Fourth Grade

Fourth grade is a big year and we just can't believe that Leah is already making the jump from primary to intermediate. We know that she's ready for all of the fun and privileges of being in the bigger kid school, but that comes with a pretty hefty price tag known as 6:30 wake-ups!  This girl is a sleeper and it's going to be quite the adjustment. Other adjustments include switching classes, getting to walk/ride bikes to and from school without a parent, and having the chance to sign up for all sorts of neat after school clubs. Leah is excited and we can't wait to see how she does in her new adventure at Bentley!

What is your name? Leah Ann Sturm

How old are you? nine and a half

What do you want to be when you grow up? a teacher mom

What is your favorite food? French onion casserole

What is your favorite drink? kiddie cocktail

What makes you happy? my brothers

What makes you sad? when I get made fun of or getting hurt

What is your favorite thing to do at home? play outside with friends

Who is your best friend? Josie

Where is your favorite place to go? Florida

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? homework

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? dance

What is the best part about Joel (brother)? He likes to play with me.

What is the best part about Caleb (brother))? He likes to play with me.

What is your favorite book? The Babysitters Club or Smile and Sisters

What is your favorite movie? A Dog's Purpose

Where is your favorite place to eat? McDonalds

What is your favorite thing to wear? shorts and a t-shirt

Sixth Grade

Thank goodness sixth grade is still not considered junior high in this town. It's hard enough to accept that this year will be the last one before he becomes a teenager....I would really lose it if he was also an official junior higher! Caleb is, however, finishing up his final year of intermediate school and he is more ready than ever for the school year to begin. He's always been a very social and scholarly kid, so school is where it's at for this boy! There's no doubt that he'll rock it in sixth grade and we can't wait to see what this year holds for Caleb.

What is your name? Caleb

How old are you? eleven

What do you want to be when you grow up? something to do with animals

What is your favorite food? tacos, chicken pot pie, and dessert

What is your favorite drink? pop

What makes you happy? friends and family doing stuff with me

What makes you sad? when people hurt my feelings

What is your favorite thing to do at home? probably play with friends

Who is your best friend? Ruby, Jack, Alec, Micah, Noah, Beau, Mason, TiTi

Where is your favorite place to go? the lake

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? talk about fun stuff

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? play sports

What is the best part about Joel (brother)? Hahahaha....that he actually plays with me.

What is the best part about Leah (sister)? She is nice to me.

What is your favorite book? Harry Potter

What is your favorite movie? Marvel

Where is your favorite place to eat? home

What is your favorite thing to wear? clothes in general

Second Grade

Second grade has always been one of my favorites. It was a favorite for me as a child and was also the grade I had the joy of teaching for several years. This age is magical! The kids are still so lovable and innocent, yet are capable of so much and display a lot of independence. There's no doubt that Joel is ready for all that second grade entails. He is a solid reader and great in math. He's curious about everything and loves to learn. He's always been eager to keep up with Leah and Caleb, so the vast amount of information he'll learn this year will only help his cause. Joel's biggest concern so far is that his best buddy from last year has transferred schools and he fears that he won't have any friends. Thankfully, we saw a ton of familiar faces at his walk through day and it looks like he's got a class full of great kids! It's going to be an awesome year and we can't wait to see Joel soar in second grade!

What is your name? Joel

How old are you? seven

What do you want to be when you grow up? an electric engineer

What is your favorite food? Grandma's chicken chili soup

What is your favorite drink? milk

What makes you happy? Chief

What makes you sad? whenever I eat disgusting foods

What is your favorite thing to do at home? play the kickoff game with Caleb

Who is your best friend? Steven and Zavian

Where is your favorite place to go? the lake

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? cook

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? go out for dates

What is the best part about Caleb (brother)? He plays the kickoff game with me.

What is the best part about Leah (sister)? I get to play school.

What is your favorite book? Wonder

What is your favorite movie? Racing Stripes

Where is your favorite place to eat? Dominos

What is your favorite thing to wear? Footie Jammies

Lake Trip #2

As we've done in the past, we took an extra long trip to the lake to enjoy one last hurrah before school starts. August is such a fun time to be at the lake. It tends to be a bit quieter and more relaxing. We soaked up the endless relaxation and hopefully it'll carry us through the hectic days to come when school starts!

Some highlights from this trip include the puppy playdate we had with two of Chief's litter mates. Chief, Gus, and Goby all swam and played like maniacs! It was so fun to see these little pups together. Another highlight was getting to have Nyla experience the lake for the first time. She might not be as much of a lake girl as I am, but she still seemed to enjoy it! We also loved getting to see Chief turn into even more of a water dog than he was earlier in the summer. This boy could honestly spend every waking moment in the water! A final highlight was getting to surprise the kids with a stop at the St. Louis Zoo on the way home. We were thrilled to find out that this zoo had red pandas, so we knew it would be worthwhile to stop (since Caleb is still obsessed)! The zoo was beautiful and we are so glad that we made a stop there! We also enjoyed getting to meet up with cousin Meredith and Aunt Sharon, who drove out to St. Louis to have lunch with us after the zoo. It was the perfect ending to a perfectly wonderful final vacation of the summer!