Goodbye August. Hello September. I've missed my usual blog date by a couple of days, but it's been busy around here!
With our school year schedule beginning last week in part, and continuing in whole this week, we are seeing the last bits of summer pleasantly pass. It's been a great season. Last Monday Francis took William skating again. He made it all the way across the ice rink by himself this time. I find that incredibly impressive considering it's something I can't do. Tuesday was our first Little Gym class of the season which means William went into class without me for the first time. Robert was so confused and kept trying to get in during the entire class while we watched. William was a champ. He followed the teacher and she said she never would have known it was his first "funny bugs" class. I'm one proud momma though I was a little sad that the time of parent/child classes has come to an end. Here's to growing up!
Wednesday we did story-time at Barnes and Noble. A little girl about Robert's age was standing from a squat without holding onto anything. I made the comment, "Hey Robert, that's what you'll be doing next", as he still prefers to only pull up on things to stand. Not an hour after we got home, I found Robert standing in the middle of the floor all of a sudden. He sat down and then stood up again from the ground. He's mastered getting up off the floor without pulling up! Now I can't trust him anywhere at all because he hops up and runs without warning. He's already taken a fun bath in the toilet. Oh boy!
Thursday the boys and I went with Arlene, Angel and their respective kids, Caitlyn and Ranger to Sea World. We had a blast and it was a fun end to our summer! My favorite part (other than the amazing company) was the water. It was a little hot and the water felt so good!
I will be spending this week packing and cleaning. We have Robert's first birthday part on Saturday (that was quick!) and we leave for DISNEYWORLD on Sunday afternoon. I have to get it all done by Friday night because we have a marriage conference at church. Wish me luck!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
August 21, 2014
Well, we have a toddler and a big boy in the house now. Just a few weeks ago I would have said we have a baby and a toddler. But times, they are a changin'.
Robert's teeth finally came in which brings his total up to eight. I checked this evening and he has at least another 2 if not 4 about to break through. Earlier this week he had two break through 10 minutes apart. He awoke from his nap screaming so I checked his mouth and none of his teeth had some through (you could see but not feel them). So I waited and felt a short time later as Robert was screaming and gnawing on me. One had come through! Robert was still screaming so I patiently rocked him and tried to calm him. All of a sudden he stopped crying and smiled at me. This made me curious so I checked his mouth again, and sure enough, the second tooth had poked through. Teething may not be painful for all children, but it sure seems to be for Robert. I mentioned he is now a walker. He took three steps in a row on Saturday (after my mother, my Aunt Camille and myself had tried to get him to do it the night before at a Little Gym party). Shortly afterward Francis got home and he took 5 steps (on video!). Since then he's been walking/cruising as much as he has been crawling. He's getting braver and spanning larger and larger distances. He'll also stand in the middle of the room and just hang out for long periods. His legs are getting strong! I'm one proud momma! He's also getting much more vocal. He makes all sorts of sounds and tries to copy some of the sounds I make. I know he enjoys these pseudo conversations, and frankly I do too!
William has had a big week too. He had his first camp this week at the Little Gym. You must be at least 3 and potty independent in order to attend. The theme this week was "Neat Ninjas"! William went on Monday and Wednesday and had a great time. The teachers were very impressed with his listening skills and participation as he was certainly the youngest in the class (ages 3-8). Monday after camp, Francis (who is still working Saturdays and not Mondays) took William to ice skate for nearly 4 hours just the 2 of them. William is becoming a natural I'm told, and Francis got quite a few videos of William crossing the ice solo on skates! He quickly pushes off of the boards and just goes for it. Gotta admire his gumption! After 7 hours of non stop motion and no nap, William still managed to stay up past his bedtime. How does he have so much energy?! Tuesday the boys and I went swimming with Angel, Arlene and their kids Ranger and Caitlyn. I didn't tell William where we were going, and he was over the moon excited to see his friends! They swam and laughed and brough delight to our hearts. Robert enjoyed swimming too. He is fearless, crawling deep into the graded pool and then sitting and splashing with glee!
Today was William's last parent/child class at the Little Gym. Next week he starts the big leagues and will be in class all by himself. As camp was a success, I have no doubt he will be just fine without me, but it does make me a little sad that he's gotten so big. So I'll be sad for a minute so I can prepare to celebrate this big move next week. Ok, minute over. Today was also William's first day of "school". Most of William's friends are going to preschool or being homseschooled this year, and William has been talking about school quite a bit. So Francis and I picked out "prepare for preschool" language arts and math booklets and a home science experiments book. William was excited to start his own school and we did 2 pages in each book as well as 3 of the science experiments. He was so proud of his penmanship and counting that he made me take pictures and send them to his Sweetie (my mom)! It took us about 15 minutes, but (as my mother pointed out) it would have taken hours to do the same in a preschool setting because of the other kids and lack of 1 on 1 attention. Now, we won't be doing preschool in a classroom, but that doesn't mean we can't bring some elements of preschool home! According to William, "Mommy is the best teacher anyway." I knew I liked him.
Well, that's it for now!
Robert's teeth finally came in which brings his total up to eight. I checked this evening and he has at least another 2 if not 4 about to break through. Earlier this week he had two break through 10 minutes apart. He awoke from his nap screaming so I checked his mouth and none of his teeth had some through (you could see but not feel them). So I waited and felt a short time later as Robert was screaming and gnawing on me. One had come through! Robert was still screaming so I patiently rocked him and tried to calm him. All of a sudden he stopped crying and smiled at me. This made me curious so I checked his mouth again, and sure enough, the second tooth had poked through. Teething may not be painful for all children, but it sure seems to be for Robert. I mentioned he is now a walker. He took three steps in a row on Saturday (after my mother, my Aunt Camille and myself had tried to get him to do it the night before at a Little Gym party). Shortly afterward Francis got home and he took 5 steps (on video!). Since then he's been walking/cruising as much as he has been crawling. He's getting braver and spanning larger and larger distances. He'll also stand in the middle of the room and just hang out for long periods. His legs are getting strong! I'm one proud momma! He's also getting much more vocal. He makes all sorts of sounds and tries to copy some of the sounds I make. I know he enjoys these pseudo conversations, and frankly I do too!
William has had a big week too. He had his first camp this week at the Little Gym. You must be at least 3 and potty independent in order to attend. The theme this week was "Neat Ninjas"! William went on Monday and Wednesday and had a great time. The teachers were very impressed with his listening skills and participation as he was certainly the youngest in the class (ages 3-8). Monday after camp, Francis (who is still working Saturdays and not Mondays) took William to ice skate for nearly 4 hours just the 2 of them. William is becoming a natural I'm told, and Francis got quite a few videos of William crossing the ice solo on skates! He quickly pushes off of the boards and just goes for it. Gotta admire his gumption! After 7 hours of non stop motion and no nap, William still managed to stay up past his bedtime. How does he have so much energy?! Tuesday the boys and I went swimming with Angel, Arlene and their kids Ranger and Caitlyn. I didn't tell William where we were going, and he was over the moon excited to see his friends! They swam and laughed and brough delight to our hearts. Robert enjoyed swimming too. He is fearless, crawling deep into the graded pool and then sitting and splashing with glee!
Today was William's last parent/child class at the Little Gym. Next week he starts the big leagues and will be in class all by himself. As camp was a success, I have no doubt he will be just fine without me, but it does make me a little sad that he's gotten so big. So I'll be sad for a minute so I can prepare to celebrate this big move next week. Ok, minute over. Today was also William's first day of "school". Most of William's friends are going to preschool or being homseschooled this year, and William has been talking about school quite a bit. So Francis and I picked out "prepare for preschool" language arts and math booklets and a home science experiments book. William was excited to start his own school and we did 2 pages in each book as well as 3 of the science experiments. He was so proud of his penmanship and counting that he made me take pictures and send them to his Sweetie (my mom)! It took us about 15 minutes, but (as my mother pointed out) it would have taken hours to do the same in a preschool setting because of the other kids and lack of 1 on 1 attention. Now, we won't be doing preschool in a classroom, but that doesn't mean we can't bring some elements of preschool home! According to William, "Mommy is the best teacher anyway." I knew I liked him.
Well, that's it for now!
Thursday, August 14, 2014
August 14, 2014
We have a 3 year old in the house. He is super proud of that fact too! His party was on Saturday, and we had so much fun. The whole family was present including all William's grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousin Abby, his great Aunt Camille, and Mom and Pop Noble. He had over 40 people at his Little Gym party. The kids played and ran around so well that more than one mom mentioned how well their kids slept that night. The theme was Mickey Mouse, and we had Mickey mouse everything. There were MM cupcakes, balloons, plates, hats, part favors and William even had a Mickey Mouse shirt that read "Birthday Boy"! Afterward, the whole family along with the Davis's came back to the house for pizza and present opening. What a joyous time we had! William got so many great gifts, most of which were Jake in the Neverland Pirates themed, Buzz lightyear themed or Olaf from Frozen. A happier kid you will seldom meet.
Sunday was a long day of church and training as we are the directors of our Bible Life group. I learned a lot about how to take roll and keep records (since I am the secretary) which I was unaware was even an issue. By the end of the day, we were all spent!
Monday was William's actual birthday. We did it up big! Francis took the day off from work and we had breakfast at The Original Pancake house. We then dropped Francis off at iFLy for training and I took the boys to walk around the Austin Aquarium for a bit. We headed back to iFly and watched Francis indoor skydive for the first time. William was so excited."Mommy LOOK! Daddy is FLYING!" Just when you thought you couldn't get any cooler as a dad. We had lunch next door at Phil's icehouse with Arlene and William's friend Caitlyn. They had missed the party due to illness so it was nice to celebrate with them. Francis, the boys and I then went to Lakeline Mall. At the Disney Store William got a birthday hat and button and the whole store sang to him. He then enjoyed story time there and got his Olaf and Elsa button (the one he's been waiting for all summer). It was great. After a long nap, William asked for a family movie night to round off his day. Just before the movie, we gave him his present from Francis and me: A Buzz Lightyear action figure. William was overjoyed and has been playing with him pretty much ever since. He mixes in time with his other toys, but Buzz is at the top of the list. We watched Toy Story and had pizza for dinner. Overall a 3-year-old's ideal day!
Tuesday I couldn't take it anymore and we collected up some toys that William has essentially never played with in order to donate them. William was a bit reluctant, but filled up a bag. When it was full he said very solemnly, "Mommy, that's enough. Those kids [that have no toys] now have toys." It took everything in me not to laugh out loud. He's a sweet boy. I am glad he was willing to part with some things.
The rest of this week has been spent playing with new things and going through our routine!
Robert is taking more steps every day. He still won't take three steps in a row though, which is driving me nuts! He will do one or two all the time, but that third step is yet to come. This is for two reasons. He can get to almost any object in our house and hold onto it in two steps (like walking from our couch to the table or from the living room table to a wall) after which he will cruise along the object until he gets to the next gap, and if it is more than two steps, he'll hesitate, stand for a moment, and then sit down and crawl to it. He is a fast crawler and when he is excited, he doesn't even bother trying to walk (I don't think he took a single step on Saturday because he was just too excited!). Don't worry, I'm working on it. Pretty soon he'll be walking across the room, and maybe I will actually be able to get a video!
That's all for now!
Sunday was a long day of church and training as we are the directors of our Bible Life group. I learned a lot about how to take roll and keep records (since I am the secretary) which I was unaware was even an issue. By the end of the day, we were all spent!
Monday was William's actual birthday. We did it up big! Francis took the day off from work and we had breakfast at The Original Pancake house. We then dropped Francis off at iFLy for training and I took the boys to walk around the Austin Aquarium for a bit. We headed back to iFly and watched Francis indoor skydive for the first time. William was so excited."Mommy LOOK! Daddy is FLYING!" Just when you thought you couldn't get any cooler as a dad. We had lunch next door at Phil's icehouse with Arlene and William's friend Caitlyn. They had missed the party due to illness so it was nice to celebrate with them. Francis, the boys and I then went to Lakeline Mall. At the Disney Store William got a birthday hat and button and the whole store sang to him. He then enjoyed story time there and got his Olaf and Elsa button (the one he's been waiting for all summer). It was great. After a long nap, William asked for a family movie night to round off his day. Just before the movie, we gave him his present from Francis and me: A Buzz Lightyear action figure. William was overjoyed and has been playing with him pretty much ever since. He mixes in time with his other toys, but Buzz is at the top of the list. We watched Toy Story and had pizza for dinner. Overall a 3-year-old's ideal day!
Tuesday I couldn't take it anymore and we collected up some toys that William has essentially never played with in order to donate them. William was a bit reluctant, but filled up a bag. When it was full he said very solemnly, "Mommy, that's enough. Those kids [that have no toys] now have toys." It took everything in me not to laugh out loud. He's a sweet boy. I am glad he was willing to part with some things.
The rest of this week has been spent playing with new things and going through our routine!
Robert is taking more steps every day. He still won't take three steps in a row though, which is driving me nuts! He will do one or two all the time, but that third step is yet to come. This is for two reasons. He can get to almost any object in our house and hold onto it in two steps (like walking from our couch to the table or from the living room table to a wall) after which he will cruise along the object until he gets to the next gap, and if it is more than two steps, he'll hesitate, stand for a moment, and then sit down and crawl to it. He is a fast crawler and when he is excited, he doesn't even bother trying to walk (I don't think he took a single step on Saturday because he was just too excited!). Don't worry, I'm working on it. Pretty soon he'll be walking across the room, and maybe I will actually be able to get a video!
That's all for now!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
August 7, 2014
We have a lot of new things around this house, including a new computer...but the new computer is not set up. To be fair, we've been very busy.
Last Friday, we hired our first babysitter that was not family or close friend. Her name is Jalisa and she is amazing. So qualified, I would have been crazy not to hire her. Plus, she lives in the neighborhood. After I fed the boys, Francis came home and took me out to a very nice dinner at Main Street Grille. It was good, and then we went to a see Guardians of the Galaxy. I can't remember the last movie I saw in a Theater with Francis, much less on opening weekend. It was so fun. While we were gone, my in-laws came in town and relieved the babysitter, so when we got home, the boys were in happily in bed and Francis's parents were all but asleep too. I realized afterwards that I was gone 5 hours: the longest I've ever been away from Robert. He didn't seem to mind though, as he was asleep for most of it!
Saturday, with the help of my in-laws and Dad, we built a play set in the backyard. It is so cute! It has a little restaurant with a bench on the bottom, and a window on the top deck with a rock climbing wall, slide and ladder all attached to the top deck of the fort. On the swing set portion is a swing, one set of handle bars and a back to back glider. The boys love it! The night we finished, our next door neighbor asked to come over and play (he's never done that before), and he and William had a blast. William has asked ever morning and evening since if he can go outside and play on it. I think it's a hit! Robert likes it too. He can climb up the slide all by himself, and squeals with glee when he can stand up there with the big boys. Did I mention Saturday was our 6th anniversary? It might not have been "romantic" but it was so full of love!
Sunday, Francis parents joined us a church, and stayed till after dinner as we still had some tweaking to do in the backyard to level the ground. It was a glorious weekend and I would not have wanted to spend my anniversary any other way!
Another event of note is that the Browers (Dave, Tracy, Penelope and Forrest) are in town for the week. Tracy and I took all 4 kids to the Thinkery on Tuesday. Penelope and William have a special connection. It's been over a year since their last meeting, but they always start as if they've always been together. I was happy to meet baby Forrest, just as Tracy was glad to meet Robert. We hung out all morning and even had lunch together at Chick-fil-a before we parted ways for rest time. As soon as Dave finished work downtown, all 4 of them came up to our house. William woke up from his nap and asked every 30 seconds if Penelope was here yet. Apparently, Penelope did the same. When she did arrive, the kids were joined at the hip. They never fought or argued. Francis came home and we all had dinner together. William insisted on doing the prayer and included "thank you for Penelope" in it. The kid has never thanked God for anyone over the dinner table, no less someone present! It was so cute. A short while later, Penelope told William she loved him. Tracy and Dave assured us she never does that. She then proceeded to hug and kiss him when they finally parted ways. William hugged back and told her to come again soon. It's interesting that they have only met three times in their lives, but they always seem like they belong together. I guess it's genetic as their daddies get along so well too! Robert and Forrest were not to be outdone and had a rip-roaring time laughing and playing in a language only they could understand. Overall a day for the record books!
The rest of this week we have been taking advantage of all of the free birthday things you can do around town for William. We did Toys R Us where you get a crown, balloon and $5 to spend in the store. He chose a bath toy car. We've done Barnes and Noble where you get a free muffin (and story time). On Monday we will do the Disney Store where you get a hat and birthday surprise as they parade you around the store and sing. I can't believe William will be 3 in 4 days. How did this happen!? William is super excited, but I can't get over how fast this has gone.
Robert too is growing so fast. He has an opinion about everything and lets you know what he thinks. He can walk, cruise, or crawl everywhere. And he does most all of it with an ever present smile.
Before I get teary eyed (I'm already far too tired for this time of night), I will close this by saying this is has been a glorious summer. I will be sad to see it end. If summer's had a taste, this one would be of a sweet rich apple, both whetting the appetite and satisfying the spirit.
Why yes, I am currently reading Anne of Green Gables, why do you ask?
Last Friday, we hired our first babysitter that was not family or close friend. Her name is Jalisa and she is amazing. So qualified, I would have been crazy not to hire her. Plus, she lives in the neighborhood. After I fed the boys, Francis came home and took me out to a very nice dinner at Main Street Grille. It was good, and then we went to a see Guardians of the Galaxy. I can't remember the last movie I saw in a Theater with Francis, much less on opening weekend. It was so fun. While we were gone, my in-laws came in town and relieved the babysitter, so when we got home, the boys were in happily in bed and Francis's parents were all but asleep too. I realized afterwards that I was gone 5 hours: the longest I've ever been away from Robert. He didn't seem to mind though, as he was asleep for most of it!
Saturday, with the help of my in-laws and Dad, we built a play set in the backyard. It is so cute! It has a little restaurant with a bench on the bottom, and a window on the top deck with a rock climbing wall, slide and ladder all attached to the top deck of the fort. On the swing set portion is a swing, one set of handle bars and a back to back glider. The boys love it! The night we finished, our next door neighbor asked to come over and play (he's never done that before), and he and William had a blast. William has asked ever morning and evening since if he can go outside and play on it. I think it's a hit! Robert likes it too. He can climb up the slide all by himself, and squeals with glee when he can stand up there with the big boys. Did I mention Saturday was our 6th anniversary? It might not have been "romantic" but it was so full of love!
Sunday, Francis parents joined us a church, and stayed till after dinner as we still had some tweaking to do in the backyard to level the ground. It was a glorious weekend and I would not have wanted to spend my anniversary any other way!
Another event of note is that the Browers (Dave, Tracy, Penelope and Forrest) are in town for the week. Tracy and I took all 4 kids to the Thinkery on Tuesday. Penelope and William have a special connection. It's been over a year since their last meeting, but they always start as if they've always been together. I was happy to meet baby Forrest, just as Tracy was glad to meet Robert. We hung out all morning and even had lunch together at Chick-fil-a before we parted ways for rest time. As soon as Dave finished work downtown, all 4 of them came up to our house. William woke up from his nap and asked every 30 seconds if Penelope was here yet. Apparently, Penelope did the same. When she did arrive, the kids were joined at the hip. They never fought or argued. Francis came home and we all had dinner together. William insisted on doing the prayer and included "thank you for Penelope" in it. The kid has never thanked God for anyone over the dinner table, no less someone present! It was so cute. A short while later, Penelope told William she loved him. Tracy and Dave assured us she never does that. She then proceeded to hug and kiss him when they finally parted ways. William hugged back and told her to come again soon. It's interesting that they have only met three times in their lives, but they always seem like they belong together. I guess it's genetic as their daddies get along so well too! Robert and Forrest were not to be outdone and had a rip-roaring time laughing and playing in a language only they could understand. Overall a day for the record books!
The rest of this week we have been taking advantage of all of the free birthday things you can do around town for William. We did Toys R Us where you get a crown, balloon and $5 to spend in the store. He chose a bath toy car. We've done Barnes and Noble where you get a free muffin (and story time). On Monday we will do the Disney Store where you get a hat and birthday surprise as they parade you around the store and sing. I can't believe William will be 3 in 4 days. How did this happen!? William is super excited, but I can't get over how fast this has gone.
Robert too is growing so fast. He has an opinion about everything and lets you know what he thinks. He can walk, cruise, or crawl everywhere. And he does most all of it with an ever present smile.
Before I get teary eyed (I'm already far too tired for this time of night), I will close this by saying this is has been a glorious summer. I will be sad to see it end. If summer's had a taste, this one would be of a sweet rich apple, both whetting the appetite and satisfying the spirit.
Why yes, I am currently reading Anne of Green Gables, why do you ask?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)