Gage 5 months

My Sweet Angel Yes, boys ARE just better

(Words from a boymom)

Having fun eating

Cort is going to get you! Happy boy

Yeah, I'm cool because I get to hang out with my older brother
Green beans-check
Squash-check
Peas---come on mom, they are no good!

My mom stayed with us for the summer to take care of Gage. Gage and Gee had a great time hanging out together and getting to know each other every day. Keaton and Cort only went to daycare part time during the summer so they also got to spend some time at home with Gee.

Since Gee and Paw Dan live 5 hours away, they didn't get to see Keaton and Cort as much when they were little. Gee really enjoyed watching Gage these 2 1/2 months and seeing all the first milestones.

Gage loved his Gee and her gentle nature with him. He may not remember this time spent bonding with her, but I think that bond will be there forever. With Keaton and Cort, I was able to stay home. It was very hard for me to leave Gage and go back to work, but it definitely helped having my mom here.

Gee and the older boys lived upstairs together all summer.

Thanks mom for spending the summer with us. We hope you had a fun summer living with the Robo's. Thanks for being trustworthy, dependable, loving, and patient. Thanks for cleaning my house and doing all of my laundry. But most of all, thanks for taking such great care of Gage!

Guess who this is??

Keaton Edward at 5 months!

And Cortie

Out of the mouth of babes

Yesterday on the way home from small group, I was quizzing the boys in the car. I asked Cort what his favorite Bible verse was and he said, "John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not PANIC, but have everlasting life". I think that pretty much sums it up, don't you!

Once we were home, I was reviewing Keaton's folder in his backpack. He had brought home some classwork that required him to list his favorite things A-Z. Although the list was not complete, my heart was overjoyed to see that he had filled in G-God, J-Jesus, and C-Cort. Mom and Dad didn't even make the list, but that's okay!

And on a slightly different note, I called Keaton's name the other evening. I knew he was in my room but seemed to be hiding in our covers. I called his name again and his response was, "Keaton's not here right now, please leave a message at the beep. BEEEEEEEEP". Then later that night when I asked him to brush his teeth and get ready for bed, he said to me, "I have a plan and it is to sleep downstairs in your bed tonight". That kid cracks me up sometimes!!

Summer Fun!

Keaton and Cort at our neighborhood pool at the beginning of the summer.

(Notice Cort's swim float)

Mr. Gage joined us at the pool a couple of times.
Daddy hanging out with his boys
Cutie Pie
Mr. Attitude

This day at the pool, Keaton decides he is going to do a front flip off the diving board.

And HE DID IT!!! I was so proud of him! And glad I didn't know until he already did it. Gage and I were watching from the sidelines. (Daddy was in the pool, of course)

Perfect landing!

Although after a time or two later, he landed on his back and it hurt. After that he was done with flips. The next time we went to the pool it was just me and the boys. I asked Keaton if he was going to try a flip again and he replied, " No mom, you don't do hurts". That's right! This mama doesn't like blood or pain!

Kayla, Keaton, Ryan, and Cort waiting to swim at Nana's

Swim lessons!

Look at him go!

Love this picture!

C-Man waiting his turn

Slide time!

By the end of the summer, Cort didn't even need his float any more. Wow, 5 years old and swimming by himself!!

Compassion

Meet our sponsor child, Holger. This is something I have thought about over the last few years and finally decided to make the commitment. As a family, we are sponsoring Holger. We are committing to support him financially as deemed appropriate through Compassion International. We are also committing to pray for Holger and his family. The boys are excited to learn more about Holger's life through letters that we will be writing to him. Maybe there will be a mission trip in our future to Ecuador to visit Holger and his family. I love the idea that we could travel as a family when the boys are teenagers on a mission trip somewhere, maybe Ecuador. I pray that the Lord will use this developing relationship with Holger and this sponsorship through Compassion International to instill a servant's heart and a love for missions or ministry in Keaton, Cort, and Gage.

Holger is 5 years old just like Cort and his birthday is May 31, just like Keaton.

1st day of school

How is summer already over?

How is Gage already 5 months?

How is Cort in Kindergarten?

How is Keaton, my 1st baby, a 2nd grader?

I think I have finally been swept up in the wind tunnel of motherhood. It all seems like a whirlwind and it seems to past by faster and faster. I just wanted to hit pause so I can linger in each moment a little longer. Enjoy each day a little more. I would even rewind if I could. Not to undo any unflattering moments, but to live again the experiences that are now just moments captured in pictures or memories stored in my heart. And if I could, I would go all the way back to the day Keaton was born. The day I was made complete by becoming a mother.

Okay, enough of my boo-hoo-my-Cortie-started Kindergarten-pity-party. On to the pictures of my beautiful grade school boys.

Look at those smiling faces.

So, Mark is having is own boo-hoo-my sons-are-longhorns-pity-party. He can't believe his future Aggies are going to a school with horns. Our subdivision was re-zoned this year. We are now zoned to Lowery instead of Copeland. This mama has decided to look past the mascot for a few years (til 5th grade or we move) because I love my sons more than the Aggies (yes, it's possible).
We are very excited about both of their teachers. Keaton has Ms. Hansen (who is an Aggie!) and Cort has Ms. Cleboski. We were very impressed with them at meet the teacher. Keaton was excited to learn he already has 2 friends in his class, Emma from church and Jacory from Copeland/CCY. Keaton's BFF, Kevin, is in his switch class (they switch for Language Arts and the switch class is their partner class). Cort also has a friend from CCY in his class, Layla.

Cy-Fair is open concept, which means the classrooms are 'open'. The solid walls are sparse and classrooms are divided by partitions. We are also pleased with their classrooms. Keaton lucked out again, as he did in Kindergarten, and has a private room. (Even in 1st grade it was pretty much private since they were in portable buildings) Cort's room, although not completely private, seems closed off enough. Two of the walls are solid and the other two are floor to ceiling partitions.
We drove them to school the first day. I was disappointed they wouldn't let us walk them into their rooms, especially Cort. They stopped us at the cafeteria where he waited for a teacher to come get all the Kindergartners. (Copeland let us go into the room with Keaton and we even stayed for 10 minutes and took pictures)
This year we have decided that Mark will drop the boys off at school each morning on his way into the office. They will be car riders. In years past, Keaton was a daycare bus rider, but that is because I had to take Cort to daycare anyway. Once Gage starts daycare (sniff, sniff) I will take him in the mornings while Mark gets the boys off to school.

Last year I began saying a prayer for the boys before they got out of the car at daycare. I will miss this time with them in the morning, but daddy and the boys are carrying on the morning prayer in their daily drive to school.
We have asked Keaton to watch out for Cort especially in the mornings as he is walking to his class and then in the afternoons when getting on the daycare bus. Keaton is a great big brother. They even have a special handshake.
The purple gingerbread man around C's neck is to alert any teachers/staff that he is a Kindergartner if he ever looks lost or confused.
Cort as he is lining up to be taken away.....I mean off to class. He seems to be dealing with it okay. I held my own, not allowing any tears to shed. But I did declare in the car to Mark that NO ONE will rob me from the pleasure of taking my baby Gage to his K class. (Mark and I did the math....we will be 41 when Gage goes to K, yikes!)
There my baby goes, I mean big boy!

So we are 3 days in and so far so good. Cort seems to be adjusting well although tired in the evening. Yesterday was a long day since we had our first AWANA meeting last night. Cort told me before we left that he was tired and just wanted to lay down. Can you say nap time this weekend!!!