The End of Summer

We have come to that fateful end of summer. While I look forward to it in the dreary days of winter, I'm happy for jeans and long sleeves. Our gym waterpark will close tomorrow (not that we're going) and I put our pool away. How sad for us. But we can still play outside. The neighbors are having a natural stone patio put in, so Ryan and Emma have been enjoying piles of rocks again. And of course, driving on Ryan's truck.

I found a poolish toy in our garage last week that was for babies. It sprayed water up around them lightly. My baby - no way! He wanted to swim in the big pool! Literally, on his belly swimming around. Ryan and Emma - they loved the baby thing!

If you didn't know, my mom has moved in with us temporarily. No, no one is sick. She got a job down here driving the 'boob mobile'! She has a bed in our basement and the kids are loving having her here. I enjoy company when Kris is working and we both enjoy a 'free' babysitter!

With Ryan at school, Emma has become more busy. And she's doing a good job and keeping herself busy. She loves to color and play house and farm. The kids are into playing doctor and fireman right now and are contantly looking for patients.

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I, on the other hand, am struggling right now with trying to do things with the kids. Nick's naps and wake times are not consistent. So some days we can go to they gym and others we can't. Sometimes, we can make it to the store, others we wait for him until it's too late to go anywhere. While, I'm looking forward to him getting to one nap a day, he really needs two and struggles on the days when it doesn't work out too well. I'm trying to get some standard plans in though. Swim lessons or a play date. Right now, everything is by ear.

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We do have some things coming up in the next two months that will prevent that though. One is Ryan's toncillectomy. Plus, speech and other evaluations. Almost all things for Ryan. Plus two trips for the adults (and perhaps Nick).

Nick is doing great. He's getting bigger by the day. Today, he army crawled all the way around the couch and into the kitchen. He really wants to explore - now if he would just lift that butt up! He is eating so well now, way too much too! Nick is also starting to stand. He keeps trying in the bathtub, but not too many other places. He can stay upright for a little bit if you put him there thought. He sleeps most the way through the night, waking around 5 or 6 to nurse and go back to sleep. I'm hoping to extend that soon.

Our one problem is we can't get him to take a bottle or sippy cup. He will drink water from a sippy, sometimes. But come near him with milk in it (either breastmilk or formula) and you would think it was poison. We have 5 weeks until Kris and my Miami trip and at this moment it looks like Nick is coming along too! I'd love a true vacation, but then I know it will only be a little bit more that I'll be nursing him. Plus me taking Nick would be a lot easier on my mom!

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Ryan is doing great in school. I am seeing a tremendous improvement in his coloring and handwriting. He is working hard on learning to write his name. It is very heartwarming to hear him saying 'around, touch in middle then down; down then down; around up and down; down and up and around' - which is how he forms each of the letters. He had a few slip ups with the potty the first week, mainly (I think) from being too excited and being in another classroom and not knowing where the bathroom is or the teacher. He has art, computer, gym, music and library. He seems like gym and music the best. I was very impressed when I drove him a few days ago, to see him go through all the motions when we got there. He's a totally different kid there - because at home, we've been dealing with disrespect, not listening and tantrums. All my favorite things!

Pots and Pans

I let Emma and Ryan 'teach' Nick how to play pots and pans a few weeks ago. My mom said her favorite video of the kids is Ryan and Emma playing when Emma was a baby. So we recorded it again. Here is it.