William started 1st Grade this year and Henry started Kindergarten! I can't believe how old they both are! They looked so handsome on their first day. Henry was so excited to go to school with William! He has William's teacher from last year. He has two friends in his class and he is loving school.
William was also so excited to show him where everything was and how things work when you go to elementary school. It was really cute to watch them bond. William has done pretty well transitioning to a full day of school. He doesn't have a whole lot of free time anymore. When he comes home from school it takes him until dinner time to do his homework and practice the piano. In first grade they are required to read for 30 minutes a day.
Carter misses William and Henry so much! For the first few days he threw a big tantrum when we got home from dropping them off at school. When they come home he gives them each a big bear hug! The first few weeks of school have been and adjustment for everyone. I think they had a hard time transitioning from the lazy bedtime routine of summer to the more structured school routine. Things are getting better and they are more used to the schedule of getting up and going to school for most of the day, which is nice.
Another big event that happened in our family is William's gerbils! William has been saving money since April to get 2 gerbils. He bought everything himself: the cage, water bottle, bedding, toys, wheel, food, and gerbils. It has been a really great learning experience for him. Back in April I took him with me to run some errands and I told him we could chat about whatever he wanted. He brought up that he really wanted a pet that he could hold and take care of by himself. We talked about several different options and requirements. We had to find something that could be left alone for a few days when we go on vacation, doesn't smell bad, that he could take care of himself, and that he could afford to buy. He did a lot of research and we went to the pet store to talk to the staff there about different pets. William decided on gerbils and started saving money! He earns $0.28 per chore he completes ($.03 to tithing and $.25 to himself). He had several days where he would do 4 chores to earn $1. I was so proud of him for how hard he worked toward his goal! He saved over $50 to get the gerbils! He wanted to buy them before the end of the summer and we got them a week or two before school started. He named them Cutie and Carmel.
I am not a fan of rodents, but I am a fan of William. So, although I was initially not very excited about this plan, I'm very happy that Nathan and I supported him with this project. It was such a great experience to counsel with him about choosing the right pet, earning/saving money, etc. I think it's been a great learning experience for him and he continues to take very good care of them! I am so proud that he was able to set a goal and keep at it for months.
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