Andrew's High Yellow Belt

Andrew doesn't get excited about much besides games on the IPad or the XBox these days, but taekwando is something he looks forward to and really seems to enjoy. I haven't seen him as excited about it as I did this past Saturday when he tested for his next belt color. He woke up early and was eager to get going, although he didn't test till 1pm.

The "test" was actually a 45-minute run-through of what they normally do in class. They warmed up, they demonstrated the pattern they've learned (see video), did some kicks with some of the black belts, and then broke a board. I know Andrew felt confident and he did a really good job. Many of the kids seemed nervous but he just was excited. Next is green belt, and I think he's actually sticking with this!

Abi, the Fashion Diva

My little Abigail, who was once so shy she barely put sentences together to talk to anyone, has grown in leaps and bounds this year. Part of it is going to public preschool, part may be the tubes in her ears clearing up her hearing, but part of it is just coming in to her own personality, and a BIG personality it is. Abi is sweet and funny, but one of her favorite things to do is annoy her brothers and sister. She really just likes their attention, and wants to keep up with them, but it ends up coming out as aggravating. She is still learning how to deal with emotions and how to interact with other kids. She does GREAT at preschool, and her teacher is saying she's even opening up and starting to talk much more. She is learning her letters and numbers and loves reading books.

Abigail's favorite thing, however, is dressing up. She loves changing her clothes, and she especially loves fancy dresses. It doesn't matter if we're just hanging around the house, any day can be "Fancy Day," in her own words. There are no seasons in her mind, either-- spring dresses can be worn year round. She even wants me to put her hair up now, which she never would like before. When Abi goes in to her room, you never know what she'll come out wearing!!

Jacob @ 18 months

And just like that, our littlest boy is halfway to two. Jacob is one of the funniest, sweetest, and smartest kids I know. He always makes us laugh, and always amazes me with the words he comes up with or the funny things he does. No one would ever be able to tell that there is anything different about this kid, except for that pesky brain surgery we face in less than a month.

Jacob loves bath time! He has learned how to "wash" his body by rubbing his hands together after I put soap on them, and then rubbing them all over his body. You can also see all his teeth in this picture. He has  4 on top and 3 on bottom plus all his back molars.

The boy loves his snacks. He's getting pickier with meals and really doesn't eat as much at all, but he loves his crackers and juice. He used to bring me this box of crackers, which he would get himself out of the snack cabinet, about 15 times a day. He can pretty clearly say the words "eat" and "drink". He also now says "cookie," which covers pretty much any snack he can hold in his hand, including pretzels, crackers, or actual cookies.

This is a cinnamon roll he pulled OUT OF THE TRASH CAN, where I had put it because it got burned. The trash is his new obsession and he likes to put things in or take them out. I didn't really think he'd eat this because it was burnt, yet he managed to finish off the WHOLE THING.

He has excellent hand-eye coordination and has really started to enjoy some of the small math toys I got for Leah & Andrew a long time ago. He does well at stacking Duplo or other larger blocks and can concentrate pretty well on a detailed task when he tries.

He is generally happy much of the time, and most other people who see him or spend time with him will think he's happy ALL the time. But he does get grumpy, and he does have some mega tantrums some times when he doesn't get his way. Usually his tantrums involve food. He has a way of throwing his entire body onto the floor dramatically and he will squirm and wail until he is distracted otherwise.

He walks, runs & climbs like he's been doing it his whole life. He has recently discovered how to get on big chairs and that these big chairs can help him climb onto tables. Nothing is safe! He has no sense of danger and if he's running free, he can't hear you call him. He has also learned to bring me his shoes & say "bye bye" when he wants to go somewhere, or senses we are going to leave soon.

He absolutely loves music and will stop what he's doing to dance if he hears some. It can usually calm him down when he's fussy. He can sing parts of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "E,I, E,I,O". 

He keeps me moving during school time, but is pretty good about playing on his own for a little while. It usually just involves dumping things out all over the floor. 

That grin! I mean, come on... He can make faces on command: "Show me your happy face!" He also has a silly face, and my personal favorite, the "drama face", wherein he pretends to choke-cry. 

I'm not sure what he'd do for entertainment were it not for his big brother and sisters. He LOVES his "A-eee" and when she comes home from preschool, he'll follow her around, calling her name for quite awhile. He always makes sure to take her her cup if he finds it on the ground, or if he's getting juice too. They all adore their baby and make sure to take care of him.