Month: September 2015
The boys not only wanted to clear the table (their normal job), but they wanted to wash the dishes in the sink (like at Granny’s).
Poor Kaitlyn. It appears her new shoes need a little breaking in with socks before we go sockless again.
(Not mother-of-the-year, again.)
Wade and I both commented how much older Alex looked this evening. Then we realized it was the bracelet. Something about it, the glasses, and the white t-shirt made him look significantly older to us.
“Don’t worry Mom. She loves it.”
(And since she kept getting off the couch and running back to him, he was probably right.)
I’m not sure what they initially were hunting, but they ended up mushroom “killing.”
They were fascinated with the animals in the backyard – chipmunks and an occasional deer.
Dress with flounce, bow in hair, and dirt on fingers. She’s definitely our daughter!
I have no words…
(but definitely took a picture)
Kaitlyn has discovered slides – and Teague loves to go down holding her hand.
It’s crazy to think it’s been three years since we met Teague for the first time. I can’t imagine life without him! We are embracing life in a bigger city and instead of cooking a Korean dinner we decided to go out to eat at a Korean restaurant. Everyone loved the experience – but actually preferred the Bee-Bim Bop recipe I make at home (go Mom). Some of the other dishes we had at the restaurant were fantastic and we can’t wait to go back again.
Soccer – the more organized version.
Soccer – 4 year old chaos.
Headstands.
I thought this was going to be another picture of Kaitlyn getting into the dishwasher. When I started taking pictures she was climbing into the dishwasher and then pulling out silverware. I didn’t about our knives having brightly colored handles – very attractive to little ones. Oops. There goes my Mom Of The Year Award. (This is probably also the last time I’ll take pictures instead of immediately taking her out of the dishwasher!)
When there’s only one beater….
How we spent the morning.
Wade had the sudden realization that the boys are completely capable of showering by themselves. We now send them up after dinner to get ready for bed. They take their showers, put on their pajamas, put up their dirty clothes, and come get us when it’s all done. Genius!
Little Ms. Independent figured out if she sits down on the scooter she can make it go. And she’s off.
As I was going through the pictures I took today, I got to this picture and just stopped. I looked at Teague’s eyes and thought how amazing they look! On a regular basis I don’t even think about all the patching (four years for him) and surgeries (six total) that he’s been through. He tends to squint his eyes quite a bit in direct sunlight – whether due to his Korean heritage or his particular condition, I’m not sure. I rarely get a good photograph of his eyes when we are in good light. But this picture captures them beautifully!
I was determined to go back and find an old picture for comparison. The picture below was taken almost exactly two years ago – prior to any surgeries. It shows his typical head position (tilted back), with his mouth open, eyelids drooping (ptosis) and his eyes in their fixed positions turned inwards in the lower corners.
The boys begged me to buy additional sushi for them when I was getting some for dinner tonight (Wade’s out of town). I finally agreed.
Alex is asking what the green stuff is and is quite grossed out to discover it is seaweed. He got over it and actually ate quite a bit of sushi.
The boys begged me to buy additional sushi for them when I was getting some for dinner tonight (Wade’s out of town). I finally agreed.
Teague kept telling me he liked it but never ate more than two or three pieces. I even offered him an alternate dinner and he turned it down.
We’ll see what he says next time I offer sushi for dinner.
This silliness is how we pass the time in the mornings till the bus comes.
Alex and his homework. It has become a nightly adventure.
Working on a car.
These two have the sweetest relationship.
(I am just thankful my camera was sitting on the kitchen counter this morning.)
Those few moments before Wade and I do our happy dance for the evening.
She’s trying to take selfies already…
Kaitlyn wakes up about 6. I get her up and we go to the playroom for an hour before the boys get up. She has her first cup of milk and then plays or snuggles – depending on the day.
Then we all get ready and put Alex on the bus and say goodbye to Teague (our neighbor takes him to preschool where her daughter goes to kindergarten). Kaitlyn and I walk back to the house and she takes her morning nap – usually about an hour. Sometimes we play a little more, but often we run an errand or two and then pick Teague up from school. Then it’s lunch time!
Kaitlyn always takes a nap after lunch and Teague almost always does. (And a lot of days I do too!) They tend to wake up around 2 (and Teague often sleeps till almost 3). We play around the house until it’s time to meet Alex’s bus at 4. Then we have the craziness of homework and cooking dinner. Kaitlyn sometimes joins us for our dinner and sometimes she doesn’t quite make it that long. She is often in bed by 6 pm.
They may not look happy but it was only because I made them stop exploring “Alex’s Cave” to take a picture.
(They claimed some of our woods for a hideout and were loving every minute.)
These two (and often with Alex joining in) play so well together. Yay for having young kids in the neighborhood again!
I love how she happily snuggles in for bed.
My Mom has been visiting the past few days and helping me with the house. Today she took a quick look at the yard and headed out with some garden scissors. The boys wanted their own pair and she gave them some clippers. Before I knew it, she had helped Alex create his own special “Alex Cave.” When I left to take Mom to the airport, the boys were happily cutting away in the woods creating Alex’s cave.
The problem arose when I came home to find the neighbor had joined the boys. The three of them were outside with not only garden scissors but large clippers, unsupervised, and having the time of their lives. I explained it might be best to only use the cutters when an adult was present – especially when a friend was visiting.
Buying milk at our house has become a challenge. We have five people that require four different kinds of milk – whole milk for Kaitlyn, 2% for the boys, skim for me, and lactose free for Wade (he made a mistake and bought himself whole instead of a more normal kind). I used to keep an extra gallon on hand for myself and the boys, but there is no longer room in the fridge for that. Thankfully we live closer to a grocery store than we did in Missouri and my plans are for everyone but Wade to move to the same milk as soon as possible!
Who can turn down a huge Bilibo of vegetable soup?
Saturday morning laziness.
The same book. Again – before school.
Kaitlyn’s current favorite book is Tenny Weeny Looks For His Mommy. Gram didn’t mind reading it before morning nap.
I must have mentioned having a “long soak” in the bathtub recently, because Alex has been begging for one. The only bathtub in the house is in the master bathroom and over the last two years we have rarely given the boys baths. It is so much faster (and less messy) to pop them in the shower. Tonight I finally let Alex have his long soak. He loved every bit of it. (Although his soak is more of a splashing.)
Poor Gram. Alex came home with Captain Underpants from the library and she read this book cover to cover at least five times.
Kaitlyn is always a surprise. She rarely goes to other people willingly, but doesn’t cry if you hand her to them. This morning my mom reached for her and she happily let Gram pick her up and then proceeded to snuggle! She knows her Gram.
When homework frustration leads to a spilled glass of milk, you get to mop the floor.
“Mom, can I please go get one of the trashcans for Dad?”
(We live at the top of a steep hill. The boys have been great about helping to take the trashcans down the night before trash day and bringing them back up afterwards. Teague’s offer was completely out of the blue and unprompted. Sweet boy.)