty training. I was not looking forward to this season but he got it so fast I was barely stuck at home. He even got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Whew! That wasn't bad at all.

Max and I continue to live up the sunny days here. I am choosing to focus on the positive here. Some days I miserably fail. I thought of the Mount on Sunday while I was absolutely freezing and tears began streaming down my face. I love my family, I love what Sam is doing and I love being Max's mom. To complain about missing the summer and warm seems dishonest compared to how happy I am with where our life is going. Yet I still have days where all I want is friends from home, walking around Target, effortless conversation and sweating. Transition. It's still happening for me.

Today I focused on the four hours at the beach, God's presence meeting me when I desperately needed it, weather warm enough for frappuccinos and eating dinner on the deck.

Painting

Painting at church on Sunday was fun! It was Max's first time painting on an easel & he loved it.

When You're Ready You're Ready

"Underwear like daddy. Match 'n the same Mama." This was how our Tuesday started. Max has decided he is a big kid. My plan was to stay home 3 full days and pump him full of water & crystal light (his favorite that he rarely gets). Who am I kidding though! 3 full days not leaving the house. Not going happen. So we stayed home most of the day. Our first day of our three we ended up having Arie at the last minute. I had to take him home too, so I put board shorts on Max and a towel in his car seat and off we went. Since we were out I had to stop by Starbucks. Of course. My plan was to pull the car over if he had go. It was only 11 and we started our day at 7, so really he didn't have heaps of practice. BUT he did awesome!!

We made it to Starbucks and once inside, after announcing to the girls "Underwear. Underwear. Match 'n the same" (he had Cars underwear on & had his cars from the movie Cars with him) he said "Mommy peepee". We went right to the bathroom and then he announced again to the girls "Peepee!!!" At Americsn decibel of course.

Arie lives about 15-20 from town so on the way there 1 minute before Arie's he said it again "peepee." I pulled the car over and on the roadside he got to experience the first of incredible ease of being a boy. The rest of the day was great. He loves going outside or on his fancy new toilet seat with a ladder my parents got him. And this morning first thing he wanted to go to the bathroom and put underwear on. His diaper was even dry. So weird. He was just ready. He even showed Liam how it was done. Liam's not quite there but loved having no shorts on all day with Max.

He's so cute and I love love love watching him grow and develop. Today he was a pro again acting like he's always worn underwear. Sometimes while I'm helping him I giggle to myself thinking of him being 16 and reminding him of these moments. Bwahhaahaha I can't wait!!! And I have pictures!

He was just ready and I went with it. I'm still me, so I had a plan and followed it pretty much. I just couldn't fathom staying home 3 whole days! He mastered it and even figured out its a great stalling technique at bedtime. Turkey! I love watching him grow and don't feel sad about him growing up. I love each new stage more and more.

Birthday Fun

Max headed to Liam's birthday party this week. Liam has been talking about this party since I met him in June. He announced to me very first thing on the first day that he was having a Gingerbread Man cake party. And that he did! They played pin the nose on the gingerbread man. Decorated gingerbread cookies. Ate LOTS of candy. Played games. Raced cars. And ate a piece of Gingerbread cake!