Top Ten of Summer

It's hard to believe it is September 1st already!! Before we know it, we'll be gathering around for Thanksgiving dinner and preparing to bake for Christmas cookies. Of course it's hard to imagine (and who wants to rush it anyway) the holidays when we've been having 90+ degree weather lately. And though the heat has been hard to take on occasion, I have been very pleased with our warm summer. The weather has permitted lots of welcomed trips to the beach and enjoyment in our little plastic pool. The girls have played better than ever, which makes it that much harder to break them up as Kyra prepares to leave for all day, every day school in a few short days. But seeing as I have hardly written all summer, I'd like to reflect on some of the fun things we did this summer.

1. Numerous trips to the beach. Having taken swimming lesson in the beginning of the summer, I wanted to keep their exposure to the water high, so we took advantage of our local beaches and had lots of play time in the water. I even ventured out on my own a few times with the 3 kiddos by myself (a big accomplishment for me, when you consider the 1 year old has to be watched like a hawk because of the love for the water).

2. An over night trip to Traverse City with my hubby. Although I was hesitant to leave the kids on the day first day Kyra got out of school, this trip was absolutely wonderful. The northern part of Michigan is beautiful no matter what time of year you go. And we got to enjoy time alone together while wine sampling and touring the country side. Loved it!

3. Andrew's birthday. It's hard to believe my little guy is one now, but we had a wonderful 1st birthday with family, and I am embracing the steps of progress he is making into becoming an older child (like sleeping through the night, walking, no naps...pretty soon we'll be able to go on more adventures as a family of 5)

4. Trip to Hessel. Although this was not my favorite event of the summer, the kids had a blast playing with cousins they haven't seen in a long time and it was nice to chat with family while lazily sitting at "our" small beach.

5. Visiting relatives for "daycations" while they camped at Pioneer Campground. Although we did not camp here, we still enjoyed the benefits of camping, while being able to sleep in our comfy beds at night. Seriously, it was a wonderful campground, with just a simply beautiful beach.

6. Visiting family in Chicago. While I do go to Chicago a fair amount of time to visit family, this time we went on a few day adventures. We all had a blast going to Splash Country and visiting Blackberry Farms. And although the sprinklers were broken, we enjoyed a picnic at Cantigny with fried mushrooms from Brown's Chicken....mmmm.

7. Raising 3 caterpillars. Never mind that all of the caterpillars passed away and never made it to the chrysalis stage, but the whole family really enjoyed watching how fast they grew. It was fun to watch how involved the girls got into feeding their little friends, and even see their compassionate heart reach out as the caterpillars started to fade. **We later found out that the first caterpillar probably had a virus that spread to the others.

8. Going camping at Gun Lake with my family. Although this trip was uncomfortable at times with the extreme heat and humidity (and mosquitos), we still had fun eating, talking, swimming, and reliving some previous camping trips. It's also amazing to see how resilient kids are, because I don't think the heat bothered them hardly at all...they just enjoyed being outdoors and with each other.

9. Going to the Hudsonville Fair. This has become a yearly tradition of ours, and the girls dared to go on more rides then ever this year. They were brave in going on the tall ferris wheel, and even went on a few new ones that they weren't sure of.

10. Going to a Whitecaps minor league baseball game. Again, it was another hot day, which made it almost to hot to view from our seats, but the kids had fun eating the food and it was nice doing something different. My hubs even broke down and got everyone ice cream (in which the girls got a souvenir baseball cap bowl).

We still have yet to go to the zoo (the one thing on Kyra's summer to do list we haven't done yet), but otherwise it's been a fulfilling summer. So now I am just holding on to the last few days I have to sleep in before we take on schedules, fall sports, and the busyness of the school year. I am excited at the prospects of a new year and what it has in store for us (I am taking on some new challenges), but am also thankful that we have a season like summer to rejuvenate, be lazy, and spend as a family.

Happy Birthday Kyra

My oldest child turned 6 today. She has anxiously waited for this moment for months. When Katie turned 4 back in March, she had already begun planning who she was going to invite, where she was going to have the party, and what she was going to eat. Unfortunately, due to my anxious/nervous personality, I had told her it wasn't going to be a grand affair. I can only take a party of several giggling girls every few years or so. I also find it kind of tough to invite classmates from her Kindergarten class, when she hasn't seen them in months and I didn't know many of them that well to begin with. But I'm going off on a tangent. I told her we would gather with family only, and she pleasantly nodded. She can be a very gracious child, for which I am very thankful.

We ended up having one of the best parties we've ever had. It's always great gathering with family, enjoying a little chat time while watching the kids race around the hallways...and Andrew trying to keep up. And who could resist the pigs in a blanket accompanied with chips, dip, and watermelon (the birthday girl's choice of entree')! After opening some presents and letting our "oh so healthy" dinner settle a bit, we dug into my first ever "barbie cake." I have to say, I think it was my best cake ever (and really good tasting too). I hated to eat it, and ruin my glorious creation. But all good things must come to an end right? But the evening didn't end, because we decided to surprise the birthday girl with a bonfire (one of her favorite things to do), along with the company of some good friends. She hadn't seen her little friend Maia in so long, we were sure she'd be pleased. And she was, in fact, the bonfire was very short lived, and after a few attacks from mosquitos we headed inside and enjoyed some catching up time with friends while the kids played "store" with Kyra's new toy...a cash register.

Yes, I think she enjoyed her day, and is looking more like a six year old already (actually more like 7-8 year old). We love you, Kyra, and thank God every day for enriching our lives with your bubbly, caring, genuine life. You are such a precious gift to us.

Monarch Monday

My daughter, Katie, made this creation. Looks like a hodge podge of things right? Two picture frames, and a jewelry box. What in the world?

But let's take a closer look. What is that behind all those objects? Looks like a container of some sort, right?

Oh...a container with leaves. But what's inside that container?

Ahhh...it's a caterpillar!

Katie and I had a little one on one time the other day and went to the farmer's market. I expected to get some peaches or maybe a hairbow from a craft booth. But we found this instead. A lady and her son were selling butterfly kits and for only a few bucks. Katie was very intrigued, so I decided to indulge her, and figured both girls would get into it. I let her choose the kit (they had large caterpillars that were just about ready to make their chrysalis, or baby ones that you could watch grow). Of course Katie picked the baby ones, which just like regular babies, poop and eat all day. We are only 2 days into it and already lost 1 out of the 3 we were given (probably because we didn't clean out their home quickly enough. But hopefully we do a better job from here on out. Katie is thoroughly enjoying checking on her babies and has even gone on to make them a bedroom...hence the pictures of her creation. She likes to open their door and tells me to be quiet so they can rest and makes sure they have shade. It's fun watching her curiosity and tender heart wanting to help something grow. Now let's just hope we can keep the remaining two alive for the duration of their caterpillar life (especially since we are going camping soon and will have to take our leggy creatures with us for vacation!!).

Tiny Talk Tuesday

We're having a great summer over here in Michigan, and the laughter hasn't disappointed either. Here are a few of the things the kids have said/or done:

While driving past daddy's work (he's working at an elementary school):
Kyra: Wow, that's a great school dad. It has a great park.
Dad: Yeah, sometime you should come for lunch and you can play there for a bit.
Kyra: I bet if you asked your boss daddy, you could play tag during your break time!!
(I'm sure that's exactly what all of his coworkers want to do!!)

While getting ready to go outside:
Katie: Mom, it's too hot outside. I amn't going to go outside unless her's going.
(Yes, we teach our kids real proper around these here parts)

While getting ready for dinner:
Andrew: Bppppp.....Bpppppp.....Bpppppp
(I kept hearing Andrew blow raspberries, so I looked over and noticed his head was down and he was blowing raspberries and then watching the drool run down his bib. Yes, he's learning some great tricks! I think everyone's had a little too much sun around here, but boy do they make us smile.)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Wordless Wednesday

Hessel

Well, another year has come and gone at our cabin in Hessel. After my hubby missed going last year for the first time ever (minor set back with having a baby and all), he was chomping at the bit to go. And he wasn't disappointed with the fishing either. They seemed to catch more fish then they have in the last few years. They caught pike, herring, salmon, perch, and some suckers too. Unfortunately I don't have a single picture of any of their fish. I do however, have plenty pictures of my little fish. My kiddos were lovin the water this year. Perhaps it was because the normally cool temps in Hessel were just about warmer than we've ever seen, and warrented a good dip in the lake. Seriously, the mornings in Hessel usually require a sweatshirt until about 11:00 am, and cool off around 7:00 pm...and that's on a warm day. But I don't think we needed a sweatshirt once. It was even in the 90's a few of the days...and the only air conditioning we had was the warm breeze that floated into our rooms off the water's edge. But even in the heat, the kids had a blast.

The girls followed my hubby's cousin's kids around like shadows the whole time. Thank goodness they stay for the whole week (their parents typically go home after a few days, and leave the kids with their grandma and grandpa) otherwise our kids would be lost without them. Kyra would be up at the crack of dawn asking to see Carlye at her cabin. I would have to tell her that unlike her, Carlye was probably still sleeping at the hour of 6:30 am on vacation...hoping she'd take the hint. If it were up to Kyra, she'd stay another week. Yes, the girls really had a great time running around in the sand, riding bikes down to the little grocery store by the marina, and fishing as well. They both loved fishing with daddy, but for the first time Kyra caught 3 perch by herself. She cast it out, and reeled it in. Katie caught a couple too, but needed help reeling it in. The girls also made friends with a woman at the marina...who had a 65 foot boat! They had a tour and everything. Must be rough with granite kitchen countertops in your yacht.

Andrew seemed to do pretty well at Hessel too. Although I did have to grab hands full of sand out of his mouth a few times and carry him a bit more than usual (so he wouldn't crawl through the gravel or race to the shore), he did pretty well. He took great naps and slept well through the night, allowing me to have some moments of rest. It definitely was nice to not be far from the beach. Because so many times we have gone to a beach and had to leave early, because Andrew was getting cranky. I would have to tell the girls we have to pack and up and leave, and they would grumble that we always leave because of Andrew. This time, the girls could continue in their fun while I put him down to rest.

And me? Well let's just say I had an aokay time. Now that a few weeks have gone by, I am able to reflect on more of a positive note, although I wasn't so positive a good deal of the time I was there. Let's just say I would have been a little more of a happy camper if my hubby would have come home from fishing at a decent time and not left me with the kids ALL day. But a lot of having fun has to come from your attitude and I just didn't have a great attitude after the guys missed dinner twice to allow for their fishing fix. Looking back though, I do realize it was very nice to get away and enjoy time chatting with extended family, watching my kids have a blast, and looking at the beautiful view. The water is so calm and peaceful in the morning, that it's almost mesmorizing to watch.

Perhaps my best moment though was our one and only family ride in our boat. We drove out just before dusk, and trolled in and out of the little islands by the bay. We docked the boat on a sandy shoal on one of the islands while trying to catch a few fish. The girls got off the boat to run around and chase each other for a few minutes. Just then the hubs caught a perch. It was a keeper, but we had nothing to put it in. Finally he found a plastic bag, in which Kyra filled up with a little water, and we slid him in. But then the girls wanted back in the boat, so the hubs needed to help them back aboard. I grabbed the plastic bag in one hand, while he gave me his huge cane fishing pole to hold in the other hand. Meanwhile, with both hands preoccupied, I had Andrew tugging on my legs trying to stand up in the wobbly boat. Then wouldn't you know, I caught a fish. The hubs shouted, pull it up...pull it up! So with one hand, and all other limbs preoccupied, I pulled up and caught a fish who then flew right at me (since I didn't have any hands to grab the line). Yes, it was quite a sight to see. I'm sure that would have been funniest video worthy had we caught it on tape.

Cake Psychology

After uploading photos from Andrew's birthday, the girls wanted to see their pictures when they turned one. Of course I'm always up for reminiscing, so we looked back and took a glance down memory lane. Funny thing was, upon viewing their pictures, I realized that the way they ate their cake holds true to their personalities.

Kyra: As you can see she is using a spoon and already careful not to get too messy. She is my stickler for rules, my organizer, my cautious, and careful to do things correctly kiddo. She has never been one to get her hands messy, and to this day will still not help in the garden for fear of getting dirt on her clothes or on her hands. Rules and order bring peace to her life. While even learning to write, she has always wanted to know the correct spelling for fear of writing the incorrect spelling on her crisp white sheet of paper.

Katie: Here we have a girl that wants to carefully inspect her cake and feel it's texture before she takes a chance at eating it. Katie has always been my independant, exploritory, defiant one. She doesn't want anyone to show her how to do anything. She wants to discover for herself how to do things in her own time. But she's not afraid to get her hands dirty either. To this day, she has to examine new foods before she will put them in her mouth. But she's willing to do the dirty work to show the world what she can accomplish. Just the other day we went to pick wild blackberries and fearing that she might get poked by the thorns, I pointed to a berry that would be easy for her to pick. She defiantly said, "No! I'll do it my own self momma!" and proceeded to reach into the thorns for a big ripe berry.

Andrew: Even though he is so young, I bet this picture will describe his personality well. You can see Andrew didn't hold back at all. At first he dug right in and felt the cake all over his fingers. He was merely content finger painting with the frosting. But once he tasted his chunky fingers, he dug right in. In the year that we have known him he has seemed to be a very tactile little boy. He studies his hands and movements all the time. And for the most part seems to be a child easily pleased with the simple pleasures of life. I believe he is going to be my fearless explorer, my larger than life, lover of creation, content little guy. We have already seen his ambition to walk when not knowing how to fall, and his several attempts at diving into the pool. And just this past weekend we went to the beach where he scooted all over the sand and attempting to creep closer to the mesmorizing waves. Of course he wouldn't stay under the umbrella for shade, but took in the sights all the while sifting the sand through his tiny fingers.

Happy 1st Birthday Andrew

Yesterday, Andrew turned one. My little baby is turning into a toddler now. Although I never want to show favoritism for one child over another, I can definitely see where the last one can truly become the eternal "baby". It is certainly hard to let go, when you know you'll never have another child again. And although I am sad to have a lot of last events, like a last 1st birthday, I am also very excited for our future. We are going to have fun as a family of five and I look forward to the joys and maybe even challenges that we are going to face.

I look back at the months that I have written about Andrew's progress and personality, and I know that for me he hasn't been the easiest child. I'm sure I have said this a number of times, but I was so certain that the third child was supposed to be one of the most complacent and easy going. This certainly wasn't the case. On top of the minor medical issues he had in the beginning of his life, he turned out to be quite a fussy child. He has never been much of a babbler, but boy does this child have lungs. He can scream like the dickens. There were certainly nights that I wished I could run away for the weekend and take a breather, because he seemed to be such a demanding child. But the funny thing is that despite the fact that he has seemed to be one of my most challenging children, I couldn't be happier. He may not play well by himself and gives up easily on things all the while crying for someone to do it for him, but he has a smile and giggle that can melt your heart. I really feel very complete with my three children.

Okay, so on to my little one year old. Andrew has finally learned how to crawl. And although it is a funny crawl (kind of gimpy), at least he is getting around and finally seems more content. Before, he would take a few steps, fall down and want to be picked up again so he could walk some more. We had to constantly be around him in case he fell, since he didn't properly know how to fall (he'd fall straight back or forward). Thankfully, after some work he now knows how to fall on his bum. In fact, the funny thing is, he has kind of given up on walking and reverted to crawling. And honestly, I am happy with that because I feel he is safer (he's already had two falls where his teeth have gone through his upper lip). He does still cruise around objects while walking but has seemed to given up for the time being on walking by himself.

This month Andrew has also learned how to drink through a straw. I think transitioning from formula to milk in a sippy cup will be a walk in the park. And of course he is eating everything. I really don't think this child has a picky bone in his body. He's had everything from chicken to salmon and tomatoes to chick peas.

But the funniest thing to watch Andrew do is to play in the water. I realize at this age kids don't have fear of much, but this kid LOVES water. He splashes up a storm in the tub, and has tried to dive in the water face first at the pool. He's had a few rude awakenings, but the water in the face hasn't seemed to slow him down (unlike his sisters).

Yes, this has definitely been a challenging last year, but one filled with many joyful moments too. I'm excited to take on another year and see how this little guy's personality flourishes. Happy Birthday Andrew, we love you!

Wordless Wednesday

This is a little book Kyra put together all by herself for her mom and dad. The new found love in writing and drawing just doesn't get old. I love to see what this kid comes up with!!

the title page: "Dad and Mom Are in Love"

"Kevin is sad because he doesn't have any wives."

"Sarah is sad because she doesn't have any husbands."

"And Sarah and Kevin found eachother and fell in love and married and kissed."

Wordless Wednesday

Andrew's new talent. He looks a bit like a drunken sailor!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

It's been awhile since I wrote about some of the things my kids say, but boy does my memory function at a low capacity with 3 kiddos.  If I don't write something down that instant, the next minute it's gone.  Yes, I'm afraid what my brain would do if I had 4 children!!  Anyway, here are a couple of the cute things they said, that I remembered:

While in the car:
Mom:  Hey Katie, can you tell me what the colors mean on the stop light?
Katie:  Sure, geen means go, red means stop, and yellow means slow poke.
(Uh huh!!  There you have it.  Kyra would have said slow down, since she's a stickler for the rules, but this is how the second one rolls!!)

While at the park:
(We were a little weary of letting our kids play at the park because there was a teenage couple hanging out and showing a little too much PDA.  Fortunately they left soon, but we were prepared for some questions...)
Kyra:  Daddy, how come you and mommy don't show each other that you love each other like that?
Dad:  Well, Kyra, we do...but we just chose to do it in a non public place like our house.  You've seen us kiss haven't you?
Kyra:  Ewww...yes in our kitchen, but that's not appropriate in front of children.
Dad:  And where would it be appropriate?
Kyra:  At the park.
(I guess we aren't showing appropriate examples of affection....according to our affection police!!  I'm so glad those teenagers were there to set a more fitting example-enter sarcasm)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Andrew Update: 11 Months

Ever since Andrew discovered that he could take a few steps on his own, he doesn't want to stop.  The minute he falls down, he grabs for your hands to pull himself back to a standing position.  The child simply isn't happy unless he's walking.  The problem is...he doesn't know how to fall well.  In the month that he's been taking steps, he still is wobbly as ever.  He'll take 8 steps forward, and 3 steps back until he falls straight back and bumps his head.  Someone really has to watch him or he could really get hurt.  They already overestimated his capabilities in nursery last week, and he scraped the side of his face pretty good.  Yup, I think this boy will be in for some scrapes and bruises (comes with the territory right?).

Andrew still hasn't shown any interest in crawling, but he recently learned how to sit up from a lying down position.  I found him playing in his crib one day, and a few minutes later he figured out how to stand up.  The problem is now that he has this newfound trick, he has been falling asleep sitting up.  It was funny the first couple days, but now his naps have been cut short because he won't lay back down.  I think he's going to enjoy throwing us for a loop.

As far as eating goes, he is a human garbage disposal.  I think a few months ago I mentioned that he was a picky eater, but now I can't seem to get him to slow down.  He eats oatmeal, grapes, bananas, chicken, cheerios, and just about any kind of veggie.  I think the only thing he doesn't seem to care for at this point is cheese (which I'm sure will change).  I even have to be careful when I get a snack out for the girls, because if he's around he starts screaming at the top of his lungs to let you know he doesn't want to be left out (I'll never do that in the grocery store again!).  Yes, he's a boy of few words, but he certainly let's you know when he wants something.  In fact he's so impatient, that often just to be able to converse over dinner, we have sent him into the other room to watch a Baby Einstein video (obviously we won't do that forever, but for now it works, and he loves them!!)  And transitioning to a sippy cup was a breeze (unlike Katie who wouldn't start until she was nearly 18 months old).  He even sipped out of a straw the other day. 

In a month, he will be turning 1!!  My last snuggle bug is growing up and not wanting to snuggle so much.  But we are having a blast watching him learn so many new things.  The girls love to help guide him in his walking adventures, and give him bite size nibbles too.  Yes, we love ourselves some Andrew!