On Bobby

Still waiting....

Here is Bobby

Here is our new pet. It eats leaves... well it use to. Now it just sits there and does what it was created by God to do. When God is finished inside this small little package we will have a new pet that we will let go and allow once again to do what it is created to do. The coolest thing is that the boys are getting to see that creation some times takes a while. What they started with is not what they will end up with. How many life lessons are there held in side this little package made by Bobby because something his creator placed inside him told him it was time.













I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That's how it always is with God.
Ecclesiastes 3:14-15

School

I can't believe it's the beginning of October already!!

Well, school has gotten off to a great start! Kevin and Nolan LOVE school and we are able to have class 5 days a week, which is more than I thought possible for our unique and busy schedule. But The LORD knows what we are capable of and continues to surprise me with the energy and ability needed to teach two excited little sponges.

Kevin is reading simple words now and points out words that he sees where ever we go. He is so proud of his letter formation which takes considerable consentration for him. I didn't think I would ever be able to get him do consentrate on seat work, but he is showing remarkable improvement and all because he is seeing the accomplishments he is making.

Nolan is working on tracing lines. He is easily frustrated which makes me consider what his learning style is. I haven't put my finger on it, but I know with time we will get it figured out. And, he is still 3, turning 4 in November. So I don't push him too hard. He is thirsty for learning though, so I manage to get him engaged in our math work and some of our phonics.

We are including library time in our school work, which my mom knows is a challenge for me personally. But once again I have learned from her example and know the value of library time. So we go, and the boys love it, and that's what matters.

My dad found a gigantic version of "Skippy Jon Jones" which Nolan asks me to read to him every day. I was nearly in tears when he brought it in last week when they came for a visit. I had the pleasure of reading it to our whole family at a gathering some time ago. It is a great memory that I cherish... not because I got to read a story to my family (aunts, uncles, cousins and such) but because everyone was listening and laughing and really enjoyed it. - So I read it to Nolan often. It's a great tradition.

Kevin found a pet yesterday. I will let Logan post about that one. *smiling, shaking my head and sighing* ...boys...

So there's an update. I hope your fall season has been as sunny as ours in more ways than one.

Olympic Fever

Can you buy "The Olympics" on DVD? 

Some statements we have heard since the Olympics began...

Kevin: "I'm going to swim like Michael Phelps... Mommy, can I take a bath?"

Mommy: "Kevin, the back of the couch is not the pummel-horse, honey, there are no handles."

Kevin: "WHAT?! You can go to the Olympics and jump on the trampoline?!"

From the bathroom, "Mommy, I need a towel... well, maybe two towels..."

Nolan: "Is Michael Phelps on?"

Kevin: "Watch Mommy, I can vault over the side of the couch!"

Nolan: "No, I don't want to watch a movie, can we watch the olympics?"

Nolan: "Watch Mommy, I can do a flip over."

Nolan-isms

An "upside down" - also known as a somersault. 

If you don't remember something Nolan might say that you "got for" something.

Funny Words

Here are a few recent "-isms" and funny quotes from our boys. I might be a little biased, but I think our kids are pretty funny...

Nolan on pottying: "Mommy, I twinkled!"

Kevin on Harrison Ford's latest movie: "I want to see Indian-and-a-Jones."

I've probably put this one on a blog already but it makes me laugh every time... When Nolan asks for chocolate milk (which he does for every meal) and we say he can have regular milk, he asks, "Well, can I have regular milk with chocolate in it?"

After we got home from a week at Nana's Kevin promptly parked himself on top of our couch. He looked right at home. Logan said, "Buddy you've been waiting all week to sit on the top of the couch huh?" Kevin replied, "Yeah. If I sit on top of Nana's couch she will hang me up by my toes."

More later...

I realized that it has been a month since I posted here. A lot has taken place in the last month and we have been quite busy. Here are a few snapshots of the last month:

Recently when asked his full name Nolan responded, "Noly-spinoly".

Kevin has become the biggest fan of movies he has never seen: Spider Man, Indiana Jones, Narnia and Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Nolan's soccer team and Kevin's soccer team played each other at the season's Championship game. Nolan's team won... He never played a single minute in any of the games. - Kevin played in every game we were here for. When he wasn't distracted by friends or the grass, he followed the ball around on the field pretty well. - I coached Nolan's team... I'm not sure how we made it through the season.

Kevin's doctor told us at his (overdue) 5 year check that kids his age should watch only 30 minutes of TV a day. So we have severely limited the TV watching for everyone in the house. I was nervous about that but their imaginations and behavior have changed for the better. I see the benefits of it daily but I have seemed to loose hours out of the day in exchange for the changing of this tide.

We had a yard sale. When he was told that he could keep the money from the toys he sold he went crazy putting things in the "sell box". We stopped him when he tried to put his brother in the box. :) Just kidding.  But we had to stop him from putting nearly all of his toys in it. - He seems to be learning the value of earning money.

Nolan was oblivious to the concept of a yard sale and got upset when people started walking away with his toys. But pizza and a movie made up for that. 

School has been coming along slowly but surely. Nolan can count to 45 and Kevin can read simple three letter words. It is amazing to me that I have been able to teach him that. Sometimes I don't think they are paying attention at all. And then they repeat the instructions I have given them or demonstrate a skill I've tried to teach them. - They are amazing.

And today, our trip to the waterfront to tour a Navy ship was so fun! After getting out of line on a bathroom hunt we waited for about 30 minutes before being taken on the ship. Kevin was bouncy he was so excited and taken back by the sailors who greeted him. Nolan got to ring the bell in the helm of the ship. What great fun! - Then we climbed the stairs to the bridge over Saturday market and watched the Rose Festival Parade for a while. After that we ate greasy hot dogs for lunch and braved the crowded MAX line on the way home. Whew! What a great day!!

Today is the first day of vacation for us. What a great kick off. Next week we will be unplugged and as disconnected as possible. Catch you on the flip side!