Grant ~Summer 2015~

Size:
Height:  41”
Weight:  38 lbs

Grant’s is still in 4T and some 4/5 but those items usually run a little big on him.  Undies are still 4T and he wears a size 9-10 shoe.  Overall, Grant is still on the small to average size when compared to other children in his class and activities.

June

Favorite words, sayings and/or things:  When Grant is fighting sleep or bedtime he will tell us he is asleep and that he is just sleeping with his eyes open.  He can also now wink and calls it “eye winking” or “aiming.”

Funnies/Grant-isms: We got to meet Grant and Amelia’s new cousin Simon to which Grant promptly asked Ashley “how baby Simon got out.”  Ha!  Not ready for that conversation yet so we had to fumble our way through an explanation which included “God decided it was time.”  Grant also saw Simon the next day for just a brief second and said “every time I see him he gets bigger and bigger.” 

Grant takes his big brother roll seriously and loves teaching Amelia stuff… both good and bad.

Observations: Grant can buckle his five point harness by himself. 

We’ve had alot of defiance and sassiness this month it seems.  He is really pushing the limits to see exactly what he can get away with. 

Firsts/Adventures: Grant began his first organized sport:  T-ball.  When he has practice or a game it is hit or miss as to whether he will actually like it that day.  Normally, he appears to be having fun (when he isn’t playing in the sand or rolling around) but when you ask if he had fun when it’s over he normally says no.  He also had his first game this month.  He got a hit both times he was up to bat and didn’t even have to hit off the tee!

I also had the chance to go on another field trip with Grant to a dairy farm.  He loved the bus ride of course but very much enjoyed seeing the cows, heavy machinery, and feeding a calf!

Illness/Owies:  None

Matching scrapes

July

Funnies/Grant-isms: A not so proud mom moment ahead… After t-ball one afternoon, we came home and the kids played in sprinkler.  Well, when Grant decided he had to use the bathroom at some point, he pulled his undies down and pooped in the front yard.  Mind you I didn’t see this happening until he was finished and while he got scolded I was laughing so hard he probably didn’t take me seriously. 

Observations:  Grant will now dunk himself underwater and hold himself momentarily and come up (thank you Florida vacation!).  This is big progress because while he hasn’t been scared of water, at swimming lessons he was never brave enough to completely submerge himself or dunk. 

T-ball is still going well and most days he likes it.  He does well batting and enjoys that most.  His throwing has gotten better but he is still timid about catching the ball or grasping the concept of moving your glove to get the ball. 

Firsts/Adventures:  It was a jam-packed month with fun stuff!

4^th of July was a blast.  We had a cookout and family over and then headed to my work to watch the big ones. 

Safety first!  Grant's outfit of choice for fireworks

Grant and Matt had their first campout in the backyard.  Grant made it the entire night and never asked to go inside. 

While boating, Grant asked to ride the tube and did well.  He didn’t ride long and asked to stop but I was happy he was brave enough to want to go out there.  He also rode the hot-dog tube which is a multi-rider tube Matt’s parents have.  They ended up tipping off while in motion and going under.  I thought Grant would freak but he didn’t.  On a different occasion, he asked to ride with me and we tipped off as well and he went under.  Unfortunately, since that episode he no longer wants to ride.  He is a little gun shy now. 

The biggest adventure included our trip to Florida which you can read about here and see pictures.  Grant loved the airplane and was a natural beach bum by the end of the week.  He loved splashing and playing, riding the boogie board and even ventured out on the paddleboard with me.  Grant got to pet a dolphin at SeaWorld and ride his first rollercoaster along with some other rides.  We fed sea lions and saw the killer whale show which he loved. 

As a family, we went to see the Minion movie in the theater and overall it was a fun family night!

We also went to the Meyer Antique Tractor Show!

Illness/Owies:  None.

August

Favorite words, sayings and/or things:  Dolphin is still a must and would come everywhere if we would let him.  Grant still loves all things trucks/tractors and tools. 

Funnies/Grant-isms:  Grant likes to clear his throat by grunting but makes sure to tell us that he is doing a throat clearing grunt not a mean/mad grunt (which he has a history of when he doesn’t get his way). 

The cutest, solitary freckle has made an appearance on Grant’s nose. 

Grant loves facts and likes learning about the Presidents with our presidential fact flash cards.  According to Grant however, the Statue of Liberty is in Washington D.C.   I guess there is some work to be done still.

Grant was steering the lawnmower on Matt’s lap and got a little too close to the mailbox.  Matt said Grant barely bumped it and the mailbox tipped right over.  Grant thought it was the most hilarious thing and was rather proud of himself.  Needless to say, it gave Matt and Grant a reason to build something.  We now have a new mailbox complete with welded angle iron post.   

Observations:  He has been talking more about being something other than a fireman when he grows up.  The latest is a policeman or to work with daddy and drive a dump truck.

We have been trying to work more on reading, sight words, and writing letters but he still shows very little interest. 

Firsts/Adventures:  We recently went to a cabin on a lake that Matt’s grandma rented and Grant swam for hours jumping off the dock and swimming from dock to the shore.

Grant attended VBS at church/daycare and his Aunt Ashley, Simon, myself, and Amelia went to the closing ceremony and singing thing then did lunch together. 

We celebrated Simon’s baptism and Grant enjoyed repeating much of what the Pastor was saying throughout the service including facts about George Pfefferkorn.  I guess we know he is listening!

Grant had his last t-ball practice this month which was probably his best all season as far as listening and participation.  Unfortunately, the last game was cancelled because of weather.

We had a cookout with several friends from daycare and the kids had so much fun.  It was a very hot day so we had the slip n slide, kiddie pool, sprinkler, and plenty of water guns.  I am kicking myself for not taking more pictures but did get this cute one of the boys. 

These boys have been together at daycare since just a couple months old.  Now everyone is beginning to part ways.

We had our first camper camping experience and Grant was so excited.  We didn’t tell him the plans right away because we didn’t want to be asked for a month when we were going camping.  A week before we had calendar that he crossed the day off to countdown.  His favorite part was probably the upper bunk in the camper and flushing the toilet but we also did some hiking, played on the playground, took a short and very rough boat ride, and roasted marshmallows.

Hiking

Grant officially started 4K.  While it isn't really too different because he is still at daycare which has an in-house 4K program he seems very excited about it. 

We squeezed in a trip to Lakeside Park to ride the rides before it closes for the season.  Grant had his first whip experience which for anyone growing up in Fond du Lac you can fully relate to.  He loved it!  We also rode the train and carousel as well as checked out the animals of course. 

This month was capped off with a surprise 80^th birthday party for Matt’s Grandma Gloria.  Grant did surprisingly well without a nap. 

Waiting patiently for cake!

Illness/Owies:  None

Amelia ~Summer 2015~

Size
Weight:  25.4 lbs (down 1 lb since 2 year checkup)
Height:  ~36"

As you can see, Amelia is down 1 lb since her checkup in April.  I am not sure how much of that is from growing height but not weight, being active, or our nightly struggles at dinner.  I’m telling you… this kid does not like or eat dinner.  I am not sure which but either way we battle every. Single. Night.  It’s honestly very exhausting because it involves lots of crying, time away from the table at the quiet spot and wearing on our nerves.  She eats other meals usually very well but when we put a plate of food we know she likes or has eaten before in front of her at dinner the meltdown begins.

Amelia is wearing 2T shorts/pants/undies and a mixture of 2T and 3T shirts.  She wears a size 6 shoe and her nighttime diaper is a size 5. 

May

Favorite words, sayings and/or things: Amelia has been calling me “mom” more than “mommy” lately.  She adores my friend’s four year old daughter, Addie and talks about her constantly.  When she is done with something, she says “all done-y.”  She loves the book “Love you forever” right now and calls it the “potty book” because of the picture of a toilet and toddler on front. 

Funnies/Amelia-isms: Amelia says “kitty, kitty, kitty” and likes carrying Sasha around (poor, poor Sasha!).  Amelia likes when we write her name and our names and a favorite question lately is why. 

Observations:  Knows the tune to ABC's but cannot get the pronunciation of most of the letters yet  ~  we hear her counting items but usually out of order after 3  ~  getting much better at getting pants on by herself but she still has a hard time getting them over her butt  ~  has been refusing to wear any coat except for the one that Addie got her for her birthday  ~  likes coloring in circles vs scribbling  ~  she can follow our straight lines on paper  ~  goes down stairs walking and holding the railing and not on her tummy anymore  ~  both feet now leave the ground when she jumps

Monkey girl

Firsts/Adventures:  Amelia got a kitten for birthday and loves having “Sasha” sit on her lap.  She says “mom lap” and will pat her lap.

Sasha is so tolerant!

I went to Muffins with Mom at daycare and we celebrated Mother’s Day this month. 

Amelia was a dancing machine at my Grandma’s 90^th birthday party and we had a very nice visit with my parents who were in town for the occasion. 

Four Generations

Amelia moved up to the two year old classroom at daycare and has transitioned well. 

Illness/Owies:  None

Teeth:  Amelia’s upper left and right two year old molars popped through this month. 

 

June

Favorite words, sayings and/or things:  likes to sing “happy birthday” to anyone that we will fill in for the name blank  ~  likes to sing “you are my sunshine”  ~  reminds us daily that she is a “big girl” and doesn’t need our help

Funnies/Amelia-isms:  Insists on having her shirt off if Matt or Grant has theirs off.   Matt helped her take it off one afternoon and a couple minutes later she walked out of the garage and had taken her pants off as well.  She loves to be naked lately!   

Observations:  Amelia loves reading books and counting  ~  can hold up two or three fingers  ~  getting much better at putting two-four words together in a sentence 

Little water bug

Firsts/Adventures:  Met cousin Simon and adores him.  She has talked about him non-stop since we first saw him.  We recently went to a wedding and at first Amelia was tired and didn’t want to dance but once she snapped out of it she didn’t want to leave the dance floor. 

Illness/Owies:  None

Teeth:  Amelia’s lower right two year old molar made its appearance meaning all her teeth are now in for quite some time.

 

July

 
Favorite words, sayings and/or things:  Likes singing “Jesus loves me” and will do the motions along with you.  Lately, everything is “juicy” according to Amelia. 

Funnies/Amelia-isms: When you put a dress on her, she twirls in circles and dances.  We walked into Amelia’s room one afternoon when she was supposed to be napping only to discover she was actually awake and had gotten a hold of a tub of diaper cream.  We learned the hard way that Amelia can now unscrew caps and had smeared the entire tub of cream all over herself, her bed and floor.  Grant had a very similar story at about the same age. 

When playing in the sprinkler one afternoon, Amelia walked to the driveway, peed in the driveway and went right back to playing. 

She was as content as could be

Observations: Of our children, Amelia has never really been our cuddler.  However, lately she wants me to lay down and snuggle with her every night after a story.  While I don’t want it to become a habit, I have been enjoying those moments lately! 

Firsts/Adventures:  Amelia loved the fireworks this year both big (at my work) and smaller at home. 

Florida was a blast and you can read more here.  Amelia did amazing on the plane rides and slept both ways.  She was a little water bug and loved the water and beach.  She even curled up and took her nap in a lounge chair one day.  By the time we left, she was dunking and jumping in the pool and absolutely fearless in the waves.  At SeaWorld, she was scared of the dolphins and wouldn’t pet them but loved rides and other animals from a distance.

Amelia had her 1^st movie theater experience at the Minion movie.  Overall, she did really well but began to lose interest towards the last 30 minutes.

Illness/Owies:  Amelia at some point took it upon herself to put a bead in her right ear.  I probably would’ve never known had her ear not drained on vacation.  I suspected a possible infection or thought maybe too much swimming/dunking but then it stopped and she never seemed fussy or feverish over it.  When we got home, I took a look with our otoscope we have and couldn’t make out what it was but could tell something wasn’t right.  I scheduled the appointment with the ENT and sure enough he pulled a plastic bead out of her ear.  Otherwise, her ears looked great and no sign of damage.  Her right tube which the doctor thinks was already loose came out in a big wad of ear wax and bead. 

Potty Training: Amelia has still periodically had successes on the potty but she is very dramatic about it usually whining “pooooop” which really means potty.  We had a couple reluctant successes on vacation after a very stressful bath time in which she had to go potty but was refusing to go on the toilet.  Then it clicked and she went! 

When we returned from vacation, we decided it was past time for undies.  The 28^th was the first day of daycare in her undies and she had one potty accident and one poop in a diaper (at nap).  On day two, no potty accidents and one poop in undies.  Overall, it’s been very successful with only 1 accident if any on most days. 

August

Favorite words, sayings and/or things:  Amelia is very enthusiastic when she agrees to do something and says OK!  She really enjoys puzzles right now and if she gets so much as a bump she asks for more oil which sounds like “more eel.” 

Funnies/Amelia-isms: When Amelia is in timeout she says sorry mommy, daddy, Grant over and over because she thinks it will get her out sooner.  She also asks for a hug and kiss.  Another favorite tactic when she does something she knows she isn’t supposed and you scold her is to immediately say I love you mommy/daddy.

She has mommy's fashion sense

Amelia was sitting on Matt’s lap one afternoon when he let one rip.  Amelia said “stinky mouth daddy.”  Matt laughed and said “That wasn’t my mouth.”

Amelia does this silly thing where she bends over and puts her hands on the floor and sticks one foot in the air and says “watch me mommy/daddy!”

Amelia's "watch me" move

Observations:  Amelia’s spunkiness and independence is at an all-time high.  She goes non-stop and doesn’t want help with anything!

Firsts/Adventures:  This month we celebrated Simon’s baptism who Amelia absolutely adores.  We had a cookout with some of our daycare friends complete with slip n slide, sprinkler, water guns, and a kiddie pool.  The kids had a blast and the parents all had a chance to catch up.  I however dropped the ball royally on capturing pictures. 

We had our first camper camping excursion with some friends.  The kids had so much fun and were pretty well behaved for the most part.  We did some hiking and took a very short boat ride because the wind just didn’t cooperate.  The most exciting part for the kids was probably getting to sleep on upper bunk in the camper, using the camper toilet, and roasting marshmallows.

Silly selfie face



We went to Lakeside Park and rode the rides.  Amelia loved the train but wanted nothing to do with the animals on the carousel nor did she want to ride the whip.  She did love the animals though.    

We had a surprise 80th birthday party for Matt's grandma.  After Amelia got over her tiredness, she couldn't be slowed down. 

Amelia and 2nd cousin Aubrey

Illness/Owies:  None

Potty Training:  We are so incredibly proud of how well Amelia has done potty training.  On 8/5 she pooped on the potty for the first time and after some struggles going potty at home (not sure if it was fear of our big toilets or not having a good routine down) she finally went accident free all weekend.  She has also gone up to five hours holding her potty!

She got her pants on... well sort of

Even though Amelia has pooped on the toilet before, she doesn’t like to.  She will hold it up to three days sometimes (she used to poop at least once/day) and wait until she can go in her diaper at nighttime.