All Things Seth

Seth in pictures

Mustache Day at school!

Seth received an award for being on the Honor Roll all year!

Tie-Dye t-shirts for his class to wear on Field Day

Watching TV and snuggling with Daddy

Super Hero Day at school - Seth went as Thor

Baseball

Now that the season has ended I figured it would be a great time to write about Seth's first baseball experience.  I, of course, would not have wanted to write about this earlier as it would have only been a partial story and cliffhangers are a little on the mean side.  Yeah, that's why I waited.

So Seth asked to try his hand with baseball this Spring and we were excited to let him do it! Having never played before, this was a completely new, somewhat difficult experience for him.  One thing we have noticed about Seth is that he likes to be the best at everything.  And, like his Momma, he wants to figure things out on his own, not be told how to do something.

Enter baseball.

Most of the kids on Seth's team had played t-ball or coach pitch in previous years.  They were familiar with the rules and with being at the plate to bat.  We were pleasantly surprised that Seth was very good about taking instruction - not only from his coaches, but also from his peers.  He worked hard and tried his very best.  He practiced at home and asked questions if there was something he didn't understand (because baseball, unlike soccer, has A LOT of rules!).

Seth got to play right field, left field, 3rd base and 2nd base throughout the season.  He did a wonderful job backing up players and being quick on his feet to run down hard-hit balls.  Over the course of the season he learned to be patient at the plate and watch for good balls to swing at.  While he was never able to get a hit in a game, he did get several walks, and we were all proud of him for that.

When asked, Seth told us that he would definitely like to play baseball again, and he is very excited that, even though the season is finished, his coaches are planning to get the kids together once a month or so to continue refining their skills.  We can't wait for next season!

Seth's first-ever at bat

Winter Wonderland

This last weekend we had the first real snow of the year around here.  We were all surprised as snow was in the forecast but it was not supposed to stick...but stick it did!  And, it was the BEST kind of snow to have snowball fights and build snowmen!

Katey was spending the night with a friend, but Seth and Mike and I all went out to play (even Belle joined us for a bit and she LOVED the snow...but got pretty cold pretty quick as she has just had a fur-cut recently).  Seth immediately worked on making the biggest snowball possible to throw at his parents.  Several times he would pick up the giant ball, get ready to throw, and we would laugh as the snowball exploded all over him.  The true mark of a Southern boy - he didn't know to pack that snow well!

Seth and Mike even build a little snow fort - but apparently Seth destroyed it before I could get a picture.  I headed in long before Seth - we had to make him come back inside long after dark.  Sure is fun to play in the snow! 

The best part about this winter precipitation?  We had about 2 inches come down on Saturday evening and by Sunday around lunch time it was almost all melted!  But, it sure was beautiful and a lot of fun while it lasted!

The Election

The 3rd Grade election, that is! 

The 3rd grade teachers in Seth's school didn't like the book unit on the election process so they decided to move outside of the box and stage a mock presidential election among their students.  Each class would vote to elect a candidate (complete with a vice-presidential running mate!) and then work on a campaign leading up to election day. 

Seth was voted in as President of Ms. Morrison's class, with his buddy, MaryJane, as his Vice President.  All the kids helped him perfect his campaign speech and worked on campaign posters to put up throughout the 3rd grade hallway.  These were a couple of my favorites:

"He is extremely responsible.  He listens to other people!Vote for Seth Averill!!!!  Seth would be a good president.  He helps with word problems and friendship problems to!!"

"Seth is very smart.  he helps students in math and other classes.  He doesn't get in trouble because he makes wise choices.  he is a great friend for playing!"

This one I wanted to highlight the last sentence.  I almost fell over laughing when I read it:  "He is Republican."  Seth claims he wasn't running as a Republican but he would have voted Republican in the actual, US Presidential election!

Next, Seth gave his campaign speech (they did a video of all the candidates presenting their speeches then showed them to all the classes so the kids didn't have to stand up and speak in front of 100+ kids):
"My name is Seth Michael Averill.  I am 8 years old.  I have a sister named Katey, a mom named Jen, and a dad named Michael.  I have 16 pets.

I could do a great job because I am talented, responsible, intelligent, nice, and a good friend.  I am talented because I won a dance contest on a cruise.  I am responsible because I put the dishes away when on one expected it.  

I would give the school new playground equipment and shelters for balls that would NOT break.  I would also make the food and treat prices lower in the cafeteria.  I would make recess longer and also every day.  40 minutes. 

My name is Seth Averill so vote for me!"

I loved the campaign promises - he came up with those all on his own!

So, after viewing the speeches, the kids voted.  I hear there were even pollsters campaigning outside the voting area. :-) 

Sadly, Seth did not win.  He is sure he came in 2nd place though (no confirmation of this fact - just what he believes in his heart), and the winner was the person he was pretty sure was going to beat him from the start - apparently her speech was REALLY good. 

Regardless of the outcome, I love that all the kids got to experience the process and see how an election works.  We are super proud of our Presidential candidate - 3rd grade today, United States in 30 years!

Another Great Year

Summer break is here!  I'm not sure who is more excited, the kids or me!

We had a nice end to the school year with lots of fun events/parties.  Katey got to attend the 5th grade dance, then there was field day (for both kids), the 5th grade graduation and classroom parties. 

The dance was a lot of fun to chaperone.  It was great to see the kids run around with an air of, "we own this place"!!  As was expected, Katey had a very fun time but didn't really interact with her classmates much.  She really does march to her own beat and seems to truly enjoy life and not really care too much what other people think.

Our beautiful dancer!

Katey is all the way on the right.  She is dancing, just far away from the group!

Graduation was a nice event yesterday.  The kids were so proud to walk across the stage to get their certificates.  Katey said she was a little nervous because her class went first and, since they did things alphabetically, she was the very first student to be called up.  She did beautifully and is now officially a 6th grader!!

Finally, there were classroom parties.  It is always a little bittersweet to see the end of the school year arrive.  Katey and Seth both had fantastic teachers and it is hard to say goodbye to them (for me, too!).  Katey's class made 5th grade memory books and signed each others' yearbooks.  Seth's class had an ice cream sundae party and signed beach balls.  I believe today was taken up with cleaning out desks and watching movies.  What fun!

With Mrs. Carbone

With Mrs. Holder

With Ms. Crook

With Mrs. Haynes and Ryan

With Mrs. Toy

This year has flown by!  Here are pictures for comparison sake.  Wow, have these kids grown and changed this year!!

August, 2011

June, 2012

August, 2011

June, 2012 - I do feel the need to point out that Seth is wearing pj pants because today was pajama day!

Terrific Kids

We have 2 pretty terrific kids.

Katey ran her sixth 5K last weekend and managed to shave several minutes off her personal best to set a new (personal) record!!  She and Mike crossed the finish line in right at 36 minutes!  As always, Katey thoroughly enjoyed her season of Girls On the Run and was especially excited about the post-race pizza and cake celebration.

Seth got the Terrific Kid award for his class this grading period!  We were treated to breakfast and a presentation of awards.  His teacher wrote a very nice paragraph as to why Seth was chosen for the award and he was all smiles as he heard it being read.  Seth was so excited about this honor that he could hardly stand it and must have told us 10 times how overjoyed he was!  (We won't mention the part about his whining and complaining over being made to wear a collared "church shirt" to school. HA!)

 

We are so proud of both of our TERRIFIC kids!

Sleeping Beauty

Wacky and Tacky

Last Friday was "Wacky Tacky" day at school in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday.  If you know Katey at all, you know that this day was made for her!  It seems that no matter how hard I try, she doesn't quite understand what matches and what doesn't (though I think we are slowly getting there).  

For example, she came downstairs one day last summer wearing this and not wanting to change:

So, when I got downstairs on Friday I was all ready for a "great" Wacky-Tacky ensemble.  Katey proudly displayed her chosen outfit exclaiming, "Isn't this a great outfit for Wacky-Tacky Day?"

 

Doh!  Perhaps she isn't making as much progress as I had thought.  :-)  

So it was back to the drawing board and I almost laughed out loud as I heard, "Mommy, can you please help me pick something out that doesn't match?"

The result?  

Presenting, the very whacky, Wacky-Tacky Averill Kids:

January

What a month!

We spent a quick 3 day weekend in Ohio visiting family since we didn't make it up North at Christmas.  Thankfully, we had a nice survival kit for the car, compliments of my thoughtful sister, just in case we had a repeat of the 24 hour trip from a couple of years ago.  You know, the year that I was traveling alone with the kids, had only a few granola bars in the van for food and found myself sitting on I-77 in WV for 6+ hours as they had CLOSED THE MAJOR HIGHWAY due to snow.  My favorite item there is the Folger's coffee can labeled as "Family Restroom".  Really could have used that 2 years ago...

Anyway, we had a wonderful time with family and I did not use my camera like I should have.  Shannon had her in-laws over for dinner and games one night and we all had great fun.  Then, Grandma Brown hosted a delicious dinner for all of us so we could see most of our Ohio relatives.  You just can't beat Grandmas rolls, green beans and corn!  Then it was time to head home again...  The kids did get to enjoy playing in the snow and sledding with Mike and Uncle Jason.  They were thrilled beyond measure to see the snow!

Grandma Brown with the Great-Grands

Katey and Gabriella

Aubrey (I think she and Katey may have the same sense of style!)

January wrapped up with Seth going under the knife.  It was a whirlwind event as we found out that he needed his tonsils and adenoids out January 9 and he was having surgery on the 20th!!  The good news was there wasn't much time to worry about how he would do.  Seth was very brave and, leading up to the big day, was only upset that he was going to miss a week of school (which made his teacher super happy!). 

The day before surgery I told him that I could pull out the once-beloved Puppy and Sheepy for him to take along.  He said I could if I wanted to, he didn't care either way.  However, the morning of surgery he sought-out Puppy and didn't let go...which made Mommy happy.  (I've missed Puppy and am a little sad that Seth is growing up and doesn't need him around anymore)

So, all went well with the surgery.  The doctor, upon coming out to the waiting room afterwards, informed us that Seth's tonsils were HUGE and everyone in the operating room could not believe how big they were!  Glad we got them out!

Recovery went very smooth (though it was touch-and-go with my attitude and Seth's around day 5-6!) and Seth is no longer snoring or having moments of sleep apnea that we have noticed.  Wahoo!!

Seth before surgery

Puppy got a new friend (appropriately named), "Tonsils"!

And that sums up January.  Whew!

Simplicity

We spent last weekend with Mike's sister, Christy, in Birmingham.  While I plan to do an entire post on all the fun things we did there, right now I want to focus on Seth and his wonderful ability to find fun in the simple.

For many years now Seth has snubbed most toys (unless they are the Wii or the DS) but preferred to entertain himself with things like stuffed animals, his hands or, in the latest case, an acorn.  We love that he uses his imagination to give life to inanimate objects.

Ever heard of Pee-lo and Pie-lo?  Didn't think so.  Seth made them up...and they are his hands.  Pee-lo is the right, Pie-lo is the left.  From age 3-5 or so they acted like spiders, they climbed up head mountains, they crawled across floors and tables, and they got blamed for things.  If a glass of milk was spilled and Seth was scolded the response would undoubtedly be, "It wasn't me, it was Pee-lo and Pie-lo".  Mike and I spent countless minutes and hours trying to pound in the fact calmly explain that if Pee-lo and Pie-lo did it then SETH did it.  Have I ever mentioned that Seth is a little on the stubborn side?  Wonder where he got that from?!


While Pee-lo and Pie-lo have been in hiding for a couple of years, they seem to have made a recent come-back.  It is fun to relive old times and watch our kids do the same!

So, the acorn.  While visiting Christy we spent a lot of time outside walking around.  The kids collected many acorns but none so special as "Nutty".  Seth found Nutty on Saturday morning and spent the rest of the day, as well as all day on Sunday, playing various games with his new-found friend.  He spun Nutty around in a frisbee, rolled him along the floor, fished him out from under the couch more times than we can count, made up stories about Nutty, carried him in his pocket and gathered more acorns just so that Nutty would have friends.  And, after we got home, Seth drew a face on the beloved acorn!

I absolutely adore the little kid that still exists in our almost 8 year old!!  I know it won't be much longer before imagination games are pushed aside and the seriousness of "big kid stuff" takes over.  *sigh*  For now we are thoroughly enjoying Seth's simple creativity and nuttiness!

Eventful Hodge-Podge

We have had quite the eventful past few weeks around here.  First there was crazy-alien hair day at school:

Next came the Family Sports Night at school - Mike and I both helped with this event.  Mike was on the tug-o-war station and here he is battling it out with 7 kids:

The following day, I flew to Ohio and drove to Indiana with Shannon.  Wish I could say it was a fun sister trip, but unfortunately, it was for a funeral.  The funeral was for Bonnie, my best childhood friend, Erica's mom.  I have such wonderful memories of Bonnie and her very welcoming and loving spirit.  Erica and I lived 3+ hours apart but wrote letters faithfully from age 10 until college.  We saw each other at Camp Ohio every summer and our moms made it possible for us to usually get together another time or two throughout each year as well.  I hadn't seen Erica or Bonnie in 12 years but I still felt a huge pull to be there for the funeral to say goodbye and to support my friend.  While it was hard, it was also wonderful to see Erica again, to get to know her husband and to meet her 4 kids. 

I am so very thankful to Mike for his willingness to take on the kids for several days (including rearranging his work schedule...).  And especially so after Seth ended up being sick, which meant Mike worked from home for 2 days.  I am also thankful for Shannon and Jason and their willingness to host me on short notice, and to have Shannon accompany me on the trip.  For my dad, who picked me up at the airport and for Jason's aunt, Sandy, who was ready and willing to house Shannon and me for the night in Indiana (even though we left her hanging and didn't come!). This trip really reminded me that I am so very loved and cared for.

Speaking of Seth being sick, he kept saying he was dizzy and needed something to help him walk.  This is how he got around for about a week:

He used his N-Force battle toy as a cane to help steady himself.  Crazy kid!!

Shades

This is what I have learned:  I love painting.  I do not love prepping to paint.  I despise cleaning up the painting supplies and mess when I am done.  The actual painting itself is quite relaxing and seeing a finished product, all clean and neat and new, is amazing.  But, perhaps I should limit the work to one room per year instead of 3 rooms per month...

It all started when I realized the kids' bathroom needed a coat of paint.  From there it was an "if-you-give-a-mouse-a-cookie" kind of a project.  I let the kids pick the bathroom color (the choices were green, orange or purple).  They choose orange.  4 coats of paint later (yes, I said FOUR!!), the finished product looks great and is much BRIGHTER than the builder white that did cover the walls.  Check it out:

Once we began talking of painting walls, the kids were really excited and both wanted their rooms re-painted.  Here are the before and after shots of both.  

We (Mike and I, not Seth) were sad to see the cute animal mural on Seth's wall go. A friend painted it on there 6 years ago when we moved in the house and Seth decided he was ready for something a little more "Big Kid". We are all really pleased with the results of all the rooms!!