12/29/15

Fancy Dinner






One morning about a month ago, Trip decided to set the table "fancy" for me. He did a fantastic job, and it led to an entire day of planning a fancy dinner. The kids invited friends, had a fancy photo shoot, and J brought home food from a fancy restaurant for the parents to serve to the kiddos. It was all magical and so much fun! All of the kids got really in to it and used their very best manners. I think this needs to become an annual event!

Chickens!

That's right folks, we got chickens!

J asked if we were putting ourselves in a box. Four kids, homeschooling, chickens ...

Well, we might be. But it's pretty fun!







Date to the Ballet




I had the opportunity to take Anna Kate to the San Antonio Ballet's student production of Snow White with some friends from our Classical Conversations group. It was such a special time with my biggest girl and I relished in every minute. I forget sometimes how much having a baby in my arms keeps me from holding my other little ones. With my arms and lap free, I held Anna Kate for the entire hour and a half show. And I LOVED it!

Anna Kate loved having the one on one time with me, she loved the beautiful dancers, especially the girls dressed up like deer. She also followed the storyline pretty well. After the queen dressed as a witch poisoned Snow White, I asked Anna Kate what she thought  would happen next. She whispered in my ear, "I think the queen will come back and tell Snow White she is sorry and then they can be friends."

Oh, Anna Kate, I hope you always see the world through such a beautiful lens!

Halloween 2015





3!!





Just to document all of the silly, grumpy, sweet, and salty moments with this little man... He is 3! Three is definitely better than 2 in terms of fits and his ability to communicate and play with his older siblings. That's not to say the fits are gone - they are still around - just not as frequent. 

Wills' favorite things as a three year old are trucks, sports, television, curious george books, and his animals. He sleeps and eats great, just like big brother and sister. He is very coordinated and loves anything involving a ball and net. For Christmas, he got his own big soccer nets and he loves them! Following the rules of soccer - not so much. Not being the winner - also not so much!

He plays best with Anna Kate but he also fights the most with her. I am sure this will continue throughout their lives as they are the closest in age.

Every night when the kids are tucked in bed, Wills sneaks out to have one final "goodnight" with mom and dad. He comes in our room, tells us some silly story (most of which we can't understand), and then we typically give him one of his many animals and tell him that "Puppy" needs to go night night. He hugs his animal, blows us lots of kisses and says "I love you" while he walks himself back to bed. This has become one of our favorite rituals with this guy. As the third, he doesn't get a lot of special time, so it is nice to count on this little nightly visit.

Wills continues to be Mr. Independent. He will wonder off to explore something that has caught his eye, never letting me know where he is headed. It has gotten so bad that a friend made me a shirt that says "Where's Wills" across the front. He is my only child that I worry about constantly. The pros of this trait are that he can also self-entertain. If we are outside, he will go play in the chicken coop or just in a pile of dirt and be perfectly content without big brother and sister. 

Some stories - 

At the library, he snuck away from me while I was doing school with Trip. I couldn't find him anywhere, and finally found him going number 2 in the bathroom with the door wide open!

At the zoo, he followed two ducks and almost fell into the river they waddled in to.

At home, he feels confident to walk down our busy street to our neighbors 4 houses away (I do not allow him to do this, he just walks out the door!).

Favorites :
Movie - Halloween George, Grinch, Mickey's Monster Musical
Television - Paw Patrol, PJ Masks, Mickey Mouse, Curious George
Book - Curious George
Toy - all of his animals, or anything Anna Kate is playing with

Mr. William,
You are such a sweetie. You are loving, you are kind, you are funny, you love people, and you are so smart. There are so many things about you that I admire, and I think if you want you could be the next President. Being such a dynamic little guy means that you have a big responsibility to use your talents to the glory of God. People will listen to you, so make sure you tell them about your Savior. 

And always know that even though you are comfortable in your independence, your mom and dad are here for you. We love you unconditionally. We are your biggest fans.