Watching Our Children Grown: August 2009

Sunday, August 30, 2009

This week we signed Samantha up for the library's story time. I'm excited because it's just for 3 year olds and will be geared just for her age. I can't take Blake to his own yet because you can't take siblings into that age group but I'm sure his time will come soon enough. We'll be starting that in September and it will run through November.

Blake has this thing about NOT giving kisses. You ask, "Can mommy have a kiss?" and he'll turn his head, smile and say, "nooooo." It's a rare occasion when he'll give a kiss. Now I think it's more of a game than anything.

Have you ever tried cooking with 2 toddlers on the counter with you? It will definitely try your patience. Samantha begs to cook/bake and Blake surely can't be left out so we try it every once in a while. They both want to dump and stir so it can be kind of crazy sometimes.

We have recently begun to know our neighbors who just life a few houses down. They enjoy playing in our cul-de-sac.and have 2 girls, a 5 year old and 3 1/2 year old and a boy who is about 20 months. Samantha LOVES playing with Sophie and Issy. She watches out the window until they are outside. They are often out after us or later than us but I've been letting the kids stay up later and play because they don't get much kid interaction right now. Besides, I love talking with their parents. Unfortunately they have sold their house and will be moving in a month but we're going to enjoy all the time we can with them and hopefully keep connected with them in the future.

We were out this week visiting with our other neighbors when she asked Samantha her birthday. I was shocked when Samantha told her it was April 10. We hadn't discussed it in months! It always amazing me what they remember.

Apparently I'm feeding the kids way to many leftovers because twice Samantha has asked me not to have leftovers for lunch:)

In the last couple of weeks Blake has broke through another one of his bottom teeth which brings his total to 9. I see the opposite one trying to come up so it won't be long and hopefully we'll have another tooth. It's amazing what he can eat though.

Blake is definitely getting to the age where he is pressing his limits and figuring out what he can and can't do. I really believe he understands most of everything we say but he loves to stand on the arm of our couch and fall down into it or jump on it. He also loves to go into the neighbors yard to and the entire way up he'll look back to make sure we're watching him go where he knows he's not supposed to be.

This weekend we were glad that Grandma Linda and Grandpa Willy made the trip over. We didn't do anything special but spend time together but it was great to see them again.

We've got another full week planned including a play date and story time at Midland. Maybe this week I'll actually take some pictures to post.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

We had a great week this week. We started off by getting Samantha’s hair cut. We tried “Shear Madness” a kids salon. Samantha thought it was great because she got to pick her own chair (a race car) and then watch Barbie as she got her hair cut. At the end the stylist braided it for her. It was adorable.

We then went to the library and got Samantha her first library card. We also checked it out and got several books to bring home. This week we get to sign up for story time.

Tuesday we made a trip to Midland Adventist Academy so that we could deliver some school supplies. The school had put out a list of materials that they could use so we picked up some supplies for the teachers. The secretary there knows us from church and she was so kind to the kids and welcomed them back for their story time on the 2nd of September. The academy is fairly close to Travis’s work so we stopped by and saw him on our way home.

That evening BeBe came to visit. She got here in time for supper and playing. She was able to stay with us until Friday morning when she left. While she was here we went shopping. It was great to have her help with the kids while I tried on clothes, etc. Blake was a handful as he’d cry the minute I stepped into a dressing room and stop crying when I came out. We hit the mall twice and both times we stopped to play with Thomas the Train at Barnes and Noble and we even rode the carousel one time.

Thursday was my birthday and Samantha (with BeBe's help) picked out a cake and candles for me-it was a beautiful princess cake. The kids loved "surprising" me with it.

Friday Travis called and needed us to bring him a tool so we did that and came home and played the rest of the afternoon. The neighbor kids also came out and Samantha and Blake got to play with them. The neighbors children are 5, 3 ½ and 20 months so our kids are really close in age and enjoy playing together. In fact, they played together in the cul-de-sac Sabbath evening also for a couple of hours.

Blake has added more words to his vocabulary like “spill” and “squirrel”. BeBe has brought us a squirrel and bird feeder and so we get to see the squirrel quite often. When he spills something he asks for a napkin to wipe it up.

Playing outside Sabbath afternoon...

Look at how dirty Samantha's feet were:)

All ready for church...

Our neighbors gave us this bouncy toy...

Celebrating my birthday...

Having fun with BeBe...

Samantha's first library card...

Samantha got her hair cut and they put it into this cute braid...

Sunday, August 16, 2009

For not knowing anyone, we seem to keep extremely busy in Kansas City.

It has been relatively cool for this area this summer so we haven’t hit the pool as much as we thought we might. Blake doesn’t care for it much and prefers to play in the wading pool but Samantha loves the pool and the fountain which she can stomp on to start. She especially loves it when her dad can come and play with her. She has even started to jump into his arms in the “deep” end.

We decided that Travis needed new pictures in his office so a couple of weeks ago we had them taken. Samantha is at the age where she really enjoys it so we got some great shots of her but poor Blake was scared and only wanted me to hold him. The idea was to get a picture of the two of them but it just didn’t work out so we got a shot of each of them individually.

We’ve been trying to explore the parks in the area and have found some pretty nice ones. Both kids can really maneuver quite well all over the playgrounds and love the slides. It seems Blake especially likes the swings and could sit in them for quite a while.

We found a new babysitter. The kids love Alex and she’s stayed with them a couple of times. Alex is a daughter of one of Travis’ employee’s and we are so happy to have her babysit for us. Samantha generally cries when I leave, even if I leave her with Travis but she didn’t cry at all for Alex. Blake cried for a bit until Alex distracted him and then he was just fine. I wish we had started using her sooner because now she’s going to start school and we won’t be able to use her as much.

*Samantha has become extremely friendly to people and very polite. She often talks to kids at the playground and uses her manners (please, thank-you, etc.).

*She looks out for her brother. While at the pool the other day she asked a little girl if her brother could play with a pony to.

*She’s mastered the “L” sound all by herself and quite proud of it.

*Blake loves bubbles, either on the computer’s screen saver, in the pool or the ones that Samantha is blowing.

*He’s begun to call his blanket’s “night night” and continues to be super attached to them.

*As hard as it is to admit, Blake’s still been on the bottle. I think we’ve pretty much got that stopped and he’ll finally drink milk out of a sippy cup.

*Blake is understanding practically everything we say. It fun to see those little minds working.

*Samantha loves to learn. Right now she’s learning the sounds of every letter and a little addition. She thinks it’s fun so we’re going to work with it while she still thinks that.

*Samantha continues to ask why and questions about every single thing. Why is he parked there? Why is her car on the side of the road? Is he going to press the crosswalk button? Where are they going? Admittedly, some days it seems the questions will never end.

*Travis has been putting in some crazy hours at work lately and the kids have noticed it and have asked for him quite a bit. Everyone looks forward to the weekend when daddy is around and he can play with the kids.

*Samantha has discovered that she doesn’t mind taking a shower. She took her first shower with me a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it.

*The kids copy each other like crazy. What one is doing the other is sure to start doing.

We had our first play date this week. We were invited to Gianna and Alexa’s house. Their mom and I went to the same college at the same time so we have a base to go on. They live close to a playground and took advantage of it. Blake was a little timid, which is usual for him but Samantha really enjoyed herself and all of Gianna’s toys. I enjoyed the adult mom conversation and look forward to doing it again sometime.

Travis invited us to picnic with him one evening. He was working late so we took a little picnic and ate at a park near his work. The kids love to picnic and the playground was a bonus. We all enjoyed being outside together and doing something different.

We continue to go to Barnes and Noble for story time and I’m not sure how much they really enjoy the story, I think they like playing with the trains more which is just fine. I still feel it’s a great activity for us to get out and interact with other kids.

Random pictures...