Wolf Run

So many days it still seems like Kevin and I keep trading time with the kids. He comes home from work, I go tutor, I come home, he goes back, he goes to play soccer, I go for a walk. On Sunday I decided to break the pattern and we all went to Wolf Run for a great family hike. The kids played with big sticks, climbed over logs, and looked for crayfish. It was a great way to spend a Sunday. One of the best things about Mount Vernon is our parks.

Ian

Three years!

(I started this yesterday and wanted to finish it but I fell asleep at 9:00. 9:00! This time change has been tiring.)

I can't believe how fast he has changed in just 3 years. We couldn't be happier with Ian. He has given me the gift of working on my parenting skills. I'm hoping the 3s are easier than the 2s.
He is so stinking adorable that he has to be a little rotten for it all to balance out.

Here's a few thing about Ian:

1. He loves to play with toy animals. He got a safari set for his bday and he played with it all day yesterday and that's that first thing he went for this morning.

2. He has a cutest pout you have ever seen!

3. His favorite foods are probably pepperoni and fruit.

4. He loves little babies. I watch a 4 month old 2 days a week and Ian is such a good helper.

5. He wants to be independent. Doesn't want me in the bathroom with him, doesn't want to hold hands in a parking lot, wants to do it himself. Not an easy personality trait when you are 2 but I know that I will be thankful for it later.

Ian- I love you so much and I'm so blessed to be your mommy. Happy Birthday!

Where Did October Go?

I thought I would be so much better at this once I started staying at home. Nana gave the kids Cars 2 last night and I gave in and let them watch it this morning. That usually means I read a bit but I only have one chapter left on the book that I've been reading and it's really good and I just don't want it to end... and I haven't decided what to read next. So here I am. There have been so many bloggable moments that I will want to remember that I have let slip by. Here are a few I've held on to.





Lucy-


She is doing so well in Kindergarten! Her teacher pulled me aside one day while I was there volunteering and told me about how all the kids don't really believe that is 6 because she is so small. Then she shared how one day while at reading group the teacher was introducing color words to the kids and Lucy was the only one who knew them. She said the kids' eyes got huge and they looked shocked. Thank you Miss Joanne!


So far I have only heard good reports except that she sometimes has trouble with transitions: lining up on the playground and leaving play center. She is doing better though. We have conferences next week so I'm sure we will get a better picture of how she is doing.

Simon-

He is doing really well in preschool. This year he is at a new preschool and they do a lot more writing. Its been fun to see him spelling and writing his numbers. He still asks so so many questions. He is curious about how the world works. He also loves to say, "that's odd."
He loves living here on campus and loves the students.

Ian-

We started potty training Ian when he was almost 2 1/2. He has learned the quickest and is dry most mornings, but has had more accidents than Simon and Lucy combined. This event from potty training describes his personality in a nutshell.
So for Simon I had a couple pairs of plain white undies that he would have to wear if he had an accident. It worked like a charm. When Ian kept having accidents I remembered the underwear trick and pulled them back out. I explained to him the process and for the next couple of days what underwear did his choose to wear to start of the day.... the white ones.
He has had to stay on the motivators (gummy worms) much longer than the other two. He knows exactly what he is doing.