Dear Sam,

We are already halfway through the school year, and I can see great changes in you.  Although school is not your favorite thing, you continue to get pretty good grades.  Santa brought you a Samsung tablet for Christmas and me and your Dad told you guys that it would be taken away if your grades didn't stay up.  This last week we had a bimonthly report card (which is not a final report card).  However, it showed all A's and B's except for 1 F in Spelling, so we had to confiscate it.  (We also had to take away Keaton's, so it wasn't just you).  We want you boys to get used to having A's and B's and working hard to keep those grades up and we think that this will be a good motivator. 

You seem to like me being at the school full-time, and your anxiety as far as school has dropped dramatically because of it.  I occasionally get a glimpse of you in the halls or at recess, and I am happy that you are not too cool yet not to wave or come say hi to your old mom.  All of your teachers say good things about you, especially your reading group teacher, Mrs. Simpson.  She says she only has you and one other boy in your reading group.  That other kid seems to be gone a lot leaving just you and Mrs. Simpson and she says that she honestly would much rather be with you one-on-one than the other kid.  She says you tell her great stories about home and I think she probably knows more about me than I probably would want her to.  Anyway, she always has something nice to say about you and says you are a great kid.

You were put in a higher math at the start of the year, but you started to get overwhelmed with all the homework and we could tell that you needed some help with your multiplication so the school moved you to another class that specializes in multiplication.  It has made such a difference!  It is a little too easy for you so you never seem to have homework and you already seem to have picked up some of the facts that were causing you trouble.  I am so glad we made the switch!  I am really grateful for APA and how they are able to help kids wherever it is that they need help so they can become confident.  It is such a blessing.

You are still the most popular one in the house and everyone that comes to door comes for you.  We seem to always get a group of 5 or 6 boys downstairs playing video games and for some reason all I hear is you.  When you get loud, you get loud.  You also like to be the boss and tell the others what to do.  I can hear that for myself.  Luckily most of the boys don't seem to mind and follow your lead.  It makes me laugh though.

It was so neat to be able to go to the Odgen Temple Dedication with you, Keek and Papa.  It was your first one and I was so proud to have both my boys with us.  I was your primary teacher for the past 6 months or so, and I really enjoyed that time with you.  I wish I had the whole year.  It was over before I knew it!  Now I am Jack's primary teacher and he is so happy to have me with him all through church.  I am so lucky to be able to see so much of my cute kids.

You are still taking art lessons from Mr. Winget and you now have quite an impressive portfolio.  You are now the only one taking lessons of some kind.  I am glad we found something that you enjoy. 

Me and you were a little nervous about going to Disneyland, but I was so proud of the way you managed your anxiety during the trip.  If a certain ride made you anxious, you were able to stand your ground and say you weren't going on it, and consequently, I think you never did have an anxious moment on the trip.  I could tell you are starting to get old because all you wanted to ride was the roller coaster-type and you begged me to go on Space Mountain, one of your favorites.  I used to love Space Mountain but I was avoiding that one this time because it made me nervous.  However, I couldn't say no to you and me and you ended up sitting in the very front, with Papa just behind us.  I did have a few panicky moments in the ride and will not go on it again, but I am glad that I did try it for you.

I love how you are not too old to cuddle, and will snuggle right up to me if I will let you.  I love how you like to stay up reading books with a flashlight and have read many in the last few months.  I love your big dimples when you smile, your willingness to try all new food that is placed before you, your sensitive soul and the many chats we have had just you and I.  You are an amazing kid and I am so happy to be your mom.

Love, 
Mom

Dear Emmi,

I don't know where you came from, but you are such a little ham.  It was reinforced to me as I uploaded these pictures of you over these last few months.  Your Aunt Abby said it perfectly a couple of weeks ago when you slept over at her house during the school break.  You ended up coming home early, having come down with strep throat.  Aunt Abby said, "I knew she was sick.  She was not her usual bubbly, happy self!" The K-3 director at your school said to me just this Friday, "I just have to say that your little Emmi is just adorable.  Every time I would look at her today she would have the biggest smile."  She went on to ask if all of my children are always that happy, and I said yes but the more I thought about it later, I realized that you are definitely the most bubbly and happy of all my children.  It might be partly your gender or just plain your personality, I don't know, but it is so fun to have your infectious spirit in our home and I am so proud to be your mom.

Last week you came home from school with a "card move" for being disruptive.  I saw it on your learning plan and said "Em, what is this for?"  You looked at me, broke out in a big grin and and exploded in this sinister giggle that only you could do.  I said, "No, really Emmi, what did you do?"  You said, "this IS what I did" and starting laughing again.  Ha ha.. we had a good laugh about that.  I can see why you got that card move.

You are no stranger to a "card move" here and there, but overall you are doing so well in school, and getting very good grades.  All I hear from the other teachers is that you have lots of friends and like to chat, but that you are a very good girl.  Now that I am there at your school full-time, it has been so fun to see you in the halls and out at recess.  I see you way more than I see your brothers, and I always look forward to being with you out on the playground, sharing snacks, jumping rope and chatting with you and your friends.  I hope you like me being at the school as much as I like being there.  I hope to be there for years and years.

We had such a great time in Disneyland back in December with our family and you were such a good sport driving to and from, with having Grandma B's dog, Baby, with you in the back for part of the trip.  You do love animals, especially dogs and I knew you would take good care of her. 

You and your friends love to play school and I can hear you in your room trying to teach your friends (would do not go to APA) how to teach APA-style.  You were so excited when I started substituting and let me practice my group instruction with you, and you helped me when I needed it.  You say you want to be a teacher and I do think that if you want to, you could be a great one.  I also played school and wanted to be a teacher when I was little.  For Christmas, Santa brought you an easel so you could stop playing school with markers on your mirror (arrrgh!) and a kid-friendly tablet.  Over the break your big brothers finally taught you how to pay Minecraft on the Xbox and now it is also a favorite thing of yours to do (to your brother's dismay).  I love to hear the three of you playing in our new game room together though, laughing and having a good time.

Unfortunately, I had to pull you out of piano lessons.  I could never remember to have you practice and when I did ask you to practice, you never were willing.  It is too expensive if you are not going to practice so we had to pull the plug on it.  I hope that one day you will have the desire to play and practice on your own.  You were just starting to get good.  So right now you are not taking any lessons, which is nice for me as I am still getting used to working a full day, but I hope to put you back into something soon because you were born to entertain.

I love the funny faces you like to pull, the way you like to look at yourself in the mirror, your continual obsession with gum, and how you have to have lip gloss if I am wearing any.  I love how you memorize things so easily and sing the Articles of Faith all the time.  Me and your Dad love you oh so much.  I can't wait to see all the good things that you will see and do in your life.

Love,
Mom

Dear Keaton,

First day of 6th grade

I hope you know how proud I am to be your mom.  When we walked into Mrs. Thurston's classroom on "meet-your-teacher-night," Mrs. Thurston said "hello, Keaton!" and gave you a big hug.  I said something like, "she already knows your name" to which Mrs. Thurston replied, "Oh, yes, I know Keaton.  Last year I would always see him in the halls always doing what he was supposed to do and being so kind.  I knew then that I wanted him in my class this year."  It was so nice to hear that as a mom, even though I have stopped by the school many times enough to have seen for myself how good you are.  In fact, I can barely get you to smile and wave at me, you are so focused.

You are a wonderful student and were probably the most excited of all my kids to go back to school this year.  This year you also got to take band or orchestra, and you decided to learn to play the trumpet.  Luckily your Grandpa Hunsaker played the trumpet and he let you borrow his.  I let you take a break from piano in order to focus on the trumpet, although I am grateful for your piano lessons and how much they are helping you with it.  I can't wait until you are playing songs and we get to come watch your concerts.  I think it is awesome that APA starts both choir and band/orchestra so early.

Thanks to your awesome PE teacher (Mr. Winget), you asked to play soccer this fall, and I happily signed you up.  You are happy to be there and happy to play, although you do not necessarily want to go outside and practice all day.  I am just glad that you tried soccer this year and you were always a very good sport.

In any spare time, you are still asking to go play with Landon, and you guys are likely to be found on the Xbox or computer, playing Minecraft.  You are an 11-year-old scout and you and your dad are trying to start working towards becoming an Eagle, albeit very slowly.  Since we just found your scout book that you had misplaced a couple of months ago, we are going to have to kick that into gear.  

I love how independent you are, getting ready in the mornings, doing your homework, even making food or snacks for yourself and doing chores.  I love that I can leave Sam and Emmi with you for a quick errand around town and know that you will watch them.  You are earning my trust very well and becoming such a terrific young man.  I love you so very much.

Love, 
Mom

Shooting with your Dad and Grandpa Hunsaker

Children's Museum with cousins

Odgen Temple Rededication

Boating with Grandma and Grandpa Hunsaker