2011-2012 Photos of School Year in Review: William

We just completed our second week of the school year, and I've yet to do a (photo) post of William's LAST year in review.  Of course he didn't do any "school", but he was in the room for the vast majority of the schooling that took place (often nursing while riding in the Ergo baby carrier - I'm not sure what I would have done without that thing!). 

It's hard to believe that my baby is now a toddler.  He took his first steps in late June and has been bipedal ever since.  I'm still not convinced that his broken femur delayed his walking (he started walking at 16 months, a little earlier than Ellie Jo took her first steps).  I was so anxious for him to take his first steps, and in hindsight I wonder why I was in such a rush.  Society places so much pressure kids (and their parents) to achieve milestones at a set age, but you'd think by baby #5 I'd know not to set such store in those things. 

Currently, William is in a phase where he *needs* to be held about 99% of the time he's awake - which is making the start of our school year a wee bit tricky.  I try to remind myself that in a blink of an eye I'll look back at these days and wonder where they all went.

So, without further ado, here's a photo recap of my last baby's past year.  Oh, how I love this little boy!

Great Grandpa Russell and Great Grandma Billie Ruth w/ Russell, Ellie Jo, James, William, & Belle (August 2011)

William & James (August 2011)

William (September 2011)

Teddy & William (September 2011)

Mommy & William (William's first solid food, September 2011)

William (September 2011)

Ben, James, Ellie, Teddy, Belle, William, & Russell (October 2011)

Ellie Jo, Ben, Teddy, Belle, William, James, & Russell (October 2011)

William & Daddy (November 2011)

William (November 2011)

Russell, William, & Mommy (Christmas Eve, 2011)

William (February 2012)

William (March 2012)

William (first birthday celebration, March 2012; yeah, that's what all the cake photos look like!)

William (March 2012)

William (I *love* this grin of his, and he always does it with his eyes shut; April 2012)

William & Mommy (April 2012)

William (May 2012)

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2011-2012 Photos of School Year in Review: Ellie Jo

Here are some of my favorite photos of Ellie from the past school year.  I'm always amazed at how very unique she is -- she is always finding ways to make sure she doesn't "blend into the crowd".  Words cannot describe how big her personality is, nor can they describe how different (and incomplete) all our lives would be without this little girl.  (I figure I'm allowed to have extra photos of her since I'm only doing a photo blog of her past year, and not a full written review.  Plus, I have so many more photos of her than the others because she has a 6th sense about when I get the camera out; she can't let that happen without being photographed herself!) 

Russell, James, Ellie Jo, & Belle (August 2011, first day of school)

James, Ellie Jo, Russell, & Belle (August 2011)

Joey W. & Ellie Jo (August 2011)

Ellie Jo & Joey W. (August 2011)

Ellie Jo (August 2011)

Teddy & Ellie Jo (Teddy is 4 hours old, September 2011)

Belle & Ellie Jo (October 2011)

Ellie Jo & Ben (October 2011)

Belle & Ellie Jo (November 2011)

Russell & Ellie Jo (November 2011)

Ellie Jo (November 2011)

Ellie Jo & Ben (December 2011)

Russell, Ellie Jo, Belle, William, & James (Christmas Eve, 2011)

Ellie Jo (Christmas Day 2011)

Ellie Jo (January 2012 - self-toenail painting job!)

Ellie Jo (January 2012, pre-hair cut)

Ellie Jo (January 2012, post-hair cut)

Ellie Jo & Belle (February 2012)

Ellie Jo & Anita B. (February 2012)

Ellie Jo (February 2012)

Ben & Ellie Jo (March 2012)

Ellie Jo & Teddy (March 2012)

Ellie Jo (Russell, Ben, & William's b-day party; March 2012)

Ellie Jo & Ben (March 2012)

Ellie Jo, Belle, James, & Russell (April 2012)

Ben, Russell, & Ellie Jo (April 2012)

Ellie Jo & Russell (April 2012)

Ellie Jo (May 2012)

Ellie Jo (June 2012)

Belle & Ellie Jo (June 2012)

p.s. We officially started school for the year on Monday (yesterday).  Last year on the first day we took "first day of school photos" and went out to breakfast -- we'll do that again this year, but it will be one week late so that Dave can join us (on his Monday off work)!

2011-2012 Photos of School Year in Review: James

This past school year I considered James "Pre-K", so this year he will be in Kindergarten. My biggest goal for him this coming year is to master reading.  He can read most three and four letter words, plus over a hundred sight words - but he still struggles when encountering a word he hasn't seen before.  He'll be joining Belle and Russell for science, history, and Spanish lessons, but we'll be doing his own thing for reading, writing/handwriting, math, and music.  In addition, I'm going to devote one hour, four days a week to doing a fun preschool/K lesson with James and Ellie Jo. 

Below are some of my favorite photos of James from the past school year.  Today we celebrated his fifth birthday (which means we also celebrated Dave and my 9th anniversary)... where has the time gone?! 

James (1st day of Pre-K, August 2011)

James (1st day of Pre-K, August 2011)

Daddy & James (1st day of Pre-K, August 2011)

James & Ellie (September 2011)

Jorgensons, Ben Rosen, and Miller Family (Fire station Field trip, September 2011)

Ben & James (Pumpkin Patch, October 2011)

Ellie Jo, Ben, Teddy, Belle, James, William, & Russell (Halloween, October 2011)

James & William (November 2011)

Russell & James (Christmas Eve, 2011)

James (December 2011)

Lance B. & James (yes, I know James' eyes are closed, but I just adore this photo... February 2012)

James (February 2012)

James (March 2012)

James (March 2012)

James & Russell (March 2012)

James (April 2012)

James, Russell, & Ellie Jo (April 2012)

James & William (April 2012)

James (April 2012)

p.s. I didn't start school last Monday like I had originally planned... I'm hopeful I'll get enough organized/planned to be able to start this coming Monday!