dependent

I started going back to a Bible study this year, and it began last week Tuesday.  I was looking forward to going again, but Levi did NOT want to go.  I really didn't think about it being a problem, but when it was time to go he kept saying that he didn't want to go, and he was really slow about getting in the van.  I tried to reassure him that Lauryn would be there (Amy's youngest, and they had just been over a few days before), but he was still feeling super shy and scared.  When we got there and saw Amy and Lauryn in the parking lot he wouldn't even look at them or talk to them.  He was very upset when it came to actually dropping him off at his room - he was crying and I literally had to drag/carry him into the room (and he's not a small boy...).  The teacher is great and said she was fine with me just leaving him like that and she would handle it (she had to hold him back from following me out the door).  When I went back to pick him up at the end he was in a much better mood, and the teacher said it just took him a few minutes and then he was fine.  I was very encouraged by that, but on the way home as we were talking he kept saying that he didn't want to go again.  So I was anxious to see how it would go this week.  The night before I mentioned to him that we'd be going to Bible Study the next day and he seemed okay with it (although, he has trouble keeping track of the difference between various activities).  But, that morning when I told him we were going he got upset about it and by the time we got to the church I was worried we were going to have a repeat of the week before (or worse!).  He was sucking his thumb in the car, so I held his hand the rest of the way.  In the parking lot he wouldn't talk to or look at Amy and Lauryn.  BUT, when we got back to his classroom he did so much better!  The other boys that were already there were excited to see him, and he had that shy/scared look on his face, but he walked right in the room and I left without a problem!  Yay!  Afterwards he was very proud of himself for doing so well going in, and his teacher mentioned to me how good he sat for story time, so he was proud of that, too.  I'm expecting big things next week.  :)

So yeah, around the first couple weeks of school I caught Levi several times trying to sneak sucking his thumb.  He's already doing better with it, so it must have just been the stress of starting a couple new things.  Phew.

Last Wednesday Jackson and I were able to visit with our friends Angie, Ian, and Wyatt.  Ian and Wyatt are 1 month older than Jackson, and it was just too cute to see the three of them together!

The other night my dad needed help picking up bales from the field behind our house and it turned into quite the event with lots of helpers!  :)  My dad drove the truck while my mom rode along and held Jackson.  Mike, I, Caleb, Logan, Levi, and two neighbor boys managed picking up the bales and getting them stacked in the trailer.  It went pretty well!  The neighbor boys are only 4th and 2nd grade, but they were "go-getters" and really kept at it.  Caleb and Logan did okay, helping some.  And there were a number of times that Levi was rolling a bale to the trailer and was determined to do it without any help.  So neat to see how hard he was trying and not giving up.

Yesterday I sold Jackson's infant car seat.  Hard to believe we're done with that already!  I've been thinking just the last couple days that he hardly looks like a baby anymore.  :(