Let's Play Catchup - Zoe

Zoe had a great summer...turned into QUITE a fish, swimming anywhere and everywhere she was given the opportunity!

Just like her brother, Zoe had a few nights away from home.  She enjoyed a week in CT with Grammy for Missions Expo at their church. 

Sunday night, Zoe and I met my parents halfway for the "drop off".  Monday morning, Grammy and Zoe headed to the day camp.  After lunch with Granddad, they embarked on a variety of afternoon activities...including (and this is my personal highlight of their time together) back-to-school shopping!  That's right...I barely had to do ANY.  Grammy and Zoe hit Walmart and even picked up Ty's supplies.  Wednesday, Granddad headed up to camp to meet up with Ty for their adventure.  So,  for the rest of the week, it was just the ladies.  They had a great time.

In August, we headed to Hershey Park as a family.  Yes, even the "babies" (let's just say they didn't enjoy it like we thought they would).  Zoe really loved it (Ty did too).  The last time she was there, she was almost 4.  This time, she was bigger...

...and could go on more rides.  She LOVED the roller coasters!!!

Poor Shane.  He had to ride over and over.  Thankfully, Granddad Christgau was there and got to ride, too.  I rode a few...and we left Grammy to the slow train with the triplets (she was extremely thankful).  While we were there, we ran into a few of the kids' friends, including two sisters a little older than Zoe.  She was psyched to get some time with them on even more "big kid" rides.

The end of summer meant 3rd grade!  A move to "the other side of the school" and "the upper playground".  I can't believe my baby is so big!

For her 8th birthday party, Zoe opted for a sleepover with the 3K's!

That's right: Karalyn, Kaylyn and Kaylee.  It was quite a tongue-twister!  A bunch of fun was had by all!

Also like Ty, Zoe played soccer (at her mother's insistence).  She did A LOT of running...

...and snacking.

At some point during the summer, Zoe started getting regular phone calls from Kaylee (her cousin).

Listening to them talk about life for hours at a time (okay, more like half hours) was quite humorous.  They'd talk about Webkinz, swimming, you name it!  I have a feeling Zoe's going to be needing the "unlimited" plan if and when she ever gets a cell phone!

Over Thanksgiving, we discovered Zoe's future occupation: TEACHER!  Aunt Roo (a.k.a. Shane's sister Bethany) is a teacher in Baltimore and let Zoe grade a few of her student's tests.  Zoe was a natural!

Zoe ended 2010 with a slam (chuckle chuckle). Probably not a highlight for her, but definitely one for me, was the loss of her door!  Yes, the rule in our house is "You slam it, you lose it!"

By the way, our doors are solid wood and not exactly light. So Zoe, next time you slam your door, could you do it when DAD is home so I don't have to lift and carry that thing!

Let's Play Catchup - Ty

Ty's turn!

Just like Eli, Ty enjoyed the lake this summer.  I'm not really sure how much time he spent in the actual WATER, but he sure worked on his baseball throwing skills with his best bud, Jack.

On the sad side, his "other" best friend (and neighbor), Sam, moved to Texas.  It was a sad, sad day.  We'll really miss the Steffe's.  I can't wait for my first visit to Texas.  Oh wait...we were talking about Ty...

The definite highlight of the summer was Ty's trip to Northern Frontier with Granddad.

PopPop also went, with Ty's cousin, Noah.  It was three nights in a cabin with a ton of fun in the day...

...slingshots...

...air rifles (?)...

...ropes courses...

...and "rock" climbing.

From the moment he got back, Ty was planning for a return trip in the summer of 2011!

The big surprise of Ty's summer was that Mom and Dad finally caved and got Ty the kids a much coveted Wii.  The timing was perfect.  It rained for 4 days the moment they turned it on.  The next morning, Ty came down from his room all hunched over with his arms hanging low.  He was complaining that his arms were "broken".  I don't think he made the connection.

September brought first grade...ALL DAY...EVERY day!!!

(Note the snake on his backpack...he purposely picked this pack out to freak out his snake-hating Dad!)

It also brought S-O-C-C-E-R!  I'm not sure what Ty liked more, the game or the Gatorade.

Ty's a really low-key kid.  He's a true joy and most days, he's a laugh-a-minute.  He has a bunch of great friends, but if given the choice, he'd choose a play date with Jack at a moment's notice.

Jack's mom always sends me a top quote from their time together.  Here are a few:

"Ty, how did you become such a picky eater?" "I get it from my Dad's side!"

"My mom calls me 'snail' because I have a hard shell" (Oh Ty...I don't think so...)

Let's Play Catchup - Eli

So what have we been up to (since I totally blew off the blog the second half of 2010)?

Let's start with Eli. No particular reason. But the poor kid NEVER goes first.

He had a great time at the lake this summer. He loved the sand and put up with the water.

He turned 3 and missed the majority of his party. While running into the house to go to the bathroom, he missed a step into the back porch and face planted onto a blue-stone step. There was blood everywhere and I was pretty sure he wasn't going to have his 2 front teeth when I opened his mouth. Thankfully, his teeth were fine. A chunk of his gum was missing and he tore his upper lip frenulum (there's your anatomy lesson of the day, enjoy). He was a great patient and never complained. It looked horrendous, but the dentist assured me it'd be fine after a few days. Sure enough...aside from a small scar along his gum line...he's good!

In September, he started preschool two days a week. He had to be football carried into class a few times during the first weeks, but now, he jumps right out of the car and runs right in.

The fall also brought out the clown in Eli. He's a complete ham!

Aside from the typical 3yo's obsession with trains...

...Eli has become a laundry addict. No. Seriously. He can't get enough. And heaven forbid I tell him that I don't have time to do laundry. We're talking COMPLETE meltdown. He's actually pretty good. The problem is really mine...I can't keep up! Eli collects everyone's hampers, separates lights/darks/whites...

...loads the washer and waits not-so patiently for me to put in the soap, then pushes all necessary buttons...

...when the "wet one" is done, he takes everything out and puts it in the "dry one"...

...even empties my lint catcher thingy...

...pushes the necessary buttons and waits.  Then, when it's done...he empties the dryer...

...and brings it all back to my room!  Now if I could just get him to fold it and put it away!

2011 Resolution

Last year, a bunch of my friends the blogs I follow challenged themselves by taking a picture everyday in 2010. I'm not sure where the "resolution" came from, but I enjoyed looking at their life through their camera lens. And have decided to try it myself this year. I think it'll be a good way to get more familiar with my DSLR camera (which I currently use as if it's a "Point-and-Shoot") and will hopefully help me get back to blogging without the pressure of having to write more than a sentence or two. I can't promise that the pictures will be POSTED every day, but they will be TAKEN each day.

I'm not going to post all the pictures here.  Although, if there's a funny story that goes along with the picture, there might just be a post about it.  My 365 blog is over HERE.  I'll try and figure out a way to make a link on the side of this blog permanently, but I'm not so great with the tech stuff, so it may take awhile.

June...In Nutshell

It's October?  Seriously?  How'd that happen?  I put on a fleece this morning.  In my mind, I'm still wearing shorts and tank tops.  Yet I just filled out a form with my preferences for Parent/Teacher Conferences for the end of the 1st quarter of school.  I guess I should snap out of this dream world and face reality...it's Fall.  I'm a slacker.  There aren't enough hours in the day to do all that I want to.  I'm behind.  And not just on my blog.  Ugh.  I don't like reality.  Can't we live happily-ever-after in my little land of make-believe?
Okay...so what happened in June? 

Well...like I said before...I spent a lot...no, really...A LOT of time cleaning up not-so-fun stuff!

Ava took a little while catching on.  She earned the nickname "The Camel" after day 2.  She'd not go to the bathroom until I put a pullup on for bed.  Any accidents she had, it was because her bladder literally gave out.  And she'd be horrified that it had!

Eli was a quick study.  He figured out that he got a treat every time he went potty.  So...he'd let just enough out on the potty to earn a treat...eat it...then head back to his potty to earn another Swedish fish! (Hey, if I'm going to have candy in the house, it's going to be something I LOVE...so I can treat myself, too!)

Cole...well...like everything with Cole...potty training became a battle of wills.  He was defiant.  He'd "perform" if he wanted to...but ONLY if he wanted to.  Otherwise, he was perfectly happy watching me clean up after him while he got a fresh pair of underwear.

But June wasn't ONLY about potty-training.

(This is Zoe's buddy Kaylyn...she won't be back to ECES next year, but they'll stay friends, I'm sure of it!)

Zoe wrapped up 2nd grade...complete with a "Violin Chapel" to show us all how much she'd learned and improved.  I have a confession here.  The entire violin class (2nd, 3rd & 4th grade students) played a piece together at the end that brought me to tears.  No, I didn't get it on video, but if I find a parent that taped it, I'm posting it.  It was AMAZING.  Instead, you'll have to listen to his...just the 2nd grade beginner class...

Ty completed Kindergarten.  He LOVED his year with Mrs. Johnston...and she loved having him!

But the most shocking part of our June was Shane's departure from SONY.  Yes, after 16 years, he's no longer polishing up on his Japanese.  He wasn't looking for a new job, but Samsung came looking for him.  So there were a few days that we had Dad at home while we kicked off our summer.  It was a fun few days...for a few days.  But ummm...how do I say this nicely?  Well...I learned that Shane will NEVER have a job that he works solely at home.  At least not while I'm a SAHM.  Too much chaos for me.

Just like last year, we wrapped up June with a trip up to CT for Summer Bible Club and Camp Granddad.  Highlights will have to wait for my next post.

In the meantime, here are a few other random fun shots and clips from the month...