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.

Three children, two check-ups, one parent

Today was one of those rainy mornings where I would much rather be curled up on the couch with all my kids piled on me reading books to them. But it was not meant to be...for today anyway!

Silas and Olivia had doctor's appointments. Our saga with finding a doctor here in Louisville has been very frustrating and long. I will spare you all from going into all the ups and downs of it, but suffice it to say I was one frustrated Mommy. However, God worked it out in an amazing way. A friend from church recommended a pediatrician that is highly well known in this area. She loved him and he had been extremely helpful to them with a child who had some health and developmental problems. Everything that she said told me that we would like him. He would be the type of doctor that would detect problems if there were, but would also be fairly laid back about other non-serious things.

Problem: we have state insurance for the kids and he didn't take it. I was discouraged, but my friend wrote me a note and asked if I had gotten in. I told her the problem and that night she called me back. It "so happened" that she had appointments for her kids that day, and decided to mention us to the doctor. She explained that we were seminary students on state health insurance, etc. He immediately said he would make an exception and take us. He had never met us, and had no reason except to be nice. I'm pretty sure I was skeptical, but the next morning I called the office back and they told me right away that they had a note saying that he had taken us as patients. Yay!

So today, I finally got Olivia in for her 18 month appointment (yes, she is almost 21 months), and Silas for a 4-month (his first appointment since birth). I was relieved to have appointments, have a doctor I could call if there were an emergency, etc, etc. The morning didn't start off so well. We only have one car so Brian was going to ride his bike today. On Wednesdays he has a fairly hectic schedule going back and forth between different places for work and classes. At 6 am this morning it was raining heavily and Brian said, can you drive me? Of course! So we load up the kids and take Daddy to work. Throw in an accident (not us), Olivia being very upset at leaving Daddy, a blow out diaper, etc... it was eventful. The rain didn't help because it is impossible to stay dry when buckling 3 kids in and out of carseats, and taking them in and out of buildings, etc. I didn't even bother with an umbrella :).

We made it though, and the office visit was actually uneventful...the car ride, and the getting into the building definitely had a one up on the events of the actual appointment :). Stefan was stellar. He didn't have a check up so he was armed with a back pack full of cars and books and he was happy the whole time and was also quite helpful when needed. He's growing up! Both kids passed with flying colors and are in general very healthy children. Thank you, Lord!

The Doctor was so nice. He is an older man, very grandfatherly. He was very thorough, and yet had Silas smiling and cooing and Olivia giggling. Pretty sure they thought the doctor was just a really nice man! At one point he said, "I'm not sure how an old Catholic boy like me ended up with so many Seminary students as patients, but that's ok, I really like you all!"  Totally made me laugh!

The morning still wasn't done. Picture me walking across the parking lot holding Silas in his car seat with one hand, diaper bag falling off my shoulder, holding Olivia in the other arm, and Stefan holding on to the other side of the car seat. The wind was blowing so strong that my hair was in my face and I could hardly see. Literally. Clearly we Moms really can see without our eyes, and we certainly don't need to add weight lifting to our routine. Pretty sure that was my workout for the day. 

We were at the office much longer than I thought possible, and had to rush back to pick up Brian. We got him at Seminary and drove home, we all got out, and he took off as quickly as he could to the school where he teaches. I'm sure he barely made it in time! Aaahhh... What. A. Morning. Now everyone is sleeping soundly, and I'm drinking a cup of coffee and counting my blessings. Namely of the three small children variety. Love those kids.

So...now to the stats!

Silas: 25 7/8 inches (55 %), 18.2 pounds (85 %)

Olivia: 32 3/4 inches (55 %), 28.6 pounds (85 %)

 

 

 

Check out those percentiles! Identical. Weird. Oh and another weird thing. I got asked by some random person if Stefan and Olivia were twins. Um, no....?!?! I know they look alike but they are clearly nowhere near the same age. And Stefan is very tall for his age and Olivia isn't.  Really? I should write a book on random things people say when you are out with your kids.  

Daddy and his girl!