The firsts of January

 

January brought many FIRSTS

to us as a family.

Sterling first started standing on his own!

He would lean back on the ottoman,

and then just casually lean forward to standing,

and then lean back again.

But it's a start!

But then... His biggest FIRST YET!

Sterling started WALKING!

AND WALKING!

and TALKING!

(nonsense of course, but he jabbers all the time!)

This may not be Sterling's first snowfall,

but it was the first time Sterling

NOTICED the snowfall

and it melted all our hearts.

He just instinctively reached up the sky 

to try and catch them

just like everyone naturally does.

Sterling also broke through his pajamas

for the first time.

Sterling got his first

Burger King Crown!

Sterling and Parker are becoming quite the pair!

Parker is very protective of his baby brother,

and loves to make him laugh.

Since Parker is the oldest,

everything he does counts as a first!

Sterling is always very interested

in what Parker is doing!

But Parker doesn't mind the company!

Parker and Colette have their first high school class together!

History!

They form their own little study groups!

As for me,

I've been teaching piano for a few years now,

just a couple kids at a time,

but now I've grown to 11 students!

Since that is my lucky number,

Richard suggested it's time for my

FIRST RECITAL!

Two of those students are my own beautiful daughters!

They played so well!

Teaching piano is something I 

NEVER

EVER

would have dreamed of doing.

But I love it so much!

A couple more firsts for me:

I bought my first grown-up salt and pepper set!

(the only possible choice)

And I repaired my first washing machine.

Just the way my Dad taught me!

I also had to bring Sterling with me for the first time

during Primary songtime.

He sat on the heater vent and stole the show!

The primary presidency couldn't stop taking pictures!

Cora ate for the first time with her fork fingers.

And that's the first time I've ever had 

to write a sentence like that!

Cora bought her first pair of shoes with her own money!

Bold choice!

Sterling driving his first bus.

And I took a picture of Richard

as he was taking the previous picture!

another first?

Richard got a new wood burning stove

for his basement garage/woodshop

Mitchell got his first gig as a manager

for the basketball team.

Mitch also rode his first double-decker bus,

and then actually had to escape out of it.

We went to our first parent/teacher conference

at the high school for Parker and Colette.

They have had many, but for some reason

we've never been able to go until now.

Cora and Britta would always ask where

their older siblings sat!

One teacher even let them write Colette a note!

High school teachers get to decorate their rooms crazy cool!

This one is less so...

And finally,

our walking, jabbering, Sterling has also learned 

how to scoot down the stairs.

So now, for the first time,

he can go unaccompanied to Grandma's!

What are your firsts this year so far?