Incredibowl Day

Today I had a date day with Joshua. We started out with breakfast at Sonic. Joshua had waffle sticks, which he really enjoyed. Then we decided to go bowling. Unfortunately the hours of the bowling alley were not accurate on their website so we got there before they were open. We went to Hobby Lobby to kill some time because I needed some things there anyhow. While there, Joshua really liked this lion and it was only $3 so I decided to get it for him.

After our brief interlude, we went into the bowling alley and got our shoes and balls. Joshua was really excited about this. I wasn't prepared for how hard it would be to get him to bowl. He just really struggled with pushing it hard enough. However, by the end of the game, he was doing better. He really enjoyed himself and loved bowling, especially the ball return.



After we were done, we went mini-golfing. Joshua didn't like this quite as much as bowling, but he did enjoy it quite a bit. After the mini-golfing, we went to lunch and he got more apple juice, which thrilled him. We had a lot of fun today and I think bowling and mini-golfing were a great choice for a very hot day.

The Poster You Never Want to Make

Alex has never been all that interested in going outside.  If you left the door open long enough, he would timidly sneak over, and eventually he'd get up the courage to walk out, but then he'd immediately hide under the nearest object.  This summer, however, things have changed.  One time he got out the back door and stayed under the deck for awhile before we could get him.  Since then, his motivations changed.  It was as if that time outside awoken a spirit and a desire within him to be in the outdoors.  It's gotten to the point recently where he will run across the room if the door is even briefly open and sprint outside and then take off for a safer point that's not all that near the door.  We have to open our door periodically, of course, and it's been a challenge each and every time just to keep him from going out.  Several times he's made it out, but every time we either corralled him quickly or he came back within a short period of time.  Last night, though, he bolted out the front door while we were carrying in groceries, and he was gone into the dark of night.  We couldn't find him, and he didn't come back.  Unfortunately his collar had popped off (it's a breakaway collar) in the afternoon and we hadn't yet been able to put it back on him, so he doesn't have identification on him (though he does have a chip embedded in him which any vet could scan for).  By this afternoon there was still no sign of him, so I posted ads in our homeowner's association bulletin board website, and I made some flyers to post around the neighborhood.  Tonight I drove around and posted them in prominent places.  Here I am holding one of them.  We're are really hoping someone has him and will know how to contact us when they see the poster, but we're definitely worried.  We love our little Alex and really want to have him back.

Calling Daddy

Joshua has recently figured out that grown-ups talk to one another on phones. He wants to be a part of that action. So today he told me he wanted to call daddy. So we did. Luckily Jason was available and so he was able to talk to him on the phone. Clara also wanted to do it, but she seemed a lot more confused and kept staring at the phone as if to find a picture of daddy or figure out how her dad's voice was in the phone. I was surprised how well Joshua grasped it. We may need to call him during our upcoming trip.

Gak!

This week we are reviewing the color red and I thought it might be fun if we made some homemade slime/gak. Unfortunately, almost every recipe calls for borax and I didn't really plan ahead, so I didn't have any. I found one recipe that did not require it so we gave it a try. It wasn't really a success. I am not sure what we made, but it was super liquidy unless you grabbed it and then it was solid. Which may be a good science lesson on states, but we aren't really there yet and it made a gigantic mess. Joshua did enjoy it so it wasn't a total loss, but I think next time I will be investing in some Borax.

Prepping for Pre-Pre-School

Joshua will turn three in October, so he's not yet ready for real preschool, but they have programs for kids his age, and we thought he might benefit from such a program.  So this fall he will go to his class two days a week for a couple hours each week in the morning.  It's at a church, so in addition to doing normal developmental teaching, they will also teach Christian values, which is important to us.  Today was a "meet the teachers" day and kind of an introductory session for the kids.  I had some time and was able to take him, so I showed him where the bathrooms were (in our continuing effort to speed up the potty training process), and introduced him to his teachers, Mrs. Pogue and Mrs. Trug (pronounced Troog). They kids a short playtime, did a quick art project, and then had storytime, which is what's happening in this picture.  Next week it will begin in full, and we're hoping he has fun and learns a lot in preparation for a step up next year.

Daredevil Kids

Joshua is in some ways very timid and gets scared easily, but he is definitely a risk-taker when it comes to physical activities. Today he decided to jump off the chair. Clara wanted to do it too, but she isn't as big so she decided to jump off the lower edge. After awhile I decided Joshua should stop jumping off the high part because I was afraid he was going to land wrong and hurt his foot or ankle and he was really disappointed I was spoiling his fun.

Taco Night

Tonight we had our friends, the Smith family, over for dinner. We had a great time with them and reached a probably soon-to-be-common milestone of having a separate kid table. I always feel really intimidated by feeding other people's kids because kids are so picky and I pretty much just serve what I want with mine and don't really care too much if they don't eat it, but I feel like that's not good hospitality so I am hesitant to do that with other people's kids. So we did tacos. Because who doesn't like tacos? And if you don't, they are easily customizable so you can just have a plate of chips if you want, which is basically what Clara ate. It went really well and I am glad we were able to get together.

21 Months!

Today Clara turned 21 months old. I always say Hannah has seemed like a baby forever, but Clara is kind of the opposite. She seems much older in a lot of ways. She has had a good month and gained a full pound plus a quarter of an inch. She is 18 lbs, 10.5 oz and 30.5 inches tall. She has very big feelings at times and that can be a challenge, but she has also is very verbal so that has really helped. She is putting together three and four words now, which is definitely above average. She loves singing songs and playing with purses, phones, and remotes. Dolls follow closely. She is a pretty tough girl and tries her best to keep up with Joshua and so also likes climbing and jumping. She doesn't like crashing or rough play nearly as much as he does, though, which sometimes leads to issues. She definitely has a sense of humor and recently she has found a name for it and now frequently will laugh at something and then say, "Funny." She is very determined and persistent. She really understands how things work and "gets" people in a way I wouldn't have thought possible in a toddler. We love her so much and can't believe that she will be leaving toddler-hood behind in three short months.

Date Night at The Farmhouse

I pretty much always have a mental list of places I'd like Meghan and myself to try for a nice dinner out.  One of the places on my list has been The Farmhouse, which is a restaurant in River Market specializing in upscale food made from ingredients from local farms.  We had a date night tonight, so I decided on The Farmhouse as our dinner destination.  Meghan had the hanger steak, which was fantastic, and I had the pork confit, which wasn't quite as great but was still pretty darn good.  I ordered a cocktail called the Punch & Flip, which include egg whites, among other things.  But the most interesting thing about it was the design on the top made of creme de violette.  It was a rooster, which is the logo of the restaurant.  We were able to eat out on the patio, as the rare-for-this-summer hot day had cooled down to be a pleasant evening, so it made for a great way to enjoy a great meal together.

Those Summer Nights

Even though it has been quite warm lately, I know summer is drawing to a close. The kids are back in school and it won't be long before the days are noticeably shorter and cooler. I love fall, but it still makes me a little sad every year. We are trying to take advantage of the nights we do have left. Today we decided to go outside and play, even in spite of the chiggers (they have been a major issue this year, perhaps because it has rained so much, not sure). Joshua has decided that t-ball is for babies and has really enjoyed playing real baseball (as in you had better pitch it right to his bat or it's not going to work out) so he and Jason worked in a quick game before it got too dark while the girls played.

Goodbye for Now

Today, we dropped the girls off at Peg and Ron's and went to Deanna Rose. We played at Joshua's favorite playground (and when I say played I mean Eamonn played and Joshua hung out in the sandpit since that's his favorite)

One of Joshua's favorite things to do lately has been feed the goats. So we did that, partly to get him to agree to leave the sand. Eamonn was a little timid with them, which is understandable since they aren't baby goats and are quite large. He later warmed up to them, but until then, Joshua took great delight in instructing him. This is Joshua telling him, "Put in mouth". So Eamonn would know how to feed the goats. It was very cute.

We had a lot of fun at the farmstead, but soon it was time to go so we could eat lunch and still have KC make her flight. 

We decided it really wasn't appropriate for her to leave Kansas City without having some barbecue, so we went to Jack Stack for a delicious lunch. After that, we went home and she had to go pretty quickly. Joshua hugged Eamonn goodbye, which was sweet since he does not often do that without prompting.

It was kind of a weird situation for both families because you don't often invite someone to stay at your house without knowing much about them and you don't often fly across the country to stay with someone you don't know at all, but I think we are both so glad we made the effort. It was a really positive visit and I think this will be a wonderful relationship for Joshua, and by extension us, to have. And I really hope the next time we meet, it will be us visiting them in London because, I mean it's London. Deanna Rose is nice and all, but I would be quite excited to be able to go there.

A Good Kind of Crazy

During the time that Eamonn and his family our staying with us, we have five kids under three in our home, which is a little bit crazy, but I think in a very nice way. It is very busy, but also very joyful. Today KC and I took the kids to the park. Since it was quite warm today (especially for them. they are used to temperate California.), we thought the kids might enjoy the wading creek. And they did. Including Hannah, who just kind of dove right in. She was totally soaked and completely happy.

After the park, we went home and got some lunch. The boys were being super silly and cracking each other up, just like Joshua and Clara do and it just warmed my heart to see that.

After Eamonn was refreshed from a quick nap, we got some good pictures, including this one where they are being a little silly. They definitely look alike in some ways, yet are very different in others. I think they look like brothers, but not the kind of brothers that everyone asks them all the time if they are twins. Hannah wasn't sure what to think about another baby around so she took some time to try to figure out Maisie, who was very accommodating.

A Very Special Visit

Today we had some very special visitors arrive. We have known for some time that Joshua not only has a biological sister who is being raised by his birthmom, but a biological brother who was also adopted. His birthmom would rather not be in contact at this time so we were very excited for Joshua to have the opportunity to have a connection with his biological brother, Eamonn (pronounced \'Ay - mun\'). Of course, he can't really understand it now, but we think it will really be valuable to him as he grows to have that relationship. In an ideal world, we might have waited a bit for a visit until the boys could understand more what adoption even is because I don't think either of them yet can understand abstract things. However, Eamonn and his family are moving to London soon for his dad's job for a couple years so we may not have another opportunity for some time. So we were thrilled when KC (his mom) told us she was able to make the trip to visit. Today KC, Eamonn, and his younger sister Maisie arrived at our home. Unfortunately his dad couldn't make the trip since his job in London is already started and he is traveling a lot. KC was nice enough to bring some frozen pizza for dinner, which I am not sure Joshua could have been happier about. He wouldn't really stop eating for pictures. They enjoyed eating together and playing for a bit before Eamonn went to bed.

Yellow Polos Revisited

Today for church I decided to wear my yellow polo shirt.  When I went to get Joshua dressed, I noticed his yellow polo shirt was available.  I remembered that in the past we had worn these shirts on the same day, so I figured why not do it again.  We had a picture taken that day, so I decided we should reprise it today.  He's wearing shorts this time, but otherwise it's pretty similar.  He's close to outgrowing that shirt, and with fall approaching, this is one of the last times he will be able to wear it, which is too bad since it's one of my favorite shirts of his.

Apparent Baby-on-Baby Violence

Sometimes your friend just makes you so mad that you just punch them in the face, right?  Okay, maybe not, but that's how it sort of looks here.  The Hansons came over to our house tonight, and we were trying to get a picture of Hannah and Tucker together.  Hannah is really into reaching out and grabbing things right now. Although it looks like she's really mad at him and then whacks him in the face because of it, she was actually just interested in taking the opportunity to see what it would be like to grab his face.  They were friends before, and they seemed happy with each other even after this incident, so I don't think it put a strain on their friendship.

Too Scared

Joshua is in kind of a fear period. Whenever he is afraid of something (frequently) he puts his fingers in his ears and says, "Too scared". Often he is afraid of something on TV and then he will also add "TV off". Tonight I thought we would watch a movie, but we couldn't because I turned on the movie and he was afraid before the opening credits finished (not sure why. It showed birds in a non-threatening situation). Then I thought we would watch TV instead and he requested Sesame Street. But that episode started with a skit about Zoe and her pet rock, Rocco. Joshua was super scared of something to do with that. I think he doesn't like Zoe. So we ended up watching Veggie Tales, which he thought was okay. We are hoping it isn't a long phase because it makes it a little hard to find things he is willing to do and watch.

A Sign of Things to Come

One of Clara's favorite things to do is carry her purse and talk on her phone while walking through our house. It is adorable, but I can't help imagining that she will probably be doing something very similar but for real in a few short years (I know kids don't talk on the phone anymore, but still). She also really likes to walk to her car and "drive" off while talking and telling me "Bye-bye", but I refuse to allow my children to use a phone while driving, so I assume that is actually not something that will happen in the future.

Farmstead Fun

I keep wanting to bring the kids to an open gym they have in Overland Park each Tuesday and Wednesday, but it's only available from 9-11am, which is a real stretch for us and only possibly doable for us to get there by 10. So once again that's not what we did today. I figure there will be plenty of time to think about it this winter when we can't go outside and maybe that will motivate me to get out of the house so early. So we went to Deanna Rose instead.

We started out at Morgan's Playground, which is perfect for really tiny kids. If Hannah could walk, it would be a great size for her as well. In fact Joshua had a great time at that same playground when he was just a little younger than Hannah is now. Even though Joshua can use larger playgrounds, he still really likes this one.

Next we went to the dairy barn. Joshua got to ring some bells and both he and Clara liked to watch the baby cow and goats.

Feeding the baby goats was a huge hit. Joshua was a little overwhelmed at how much they wanted it. But Clara thought it was hilarious and loved it.

The kids in one of the many bench swings around the farm. I imagined an adorable picture where they were all looking at me, but they were too excited about the fact that it moved.	We did try the pedal tractors this time. Joshua really didn't get how to make it go. I wish we had a place to practice. I don't feel comfortable with him in the street if I have more than one kid with me even though we do live on a cul-de-sac.

True to Form

Hannah pulled up for the first time about a month ago. Since then she has only done it a couple times. Until today when she decided it was a necessary life skill that she wants to do all the time. She's so funny because this is how she has been with every milestone. She does it. And then pretty much refuses to do it again except in emergencies for weeks or a month. And then, after awhile, she decides she actually wants to do it and does it all the time. So I anticipate her getting a lot more stable on her feet as she practices pulling up. I will be curious to see if it makes her want to try to take a step or if it takes awhile more before she wants to do that.

Way Back Monday: Taking After Aunt Joyce

Hannah has certain aspects of her face that look like both Jason and I, but she doesn't really look strikingly like anyone that we know of. At least not all the time. There are definitely certain expressions that very much remind me of Jason. Recently Jason's Grandma Hall shared this picture of her younger sister, Joyce, with me and we think they definitely have similarities. They look more similar when Hannah is making a different facial expression, but she is super smiley and has a very toothy smile so this is the best I could get.

Fun with Aunt Barb

Today we went to Ron and Peg's to have dinner and spend time with Aunt Barb, who is Ron's sister-in-law. The kids really enjoyed spending time with her. They also got to see Benjamin (who turned 1 month old today) again and seemed very interested in who this new baby was. Clara calls every baby Hannah so she repeatedly referred to him as Hannah even though Hannah was sitting right next to her. She may or may not believe Hannah is a word meaning any baby, we aren't sure. It was a fun evening.

Butterfly Festival

Today we went to the Festival of Butterflies at Powell Gardens. We hadn't been there before, probably because it is in the middle of nowhere and it's the nowhere that's in Missouri so not very close to our house. But we found it worth the drive and we will probably go again at some point.

There were some really beautiful butterflies like this:

And really, there were a lot of all kinds of butterflies: beautiful, scary, small, huge, exotic, ordinary. There were a crazy number of butterflies. And the kids enjoyed that. But the hit of the day for them was definitely the hands-on part of the festival:

Joshua got to pet a caterpillar at the "Caterpillar Petting Zoo".

The butterflies in the kid area seemed used to being handled so it was possible to have them sit on your hand. Clara seemed pretty indifferent, but this was probably the highlight of Joshua's day. He was so enthralled, he pretty much refused to even look at the camera or anything else.

This is the first time we used our new wagon and it worked really well for this trip. Hannah seemed completely content in it and the other kids were able to get in or out easily and it gave them a place to eat their snacks and drink their water and to carry all the stuff (I got a really big one because I wanted it to fit everything we needed plus all three kids). Hannah wasn't really into the butterflies so I would say eating her Cheerios and riding around in the wagon were probably the highlight of the trip for her. Side note --- Hannah today is the exact same age (10 months, 8 days) as Clara was when Hannah was born which means Clara is twice her age today.