Emma's 10-year-old Trip

Growing up, we had a tradition in my family where when a child is ten-years-old he or she gets to go on a special trip with the parent of the same gender. I remember my brother Steve went deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico with my Dad (we lived in Texas at the time), and I flew to Utah with my Mom to see my grandparents, cousins and other relatives.

So to continue our tradition, near the end of September, Emma and I took off for the Great Wolf Lodge in Ohio. This is a hotel with an amazing indoor water park.The first thing we did was head over to Olive Garden for dinner. It was wonderful to be out with my child at a restaurant of her choosing, and not have it be McDonalds! My girl is growing up!Then we threw on our swimsuits and had several hours of fun in the water--especially on the tube slides. Emma was brave enough for all of the slides and our legs were tired by the end of the night from climbing the stairs so many times. Luckily they also had a hot tub area!

The next day we had a late checkout, so we played at the waterpark all morning. We were sad to leave because we were having such a great time!On the way home we found a "Drive-Thru African Safari" that we absolutely couldn't resist! You really do stay in your car and all the animals come up to you to eat the food you are given at the start. Emma and I were laughing so hard our stomach muscles ached by the end! --especially when a big elk ripped the cup of food right out of Emma's hand, ate almost all of the food, and then dropped the cup into the front seat of the car! --or when another animal smeared snot along our window. --or when the alpacas would come up to us trying to find food (they have funny-looking, kind of scary teeth!).There was also a few animals in more of a zoo setting by a gift shop that you could park at. Here we saw the liveliest monkeys swinging around their habitat like gymnasts. It was very fun to watch.

It was so wonderful to have this special time with my oldest child. She is such a remarkable young lady! I am so grateful to have her friendship.

Apple Orchard Trip

Alex was so excited for his very first field trip with his preschool friends. We headed to one of the local apple orchards and had a fabulous time--especially because Grandma got to come with us!

All of the children loved the animated, talking people and skeletons. We could hardly convince the kids to come see anything else! This guy was especially appealing as he was sitting in an outhouse.Driving the train with Cayson.
When it was finally time to go for our "train" ride out to the apple orchard, the kids climbed aboard eagerly.
I couldn't get enough photos of this little guy in his handsome pioneer hat!
Alex had been learning all about how apples grow at school and at home, so he was totally thrilled to be able to come pick some all by himself.
Grandma got to pick some too! :)
Sebastian was less than enthused to be a spectator.
Alex had to eat one of the apples immediately! He does love apples!
Then we got to watch them press the apple cider inside, and headed back outside to enjoy some fresh apple cider and doughnuts.
After the snack, everyone was ready to play, so we explored the corn maze, the haystacks, the trike race course, the "horse" swings, the petting animals and the animated character barn. We really had a great time!
Sebastian was just happy to be out of the stroller!
This kid looks like a natural-born farmboy, don't ya think?

Grandma's Visit

In September we were delighted to have my mom come visit for a few days! She brought some fun little gifts for the kids. Alex didn't want to take the pioneer hat off for days!I have been dying to share my little baby with her!While the other kids were in school, she was able to go on Alex's first preschool field trip to an apple orchard, as well as come to Alex and Sebastian's swimming lesson with Sandy.We all loved having her with us all weekend, and to share Family Night with us. Emma had a great lesson planned for us!I think Isabelle enjoyed Sebastian's ride more than he did!
Thanks for coming out Mom!!!

Back to School

We spend so much time swimming during the summer that the kids really don't ride their bikes much till the pool and lakes close on Memorial Day weekend. It only took a few days though this year and Isabelle was up and going without training wheels for the first time!School starts around here the week after Memorial Day, and our kids were definitely ready! This year is especially exciting because all four school-goers get to go to the same school and ride the same bus. And we finally have a bus stop in our new subdivision! The kids are enjoying seeing each other at lunch and recess, and Maya is actually mainstreaming into Isabelle's class for a couple hours a day.Emma--5th gradeMaya--1st grade
Poor girl had to start the year with her full leg cast. She was pretty good with those crutches though!Isabelle--1st gradeTristan--Kindergarten
This handsome little guy is so excited, he can hardly stand it!
This school has the mothers come to Kindergarten for the first hour or so to help the child get situated and then say goodbye. So, after putting them all on the bus, I drove over to meet him. This is his teacher.Tristan dazzled them all by going all the way across the monkey bars, and when it was time for me to go, he was still so excited about it all that he didn't mind in the the least. The preschool he was in after he came home from Russia was half day, Monday-Friday. So he is very well prepared for his new all-day Kindergarten class. In fact, weeks later, he is still telling me on Sunday nights how excited he is to go to school the next day!Alex is thrilled for his preschool this year. We are doing a home-based preschool curriculum with 4 other moms from church. We rotate teaching every two weeks. Although he is already reading well, preschool has been very good for him to develop some independence, make good friends and do more fun crafts and activities than I would normally fit into our days.

A week after school started Maya got her new "walking" cast, so she didn't need her crutches anymore. Yeah!

Sebastian's Walking!

What a wonderful weekend we have had with Sebastian! With what started with a few steps here and a few steps there at 10 1/2-months-old, now at 11-months old, it has turned into full-fledged walking!

I know I am woefully behind blogging, but I couldn't wait to post about this milestone. It has been so amazing to watch this little miracle unfold. This brand-new little person, walking around the house on two chubby, unsteady little legs. It is so joyful and wonderful to watch his growing confidence and enthusiasm! There is definitely no shortage of cheerleaders around the house for him either! All weekend everyone has been cheering him on and getting excited for this new talent he is developing.

This is a funny photo of him. I think I caught him inbetween expressions, but it's the only one of him walking that I have time to put on here right now.

the $1 elbow challenge

For the last month we have been working on table manners. If anyone is caught with an elbow on the table or talking with food in their mouth, they owe me a penny. If anyone catches me, I have to pay each child a penny. It has worked remarkably well.

At dinner tonight Jeff told them all that he would pay $1 to anyone who could put their elbow in their mouth. I wish you all could have been there tonight to see the kids as they tried with all their might to accomplish this task.

After a while Daddy revealed that it was actually an impossible feat. As Tristan was clearing his dishes (he is almost always the first one done around here), he stated matter-of-factly, "Well, I know who can, a clown!"

Alex immediately responded with, "Tristan, I got to tell you this. Really a clown is just a person."

A glass full of pee

This morning I went into my bathroom after the kids left for school and my empty water glass had mysteriously filled itself with a yellow liquid. Despite my utter disbelief, a quick sniff confirmed that this was really and truly somebody's urine. Knowing that it was most likely to be one of the boys (due to the neatness of the operation) and also knowing that Alex had used the restroom downstairs, my main suspect was Tristan. Lucky for him he was blissfully off to school for the day. :)

This also allowed me to come up with a plan of action. Here's how it went:

Mom: Tristan, I have some juice for you!
Tristan: It doesn't look like juice.
Mom: Well, it looks like apple juice to me. Go ahead, and drink up!
Tristan: But it's kind of yellow and green.
Mom: Yeah, that's the same as apple juice, so go ahead, you can have it.
Tristan: But...it's not juice!
Mom: You don't think it's juice?
Tristan: No
Mom: Well, I guess I'm not sure. My empty water glass was just sitting there, and then after you came in here to go potty this morning and left for school, I found it like this. It must be juice! What else would be in my glass?
Tristan: I don't know.
Mom: Well then, why don't you taste it and see?
Tristan: No! It's not juice!
Mom: What is it then?
Tristan: I don't know.
Mom: Tristan, I think you are not telling me the truth. Did you do this?

There followed a teary confession and stern lecture on lying, as well as extra chores for lying.

Despite my dismay at his lies, I found the whole situation quite humorous in a slightly disturbing way. My boys have also peed in the bathroom garbage cans. Please tell me this is normal little boy behavior!

9-month-old Sebastian

Wow, do I ever love this little guy! Sometimes I am quite blown away by the intensity of my love for him. It has been amazing watching his little personality start to emerge more this month. He mastered crawling with both knees and is happy to be in the thick of things at all times. He also cut both top teeth now, so he has 4 cute little pearly whites. He is eating solids like a champ and putting on some baby chubs. He loves music and has started to dance, bobbing a little and waving him arm around. I love this!

On the 20th of September he did his first baby sign language, "more!" It was so exciting! I was sitting with several other ladies talking and when he came over to me I picked him up and put him up on my lap. He started doing the "more" sign and I saw that he was looking at a bag of treats on the table that one of the other mothers had for her son! I can't believe my baby can communicate what he wants with me!

We had a family night picnic at a local lake the other night, and Sebastian LOVED the swings!He loves to sit on the ground wherever we go and explore. I am still constantly fishing everything out of his mouth. Sometimes it is grass and leaves...
sometimes ants and spiderwebs, or somebody's chewing gum from under the picnic table bench...
sometimes mulch and twigs...
sometimes mud and sand and rocks...
and sometimes just the normal bits of food, legos or broken toy bits that seem to be around the house no matter how often we sweep and vacuum.
In August he went to the movie theater for the first time. I braved it and took all the kids myself to see the new Cars matinee. Sebastian was a good boy and slept in my arms half the time.
Sebastian loves to go for stroller rides, and his siblings are all very willing. Pay no mind to the safety goggles and toy knife, Alex is a very responsible big brother despite his need to be fully armed at all times. :)

With his newly developed locomotion and speed, Sebastian has discovered many areas in our home that are vulnerable to his mischief. These next 2 photos were taken literally within minutes of each other.
In order to curb his insatiable curiosity, save our breakable dishes and preserve his cute little body, we have also had to install cabinet locks in the kitchen and a one of those screen door closing mechanisms on the door to our basement stairs.