Happy 55-months, Caleb!

Caleb turned 55 months on Friday, February 8. We see him getting bigger each month and SO strong! He's extremely athletic and reminds me so much of Shawn in his personality. Typically he tells us he doesn't want to go to school, but he usually has fun when he's there. His teacher told us she thinks he is ready for kindergarten, and she even said that he's really come out of his shell at school. In the beginning he was really reserved and now he talks a lot and plays well with other kids.

This past week, it was his turn to be the "Shining Star" at school. We created these posters (at the teacher's request" for him to take in and talk about to the students. The first is "My family" and there were pictures of us, pictures of him and his brothers, us on vacation and at Dutch Wonderland, and one of him riding on an airplane since he has grandparents in Florida. :)

The next one was ways that God made him special. I included his favorite food of "special noodles," the fact that he likes to bake and help in the kitchen, the way he LOVES to do crafts and enjoys coloring and playing puzzle books, that his favorite color is blue, and that he loves to play games and do sports.

Finally, we had a "Did You Know That..." poster which included him coloring and building his own rocket ship, how much he loves to play Wii with his brother and dress up like Luigi, that he met Sister Bear recently at the library and loves to read books, that he did Soccer Shots this past fall, passed his swim lessons last summer, and is part of the Little Ninjas program at Universal.

I am excited when he gets to share in front of the class or do show 'n tell because these are skills that I hope he can develop to be less shy and reserved and more comfortable in front of his peers. This past week at preschool was "W" week which was "Western" week. They were asked to dress up like cowboys on Thursday, and we dug out his old Woody costume. He was SO excited and even put on his boots (which are small, but he insisted on wearing!). We've gotten lots of use out of our costumes! I heard another little girl tell her mommy about Caleb in his Woody costume and how cool she thought it was. He was thrilled! And Woody even starts with 'W' so he fit right into the day's activities.

Caleb is getting better and better at playing Wii as well - he often beats me when we play together. He also likes playing his big brother's DSi, and I have to give it to Joshua for willingly sharing his treasure. Caleb Luke still LOVES to color and enjoys one-on-one time. He loves to play "Guess Who" and "Memory" and all sorts of games. He also enjoys all the puzzles in the Puzzle Book and play most with ease. We enjoy the activity together!

There's more I can write, but March is just around the corner. Happy 55-months, Caleb Luke!

Brothers, baby!

There are some days we wish Ryan was a little more interested in TV. He has none whatsoever, but we turned on a video for his older brother and Joshua sat in a chair so Ryan decided to pull up Caleb's chair and sit next to him for a few seconds. I snapped a quick picture!

My favorite of this bunch is above. Joshua was throwing a royal fit. I don't remember what about now, but he threw himself down with that tearful pouting expression. Ryan happily went over and sat down on his lap as if to say "cheer up, buddy, no tears around me!" Don't you love Ryan's happiness on his big brother and Joshua's scowl and yet tender care for Ryan, not letting him fall or trying to get him off?

Ryan loves to play the "knock you OOOOVVER!" game, and Joshua is okay letting him sometimes on him (normally we say only to Mommy and Daddy). Joshua giggled and laughed at Ryan's interaction with him. Joshua is so sweet with the baby, and Ryan truly loves both is older brothers, asking for Caleb and Joshua both by name. They all get along so well, but these are a couple pictures I got lately!

Bible Beaters?

Ryan fell in the nursery at church this past Sunday and got quite the goose egg on his head, along with a rather large cut. His brothers were supposed to sing "The Wise Men Built His House Upon the Rock" in both services, but we decided to head home with our injured little buddy after the first service (where we checked out Sunday School). We'll see them sing another Sunday soon (they'll be in the service several times over the next couple months).

Ryan was sore, I'm sure, but playful as ever that afternoon. Pray it doesn't leave a scar!

Happy 20-month birthday, Ryan Josiah!

Ryan Josiah turned 20 months old on Thursday, February 7. I'm a little behind on blogging, though! During the month of February, he got this long hair cut off and it's now buzzed (pictures to come).

He also has known most of his shapes for a while now (heart, circle, moon, star, etc). He has yet to grasp colors though. His vocabulary is impressive to us as we hear new words and words used in the right context. He is quite the talker! He told me the other day that he has "yogurt face" which is an expression I use a lot (hey, you have pizza face, kiddo, let's get a wet wipe! or hey! you have chocolate ice cream face, looks like it's time to clean up!). He giggled. And sure enough, he had gotten yogurt all down his chin! He is starting to learn how to use utensils, and it's a messy business for sure!

Ryan says "please" "thank you" and "your welcome" a lot. The nursery workers at church told us that he said thank you for his snack without being prompted (seeming impressed) and we're insisting he say "please" before we give him what he's asking for. He's also learned in the process that after we say "thank you" the common response is "your welcome." He also will bless himself after he sneezes, which cracks me up!

Ryan has no interest in the potty yet. We haven't pushed it, especially knowing we're going away soon. He loves to sit on the potty completely clothed and clap for himself, but he doesn't like it when he's naked. ??? I know this too shall pass.

The biggest change this month I've seen is that Ryan is now going into the "big kid" kidmazium at the gym. Every once in awhile when they're not busy, a worker will climb through with him and let him go in the ball pit and explore. But, he recently climbed the wall separating the little kids from the bigger kids, and that must be how the workers judge whether a child can handle the bigger areas on their own. It scares me to think of him in that maze by himself, but he LOVES it! I can't get over seeing him in there climbing and playing.

I recently took Ryan back to the doctor to re-check the fluid on his ear. He weighed just over 26 lbs (maybe and 3 oz?) and was closer to the 40th percentile for weight. That's the heaviest he's ever been! He's growing big and strong! He's solidly in 2T clothing and size 6 sneakers for now.

Somehow Ryan has become a Daddy's boy. They LOVE to play together and connect very well. Shawn is great at coming up with silly games for this age group, and Ryan eats up the attention from his loving Daddy.

There's more I could write, but he'll have another 'birthday' coming soon. So, happy 20-months, my sweet Schnook!

Caleb's Book

Caleb had to write a book for preschool. We decided together that he would call it "My Fun Day." I asked him what he would do on a fun day. Here is what he said. "I play puzzle books" as you can see he wrote and drew below:

Then "I color Mario pages." He loves when we print out Mario coloring pages off the Internet and let him color them in! I can't tell you how much ink we have wasted since we can't seem to find an actual Mario coloring book anywhere! But, this was my favorite drawing he did. Don't you love that Mario's hat in the picture below has an 'M' on it, he drew the blue overalls, the brown shoes, and the big white gloves. I LOVE it!

Next he said "I play Wii" and he has a picture of a TV with a car in it for Mario Kart and a Wii controller.

Next he said "I go to school" and he drew a picture of himself and a school building.

That was the last page, so he wrote "The End."

Cuteness!

Antibiotics X 5

The last week of January we all got sick (at least I think it was right around there). Ryan started by not eating much, and then Caleb said in a very thick voice "my throat hurts." We kept him home from church on Sunday and thankfully we did because he threw up that night. I took him to the pediatrician the next day and sure enough, he had strep throat. I asked them to test Ryan, but when she looked at him (neither of them had fevers), she saw that he had another ear infection. So, rather than test since he needed antibiotics anyway, she just gave us a prescription. Joshua tested negative (and he felt fine that day) but his throat was sore the next day and by Friday we were back in where Joshua's strep test came back positive.

Shawn has had a HORRENDOUS cold, and he got antibiotics for what they deemed a sinus infection. I finally made a doctor's appointment for Saturday. My throat was a little sore, and I couldn't tell if it was from lack of sleep (from having a sick hubby and sick babies) or if I too was coming down with something. The doctor didn't think it looked like strep, but he said with having four others on antibiotics, it's better to wipe the house clean and get me on them as well than to give it back and forth to each other. So, all five of us were on medication. I also took the opportunity to bleach everything in my house - from doorknobs to remote controls to anything we touch or look at. Hopefully the sickness will stay away the rest of this year!!!

Praise the Lord, we're all feeling much better now, except Ryan (whose ear is no longer infected but still has fluid) and Shawn, who is on a different kind of antibiotic with a steroid to hopefully knock out whatever is attacking his lungs. Keep praying for us! :)

Play Dates!

Back in January, I had two play dates with friends that I never posted about. On January 23, we went to "That Bounce Place" with Julie, Jude and Kate. We had fun catching up while the kids enjoyed bouncing the afternoon away. Ryan found this coin-operated car game, and he loved sitting in it (no money needed) and turning the wheel. He stayed there a long time. He also went into the little kiddie toddler area and bounced in there for a little while, and he played with a ball in the tiny basketball net. We had a blast!

The following week I got together with my friend Valerie (yep, same spelling as mine!) and her youngest son at the mall in the little kid area while Joshua was in kindergarten and Caleb was in preschool (and her two oldest were in school as well). I enjoyed seeing her and catching up, and the little guys enjoyed playing on all the equipment. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera along as Ryan was climbing and running, etc! But, he had a great time! :)

Ninja-Time!

I've taken the boys to "Little Ninjas" a couple times over the past few weeks. Caleb enjoys having his older brother there, and Joshua got intimidated by all the older folks in the higher level classes. But, the instructor said that Joshua should really advance beyond this level. He is far and away the best in the class, and you can tell he's older than the rest. I'm hoping going there a few more times will give him the confidence to go in a class with the adults again. But, they also love all the games Miss Jody plays at the end of Little Ninjas.

Joshua said he's going so that he gets "big and strong" and can wrestle better against Daddy. :) :) :)

A Sweet Treat for a Sweet Kid

On Sunday, February 10, I took Joshua out to "Sweet Frog" (a new frozen yogurt place in Lancaster) to celebrate his amazing report card. He got an "A" for advanced in almost every area or a "P" for "Performs consistently" if an "A" wasn't an option. In no areas did he "N" for "Need Improvement." Typically, I don't want rewards being food, BUT I had wanted to try the new Sweet Frog since they gave a generous donation to our neighbors who lost their son. I thought it was a good way to give them business, to check it out, and to have a one-on-one date with my oldest son.

Shawn said taking Joshua by himself was a great idea. We need to do more one-on-one time with the kids. So, rather than this really being a "reward" (we want them to want to do well in school), this was more of a celebration. He picked cookies 'n cream and strawberry to try, and he got iced animal crackers as his topping. I told him he could have anything - multiple types of ice cream and whatever toppings he wanted, and this was what he picked. :) He did chuckle that they make peanut butter frozen yogurt!

I tried the cake batter (YUM!) and a little strawberry, and I topped mine with fresh strawberries and a little scoop of crushed up Snickers. It was simply ah-maz-ing! Delicious doesn't even begin to describe how good it was. And I didn't think it was all that expensive for what we got. We found a table to sit and talk just the two of us. And, of course, I had to snap a quick photo. After our date, he came along to Giant with me to grab a couple things we needed, including a pizza we made for dinner that evening. He was excited to drive the car cart all by himself. We had a fun time! :)

Meeting the Berenstain Bears

On Tuesday, February 12, I took the older two boys to "Snorey Time" at the Manheim Township Public Library. There was a sponsored event with the Berenstein Bears (only Brother and Sister) and the woman who usually reads to the kids read the story about "The Trouble With Money." Unfortunately, we didn't get great seats. We were there early enough but decided to take the time to hang up our coats and when the doors opened people rushed in and with the adults that sat in the front rows with their children, my little buddies couldn't see the characters too well. It ended up being okay, but not fantastic. I think the kids had more fun picking out books to take home with us at the end than the actual story time. But, I did think the picture of Caleb with Sister Bear above was adorable (Joshua didn't want to get his picture taken, and I didn't force the issue since I was also ready to go).

At the end of the story time, they had coloring pages we could take along. We also went and I let the boys pick a ton of books that we could read together at home. Oddly enough, I had just went to the church library that morning with Ryan and done the same thing, along with two new Veggie Tales videos to borrow. So, we have LOTS of reading to do! Good thing they typically enjoy it!

One great book we read from the church library is called "The Fruit of the Spirit is Jesus in Me!" by Dandi Daley Mackall. I LOVED it! I would highly recommend it to other mamas with kids. It was cute, informative and great for the kids ages. :) :) :)

100 Days

On February 13, Joshua celebrated the 100th day of school. He had to fill 10 baggies with 10 items each to give to friends and he got 100 items to bring home as well. He also got this fake 100 dollar bill with his picture on it (isn't it cute!?!) and they had a party to celebrate. :) :) :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

The morning of Valentine's Day, I woke up at 3:30 am and could NOT get back to sleep. I kept thinking about all the folks (many friends) who are hurting on February 14. For the single person, the widow, the divorced and the left behind, this "hallmark holiday" can seem extremely cruel. I found myself praying for them, and God reminding me that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. No one is ever really alone. As I got out of bed at 5 am, I was extra grateful for the faithful husband who was still asleep next to me. He is a huge blessing and gift from God!!!

I got ready for my typical 6 am Flow class, but before I left, I made a little scavenger hunt of heart shaped papers in different colors for my husband. On each one, I had written something else that I particularly loved about him. Then I taped them places like the bottom of his toothbrush, his deodorant, his shoes, his keys, his phone, etc. It took me awhile, and I was barely on time to class with the scraping I had to do to get the ice off my windshield.

I also had gifts ready for the boys. I got them little St. Patrick's Day shirts (which I decided to save as a gift for this day) and then the real gifts of the "Write Your Own Story" books for the older boys and "Baby, I Love You" board book for Ryan. I also put some M&M's in their bags. Even Ryan loves these!

When I was done at the gym, I swung by McDonald's to get a breakfast sandwich and iced caramel coffee for Shawn to serve him in bed. He was still asleep when I got back. For the older boys, I made heart-shaped pancakes.

Joshua cried when the first couple I gave him didn't look like hearts. Ugh! There was definitely a bit of a learning curve to making them. But, I told him I was trying and it wasn't because he wasn't being good. He said they tasted delicious even if they weren't perfect. That's all that matters!

Here are my three little loves waiting to eat! :) We had the boys valentines ready for school. We did "Angry Birds" with tattoos (Ryan helped me pick them out at Walmart) and attached some candy to them. Each boy wrote the names of their school friends on them and they both did a GREAT job. Joshua didn't need supervision for his (other than reminding him that being left-handed meant that his hand would occasionally wipe across a card he had already created). I sat with Caleb as he wrote each letter, but he did well.

They both wore their "Heart Breaker" shirts. This will be Caleb's last year in that size. I wish I had one for Schnook!

But since I didn't, I still put him in a cute little red puppy vest and matching red socks. He went with me to a Moms in Prayer meeting that morning for the elementary school. He was very chatty, but these moms didn't seem to mind at all, and he was very well behaved.

I tried to get some pictures of them all together, but no one would look and smile all at the same time. This was the closest I got! That day each one had a party at school, and Joshua had early dismissal. I picked him up at 10:55 and then we got Caleb together at 11:30. We drove straight to Universal where I went for a quick run and let the boys get some energy out. When we got home, I fed them lunch and we looked through all their many valentines from their class and talked about their activities. They were SO excited and pumped up on chocolate! :) :) :)

Shawn gave me some beautiful roses! I told him not to spend all that money, but he tried to watch for deals and make sure I felt extra loved on this special day. :) Did I mention how great I think he is?

I had asked our babysitter to watch the kids and made reservations at Carrabba's, which was excellent! Our service was amazing, and the food was great! I saved half my chicken bryan for eating the next day. Then Shawn suggested we go to the mall. He bought me a new bikini from Victoria Secret for our upcoming anniversary trip. I wasn't expecting it, so it was a very generous and thoughtful gift. :) He also bought a new type of protein shake to try at GNC, and he bought me some foundation that had run out. It was less expensive than we thought, and it came with a free gift. He had already given me a gift for Valentine's Day, so I was shocked by all this generosity. He always tops anything I try to do (in a good way). I had made a special trip to the store to get him Cetaphil cream (for his poor skin) and to get him some peanut M&M's - his favorite. I had also gotten him another gift beforehand, and we had agreed not to spend the money on "stuff" since we have a trip coming up. He didn't do what he insisted on, but I have to say that my love tank was filled to overflowing!

Here is what I wore on our date: a skirt from Abercrombie & Fitch I had bought cheap off a new website called "Like Twice," fish net stockings given to me by my mom that were brand new, and this shirt from Old Navy that I had found for less than $6 on the clearance rack and I had purchased with a gift card. I also wore the zebra heels that Shawn had bought me years ago. But, I'll admit that I changed them after dinner into ballet flats when Shawn suggested we walk around the mall. My favorite part of the outfit (which you can't really see in the pictures) is my new set of fake eyelashes that went on in the first try. The boys commented how pretty my eyes looked. :) :) :) I think such things are probably a bit lost on my husband whose eyesight isn't the greatest. But, I think that probably works to my advantage as well. :) :) :)

We had a GREAT night! I told Shawn How thrilled I am that we are married to each other. I truly enjoy spending time with him. All marriages take work, but I feel like we have a really decent relationship that makes the 'work' fun and worthwhile and even enjoyable. I told him how much that came from him and his effort he puts into our family. We watched as other couples barely said two words to each other at tables near us, and we had plenty to talk about the entire date. We walked hand in hand and laughed a good bit. I even got my rings cleaned at a jewelry store in the mall (not leaving them but watching as they were there) so they are nice and shiny for our upcoming anniversary.

When we got home, we paid the babysitter extra for coming on a holiday (she is such a blessing to us!) and played with the boys awhile before putting each one to bed. Then we downloaded a youtube video on St. Maarten that we watched before bed. It was a great way to end the evening! We had an absolutely wonderful Valentine's Day full of love! :) :) :)

The Indoor Snowball Fight

On Sunday, January 27, I was feeling a little bit of cabin fever. I'll be honest that I'm getting tired of the cold weather and we had had a fairly lazy day. So, before going to my BodyFlow class, I suggested we do an indoor snowball fight using socks (again, an idea I picked up from Caleb's preschool). Shawn quickly agreed, and I gathered up the socks. I suggested that Caleb and I be on a team and use his rocket ship as a "fort."

That left Joshua and Ryan on Daddy's team, and they used our loveseat as their fort. I had gotten about a dozen pairs of white socks from my drawer and a dozen socks from Caleb's drawer. We found we had far more than we needed! But, it was SO fun! The boys LOVED it!

Socks were flying everywhere (and it was hard to capture on camera!!!). We laughed and giggled - we threw some in "slow motion" and threw others a little harder. Some were aimed well, others missed by a long shot. None of it hurt, and we were in the cozy warmth of our home (a much better way to snowball fight!).

We had socks everywhere - some even went downstairs as we threw them!

Even little Ryan got into the snowball battle! He was laughing and so were his brothers. This was a HUGE hit in our household!

Here's Daddy in motion...what a fun game! I highly recommend it to anyone with kids (or even without!). Roll up some socks into balls and let 'em fly! Happy snowball fighting!