Just a few snapshots of our new world here in Jax. We are finally feeling somewhat settled. A lot has happened in our world during my blogging hiatus that I hope to get on here one day but for now, I thought I would share a little of what life is like these days.
So, apart from adjusting to life up in Jacksonville and our new routines we have added another big change. We went from operating as a family of 3 to being a family of 4 temporarily!! I think most who read this know, but for those who don’t Hannah Banana moved in with us for a short term stay, hence the lack of blog posts! It has been so wonderful having her as a part of our every day. She and I have had so much fun doing girl stuff after Sammy goes to bed that I just haven’t taken the time to get any memories down on this blog which stinks since I STILL plan to print our fam memories out one day (anyone have tips on how to do this btw??)
I have thought a lot about the differences in adding a newborn to the family verses adding a 10 year old. Believe it or not there are some very similar issues to resolve! We have a unique situation that may not make sense but I will do my best to describe. In a way that only God could do, He has “eased” us into the transition of going from 1 to more kids over the years. No we don’t have a second child, and I realize that, but there were so many days/weekends during our time in Gainesville that we went from not only 1 to 2 kids but 1 to FIVE kids. There were some days when all five (Hannah and her siblings plus our Samuelito) were at the house and ALL five were cranky or mad & we wanted to pull out our hair but overall we loved having the house full of kids. Even so, I won’t lie and say we weren’t a little bit nervous about having Hannah with us every day. Me more than Sam. I was mostly worried about getting to work on time after getting two kids up and ready then off to prek and summer camp. Plus, Hannah is not a morning person so I had envisioned battle of the wills each day but wow, have we been pleasantly surprised. Don’t misread that, we HAVE had our moments and I have been close to tears on a few occasions (maybe the looney bin is a better description), BUT those have been few and far between thankfully!
So, I am happy to say that things have gone so much better than we expected. I would like to think we were being realists rather than pessimists when it came to her arrival date but lets be honest. When you’ve been matched with a kid for 5 years you know what to expect in terms of not only amazing fun times but also challenging behaviors and possible problems. Sam and I went on the offensive and developed a great plan of action. We had “DeLucca Family Orientation” the night she came and explained how this would be a little different than just staying over night or for the weekend as it has been all these years. We went over our expectations of her, her responsibilities, and even what we expect when she has a meltdown or disagrees with us. She has done so amazingly well I just have to brag on her. She is so helpful, kind,sweet, and funny. She loves to surprise us by cleaning something up or helping Sammy out and she sure loves to pick on Sam! It has been MORE than fabulous having our heart to hearts and so much extra time together. Now I am dreading the day she leaves, our house will be so lonely!
She and Sammy are truly best buds. They often fall asleep in the car holding hands and are always loving on each other. Hannah brags on her “little nephew” every chance she gets. Sammy has assumed the annoying younger child role rather well and does things to irk and provoke Hannah but again, she handles it so well! She has had lots of practice in dealing with siblings so she takes Sammy’s torment in stride and tries to model good behavior for him as best she can. We really have been impressed!
Here’s a few pics of what we have been up to, hope you enjoy!
Hannah Banana is a good sport and joins in playing with Sammy a lot, oh the adventures they have! So fun!
Making mud pies
We LOVE our new neighborhood park, we’ve spent many evenings here
Fun on the beach with my family
They LOVED getting their package of souvenirs and postcards in the mail from Mom and Richard. Thanks again!!!
Hannah has done a FABULOUS job keeping her room clean, usually without being asked! No that is not a misprint, blink and read it again. Yes the earth is still spinning.
Summer fun! Popsicles, sprinklers,and water fun. Dinner on the back porch. Good times!
Dumping muddy water on her.. oh he sure can dish it out..
but nope! Can’t handle the retaliation a bit. Can you tell he is an only child?? We may need to work on that one… hint hint.
Sweet sweet! Love them!
This was one of our exploration nights. We headed to downtown St. Augustine to explore the old fort and a few other sights AFTER DARK and discovered quite a few things. Laughed so much! A night to remember!
