handwriting

We're doing preschool. Sporadically since Samuel came.

But I just realized today that Noah is improving in his handwriting. I don't have that in the curriculum, but we've been working on it, casually, as well as I know how to do. We'll be more serious about it next year. At any rate, he's improved since the beginning of the school year, as you can see here.

First I have Noah tell me what the date is, after we've already gone over it, and I write it down. Then I write his name and he does his best after me. Today he did pretty well. Then he tells me our address and phone number and I write them down.

And then he kisses his brother.

THREE

Evie turned THREE March 31, 2011. Unbelievable.

Fun fact: On this day last year, I had my appendix out!

Evie's day started with mommy and daddy singing Happy Birthday to her in bed. Then they had a normal morning but got to have waffles for lunch. Following that sticky business was her first haircut. Not sure if that was such a good idea b/c she had syrup in her hair...

Then she got to skip her nap and go to NP with Daddy and Noah to pick up Grampa B's birthday gift for them this year. They were just returning with the trailer loaded up.

TA DA! Grampa will be coming in a week to help assemble it.

The kids watched America's Funniest Videos while we cleaned up after her special spaghetti dinner and prepared for her small party. Why you would lay on a hard wood floor when there's a comfy couch available, I don't know.

At 630 the guests arrived and the gifts were brought up. Terry's aunt, uncle, cousin and her family came.

Evie was pretty excited about the hat, but it did not want to stay on. You can see Tim, Kellen and Kale here.

"Brown cake"

Here's the card daddy made for Evie. It was really great, all about her birthday day. This page shows Evie and Noah in their bunk beds (complete with pillow pets) waking up to her song. Terry hot glued "hair" on every picture of Evie. The page where she got her hair cut had a strand fallen on the ground =)

All she requested for her birthday was a "white cuddly bunny and a brown cuddly dinosaur." We couldn't find an exactly "cuddly" dinosaur, but we got close. And she got more than those 2 toys - just lots of little things really. Her favorite so far has been the little Tangled Rapunzel doll.

And JoJo put Samuel to sleep

first haircut

Evie turned three big years old yesterday. It's a crazy thing. How is it the days are so slow but the weeks, months and years are incredibly fast? That's how it goes.

At any rate, this little squish had never had a hair cut. Not one strand. I've been wanting to get it done for months and months but couldn't decide where, when, who. I finally just went with the gal who cuts Terry's hair here in town and she did a great job. And we did it on her birthday to make it extra special.

Evie did wonderful. She was so still and quiet and obedient. Actually, it seemed like she was really sleepy or something. But she perked up as soon as we were out of there.

Perhaps she was just aware of the significance of the situation. It's not every day a girl gets her hair cut for the first time.

I kinda forgot all about french braids until she started doing one. I have to start teaching myself again. It worked great to keep the hair out of her face, especially since hers is always coming straight forward into her face.

Applying a finishing touch of hair spray over the spiral curls. I have never thought of curling Evie's hair. Probably b/c I never do mine like that and I'm lazy. But I should. It was precious.

Sigh. She really does look big. And so beautiful. Oh yeah, like her bling? She put on every single piece of jewelry she owns.

Oh, and that was a new dress too. She had an extra special day.

wakey wakey

Evie is 3 on March 31st and still takes a nap. She doesn't look real pleased about it though does she?

speaking lessons

Every time Samuel makes a noise or gurgle or coo, Noah asks, What did Samuel say? I go over and over how Samuel can't talk yet, he's not old enough yet, he's got to be closer to 1 year old and he's only 2 months, he learns by listening to us...

But all of that's not good enough for Noah. He insists on helping him learn to speak.

"Say 'corn,' Samuel. 'CORN!' Say 'banana,' Samuel!"

Terry says, you know you live in Nebraska when the first word your son thinks to teach is corn.

reading attempt

Samuel was wearing his very cute green pajamas recently and Evie was trying to read the words on the front. She came up with something like "Tiger wants to eat." Something about a tiger. It was cute though I can't remember exactly what she said.

I like this shot b/c Terry is like, Ug is she taking my picture? But Evie looks pretty happy with it. Or she's just happy about daddy.

too cool for...

Terry had a Christian music group perform in lieu of youth group last night. VOTA is their name. We first heard them perform before David Crowder a couple years ago and bought their CD and have been enjoying it ever since. They were great!

A couple of the band members happened to have been home-schooled. So they had this conversation about that and how I had given Terry the responsibility for coming up with a name for our home-school (you have to have a name for the paperwork). The lead singer had a good idea:

The Too-Cool-for School.

Haha! No offense or anything, I just think it's funny and different. Most names are pretty generic, something to do with where you live or your last name. I did hear a good one last year at the convention: The School of Hard Knocks. We'll see if we can come up with anything better.

Furthermore, if you're interested in our home-school education choice, I just read a really great article: Mixed-Age Classrooms by Andrew Pudewa. Just click on that link to read it. I had never really thought of all the things he wrote about. He's got a very good perspective.

quality brother time

This is how Noah wanted to watch Saturday morning cartoons

peek-a-boo

nap time nickname

I've been feeling a little sad that Samuel doesn't have a nickname. My mom said that will come with time and she's probably right. Noah was "the boy." Evie is "little squish." So what is Samuel?

Lately we have been calling him "Sam Well." But most of the time I say "little stinker."

Why? B/c of the diapers? No. B/c that boy does not seem to like to nap very well! Correction, he'll nap just fine, just for not very long. He goes to sleep without a fuss and then exactly 45 minutes into his nap, he wakes up and will not or cannot go back to sleep. I've tried everything - nursing him (but since when do growth spurts last 3 weeks?), keeping him up longer, putting him down sooner, putting him down later, keeping him up shorter amounts of time, louder fan. Nothing works. We are working and praying for a solution...

Since the nice quiet crib doesn't seem to help him sleep longer, he slept with daddy the other night for his 45 minutes. Terry really enjoyed it though you can't tell that from here =)

Little stinker Sam Well!

family picture time

Samuel is six weeks old now. Crazy.

This brought to mind that I still hadn't taken care of our baby announcement/Christmas card. So after church this week I made sure I had the camera timer set up for when daddy got home. However, that photo you'll just have to wait to see.

The kids had to play while we waited...

They like their brother quite a bit.

He's not sure how he feels about that.

Noah and Evie were playing with their ZuZu pets.

It's okay to put up a photo of myself every now and then right?

Dare to Share 2011

I had to miss D2S this year due to the little baby boy that was only a month old. But Terry went, of course, with a record number of kids - 108 people, himself and leaders included. They even had to take a charter bus, along with two 12 passenger vans, a suburban and a van. There might have been more vehicles but I didn't go so I'm not sure!

It was the "Un" Tour. The lessons were taken from David and Goliath - getting "un-ed," meaning un-cool, un-afraid and un-leashed for The Cause - sharing Christ with their friends.

So here is the whole group in front of the capitol. It was a lot colder than last year, unfortunately for them.

The guys in the middle are awesome - Kyle and Luke.

Rebecca gets her groove on - HA! And Terry printed all the shirts of course - for our group, Rapid City and Watertown. The two guys on the front are Greg Stier and Zane Black, the speakers who the kids adore.

Greg Stier. He's very funny. But notice all the kids behind him. The Pershing Center is always packed, quite a sight, and awesome for worship.

Terry on some bus. Pretty sure he's not texting me though! He's way too crazy busy for that.

Here is another shirt he printed, just for he and his helpers. His friend from high school designed it.

Another reason I was bummed not to go this year: My brother was there! He brought some kids from his youth group in Watertown.

And Zane Black. The girls have crushes on him ;) though I'm pretty sure he's married.

brothers

Everyone has been asking how Noah and Evie are getting along with Samuel. Very well, thank you.

Noah, especially seems to like his baby brother. If he's watching a show and Samuel happens to be awake, he wants Samuel on his lap. He looks so happy right? Noah that is. Samuel always looks...far off, deep in thought, serious.

Noah is always where I am with Samuel. This afternoon I was taking some pictures of Samuel and Noah was right there.

Smooch. Noah's been pretty gentle with Samuel, but I have caught him treating him a little like Snap... "Noah, Samuel's not a dog!"

LOVE this one!

sleepy

I could not get this tired little guy to wake up a couple weeks ago. So, he slept in the chair for a little while.

family nap day

Terry took 108 people to Dare to Share in Lincoln last weekend. We missed him. It's harder when he's gone now that we have 3 kids. It wasn't easy before either I suppose.

So after 2 nights of like 4-5 hours of sleep (he and I both), we were more than ready for a nappy Sunday afternoon. But first, some baby time.

He's wearing the crotcheted Converses my mom made.

Snuggle time

Terry's trying to sneak in an early nap. Gotta wait for that baby to go to sleep first!

Oh, and Noah wanted me to take this shot - see his foot disappearing under their fort?