Baby Girl is 11 months!

By calculation Hannah is 11 months, but it just can't be right!  How is that possible?  Oh sweet girl, these have been an amazing 11 months!  Hannah is full of life, she is sassy, but also so sweet and cuddly, she is silly and smart, and boy is she passionate.  Hannah loves being the center of attention, she has a funny personality and enjoys making people laugh.  Another thing, Hannah has a lot to say!  Some of her favorite words are...Mama, Dada, night night, uh oh, hi, bye bye, Isaac, Cole, Tex.  I mentioned that she is passionate, which sounds like a funny thing to say about an 11 month old, but the girl knows what she wants and when she doesn't get it she passionately lets you know she is upset by throwing herself on the floor and screaming...some people call that throwing a fit.  :-)  Hannah enjoys her food, this month we started more solid pieces that she eats on her own and she is really enjoying that independence.  Some of her favorites are breakfast sausage, pancakes, bananas, and peas.  She still isn't walking, but she is crawling so fast and pulling up on everthing.  She will also walk behind a walker and cruise along furniture, we are waiting for the day she starts walking.  Hannah loves being outside, the swing is her favorite outside activity, but she also enjoys trying to sit on the boys' tricycles (I think it makes her feel big and she can't wait to be big).  I think Hannah's favorite toy is her baby doll.  The girl gets so excited when she finds a baby doll, she hugs on her and talks to her, it is precious.  Last week we had a friend over to play, she had brought her doll, Hannah spotted it on the couch and made a mad dash for her, squealing the entire way!  Once she got to the couch she quickly pulled up and walked over to the doll, she couldn't wait to hug on her!  It really was so sweet!  It's so funny to see how much she adores dolls and even real babies, even at such a young age.  Hannah's newest trick is rolling her tongue, like you do when speaking Spanish and you roll your r's.  I cannot do that to save my life, but she does it all day long!  It's her go to car noise now, but she also does it at random times.  It cracks me up every time!  Our baby girl, is a big Daddy's girl, he may just be her favorite person...it is a precious bond.  Last week Carl was out of town for a few days, when he walked in the door she crawled as fast as she could to him and pulled herself up on his pants.  She adores him!
I'm so thankful for these past 11 months, they have been wonderful, I just wish the months wouldn't go by so fast.

Soccer

After Isaac's soccer camp this summer he has talked a lot about wanting to play soccer and go to camp again.  We decided that this was a good time to give that a try, so along with some other friends we signed up for soccer at the YMCA.  Isaac was thrilled to start playing soccer and to be on the same team as his friends.  Monday was the first practice, it went well, it was very basic soccer skills, nothing intense, just good ole fun.  The practice ended with quite a big lesson on how to do the "Good Game" line at the end of the game.  We left there knowing that if nothing else, the team would at least know how to do the "good game."  Ha!  On the way home from practice Isaac asked, "Why is soccer practice so long?  I don't like that it's so long."  I just laughed in my head and told him it wasn't that long.  He did say he enjoyed it and he was excited about the upcoming game.  All week he was talking about his game on Saturday, he told everyone about it.  Well, today was the big game!  As I mentioned the one and only practice they had was very basic, and did not even talk about how to play an actual game of soccer, so we were a bit nervous.  As you can guess, it started about painfully slow.  Our team, the Columbus Crew, was standing around, not really doing much.  I think the other team scored on us 4 times in a row.  During Isaac's first break we talked a lot about running after the ball, trying to get to the goal, and staying close to the ball.  Luckily, the second group that went in was a little better, so Isaac watched them and got a better idea of what to do.  Isaac and his friends went back in and wow, they improved dramatically!  They started to really get after it, Isaac was still very timid, but once he got the ball he did much better!  He even had one break down the field with the ball, his buddy was with him, once they got to the goal his teammate/friend kicked it in for a goal!  It was very exciting for us parents.  :-)  During the next break Isaac couldn't sit still, he wanted to get back out there!

I was proud of Isaac for sticking with it, and even though he was timid he stayed on the field and gave it his all!  I think this will be a great growing experience for him.

I'm excited for the fun and memories this season will bring!

One Word Can Melt My Heart

My kids often do or say things that melt my heart and leave me speechless.  Hannah has done that a few times, but today she stopped me in my tracks and almost brought tears to my eyes.  I fed her before putting her to bed, just as I always do.  She was very tired tonight, so was falling asleep as she ate.  As I was walking to her room with her in my arms she was half asleep, eyes only halfway open, but suddenly she opened her eyes all the way and said very sweetly, "Mama" as she looked me in the eyes.  She has said mama many times, but always only after being prompted, this was her first time to say it unprompted.  Moments like that make the daily challenges all melt away...so thankful for my sweet baby! 

Buddies

All three of the kids get along really well and there is a special bond between each of them.  However, Luke and Hannah have recently developed a sweet relationship.  Hannah lights up when Luke comes in the room, and if it's first thing in the morning or after a nap then she gets extra excited!  Luke is the same, in the morning she is the first person he asks for and he immediately smiles and starts talking to her.  Once together they play together, Hannah crawls to him and tries to "hug" him, which usually results in her pulling his hair, but he doesn't mind a bit, he just laughs.  He will bring her toys to play with when she's upset, and if she has something she isn't supposed to have or something she stole from him, he usually finds a toy to give her in place of what he takes.  Luke sits directly behind her in my truck, but that doesn't stop them from having fun together, often when it's just the three of us in the car they still find a way to communicate and play, laughing so hard at each other.  Last night Carl got Hannah ready for bed in her room, then brought her to they boys' room for prayers and good night kisses; as soon as they walked in Luke said, "Hannah look so so pretty!"  Hearing him say that just brought a huge smile to my face, their connection is precious!  I pray that they never lose this sweet bond, that they are always the best of friends, and they continue to love each other and take care of one another.

Fun Christmas Activities

Merry Christmas!!!  Christmas was a busy, but super fun time around here!  We really tried to help keep the kids focus on the real meaning of Christmas and the fact that it's not all about presents and Santa, but about Jesus.  Now don't worry, we did Santa; the kids got a letter from him, he sent a special Elf (penguin) to hang out at our house, and we even got to see Santa twice!  But when we talked about Christmas and the reason we celebrate we always tried to bring it back to Jesus, and I think they get it. 
This season was full of fun activities.  I'll try to shortly recap each one...

• Sinterklaas - Oma and I took the kids to see Sinterklaas in Old Town Spring.  I wasn't sure how Luke and Hannah would do with him (Hannah has just entered the stranger anxiety phase), but they both surprised me!  As we walked up to the store we saw Mickey and Minnie Mouse hanging out in front...the boys were so excited!  They didn't hesitate to go get their picture made with their Disney friends.  Once it was time for Sinterklaas the kids were ready!  All three of them were happy to see him, the boys talked to him (even in Dutch), and all three smiled pretty for my pictures. 
• The very next day we took the kids to see Santa Claus at K2 (the place where Isaac does gymnastics)...it was a fun day!  They had a station to make snow, drink hot cocoa, decorate cookies, and of course open play!   It was set up so great, they called each family back a few at a time, which made the wait time short.  Once it was our turn the boys were so excited!  They both sat on his lap individually and told him what they wanted for Christmas (Isaac - cars, Luke - trains).  Luke was funny, he was a little nervous, but still happy.  Santa asked what he wanted, he quickly said, "Trains."  Then he turned to me and said, "Cheese" without listening to anything else Santa had to say.  It was really funny.  Then Hannah's turn came, she was all smiles, until he touched her...oh man, she was not happy about sitting in his lap.  We got a great picture of all three, the boys smiling and Hannah screaming!
• Isaac went to Christmas Choir Camp at his school (church)...he loved it!  It was once a week for two hours, they sang, did crafts, and played games.  I worked two of the days, but he went alone the other two days.  He did get nervous before each time, but always had the best time!  The first week the church worship band began setting up to practice as we were finishing up.  Isaac noticed the guitars and was hooked, he had to watch.  That was his favorite part of the night!  He and his camp buddies performed at the Christmas Eve service at church...I'll save that for another entry.
• We had our own little Christmas Polar Express one night.  Isaac had choir camp, so Carl and I took the little ones to Chick Fil A for dinner, then headed over to pick up Isaac.  We let him eat dinner in the truck (not the norm in our family) as we drove around two neighborhoods to check out the fun displays.  The boys loved it, and Hannah slept through most of it.
• The Friday before Christmas was a big day.  Isaac had a performance at school, so of course we all attended, along with Oma and Opa and Emmy and Gumby.  Isaac sang, but didn't do many of the motions, he had fun though, and we were so proud!  After the performance we went to his classroom for cookies, he loved showing off his room.  That evening Isaac and I had a big night, we headed over to his friend Taylor's church.  They had a fun event that included Santa and Ms. Claus, hot dogs  and smores cooked over the fire, even a hay ride to look at Christmas lights.  We all had so much fun...it was special to have some time with only my big boy!

I wish I could include pictures, but my blog is not cooperating.  I'll post about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day another time...it's time for bed now. 

10 month girl!

10 months old, how is that right?  My baby girl is growing up SO fast!  She watches her brothers every minute she can, and she wants to be like them...therefore she is growing and learning fast.  Hannah is crawling everywhere, she is into everything, and has started pulling up on everything she can!  She is moving fast between stages, she wants to keep up with her big brothers!  Just last week she started walking behind a walker, she loves it, and has great control.  We predict she will be walking by 11 months.  Hannah loves to crawl under and between things...it's hilarious!  She loves to squeeze through tight spaces, but when she gets stuck she sure gets mad!  Luke is hilarious because he often follows her through those tight spaces (luckily he's small enough to fit), and she sure loves having her buddy to play with.  Hannah is little Miss Social, she waves and smiles at everyone she meets, and has even started trying to say bye-bye.  Her favorite word is still uh-oh, she says Da-Da quite often, but only says Mama when she's upset or I'm not around when she wants me.  The girl loves books...when I'm reading to the boys she makes sure she is not left out and often tries to steal our book.  The boys have decided that her favorite color is pink, but she's yet to tell us if she agrees.  One thing we know is that she has quite a strong opinion about things, and she has figured out how to throw a good fit...I'm talking throw herself on the floor, screaming, kind of fit!  The boys have never thrown a fit like that, so this is new to us, and we're not quite sure how to handle that.  She has started this at 9 months...oh man, I think we're in trouble!  Thank goodness the fits are short lived and don't happen too often, and the smiles/giggles are more her normal behavior. Hannah got a few dolls for Christmas, and she loves them!  She doesn't actually play much with them yet, but she does like to talk to them and give them kisses...I love hearing her little squeals when she's "playing" with them.

Hannah is really moving fast out of the baby stage, so I'm trying to savor every sweet cuddle and my time I get to rock her to sleep.  I'm sad to see her finish the baby stage, but I'm so excited to see her enter the new toddler world (but not too soon)!

Isaac at 4.5

Talkative, silly, curious, observant, persistent, and so sweet...these are all words that come to mind when I think of my Isaac.  Many times a day I wonder how he grew so fast, is that big boy really my baby boy?  Gosh, he's growing fast physically and mentally!  I cannot believe kindergarten is only a semester away, it just doesn't seem possible.  He is loving this year of preschool, he learns so many great things every day (academically, socially, and spritually).  This year he communicates the things he's learning more than he did in the past and I can tell he is soaking it all up!  He has two fabulous teachers, for which we are so thankful!  Isaac has always loved music, singing, and "playing" his guitar, so we decided to enroll him in his school's Christmas Choir Camp.  He has gone every Wednesday for this past month, for 2 hours in the evening, and he has a blast!  He is a bit nervous to go every week, but once he's there he's fine, and he leaves the church giddy and bouncing from excitement!  Of course at home he still loves to be outside, really he prefers to be outside.  From the moment he gets up until he goes to bed at night, he is asking to go play outside.  His favorite activity is now a toss up between riding his "motorcycle" (aka bicycle) or driving a power wheels vehicle.  He also really enjoys swinging and jumping on the trampoline.  He and Luke play so well together and often drive off through the yard together going to do different things...it makes me so happy to see them enjoying those moments together.  Isaac ADORES his sister, he takes such good care of her!  Sometimes he hesitates when I ask him to do things for me, but when I ask him to do something that involves helping or taking care of Hannah he does it immediately.  He would feed her, change her, and even bathe her if I allowed it...he is such a great big brother!  Isaac's newest infatuation is with jeans and belts....he wants to wear a pair of jeans with his belt every day!  If the jeans are dirty or if it's too hot, he chooses shorts with belt loops, he can't leave the belt at home.   A couple of weeks ago I let him wear a tie to church, now that's a daily battle, too!  Oops, I should have known that would happen.  Of course, Isaac is SO excited and anxious about Christmas!  He has made many Christmas crafts at home and school, he talks about it all the time, and demands that we listen to Christmas music in the car.  I love hearing him sing the songs, it's a precious sound...even the millionth time.  Ha!  I mentioned at the beginning that he is talkative...oh my, the boy's mouth is never closed!  He cannot let a second go by without a word...Carl is sure that behavior was passed down from me...I've apologized to my parents for the nonstop talking I'm sure I did as a kid, which may or may not have driven them a bit crazy.  :-)

My Isaac is keeps me entertained and keeps me thinking...I'm thankful for his deep thoughts, silly thoughts, and sweet heart.