Another few years older

So, now 3 years have past, lol, and i feel like a failure of a mom.  I know Lila is going to look back and feel robbed that I stopped writing when she was 4.  Sorry sister.  So much has happened in the last 3 years that i wouldn't even attempt to capture it all.  So, i'll just give an update on where we are today.  Lila turns 7 next month, and Ben is 9.  They both still go to PRCA, and they are awesome kids.  Lila is in 1st Grade with Mrs. Gervasi and Ben is in 3rd Grade with Mrs. Marcus. 

Lila loves school and she's great at it.  I'm pretty sure she's everyone's favorite student.  She is so much fun, but she also knows when to get serious and work.  The teachers always brag about how helpful she is with the other students, and how inclusive she is.  She really is a leader in her class.  It's become clear over the last several years that Lila has "grit".  She's got that determination to do whatever she sets her mind to.  She reads on a 4th grade reading level right now, and is great at all subjects.  In kindergarten, she started taking violin. Then switched to Ukulele in 1st grade, and now is learning to play the guitar like her mama.  She played softball in kindergarten, and liked it ok.  She just finished a season of soccer and loved it! She was the team goalie.  Looks like soccer might be her sport, but we want her to try basketball and volleyball.  I'm afraid she's going to ask to cheerlead, but I'm avoiding that as long as possible!  Lila is just as sassy as every, but that's what makes her her.  She is still pretty emotional, and can cry on the drop of a dime, but she's also full of life and laughter and fun. We've just got to help her funnel her passion in a healthy direction. lol.  For her birthday this year, we are letting her have a sleep over and taking her to the American Girl Doll Store to pick out her first doll.  Since she's old enough to read the books, we thought it was time to get her a doll.  We are in speech therapy because Lila has trouble saying her "r"s.   She sounds so cute, but she's self conscious about it, so we're getting her help.  We see her grit even in that.  She's working so hard and making major progress in just a few months.  Right now, her favorite show is Liv and Maddy. 

Benjamin is coming into his own at 9 1/2.  He's always been my laid back, easy going child, but that's changing a bit.  We had to have his first parent teacher conference (that we called), because we didn't like some of his conduct grades.  Basically, Ben is just very black and white like his mom.  And when he believes he's right, he tends to fight for it.  I think that will serve him well in life, but it drives his teacher a little nuts.  lol.  He doesn't like to take answers of authority and move on.  He likes to talk it out and potentially come to some middle ground.  He may make a good lawyer someday!  He's an awesome kid and does great in school.  He's still very spiritually minded, and last year, he said that he believed God wanted him to be a traveling preacher when he got older.  He is still ridiculously picky with what he eats.  Every dinner is a challenge, or at least every dinner that I cook!  His imagination is as strong as ever.  It's so fun to watch him play by himself.  Sometimes he says he wants you to play with him, but he really just needs you as an extra.  At school, he's had some trouble connecting with the other kids because if they don't play what he wants to  (which is typically some imagination based game) then he'll just play by himself.  So, last year in 2nd grade, Amy really pressed him to learn how to play what the other kids wanted to play.  She would make them take turns picking, so when it was Ben's turn, everyone had to play his creative option.  Although, they were never quite sure how!  He's got so many details running through his mind that the world can't see.  I can't wait to see what God does in/through that creativity as he grows up.  He still loves baseball and doesn't want to play anything else.  Hector wants him to try basketball or football in the fall.  We'll see how that works. Right now, Ben's favorite show is How to Train Your Dragon.  He's obsessed with it, and knows all the dragon names and wants us to know too!

We have fun summer plans coming up.  We are going to Orange Beach with my parents and the whole crew in June.  Then we are going to England and France in July.  Hopefully, I'll remember to update the blog after we get back!  The kids are really excited!  The Williams will be over there too, so it should be lots of fun.