1st child

Bethany's first-childness is certainly emerging recently.  She is a pleaser, rule-follower, advanced-learner, sibling-protector, and instigator all in one 38 lb, blue eyed, blond girl.  We aren't going to even bother mention her brother-correcting ways. Man...one would think there was three parents in this household...but I digress...

Bethany is becoming a nice lil' teacher to Owen.  She likes going up to her room w/ her brother in tow. They run up, flip the lights on and off a thousand times*, occasionally slam the doors* and then the lessons begin.  (* = both of which they've been instructed not to)

She likes to begin her lesson by putting a book on the chalk board (like Mrs. S), then she goes on to teach Owen the letter or number of the day. 

If you ever get the pleasure of being in her class, make sure you copy her techniques ex-act-ly.  If not...she will make you aware of your faulty ways.

However, she is a very eager and enthusiastic teacher.  Wouldn't you like to be a part of her classroom?

{Snow} Day!

Bundled up!

Barely able to move.

 Excited to finally be outside.

 Taking a break.

Shoveling away.

Randomly throwing snow back on the drive way.

 Throwing it at Dad!

 Enjoying our Snow day!

Our lil' Monkey

Our lil' monkey finally has a more fitting habitat.

After contemplating and planning Owen's room for the better part of a year...it finally came into fruition!

I think our energetic lil' monkey will have no problems getting along with his new roommates!

He even gets to sleep next to his very own lion and elephant!

Just in case you aren't quite sure where you are...

Pretty amazing that the lion doesn't even bother to go for the giraffe. Do lions even eat giraffes? Hmm...best get on Google for that one!

And what did our freshly hair-cut Owen think about it? 

Well...he loved it! I am so glad that his room is finally complete! 

Today is...

Six months since Owen's surgery to correct his craniosynostosis (which just so happens to coincide with it has been 6 months since some of the single worst moments of my life). 

But I gotta say that today...

Owen's

looking

mighty

fine!

Baby Big-Girl Bethany,

Bethany,

Wow! Sweetie! I am not sure when you stopped being this lil' baby girl that I remember. But somehow this beautiful little girl has emerged from that once, bright-eyed, fussy, cuddley little baby.  Now, you are 3.5 years with an immense love for you God, family and school.

When I look at you it is hard to fathom where the time has gone.  You have grown so much lately. Since you have started preschool you have learned an incredible amount of information.  You can recite several pledges, Bible verses, and songs.  You know your alphabet by site for 80% of the letters (being able to write most of the letters you have been taught). You can even write your name and your brother's!  Your memory is remarkable.  You can tell many stories of things we have done even several months ago.  You recognize places and remember what we did there, even if we've been there only one time.

I am just so proud of the person you are becoming.  You are a very caring soul; giving your brother the very toy frog that you just earned from your preschool's treasure box.  While you aren't crazy adventurous, you don't mind egging your knows-no-boundaries brother to do you dirty work. You'd rather make sure to follow all the rules and be well aware of the situation at hand before you get to engrossed in any sort of activity.

You love singing.  Being a member of the SunBeam Choir is a perfect fit for you.  You really love God and seeming to understand exactly who God is. Dancing is your other activity.  I am certainly impressed that you are demonstrating something that resembles rhythm...you certainly didn't inherit that from me. 

Dear, sweet Bethany....I love you very much. Thank you for allowing me to be your mom...it is certainly one of the greatest honors I could ever imagine!

Love,

Mom

Parenting Perks

If we are gonna be honest here (and I don't see why not) there has been the occasional time with the two bambinos where I feel like I am going to pull out my hair.  I don't know, there is something about two kids fighting, yellow and squealing over a single toy amongst an avalanche of a gazillion toys that drive me batty. 

But I've gotta admit, the parenting perks far out weight the parenting frustrations. 
Here are six perks in random order:

(1)  Watching your son's vocabulary expand before your very eyes. He loves point out characters, body parts, animals and a even a few letters in his books.  Today his lil' sense of humor emerged when puts a *clean* diaper on his head and says, "hat".  Then, In his super soft and sweet voice he goes, "Noooooo." 
Man, I love this boy!

 

(2)  When your daughter does something she isn't supposed to do (while encouraging the lil' bro to follow suit) before you get a chance to correct her, she goes and says something like, "But Momma, aren't we cute."

(3) A perplexing parenting perk is trying to figure out why your son loves to cram himself in tiny boxes. This was the third box/container he tried to sit in just in an hour span!

(4) One of my favorite perks is while I am chilling, minding my own business one or both of my babies comes up just to cuddle. Oh how I love cuddling those lil' goobers!

(5)  Getting to eat dinner with your three favorite people in the world, one of which who demanded to wear an Elmo towel to help really simulate a fine-dining experience at our very own house.

(6)  While this isn't the final parenting perk there is...it is the final one for the night. How awesome is it to go downstairs and see a random piece of paper donning your daughter's name on it taped to the wall. If that wouldn't plant a giant smile on your face...what would?



Owen and Do'h!

Bethany and Owen have a hankering for some Do'h.  They love that crazy, yellow man.  Remember when Bethany was 18 months old and she requested the Do'h Santa to be played nonstop...

Well, it looks like Owen loves that man just as much!

The basement....

What it is supposed to look like....

With the help of this man, it often does look nice and orderly.

With the help of this one, especially, while she plays "stations" like they do at preschool,...

 the basement...

is typically a pigsty!

This one also adds a lil' to the basement chaos!



Man...at least they can keep themselves occupied!