no more Baggett training wheels

I know I've said it before, but it's weird how when Emora moves out of a "baby stage" we have all graduated as a family.  I don't have to keep any more baby books, once she has moved past them.  I was able to give away the booster for the dining room, the crib is long gone, we will soon be out of a baby seat (if she can just put on some weight!!)  Well, we have graduated through another ritual of childhood- training wheels!  She is so proud of herself- can you tell?  I took the girls to DQ one night when the boys were gone and on the way back, Emora's wheel got flipped upside down, so I let her ride home with just one training wheel, then took both off and by the next day she had gotten the hang of it!

Plus, we went to the city and I took them swimming. Emora, who still wore arm floats has now got all sorts of courage after her first swim lessons this year in the lake.  She was pushing off of me and kicking to the wall, practicing her floats, putting her head under water and becoming my next little fish!  So I may be ditching the (brand new) arm floats I just got too!  It's kind of freeing, but a bit sad too as we move through these stages and realize that we will never see these days again.

But it's mostly freeing.

Because there are exciting times ahead.

And while I don't want to push her ahead of her own comfort level, it's fun realizing that she may really be ready for that first sleepover, she'll soon be reading on her own, they are maturing and growing up and learning to be better at talking through things and not just crying...

All part of growing up.

I'm thankful we still have some of summer left to enjoy and enjoying it I really am, but I'm also reminding myself to gear up... the transition back into school routine is not always easy- especially for some- those tears may come back, the battles will rise up again- but hopefully we are learning and growing together and can face them better this year.

Ivan wanted to show off while Emora learned because that's what brother's do sometimes.

So I got his pic too all the while celebrating our little adventurer tackling the world.