October 2017

Here's October in some brief snippets...Wesson is two!  Flu shots for kids.  MOPS meetings going well.  Amanda rear-ends with van (boo), all ok.  Papa and Gemma are still on vacation-kids like the pictures.  Visits to Oxbow-Poppy and Grandma.  Jeff passes another NICET-Level 3 now!  Parent Teacher Conferences.  Family photos, no fall colored leaves yet.  Huskers lose and lose.  Room parent tasks begin.  Joint October boys birthday party!  Kalum is five!  13-year Wedding Anniversary!  Darth Vader, Rey, a Mermaid, a Power Ranger and mini Darth Vader. Buelts and Papa and Gemma over for dinner and trick-or-treating.  Halloween snow!

Samara's Moments for the Month:

• This girl loves to be around people!  As soon as she gets home from school she is asking to go see if a neighbor can play, unless Wild Kratts show is on, but as soon as it's over.  Today she asked after two neighbors then went up the street a little to ask about one of her "BFF's" from school  We didn't know they lived so close until recently.  She and Lily had a great time.  Samara seems to be the leader in this relationship, and Lily is super sweet and polite and has a couple inches on Samara in height.  Listing of one's friends and BFF's has become the thing to do on the back of all her homework papers.  Earlier in the school year, Samara asked me if I knew what a BFF was. ;)  The new things you learn in 1st grade!
• Samara got to go to her buddy since preschool, Sabrina's, 8th birthday party.  It felt like her first real big kid party.  I dropped her off and all the girls were there.  She got to craft, learn dance moves and have cake/ice cream.  And they have a tiny dog, so a perfect afternoon for her!  I could barely get her to leave.
• She is still LOVING first grade.  I am the room parent for her class this year, so I got to plan the Halloween Party.  She was so excited that I was the "teacher" for the party and planned the stations - headband craft, make a snack, BINGO and bowling.  She said the best station was the snack, a pretzel rod they covered in frosting and they got to add their own sprinkles and the salami on the meat/cheese tray she loved. She liked being a Mermaid (Samermaid as I called her) during school and for trick or treating.  She was all about sorting and checking out all her loot when we got home from the freezing night of festivities.
• Went for her 7 year check-up (wanted to see how the school year was going, in case we needed to discuss anything at all)...49 lbs (39%), 48.5" (54%). Healthy BMI and blood pressure.  Got her flu shot with just a brief nervous moment.
• Parent Teacher Conference was great!  She is a joy to have in class and is doing great with everything they're learning.  Teacher said she seems to enjoy writing and reading is coming right along.  Her handwriting is nice and she is helpful in the classroom.  She gives her teacher a hug every morning and the baby girl in her teacher's tummy, too.

Kalum's Moments for the Month:

• He got to work with Daddy at Greenwood on Saturday, Menards run and DQ for lunch.  He scooped walnuts, mowed and a couple misc tasks.  He loved the special time with Daddy!
• Oct 5th - He can pump himself on the swing!  Benefit of having older sibling to coach you (and tell you it's something you must know before kindergarten).  He tried jumping off the swing like Samara does, with mixed results.
• He was super bummed that Samara went to a birthday party without him.  So I said, while Wesson naps, what do you and Mommy want to do at home?  He said, watch something.  Ok.  We find a paleontologist show on Netflix and he is SO enthralled!  I was trying to keep my eyes open as it wasn't an amazing show, but he watched several episodes until I finally said that was enough watching.  He kept saying he wants to dig up dinosaur bones when he grows up!
• Power Rangers party - Loved his Samurai Sushi play date party with buds from school.  They played Super Hero Memory game, dressed up in super hero costumes and had snack/treat and sand Happy Birthday.
• At first he was a little upset that we were celebrating both boys birthdays together with family, but once he saw decorations, cake a presents, he was okay.  Plus I said he got separate friend party (play date).  So fun was had by all and we had a full house of family!
• I was doing a workout at home.  He says, "Mom you're shaking.  Why do you keep doing it?"  I said, "when you're shaking it means you're building up your strong muscles.  He said, "I'm tired just watching it.  I'm never gonna do that to my muscles."  Lol!
• Is wanting to read books too, like Samara.  He will try to sound out words using some of the letter sounds he knows.  He's not there yet, but I can see him being an early reader, with Samara leading the way and expressing so much interest in it.
• Parent Teacher Conference Call...He's doing well again this year!  Teacher said he is a sweetheart with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes sometimes. Has started writing "Kalum Lee Derby" on all his papers, maybe a phase, or just a flair for the formal.  eager to learn, can count to 29 typically.  Knows all uppercase, learning lowercase.  He and Nathan play, not just side-by-side, but actually interacting while they play.  Boys can get chatty at circle time, and if she turns her head for a second too long, there is a dogpile going on oftentimes.

Wesson's Milestones/Moments for the Month:

• On one of our visits to Oxbow to see Poppy and Great Grandma this month, the memory care ladies were bopping a balloon with pool noodles - Wesson put on the charm and joined in the game.  He showed Poppy his cars and trucks he brought.  He gave hugs to Gma and Poppy when it was time to leave.
• It's fun to have him seeing forward in the car now!  Constantly comments on what he sees (and I'm seeing it too, instead of him saying things about glimpses out of the back of the van).  Favorite thing is morning is pointing out buses on way to school. "Bus.  Yellow.  More Bus. Big. Bus gone. Want more bus.",  "ment truck" (cement truck), "Dirt!" for any construction site, When S gets out of the car at school, "Bye Sissy." "Kiss." "sissy gone"
• When we dropped Kalum off one day, he wanted to give Kalum a hug.  Kalum didn't see or hear him and went right to circle.  Wesson followed him all the way over there with arms stretched out saying, "hug".  I finally had to get Kalum's attention and say Wesson wants a hug or we wouldn't have gotten out of there. Melting heart!
• He's taken an interest in being part of the dogpile when older kids are playing or wrestling, with or without Daddy.  Just wants to be like the big kids!  And he might be a little more determined than Kalum...
• Started taking off his own diaper and clothes to sit on the potty chair.  This by NO means means he is near potty trained, just likes to be nakie and try it out.  Our carpets have suffered a couple times thanks to sudden air exposure and a two-year-old who doesn't yet have bladder control! I did show him today that I have big boy underwear he can wear when he starts using the potty.  Kalum was 3, hoping he can be a little sooner...
• When at places with other people he seems to go quiet, but at home he never stops talking.  And he's very smart, figuring out how to get where and what he wants. Now throws a screaming tantrum if that doesn't happen.  He does calm down and then he'll say "done" in response to "I can see you're really upset, but can we calm down?  Are you done?" Then sucks his finger with tear stained face, and usually asks for diddy, his blanket.
• When given his dinner plate with broccoli on it (they have to try a veggie like 10 times, right?!), he grabbed the small broccoli portion he'd been given to try and said, "Daddy try.", setting it on Jeff's plate.  How can we not laugh at that?!  I guess he is mine.
• 2 year check-up - 29 lbs (75%), 35.5" tall (77%) - healthy growing boy!
• He knows the rules and is starting to test them more often.  Ex - Stay in the kitchen with your milk...he stands with his toes nearly touching the edge of the carpet and chugs away while looking at you, pauses to say "toes" and point out where they are.  he also tells other kids, whether siblings, cousins, or friends, to stop doing something that he feels is in violation of a rule.  Or will say, "brother calm down" if Kalum is getting upset about something.  Wesson will hit, scream and pull Kalum's hair if they are arguing over a toy.  But he will eventually cool off and then hug and say sorry.
• Figured out how to open the childproofed pantry closet and the fridge this last week of October.  Now, he can grab a box of crackers before you even know it.  He also opens the fridge to help himself, grabs the gallon of milk and lugs it to the table.  Says, "my get it.", there's no helping him.  Then when gets to the table, says, "muscles" and shows off his guns every time.  
• Can identify a handful of colors and shapes pretty well.  Likes to count along with someone or say every other number, after 12 he drops off and defaults for 14 or 17 repeatedly.  Starting to sing his own little songs or parts of songs he's heard.  Still a few favorite books - Thomas Train, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, Goodnight Goon.  Now says, "read gin!" when you're done and giggles if you say, read this again?! 
• He's not eating as much as he used to it seems, so must be in between growth spurts.  Will have to continue to work on those veggies...

October Pictures

September 2017

This month everyone is starting to get their school year routines down!  We went to the State Fair on Labor Day - saw animals, quilts, Demolition Derby, Combine rides, rodeo, and all!  Jeff had a guys trip to Chicago to visit John and see their new baby.  They packed the weekend full of activities and had a great time!  We got our passports for our trip in November - it's getting real!  I got to got to MOMCon, thanks to Jeff staying home and Cheryl taking a day off work.  It was in KC and a wonderful girls weekend with inspiring and informational speakers, awesome live music, hang out time and a group dinner to Buca de Beppo Friday evening.  The MOPS year officially began, so this year as Co-Coordinator, I'm just trying to look with new eyes at the year so I know what all I'll need to be doing next year as Coordinator!  Jeff is busy at work, studying for the next level of NICET Certification, working at Greenwood house and is enjoying his Men's Mentor Group that meets each month.  Moments and pictures should explain all we've been up to!

Samara's Moments for the Month:

• She said she wanted to be a mermaid for Halloween.  Hark!  That's what I was in kindergarten, so wear it this year while it fits!  We got it from Gemma's house and she tried it on - instant love!
• She brings things home from lunch or treats for Kalum if she knows he'll like them.  Reason she was so sad about backpack getting run over (in our garage, she dropped it where I couldn't see it and I knew as soon as I heard the crunch what happened) was that she couldn't share the homemade candy corn treat from school with Kalum. (They had pieces of plastic sandwich tub on them...)  Kalum does the same thing, saving one of two school treats for her, etc.  Both will ask if they can have one for their sibling.  It's so sweet (even if sometimes fighting, they do love and think of each other).
• One more run in with L-girl at the end of the month.  She made a comment to Samara that she would kill Samara if they were ever on the same bus again, which they shouldn't ever be, but still.  When Samara told me (she wasn't shaken at all), I tried not to overreact, but I had her go in the next day to tell her teacher.  The teacher followed up with me by email about what had happened.  Samara and L-girl went to the office, Samara told her side of the story then went back to class.  L-girl stayed and consequences were laid out for future.  No more issues since, per Samara.

Kalum's Moments for the Month:

• He's so excited about his red Power Ranger costume!  He had to wear it around the house doing Power Ranger moves the afternoon Gemma found it for him!!
• Kids are the bathroom showering up for bed.  Samara tells Kalum what a BFF is.  he then lists off his 4 BFF's from preschool.  Then he says, "I have another. Samara." She says, "Oh, that's so nice.  You have 5 BFF's." He says. "It should be best brother and sister forever." Aw! a loving sibling moment. Not all their moments are like that, though they can play really well together for hours sometimes.
• Kalum had his first field trip of the year, to the Super Bee Apple Orchard.  His favorite part was the apple sorting machine!
• I asked Kalum after preschool one day if he ever got to be the helper during class.  "Oh yeah.  I've done that."  Not important for him I guess.  Samara LIVED for being the helper at preschool.  It was the first thing I heard about and she counted down until it was her turn again.  Kalum's main thing to report is what was for snack and what treat he might have gotten to choose at lunch bunch.

Wesson's Moments for the Month:

• Almost two maybe?!?!  He threw a screaming tantrum on the floor of JoAnn's Fabrics.  "Cart please!" Slobbering, sobbing, nose running, rolling on the floor kicking.  Two old grandma ladies let me go in front of them...whether for my sake or theirs.  One apologized for laughing at him! haha
• When you read a book he likes or sung a song he likes, he immediately says, "gin!" (again) when you're done.  And he will repeat as many times as you'll humor him with the book or song.
• At my annual physical, he quietly played with a train toy and looked at books throughout the appointment.  The midwife said she understood why we felt our family was complete - stop while you're ahead!
• Sept 30th - Wesson is two tomorrow!  He is getting to be such a big boy.  Talks a ton - identifies some colors, shapes.  "Counts" to ten, sort of.  Says his name well and that of his siblings - "sissy" and "Kamum", says brother sometimes instead.  Asserting his opinion more and more!  Always asks for a cracker and is trying to get the pantry closet door open.  He will even attempt to climb the shelves if it gets him closer to the desired snack.  He's always willing to help with a task or chore - sweeping, vacuuming, emptying DW and picking up toys.  Sings his version of the clean up song while he does that.  Likes to be read to, wooden puzzles, coloring (very briefly), riding his bike and being outside, playing cars, trucks or trains.

September Pictures

August 2017

With the school year looming, we packed in a brief weekend "vacation" to Adventureland to meet Jeff's cousin, sister and fam and have some fun.  The kids loved every minute (except maybe the one roller coaster, they weren't huge fans, but they were brave!).  There were some planning meetings for MOPS, final summer bible study, meetings for Sunday School volunteers, Journey Group dinner, school open houses, and then, it was getting ready for school to start, summer ended and back to school for Samara and Kalum!  So far, as you'll see in my notes below, a good start to the year for both!  There was also the Solar Eclipse, which we didn't go out of town to see or anything, but it was cool to see the video that was captured by some!  Check out our month via the moments and pictures below...

Samara's Moments for the Month:

• Love the pool this summer and became a fish, or a mermaid (and a tan one at that!).  She loves to swim underwater and can hold her breath quite a while.  With a life jacket she can swim even in deep end after jumping in.  Did some freestyle type strokes, technique still needs some work.  She can get into the back float position on her own and float for ten seconds.  If pool wasn't crowded she could do better, was afraid someone would jump one her or make waves to splash over her face, which was justified.
• Last day of summer - she got to choose the agenda for the last day of summer.  Bounce house, pick out gift for friend's upcoming bday party, lunch at home while watching power rangers, sewing on her quilt blocks while Wesson was napping, then worked on her "about me" homework for Friday from open house night and sang (loudly with abandon for songs she knew) along with the radio while she reloaded the dishwasher.  You can tell when she knows the song because all of a sudden she cranks up the radio volume!
• Second recess of the school year there was an incident where L-girl (my code name for girl who gave her so much trouble last year).  She was seemingly jealous that Samara had moved on to other friends this year.   She took it out by kicking wood chips when Samara said L-girl wasn't her friend.  Then she shoved a piece of trash off the ground into Samara's new friend's mouth!  They went to the office for discussion after that...
• She has been really loving first grade so far! Doesn't complain about going, loves her teacher, enjoys classmates, says math is her least favorite subject,  helps pack her lunch, proudly shows me all her work in take-home folder each day, apparently loves it when she says or does something silly and everyone laughs.  She told me a story about her silly picture she drew, "a cheetah on a toilet seat with wings".  She said after she told about her picture, everyone laughed and later people came up to her and said, "that was so funny when you said that".  She also said she made a silly face when she shut off the light and closed door (her seat is closest to door) and class laughed.  Not afraid of an audience and likes people being happy because of her!  She made up a game at recess where she's the teacher/coach for other friends to complete.  I think she enjoys being helper to smaller kids at KWG as much as doing challenges herself.

Kalum's Moments for the Month:

• Early this month I gave Kalum a hug and said, 
• "I can't believe you're going to school soon for two whole days a week! What am I going to do all day with just Wesson here?" 
• Kalum: "Probably sit and think about what it like when I was here all day" 
• Me: "Well, we'll miss you, but I think I might try to get some things done too." 
• K: "Yeah you might some stuff while you think about us" :)
• By the end of summer he's gotten much better at jumping in from the side of the pool into shallow end.  He will put his face underwater briefly.  Attempted some swimming and can float with assistance briefly on his back.  He knew where the water was too deep and learned to stay where he could touch.
• First Day of Pre-K (Green Class) and Enrichment (afternoon class)- He seemed a little unsure at first, but teacher came and took his hand and off he went to circle time.  He loved staying all day (Two snacks and he got to bring his lunch!!), singing, playing, reading...he listed it all off for us.  Closer to bedtime I said, "Can I have a hug.  Did you  miss me or did you have too much fun?  K: "I was having so much fun I forgot all about you!"  Well, better than being sad all day I guess. Ha!
• Kids Warrior Gym - took him to use a one-hour open gym - he played in the gym area for like 25 minutes then he opted to play with the gear toys in the lobby area.  Built cars and a road and had a great time!  Maybe he's going to follow the "builder" genes embedded in his DNA.  Or he's just lost being at KWG without Samara, time will tell!
• By the end of August, he seems to really enjoy this school year so far!  Likes having two snacks and lunchtime there each day.  Still has some of his same friends from last year and has made a couple new ones, too.  Favorite toy is transforming alpha robots, he tells me to order them on Amazon almost everyday after school!

Wesson's Moments/Milestones for the Month:

• When he wants your attention for something he's going to do, he will look to make sure you're watching and say "mommy watch".
• By the end of the summer pool time he loves to be held on his tummy to kick his legs, laying his head back into water and jumping in the pool to someone's arms (usually doesn't bother him if he goes under water.  Would catch him sometimes and let him dip under water some.)  One day he jumped when I wasn't facing him yet!  He basically rolled off my back and went underwater.  I reached down and grabbed him from nearly the bottom of 3' and he came up with huge eyes, but not crying or coughing.  He must have instinctively held his breath!
• He is a talker!  Can identify red, orange and sometimes yellow.  "mom sit", "watch" (as in look at this cool thing I can do) "trains TV" (wants to watch trains on TV - usually this one is said much too early in the morning and then he wants cereal while he watches).  Can communicate what he wants or what happened Ex-Kalum flicks water at Samara and some gets on him.  He goes to Samara and says "Kamum. Hands. Shirt. Wet."  They won't get away with much when he's around!
• Favorite books: Blue Train, Green Train and Go Train Go (Thomas Train books) Roadwork, Commotion in the Ocean.  Wants to read them all before sleeping or napping will happen.  (And then staying in bed for bedtime has mixed results anyway...)
• Learned to say his name now as Wesson!

August Pictures