Making Strides

So, obviously I have been trying to catch up my blog.  I have several posts yet to go in my effort to cover all the things that I want to, including Ostia Antica, Rome and Mother's Day. 

This post is one of the longer ones, lots of pictures, not necessarily in any order, mostly trying to capture the kids growing and doing and some of our pre-summer and summer activities.

 Grandma Leslie was perturbed when she found out that Noah had reached the ripe old age of 4 or so without ever having an ice cream cone.  (She took him and Ian out that very day to remedy the situation.)  Perhaps rightly so.  I didn't feel like I could wrong all my other children in such a way.  So here it is.  Sage's first ice cream cone.  And she is not quite 2!

Noah's interests are varied.  He will go long stretches without saying much and then he will come out with a question that usually requires research to answer-at least for me.  Google is my friend.

Sometimes, though, the conversation goes something like this:
N: What is water made of?
Me: Oxygen and hydrogen.
N: But how does oxygen and hydrogen make water?
Me: You have exhausted my knowledge of chemistry.
N: Ok.  I'll ask dad when he comes home.  He knows everything.
Me: Sounds like a good plan.

We love the train at the zoo.  It would be better if you could see more exhibits from the train but it is a fun little ride.  Chris and the boys especially appreciate that it is a coal burning steam engine.

She used to get her "fa-fier," as she calls it now, whenever she wanted.  Now we are down to nap and bedtime.  I think it will go the way of the dinosaur before she is three, though. 

Sage went in for her two year check up and pretty much hadn't started talking (she had maybe 10 words), exactly like her brothers.  We agreed that if her language didn't "blossom" in the next few months that I would consider evaluation for speech therapy.  I was not really worried. 

Sure enough, a few short weeks after that appointment she really started to talk.  I love her baby talk. It totally charms me and I keep looking around for someone else besides me who thinks she is the cutest thing ever.

These guys are really getting to be good friends.  Ian is helpful and encouraging to Sage.  Ian seems to have a wonderful knack of playing and enjoying his older brother and his younger sister separately and at the same time. 

This darling coat/jacket was in a bag of clothes we were gifted with.  The dress underneath was equally darling but we were late for church so we only got a few not great pictures of the yellow jacket/coat that she only fit in once!

Oh, the concentration!

She went from a few little wispy curls at the back of her head to this mane of wildness in a matter of months!  It is long and curly.  I am afraid to cut it off. 

This bunny was a gift from Grandma Leslie, found on sale after Easter.  It has turned into a lovey required for bedtime.  Lately, she loves to make her bunny dance to music and do all the actions to her action songs at bedtime.

My little natural helper!  Is it because she is a girl or just herself?  She wipes up her messes and even some that aren't hers.

"Wap, wap, wap" she will ask.  This one took me awhile.  I finally figured out she wanted a clorox wipe for cleaning.

Talking on her phone while waiting Noah after school last school year.

 

Ian and Mrs. Johnson, his preschool teacher.  He provided her some challenges but it was a fun year for both of them in the end.

Alas, she is not potty trained yet.  She just got a hankering for her brother's underwear and knows where to find it in his closet:) One day she was up to six pairs over her diaper!

Only four and already reading like a...first grader?  Second grader?  Self taught and loving it!

Totally unposed but totally heartwarming.  Actually, I was a little scared.  I was sitting in a seat by some other tables, but suddenly I couldn't see any of my children!

Waiting outside Ian's school last school year.

This is a common sight out my kitchen window.  I love it!

She likes to do all that everyone else does, including tools!

Noah really wanted to earn some money to buy some more Pokemon cards.  We went through several ideas.  This was one of them. They made about $10. 

We measured the kids at that beginning of September.  Sage is 33 3/4 inches tall (26th percentile) and weighs 26.4 lbs (32nd percentile.) 

"eight, ten, eleven, bast off!"

We did two sessions of swimming this year.  Noah finally progressed into Level 2.  He is still not super confident but he loves the water!

Ian is taking swim lessons under duress.  He does not love the water. I consider it a matter of safety.  He made super progress.  While he did not move up a level in his two sessions he went from being terrified to get in (he couldn't touch, the kids have to hang off the wall) and crying the whole time to being brave (doing it even though he was scared and no crying) and doing everything that the teacher asked as well as he could bring himself to do it. 

The park and rec swim program allows parents to stay and watch on the first day, observation day, and the last day.  This is really kind of a blessing since occupying Sage for all that time, on the bleachers and by the pool is no mean feat.

The unreasonably hot summer weather left the indoor pool area hot and humid.  Sage's curls couldn't help themselves-the went super springy.  I found a spare barrette in my purse and put her hair up in the back.  That was the first time that she let me put her hair up and left it alone, she was that hot!

This was another day.  She was checking her pigtails out in the mirror and she liked them but they only lasted about 3 minutes before she wanted them down.  Tangles or not, (and it is usually not), she cries pitifully anytime I try and comb her hair except after baths.

We got to eat dinner with Paul, my brother-in-law.  We snapped this picture for primary but I really like it.

Noah measured in a 50 3/4 inches tall (97th percentile) and weighs 58.2 lbs (90th percentile). Just for kicks and giggles we did a height predictor online and Noah is predicted to hit 6'3" or 6'4".

Ian is 44 1/2 inches tall (93rd percentile) and weighs 45.6 lbs (88th percentile for weight).  His predicted height is 6"2.  

We didn't go to the zoo quite as often as we had planned because it was too stinkin' hot this summer.  But it has been a fun time every time that we have gone.

I came home from my Saturday shopping to find Chris measuring out some pieces of wood.  He told me he was bored and was going to make Sage a swing.  

And he worries that he isn't the coolest dad around-can you believe it?

Fourth of July

The 4th of July this year was a blast.  We had visitor's again!  This time it was my parents, my sister and two of her kids and for the day of, my brother, his wife, her parents and their three kids. 

I was so excited when I found out they were all coming! I had grand plans of sitting out in the shade with the other adults, visiting and watching the kids play in the pool, water table, and trampoline. Eating at the picnic table and generally enjoying all that makes WI summers wonderful.  That plan went up in flames...almost literally it was so hot the whole time they were here!

I saved us a spot for the parade the day before.  I learned my lesson last year and snagged a primo spot on the shady side of the street. 

Which made the difference between life and death.  At least it seemed like it! It was cooler in TX!

This was most of the group that was there at parade time.   (And you might think that the guy in the middle is my brother but it's not.  They are good friends and when family is far away, which it usually is, they are like family when help is needed or fun is to be had.)



Chris had been wanting to take the boys to a Brewers' game all season and when the boys earned half off admission through they reading challenge at the library we thought they could make an outing of it when everyone was here.  It turned into a guys afternoon out at the ball park.  They enjoyed copious amounts of soda since instead of roasted peanuts it was roasted people!

After a pleasant evening and fun fireworks Ian and his family went home, minus Sofia, who stayed on for the rest of the week. 

Ava and Sofia had a blast!  The boys were pretty happy to have new blood with Luke too.

We visited the Jelly Belly warehouse.  (It is free jelly beans and inside which was essential for all our activities due to the heat.  Did I mention that it was hot?)

Grandma had the brilliant idea from the tour to get fun colors for the girls to make their own Jelly Belly art.

I was pretty impressed.

Sage and Grandma spent a fair bit of time together. 

It was decided that Sage was like Chandra, my older sister, at that age.

One of the other fun activities was a birthday party.  Don't worry I called ahead and asked if we could bring a herd!  It was at a fun place that had a huge play structure in the middle (right next to the comfy sofas, recliners, and gliders for the moms) and then rooms all around the perimeter with all sorts of different play options from dress up to science experiments to a music room.  There was a place for eating too. (And you can bring your own food!!)

 

Sadly, this is the only picture I got. 

The next day they were on their way home to TX.  I love my family!

FHE Fun

We have been having a great time this year with Family Home Evening.  As the kids have gotten bigger we have tried to learn new skills and fun ways to learn about scripture stories and how they apply to us.

David and Goliath

We did a video of David in the Lion's Den but blogger won't upload it...too bad, Sage made a super cute lion!

Shoe Tying..still a work in progress.  You don't think the boys would be ashamed to wear velcro shoes for the rest of their lives do you?

Armor of God...now we are ready for anything!

Toothbrushing...how, how long, why.  Although, once, a few years ago, we told the kids that if they didn't brush their teeth that they would turn brown and rot out of their head.  They thought it would happen overnight (and when we thought to disabuse them of this notion they didn't believe us) so they pretty much refuse to go to bed without brushing and flossing. This lesson was more an effort at independent brushing for Noah. 

 

With Lego teeth to practice on. 

 

We have a long way to go but we are working on being a forever family.  Doesn't hurt to have some fun (and good treats:) along the way!

Stephanie's Visit/Memorial Day Weekend

Chris's sister, Stephanie, was able to take a long weekend and come visit.  We were super excited to see her!

She got in Friday afternoon.  That night we took advantage of date night babysitting and went to The Safe House, a super secret (unless you have the internet:) restaurant requiring a secret password to get in.

  Otherwise you have to do funny things (like pretend you are a squirrel) and the other patrons can watch you via close circuit television.

We enjoyed the atmosphere and when it came time to leave Stephanie punched in the code to unlock the hidden door.

We came out in the alley. We were super spies! (I know because the waitress told us so;)

Stephanie has many talents that I admire and well, let's be honest, envy. One of those is an ease and facility with children.  Put her in a room with any child, any age, and within 5 minutes that child will think she is greatest thing since sliced bread.  If I hadn't seen it time and again I wouldn't believe it.  She is a kid whisperer!

She whispered to my children successfully this trip.

Saturday we went to the Jelly Belly warehouse.  I am really racking up the visit!  I think this was my 6th time. 
Hey!  It's free!  With free Jelly Bellies at the end!

It was Chris' first time, though. 

Can't even make it to the car before we stopped to open those Jelly Bellies.

Sunday was church and a day full of Bishoping, as usual. It seems to me that when people visit and see Chris sitting on the stand it sinks in a little more for them and me that he really is the bishop.  I see the mantle sitting more easily as the months go by and he seems more bishop-ee to me. How that works, I don't know.

Monday was Memorial Day and we decided to go to the Greendale Memorial Day parade.  It is the least attended parade of the year and after going I know why.  We probably won't be making that a priority next year.  (And if they need any tips to up attendance I would be happy to share!  Just one word: candy!)

We picked a spot close to Jaycee Park so the kids could play until the parade started.  Works like a charm!

Sage really loves slides.  She seems a little more precocious than the boys were at this age.

The boys have loved this manual excavator since we discovered it a couple of years ago.

After the parade we headed home for a pleasant, if slightly hot, day spent playing outside.

I don't remember what the original argument was but it was solved by a lot holes being drilled into used yogurt containers.  Turned into hours of entertainment-my favorite kind of solution!

Does it get cuter than this? 

I love this one too!

Monday afternoon Chris and Stephanie took a trip up to Sprecher's for a brewery tour and all you can drink gourmet soda tasting.

And then on Monday evening we went to launch rockets, just before bedtime.  It was going to be a quick excursion. 

But the batteries in the igniter were dead so Chris says he will run home and get more.  We were close but it was pretty much bedtime and looked like rain.

He runs off and Stephanie and I are sitting on a hill with the kids when the clouds blew in.  And when I say blew in, I mean BLEW IN.  (We are in the mid-west, you understand!)

After a harrowing trip to some far off trees for a bathroom break we make it back to the top of the hill.  We wondered if we would still be there by the time Chris came back.  Luckily, he made it back, we launched a couple of rockets and we made it to the van before the rain let loose!

We had to say goodbye to Stephanie the next morning.  We had the best time with her and were sad to see her go but looked forward to seeing her again in August!