October 2009

Here's a few things we've done in October.....

** had Tigger, Barton Bear, and two pirate boys help turn frozen apples into applesauce


** had some cold days for little boys to wear clothes that make them look like such big boys!

** used tools (wrenches and screws mostly) to play doctor with

** had some really warm days to play outside. These two played for TWO HOURS sitting right here in these little rocks, scooping and loading and dumping them out.

** started to take out all the extra foliage we don't want in our yard.

** read

** and read

** and read some more

** read even more

** Ian read

** even upside down!

** we played at some parks

** Levi got really messy eating

** they made themselves into hot dogs, ketchup and mustard included

** and played with lots of loaders and dump trucks!

At the beginning of the month we made a trip to see Grandma and Grandpa, and at the end of the month they came to visit us. It was very nice to have them, to visit, plus Grandma read lots of stories to little boys and did dishes and helped figure out what was wrong with our dishwasher (we've since got a new one), and Grandpa fixed our doors and put in deadbolt locks and fixed all of our screens that had holes and rips in them (which was most of them). And yes, we had Halloween - I'll have to post pictures later.

Pictures, September 2009

Levi helping can pears. He was a great helper! We canned peaches, pears, tomatoes, grape juice, and applesauce.

Caleb was actually able to crawl around with Levi on his back!

Caleb reading. He's quite attached to both his blanket and anything Winnie the Pooh.

Ian in tight places......

....and Levi! I thought Levi was actually going to fall asleep in here.

Levi just like Grandpa! Also wearing his sticker from his GI doctor. Both he and Caleb are doing great and will probably not ever need to return to see this doctor again - hooray! They now really will only need checkups yearly from their pediatrician - so different from the past three years that have included many many doctor and therapy visits.

Whenever Grandma's phone rings Caleb answers it on their (unplugged) fax machine.

The Great Outdoors

Caleb playing at the park. He loves loaders, dump trucks, everything with wheels!

I just thought this was cute, holding hands going to the park :)

Feeding the ducks. The duck pond is right by our house. They think it's fun to watch them go after the bread we throw. Once, a duck flew up to the grass and Levi totally panicked - he ran away and kept yelling, "I don't like that duck!" Luckily, he has wanted to go back to the pond since :)

A better view of what I can see out my window every day!

We went to the county fair, which was really fun - and free! These baby pigs were their favorite thing, there are 8 piglets and a really big mommy pig!

Cows at the fair. Levi is a bit nervous to be so close.

Ian talking to the pig.

We went apple picking, which was also really fun!

Many of the trees were so low it was really easy for Levi and Caleb to help. They stayed interested for the whole hour we were there.

Our apples! Now the work begins.....I am sure it will take longer to make the applesauce than it did to pick the apples!

Near the river. I could not get them to look at me, all at the same time, so this is what I got. This is a place we stopped on our road trip to visit Grandma and Grandpa and many others of our family.

Levi with his pumpkin at the pumpkin patch.

Ian

Caleb

We've had a lot of fun doing things outdoors lately, the weather has been nice and we've been enjoying it. I need to remember all these nice times when we're buried in snow this winter.......

First Day of School and Super Heros

Ian is a big first grader. I'm trying to decide if I'm happy or sad about that! It is nice having him home, yet he also needs some more stimulation than his brothers give him sometimes :) He was so excited he could hardly stand it! The night before school started the school had a big picnic and open house, to see the class and meet the teacher. Everyone seems really nice so that's good! He's had some adjustments to all day school but he's been for about a week and is still liking it so that's good!

My boys have a sheltered TV life, they mostly like to watch Winnie the Pooh videos. There is one with a segment called "The Masked Offender." Christopher Robin is reading a story about the "Masked Avenger" to his friends and then Tigger pretends to be the "Masked Offender." His goal is to help people, but it doesn't work out. He sees Rabbit's scarecrow and thinks it's trying to get his garden, so he cuts it down. Then of course the crows eat his garden. So, that's the basics of the movie. So lately Ian has been the "Masked Offender." It's great, because his purpose is helping! All I have to say is, "oh, who can help me put away this laundry?" and Ian says in his deep voice, "have no fear, citizen, it is I, the Masked Offender, who can help. Masked Offender, to the rescue!" Then he does it. Afterward I tell him thanks and he says, "no need for thanks, citizen. Masked Offender, away!" It's sure a great way to get some work done - that's my kind of super hero!

This is his airplane hanger he made. He likes paper airplanes these days. He's saving some up to show his grandpa when we see him next.

Birthdays!

Over a month ago Caleb and Levi had birthdays! It kind of got lost in the shuffle of moving - that week before their birthday the movers moved our stuff to our new house, then we came back to my parent's house, John came for the weekend to celebrate their birthdays, and then we had a family reunion and we left for our new home. But hopefully they didn't feel like it got too left out. We celebrated with my parents, Caleb and Levi share a birthday with my mom. Trying to get a picture of the three of them together didn't work out too well so I won't show those :)

Caleb!

He loved watching the movers put our stuff in the truck, and for days after he pretended he was a mover putting boxes in the truck. So I made him a moving truck cake, kind of sagging in the middle, but it looks a lot like our truck did!

Levi!

Levi pretends to be a garbage man a lot, so he has a garbage truck cake.

Just a few pictures from the year. Last year I wrote about their birth, so I won't again. I just can't believe they're 3!! It sounds so grown up, if I were still working they'd be in my preschool class - that seems so strange. But then when I see them in nursery with the younger children, they do seem like they're growing up :( This is Caleb at the park. He always wonders if parks we go to have "drivers" (steering wheels). Caleb loves to pretend! He does actions and everything. Usually he's "'cycle man!" (with his recycling truck).

Caleb raked this dirt for a good 45 minutes this spring. Why the hat? I have no idea. Caleb loves to be read to, he'll listen for a really long time. He's a good helper, especially since we've moved. He gets upset if he can't help get ready for dinner! He always asks, "Mom, what can I carry?"

And lately, he says, "I want to be all snuggled up" in a very cute little voice :) He is always asking questions. The other day he asked what a musher does. I said I didn't know what a musher was. He asked again. I asked him what it was, we were driving in the middle of nowhere and I couldn't even find anything he could be referring to. I tried to ignore him and he finally said, "Mom, tell me what mushers do!" Luckily there was some piece of heavy equipment coming up and that distracted him!

As far as development, Caleb is out of the therapies he was in, he's too old and doesn't qualify for preschool. He can now jump off of something small, and can go up the stairs with alternating feet, no hands! He still doesn't eat much, but luckily will drink a high calorie drink so we'll see if he's gaining anything when we go to his new doctor.

And then there's Levi....he cracks me up all the time! He's very thorough when he talks, very verbal - "I need to go downstairs to get my truck. I'll be right back." He's serious a lot, he needs things just so - the lids have to be closed on the ketchup during dinner, things like that. The other day Caleb was playing with an extension cord, using it as a microphone to be Woody during their toy meeting on the movie "Toy Story", it was quite cute. But then Caleb comes up crying that Levi took it. Levi said, "This is way too dangerous. It's not for little boys." Then one day in all seriousness, he said, "I want to be a cow when I grow up." I asked him what he'll do when he's a cow. "I'll moo." I love this stage!

Levi loves to pretend, too. Here he's driving his train. He likes to drive most anything with wheels! He likes to go to the store and buy things, and surprisingly with his somewhat unhealthy diet he buys asparagus, broccoli, and apples quite often :)

Lately he's been feeding ducks. He'll go get some pudding, use a spoon, and pretend to feed his green and yellow ducks. Levi has a good memory, and can repeat parts of movies, and has parts of several books memorized - he loves books! He can list the steps it takes to do something, like each little step to go somewhere - first we need to find our shoes, then we put them on, etc.

As for development, he also doesn't qualify for state-run preschool, which is great! For cognitive development they're both right on. Physically he can jump with two feet on the ground, not off something yet, and has been alternating his feet on the stairs while holding on (those are the next steps toward physical development). As far as eating, he is finally eating some! He's eaten crackers, sandwiches, pancakes, things like that, and even tried a grape and green bean! He still has a long way to go, is maybe eating 10% of his food by chewing, but he's definitely making progress!

Little mirror images!

Still small enough to ride in the same swing - barely! It's a little tight for them. This gets long with two boys to write about, but we sure are glad to have these two little boys in our home, they are so sweet and fun and we love every minute - except the fighting :)