Stefan's 4th Birthday

It really is difficult for me to wrap my thoughts around the fact that we have a four year old. Brian and I took some time to reminisce about Stefan's four years and how much he has changed specifically in this last year. He has jumped head first into boyhood and the toddler days seem long gone and the baby days even further. We have been overjoyed to see him develop and change. His personality is becoming even more unique. Maybe that's why this birthday was so fun?  Now we can get things because we know where his interests are and not simply "4-year-olds are supposed to like this" sort of thing. It really made it that much more special.  

This birthday was also unique in that it was his first birthday ever to be home.  We've always been on the road and we really enjoyed being in our own home and setting the pace for how we celebrated.

We started the day with breakfast which consisted of crepes with nutella and bananas inside. Candles to blow out right when you get up is always a good way to start the birthday!

I ended up deciding to go with a Cars theme because Stefan is a big fan of that movie.  I didn't want to forget this stage and I knew he would be thrilled.  Special thanks to Mimi who sent me the napkins and some stickers that I used. I'm really happy with how the cake turned out. It was my first time making my own fondant, so I'm thankful for no catastrophes!

I had stickers on each of our glasses and we were that character for the evening. Stefan got a big kick out of asking Sally (Mommy) for more water please, or Mack (Daddy) could you please pass the chips.  He couldn't decide if he wanted to be Lightening McQueen or Tow Mater so he had one on each side of his glass and we called him both:).  

At the dinner table we were remembering things about Stefan's last four years and also saying things we appreciated about Stefan.  I think he was starting to feel embarrassed at all that attention and he suddenly said, "Daddy, I'm thankful for you."  The sweet thing about that is that one of the things that Brian and I have been noticing in Stefan lately is a spirit of genuine thoughtfulness toward others. It is such a blessing to see that developing even at his young age. 

Of course, what is a birthday without presents?  It was so fun to see his excitement and joy over everything. The Legos (thanks to a last minute sale I snagged) and the scooter (thank you Papi and Mimi!)  were the favorites, but he loved everything.

After opening the gifts these two guys went immediately to work!

He was very happy about his cake, can you tell?  He also sang with us when we sang Happy Birthday.  Did those of you who skyped him and sang happy birthday to him notice that he sang along with you?  Yep, every time ;) He was thrilled about having a birthday cake and ice cream, but I think he only ate about three bites as he was too excited to go play with his new gifts!

Here he is with the very first vehicle he made with his Legos.  He has since made a house, a truck, a helicopter, a boat, a...you get the idea. He really likes them:).  It is not a huge set, but this is one of those gifts that I'm sure we will be adding to for years to come!

We are thrilled to see our boy growing up.

We count ourselves incredibly blessed to have him in our family and to have been given the responsibility to love, teach, and nurture him.

Our Christmas

Well, here goes a small sampling of our Christmas.  We have had a wonderful season, but much of the joy of the season comes from the little light of excitement in our children's eyes, excited squeals, looks of awe, satisfied looks between Mommy and Daddy because the kids are so happy.  None of these things, though, can be caught on camera.  

It is nice though, to try to catch a few memories.  Memories we will always cherish.

Gazing at the Christmas tree. It never gets old and we'll all be sad when we put it all away.  Yet, the excitement keeps on because there is always next year! 

*****

Our Gingerbread house we made. Not too shabby for little hands. 

Even better than the finished product is the fun we had working together.  The laughter, the joy, the mess. It was all wonderful!  We traditionally listen to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Cambridge on Christmas Eve. This year we decorated our gingerbread house while doing. This just might become a tradition.

Happy with the results! 

I think that I will buy the cookie cutters for a gingerbread house so that next year I can make my own. the kits are nice and all, but who wants to eat something that has been in a box for months? Not us! So we just look at it :) .

*****

Christmas festivities!  No explanation needed! 

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." -Andy Rooney

This gift was a hit, and is going to be enjoyed by all!

*****

Sneaking something from the candy dish!

*****

"I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus!"

Christmas Morning at Church

Just a sampling of some Sunday morning shots.  Getting out the door for church on Christmas morning was hard enough, so these are just some quick snapshots I took as we were walking to the car.  Hopefully I'll get more shots of our actual Christmas on here soon.  It's been a bit busy here, so this will have to do for now. 

I'm pretty sure this is the cutest six month old around. Ahhh....kills me how handsome he is! 

Smiley, Christmasy, and sunny...but hey, it's a shot;) 

Between the sun, being in a hurry and the fact that his new airplanes he got for Christmas were keeping his undivided attention, this is all I've got.  Can't you just hear him making the plane noises, though? 

Reading 2011

I love to read. No surprise there, right? I had a goal of reading twelve books this year and I'm so pleased to tell you all that I not only met that goal, I actually surpassed it a little. I really didn't think I would especially when there was a couple of months where I didn't read at all after having a baby and moving in the same month.  It just goes to show that even reading just 5 or 10 minutes at a time adds up! Anyway,  just for fun, I thought I'd share what I read. Very eclectic, but that's my personality, so what can I say?  I had no plan for my reading. It definitely shows and I want to have a better plan this year.  Random reasons I decided to pick a certain book: New York Times Bestseller; Personal interest; Classic; Recommendation of a friend; no reason at all...you get the idea:). So here they are. In no particular order.

1. Womanly Dominion by Mark Chanski

2. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (I'm ashamed to admit this was the first time I had read it in its entirety including the second part about Christian's wife.)

3. For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

4. The Millionaire Next Door by Stanley and Danko

5. A Mom After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George

6. French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

7. Adopted for Life by Russell Moore

8. Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider

9. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

10. The Fiddler's Gun by A. S. Peterson 

11. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic

12. Last Child In the Woods by Richard Louv
13. A Different Kind of Teacher by John Taylor Gatto

13. The Help by Katheryn Stockett

14. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis

Some books were gripping. Some made me think. Some didn't stretch my mind at all. Some opened my eyes to our history and culture.  Some opened my eyes to other cultures. Some made me laugh.  Some gave me insights to being a better mom or wife. Some pointed me to Christ.

While some books were just okay and not great, I still benefit from reading. I never want to stop reading and learning. Many of the books, though, were great.

My goal for this next year is to read at least 15 books. I want to pick books in various genres. My parents surprised me with a Kindle this Christmas which I am thrilled about and will help me keep up my reading more easily, I think.

Some of the genres I want to read in include history, fiction, biography, theology, Christian living, education, culture, parenting, etc.  I would LOVE any of your recommendations!

So here is your chance to leave a comment. You don't have to tell me how cute my kids are or anything like that, just leave a book title that you think I would enjoy reading!  

Little Christmas Joys

Candy Canes and Christmas Trees

Extra reading time with Daddy.

An anniversary date by the Christmas tree.

 

Experiencing the world of food for the first time. 

Dressing the kids for bed as if it is a normal night, then surprising them with hot chocolate in their sippy cups, a cookie in hand, and a drive around town to look at Christmas lights.

Learning that to give is better than to receive. Stefan picked out his gift for Olivia and wrapped it. Of all the paper he could have chosen, he decided on pink tissue paper. Don't worry though, we dressed it up! He decided to make an 'O' with buttons so we would know it was for her.

Beautiful Weather!

Today was one of those gorgeous days that you have to pinch yourself to remember that it is actually December. Weather in the 60's. Really? While it doesn't help in reminding you that Christmas is less than two weeks away, it is perfect for getting outside with the kids. And I found out there is a lot to learn when I'm outside.

One lonely leaf, hanging on for dear life

I saw this leaf and immediately thought about how sometimes I feel like this leaf. It is easy to think that we are self sustaining. We don't need anybody and can function all on our own. What we fail to realize is that this leaf isn't functioning by itself. A host of branches and roots are giving it life. As soon as it falls to the ground (or more likely one of my children pulls it off!), it will start to turn brown like the other myriad of leaves already on the ground. I too, cannot function alone and thankfully I don't have to. And my lifeline is not so precarious as it may seem. I have an amazing God, a supportive husband, a wonderful family, and the list could go on.

Two things that I experienced in the last few hours made me realize how we can't function alone. My husband, who saw last night that I was beyond exhausted. Suffice it to say sick kids and sleepless nights had taken its toll. At eight o'clock last night, Brian looked at me and said, you need to go to bed. Did I mention it was only 8? I did and went right to sleep. He brought Silas to me to feed around 11 and I had been sleeping so hard I hadn't even heard him cry which never happens. While I still had to feed Silas a few times, I can't tell you how much better I feel after getting the rest I did. And you know what Brian did, of course? While I was sleeping away, he was being an elf and washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Love that man! I need him.

The other thing was a simple call I had to make to a friend from church this morning. We ended up chatting for awhile. It wasn't a particularly meaningful conversation in regards to what we were talking about, but it was very meaningful to me. My heart was light when I got off the phone with her because not only had I enjoyed a good conversation, but I had a friend. A friend here in Louisville. A friend from our church. We need friends. It's important. It's vital to our lifeline.

God has blessed me

All smiles in the sunshine.

Then there is my daughter. I love how happy she is. Really, she can find joy in just about anything. I want to be like her when I grow up. Today it was specifically the tricycle, and mud and leaves that she was mixing up.

Oh, and my girl who doesn't talk? When the neighbor boy started riding the tricycle she yelled, clear as day, "MY BIKE!" Ahem.

Fascination with details.

Stefan makes me smile. He can be running or riding around like he's fleeing a fire, and almost as suddenly stop dead in his tracks to observe something. Like this moment. He was speeding across the lawn on his bike, and almost in one motion jumped off the bike and picked up those leaves and sat there and observed for a good five minutes. I have no idea what he was trying to see in those leaves, but he was captivated. He loves details, yet he loves running around and being crazy just as much. You never know what to expect. I hope I never get to old to enjoy being carefree, and yet be fascinated with the most mundane of things. Like a dead leaf.

December Fun

A beautiful day.
A girl peeking out underneath her hat.
Siblings messing around on the ground having fun together.

Outside!

Our kids, like most kids, love to play outside. We have been blessed with extremely mild weather and unless it is raining we are outside for at least an hour almost every. single. day. I really believe that it has helped us be more healthy and the kids have enjoyed everything from wagon rides, bike rides, walks, picking up sticks and acorns, playing with leaves, playing with friends, and even a few soccer games with both Mommy and Daddy (and Silas in our arms!).

I thank God that even though we are in an apartment we have a back door that goes right out onto a lawn. If it weren't for this, it would be much harder to get out as we would have to time it around Silas' sleeping schedule. Thanks to the easy access, though, unless we are headed out on a walk, we can always go play. It has been an unexpected blessing that I didn't know I would have in apartment life.

I've found that if the kids are getting extra whiny, or temperamental, the fresh air does wonders.  Really, though, doesn't it do that for us adults?  For me anyway, just going outside and breathing in fresh air and soaking in some sunshine lifts my spirits and, in general, helps me have a better outlook on life.  

I also love that when we're outside our kids need very little to entertain themselves.  Sure, we have bikes and a wagon, and sometimes we bring out a ball, but for the most part it is leaves, mud, grass, flowers, rocks, and whatever else they can find that provide the fun. That, my friends, is a beautiful thing.  We don't have to worry about sharing toys, because there are always more than enough leaves to go around.  Their imagination is able to run wild because the "toy" does not dictate a specific kind of play.  It is such a part of our day now, that our kids wonder what is wrong when we don't go outside.  I am thrilled with that.  Going outside is normal for us and that is how I hope to always keep it.  

For awhile I was worried about the time I was "wasting" outside, but then I realized, it wasn't wasting at all. This is part of raising my kids.  This is good for them.  With the ages of my children and our current living situation I can't just "send them out" to play. I have to be present, but I have learned to just plan on it as part of our day and make sure everything I need to get done gets done at other times.  It is worth it to me.  My kids are happier, they sleep better, and really I benefit from the fresh air just as much as they do.  

I am actually sad at how little kids play outside these days.  (Listen to me, I sound so old. Can't you hear me now: "Back when I was a kid..." Ha!) It is unfortunately not part of our culture to spend hours playing outside.  I think that is why I have been conditioned to think that it is wasting time.  But I am working at adjusting my own thinking and realizing that this is just as much a part of raising my kids, as feeding them nutritious meals, and making sure they get adequate sleep. 

So if you see me outside kicking a ball with my kids, or pulling them in a wagon, or sitting and watching them play with leaves and rocks, 
I'm not wasting time.
I'm not neglecting my duties.

I'm raising my children.

Pigtails!!!

Olivia's hair is so frustrating. She doesn't have much. It's very fine. It's incredibly straight. But, oh yah, we got her some pigtails today! Woot! (Insert smug smile from Mommy)

Look What I Can Draw!

Just to get this out right up front...I don't think my child is an exceptional artist. I don't really put a lot of stock in children needing to achieve things at specific ages. I'm really okay with the fact that a range of acceptable child development is quite large and so I don't try to push my kids do do things they aren't really ready to do. 

That being said, what does excite me is seeing developmental progress in my kids.  That could be anything as small as an extra sound our syllable that we haven't heard before, a motor skill that is improving, or in this case, small motor skills in the form of art.

Stefan has really been improving in drawing. I prefer to just give him blank sheets of paper to draw on as opposed to coloring books.  That doesn't mean he never colors from a book, but you get the point, right?

Anyhow...Stefan drew his first stick figure the other day.  I think it's pretty good. I mean, you can see the two legs, and the two arms. I'm just not entirely sure if those are eyes, or if this person has two heads.  Who even knows?  (He labeled the arms and legs for me so I'm clear on those at least!)

The two-headed monster

The other day we were outside playing and Stefan wanted to draw with side walk chalk. I didn't give him any ideas about what to draw and was honestly not really paying much attention, but as soon as I looked, I knew what he was drawing.  You hear that? I knew. That's big. Usually we have conversations that start with me saying, "tell me about this, Stefan."  Translated that means I have absolutely no clue what this is, but I don't want to say that so I try to go about figuring it out without bursting his ego that I don't know.  Anyhow, this time I knew!  Railroad tracks, of course!

It doesn't matter what he is doing, the bike helmet and his bike close by make it much more fun.

Love this face!

If you draw a train track, then of course you have to go in and get a train!

His good buddy, Thomas.

Papi and the kids

I discovered these pictures I had never uploaded on a camera card, so here you go! Sweet memories of Papi and Mimi's visit last August! Most were taken at a lunch at the Cracker Barrel!

The ever moving target Olivia made these a scream!

Aaahhh! It kills me that this is fuzzy, because it is SUCH a darling picture. So, I shared it anyway. Fuzzy or not! Stefan LOVES his Papi.