Kite Koop

First Soccer Game!

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 05:57:00 +0000

I guess I'm an official soccer mom now and I LOVE it! The kids looked so cute and tiny during their first practice on the 22nd. Some were 2nd years and two of them (J included) were rookies. J looked afraid of the ball at first, but towards the end he started to kick it like he meant it. Not exactly a Beckham, though. :)

During their first game on the 24th, Jacob's soccer team (the Super Heroes) won 7-2, though the other team (the Lions) mistakenly scored 2 of those goals! Woohoo! He's still talking about how much he loved playing, though he spent half his time distracted - making shooting noises and fingers at the opposing team any time they lined up to kick the ball, listening for trains, waving to me and throwing grass while seated in the sidelines. But was so stinkin' cute to watch all of them running around not really knowing what to do, completely distracted and not minding the poor (patient) ref.

J is the youngest and shortest on the team, but the cutest (no bias here, ahem). There are tons of photos because I just couldn't pick the ones I liked best. Some of the pictures might be a bit blurry, but that's the best I could do using my left hand and holding a sleeping baby in the other.

Shealyn did well not going out on the field (I gave her tons of snacks and a wonderful grandma came to rescue me and play soccer with her behind me). It was a beautiful and warm day, and Andrew slept through most of the game.

Starting the game (J is wearing the gray long sleeves). At least there's another kid (white long sleeves) shooting during the game. (They will get their uniforms screenprinted for the next game.)

J has control of the ball:

And there he goes:

Jacob did the kick-off, but the whistle was blown because one of the other players on the Lions' team moved before the kick. However, the kids kept playing through the multiple whistle blows.

Here is Jacob, the ball is on the other side of the field:

He's so cute, I just want to eat him up:

Kick, kick, kicking...

Look at the fun expression on his face:

Right in the middle of the action:

Good game (He was supposed to tell that to the other players but he came and told me that instead):

Spring Break

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:10:00 +0000

Our first road trip as a family of 3 was easier than I thought, but the car was still too crowded to bring the dogs. We visited Vovi first:

Here is Andrew's surprised contemplative face:

Aren't his eyes just precious?

My view in the car on the way to Nana's house: (we moved her permanently to the backseat and I think it works much better now)

Avoiding naptime in the car on the way to Nana's house:

Shealyn's pouty lips when she sleeps:

Sleeping baby to my right:

At Nana's - looks like we wore him out at the playground:

Miss Independent at the playground (by the time I filmed it, she was getting low on energy):

She's just a climbing machine. Since then, she's been an expert rock wall climber, too - so agile and quick.

His 2nd time on the swing (the first time was the night before):

Playing with his new found hobby from Glenpa (bebe guns):

Throwing sticks into the creek:

Kid attack on mom:

The boys went fishing and Jacob caught several fish. They were having so much fun that they forgot to put on sunscreen, drink water or eat food until almost 3pm. Boys! Now Jacob is hooked on fishing and even prays that he gets to go again daily. Another good man ruined...

While we played cards, Andrew slept on the couch:

Nana's snorts make me laugh:

Going back home:

Sad face:

Brothers:

The night we got back from our trip (the 17th), Little Guy got sick for the first time with a high fever. That continued throughout the day off and on, but he slept through most of it. (He's the first of my kids to ACT sick when he's sick.)

After many, many cries, drools and longing eyes at meal times (because he wanted it so badly), we decided to experiment with food with Andrew (2 days shy of 4 months) on the 19th. We were eating organic applesauce and let him have a smidgeon. He immediately stopped crying, gobbled it up and cried until he got more. We barely fed him any (less than a small spoonful in all) but now I'm wondering how in the world we can keep him from eating for 2 more months??!!?! (The next day he had a bit of mashed banana, and then back to the applesauce for the 3rd day, and we have "quit" for now. The best thing to do is to remove him from the sight of food.)

Waiting for Spring Break

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Shealyn said she was doing pushups but it looks like a downward dog to me:

My trio holding hands:

Avocado is better for the face than for food

Our friends Camden and Aunt Sarah came over for a short visit, and they brought baby Carson!! We were so excited to meet finally him! Here are the 3 troublemakers in the tub together:

Here are the smiling baby boys, Andrew and Carson:

And a cute video of them sitting on their Bumbo seats. It seems as if Andrew is trying to amuse Carson but Carson's not buying it:

Brother and sister sleeping together:

Shealyn's self portrait:

Early morning cuddles on mommy's bed (check out S's bedhead):

Here is a video of Shealyn singing and saying a few words I love to hear her say:

Here is a cute brother-sister dance. Shealyn wanted to dance with daddy to "her song" but daddy wasn't home, so big brother Jacob asked her to dance. What a good brother he is!

Andrew's baby noises:

All Day Long

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:23:00 +0000

What do I listen to ALL. Day. Long? Shealyn singing, Jacob talking or making beatboxing noises. I wonder what "joyful noise" Andrew will bring to the house when he grows up a little more. Never a quiet moment around here. Lately, Shealyn's songs have been: Lollipop, "Things" (My Favorite Things), Edleweiss (it's so cute that she pronounces it right), "Yuya-by" (Brahm's Lullaby), "Hush-a-by" or "Baby" (All the Pretty Little Horses), Blues Skies and Rainbows, "Yu-wa yu-wa" (Irish Lullaby or Tura-lu-ra), "And I Love Her" (Beatles). Jacob's songs lately: "Mayberry" by Rascal Flatts, "Check Yes or No" by George Strait, "Brown-Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. They both like "mommy and daddy's song" ("I Love You More Today Than Yesterday" Spiral Staircase) and the Beach Boys' "Don't Worry Baby" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice".

Shealyn also cries at the word "cry" in lullabies. She's quite convincing - I hope that doesn't mean we have an actress on our hands.

And she sings (mostly) her ABC's several times a day. And she does not like for you to correct her.

What else do I hear and see several times a day? Shealyn re-dressing herself. And putting on her new sneakers from JoJo and Granddad, which she talk about receiving from them all the time. I also find Shealyn "exercising" often. And Jacob telling me that he's praying to God for more babies.

February Wrap-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 05:28:00 +0000

Where has this month gone? Only a couple of more weeks and winter will be over. Time is surely flying. But we've had a fun February, especially a leap year February! What else happened this month?

Jacob got his first pair of soccer cleats (blue and black Addidas) and shin guards for his debut in soccer next month. He was so excited. So was Shealyn. She put some on her feet at the store and ran around.

Jacob also started adding with an online game called Math Blaster. I was surprised at how quickly he picked it up and how fast he can do it. Then I thought I would throw him for a loop by introducing zero, especially 0+0. He came out victorious.

Jacob also watched a daddy-edit version (i.e. fast forwarded) of Star Wars for the first time (episode 1). He's been really into it lately, even buying a light saber with his Valentine's money Nana gave him, so he begged to watch it.

After his episode with croup or asthma at the beginning of the month, he had no more spells. Yay! He did have some allergic rashes or welts all over his torso and a few tongue spots, but no breathing issues. I wonder if he has food allergies??

I'm so surprised that Shealyn knows so many of her letters. She would bring me a wooden letter and get it right every time. But don't credit me - I didn't teach her. Knowingly at least.

We finally got our act together and got some sand for their sand & water table. They love it. And mommy loves it because it's the best sand ever. Completely safe, sparkly, super fine and so easy to get off of them before coming in the house. Supposedly it's perfect for molding but I refuse to have water anywhere near it - it's pricey. I already have faint spells as it is each time an unrecoverable grain falls on the floor.

We started their prolonged and individual nightly prayers this month, and they truly have come to love and expect them. Jacob even asks me "When are you going to pray for me?" when I haven't started in a timely fashion. It calms them down and keeps them quiet. We pray about having Godly qualities, growing in the fruits of the spirit, about their specific roles in the family, their trouble areas and fears, and for peace and protection during the night. Jacob likes that best of all.

Both Dad and Jacob want to be farmers/ranchers. Jacob wants a cow, a horse, some ducks, fish, a pig, roosters, hens, a llama, and sheep.

Both kids' Bible Class teachers brag about them all the time. They love how Jacob is the only one who remembers and says the memory verses, how he laughs and how he volunteers for everything. Shealyn's teachers tell us that they wish the other kids were more like her - she says the prayers, sings, interacts, sits quietly and never cries. I guess we're blessed!

Mini Banana Split Treats (not as pretty as they are supposed to be but they tasted amazing)

Shealyn's dinosaur (turn your head to the left as it is sideways) and upside down dog

Shealyn ready for a basketball game in the school's colors (red, white, blue)

Helping mom cook in the baby's carrier. She loved being babied for a while.

Wearing the crocheted outfit Vovi made for her (and of course her red, sparkly shoes)

And That Laugh...

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 04:19:00 +0000

I think we found her song. She's been dancing this morning with mom and then dad to a song that fits her perfectly (it will be the one we use for her "first years" video) - Frank Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight." She definitely has a charm and that laugh that wrinkles her nose. And she's so lovely, if I should say so myself. :) Here are some old and recent photos of her little wrinkled nose grin:

Should I Be Worried?

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:26:00 +0000

Lately there has been some questionable behavior with Shealyn that has got me thinking, "Should we be worried?" I mean, is this going to be indicative of how she will act in her older years? For instance, on the 21st we ate at the college cafeteria and they had a Mardi Gras menu and decorations. The kids loved it and came home with lots of loot (beads, squeaky toys, masks, coins, etc). But Miss Shea had way too much fun dancing on top of her chair to the music. She also flirted with a couple of the college guys and won some beads from them.

On a tamer but just as concerning note, Shealyn has been afraid of Bible class in the past few weeks and fusses or even cries a bit for a few minutes when we arrive. On the way there she often tells us that she's scared and that her tummy hurts (when all else fails). Is this what we should expect when she's older and not wanting to go to school? Actually, she's been very needy lately (perhaps a delayed reaction to the birth of Andrew?).

On the 16th I broke the cardinal rule of punishing. I couldn't help myself - I just had to laugh. It started when I couldn't find Shealyn anywhere. I called and called out for her and still nothing. It was too silent. So I went searching and decided to open up the door to the dark and quiet closet. There she was. In the dark. About to cry because she knew she was going to get into trouble, for on the floor behind her was a peppermint candy from the forbidden kitchen drawer (that she had obviously dropped when she heard me coming). She had done into hiding to eat it because she knew it was off-limits. Oh brother!

He's Bouncy!

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:19:00 +0000

Andrew is 3 months old today! It's also Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which is quite fitting for him, as he is quite chunky. After all, he's wearing 6 months and 6-9 months clothes. He's looking a whole lot less like Granny but still has an "alfalfa sprout" on his head. He loves to blow raspberries and bubble. Actually, he's a big drooler so we're wearing some bibs (which our other 2 never had to do), and he has an ever-increasing love of bouncing and jumping. He's our Tigger (hence the name of the post). And the wonderful thing about Tiggers is he's the only one! :) Maybe it's because we've just finished reading and then watching the Winnie the Pooh movie.

At Bible Class for the first time:

Holding a toy and passing it from hand to hand (probably by mistake or just a bit of luck each time):

He's so incredibly snuggly with his chunkiness. I love it! He is so sweet when he wakes up - all smiles. All I want to do is hold him, and Derek feels the same way. We are thoroughly enjoying it this time around and don't care as much to get things done. It must be because he is so sweet, smells so good or perhaps because he might be our last one. In any case, we have to savor it. Even though he spends zero time on his tummy and only a few minutes a day on his back, he is almost rolling over from back to tummy. He's got some strong stomach muscles and he contracts them to turn himself over on his side.

He flirts with his sweet little eyes and tries desperately to get our attention with his shrieks and squeals. He also giggled at the other 2 kids when we put his little legs in the bathtub with them on the 20th for the first time.

On the 16th he first really took notice of the dogs - he laughed and squealed at Zuma for a prolonged period. Of course he stopped when we got out the camera. Andrew was also imitating my squeals (I was trying to get him to giggle and talk - apparently it worked).

On the 17th he wore shoes for the first time - red Nike sneakers that Jacob never really wore because his feet were so wide. Even though he still has his own set of new clothes, it's been so wonderful to see him in all of Jacob's old clothing. It brings back memories.

How Do You Love Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:21:00 +0000

I recently read the love languages book for kids, so I was curious to find out what all of our love languages were. For Derek and I, we took the online quiz. Derek's is "words of affirmation" while I am stuck with 2 - "acts of service" and "quality time." Both of us scored a whopping ZERO on "gifts" so we knew that we know nothing on the subject.

However, we suspected Jacob's might possibly be "gifts." (Shealyn is still too young to assess.) So I probed him. I asked him how he knows that we (his parents) love him. He answered, "You buy me things, you hug and kiss me. You take me to the museum and to Chuck E Cheese." Then I asked him several either or questions, even gave him the online kids quiz. It was confirmed - he is also 2, "physical touch" and "gifts."

Now I need to put these into practice so they fees the most loved!

Happy Heart Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:19:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day!!

The kids made a heart mobile yesterday and we hung it up for the occasion. They woke up to a "heart attack" on the wall that I made for them last night. We made heart-shaped cinnamon roll pops for breakfast, they (paint) stamped hearts from folded toilet paper rolls, ate heart-shaped sandwiches and brownies plus a few other "red" food items for lunch and snacks - yea, I think we about covered it with hearts today. Actually, we've been making a lot of cinnamon roll type treats lately. Friday we made mini cinnamon rolls that were so yummy and easy, Derek wanted to have me make them the next day during the team breakfast. It was a good breakfast morning with the team - they helped play with the kids and tired them out.

Here's our Big Master Chunk o' love

The heart mobile the kids helped make:

"Heart attack"

Heart-shaped cinnamon roll pops ready to be dipped

Licking the brownie batter

Today was also productive for Shealyn. She can now add "plugging and unplugging the charging cord on the computer with her toes" to her list of talents. And saying "Jo Kite." (She apparently thinks it's a talent and is proud of herself.) Unfortunately, she has complained about her ear for the first time ever (with Jacob I'm sure he had had his billionth earache by now). I really don't think it's an infection, though. Perhaps all the massive amount of ear wax is finally bothering her. Still, it's sad.

After Jacob changed Shealyn's diaper and Shealyn changed Andrew's diaper on the 12th, I thought I was officially out of a job (what would I have done?). Thankfully it was only a fluke and they need lots of management to get them to be any kind of productive. Whew! That was a close call. Maybe it was because it was a beautifully snowy day with big, beautiful flakes (all day long). Things might have just been "off" the norm that day. ;)

Settling In

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000

I think we're starting to settle in to this 3-kid deal. It's not always convenient but we're managing like we're used to it now. I've been slowly returning to homeschooling the older ones, and we even have some really productive days on occasion. On one day, we played Bingo and did some word games with flashcards, matching games and sequencing games (both of which Shealyn is good at - who knew?), had some cooking "lessons," and made colored rice for play time. Although it looked fun, the rainbow rice idea is messy. I spent a good hour cleaning up the (5 pound bag of) rice Shealyn drug around the tile floor. Rice is so stinkin' hard to clean up. But it was a hit. They played nicely for over an hour and wanted to keep going.

I have also been finding a renewed sense of happiness about baking and cooking and making fun stuff for and with my kids lately due to Pinterest. Despite what "they" say about it (how we "pin" ideas that we intend to but never actually do), I've actually been putting a lot of those ideas into practice! So many ideas, so little time. Just to keep up we've had to do one fun snack per day, which unfortunately has meant sugar overload! But we've made fun things like made homemade banana "ice cream," apple "sandwiches," Valentine marshmallow pops, Valentine jelly pops, S'more pops, homemade gummy fruit snacks, banana split bites, monkey muffin bites, energy bites, mini cinnamon rolls and much more! I've also managed to plan our whole month's menu plan this month from there. Plus we've also gathered simple craft and activity ideas. It's been fun I must admit, even though I avoided Pinterest on purpose for months!

The kids decorated their own S'more pops

Andrew is growing, wearing size 3 diapers (we're not currently cloth diapering him for a few reasons) and 6 month-sized clothes. And like our children before him, he's had good head and neck control since birth and never gets on his tummy long enough to practice any amount of rolling. That's not because he won't tolerate it - it's because we're too busy keeping S away from him.

Playing instruments at the children's museum

Climbing the rock wall

Another gorgeous winter day

Homemade sidewalk paint

They dressed themselves this day (head to toe). Complete with arm tattoos.

Wearing her first adult headband

They are forming a new rock band. I think they need to work on playing TOGETHER.

Shealyn's obsession with the T-Rex puzzles me.

I think we have a future hula dancer. Shealyn shakes her hips in hula fashion all the time, but especially when she hears island or surf music. This worries me. Speaking of dance, here are a few dancing clips (no hula):

Andrew's first pool visit was on the 4th at just under 11 weeks. He was subdued but seeming to enjoy kicking his little legs. Shealyn continues to love it all (going under the water, jumping in, any craziness), and Jacob didn't want to do much of anything without someone holding him. I guess we have one of each - a land baby, a fish, and a neutral one.

Our land boy holding on for dear life:

On the 6th Jacob had a rough night and gave us quite a scare. We can't decide if he had croup or an asthma attack, as it sounded like croup but he had trouble breathing OUT. The steamy bathroom and cold night air didn't seem to help but the albuterol-filled nebulizer did eventually. The next morning he still had a raspy-ness to his voice. After a bit of research, we did find that there have been cases of croupy cough with a certain type of asthma (more upper respiratory). And we found out that eczema is often a precursor to an attack (and it makes one more prone to developing asthma). That day before his "attack" he had "itchies" on his back and face, and a small patch of red, dry itchy spot on his hand. Definitely an allergic reaction coupled with the dry air. Let's just hope it was a fluke and he doesn't develop asthma. :(

On a cuter note, it absolutely melted my heart to watch Jacob help Shealyn wash her hands on the 7th. He got behind her on the stool and explained to her how to wash them properly, then lifted her up to rinse them off, and dried them for her. So sweet. Maybe I only really have to teach one child everything and then he will in turn teach the others? That would be nice, wouldn't it? I have been a witness to that sort of "osmosis" learning happening around here. Just recently Shealyn showed of her alphabet reciting and counting abilities (she can count to 20, though she misses 15 and another number in there on occasion). I didn't teach her - she picked it up from Jacob.

I celebrated my birthday at a hibachi grill for lunch on the 9th. The kids enjoyed the chef's show and the food without disturbing the night crowd. Besides, we spent $30 total (with tip!) and had leftovers when we would have easily spent $25 per meal at night.

I'm happy to report we have been clicking right along with my resolution of reading read aloud chapter books with the kids and have gone through 10 of them so far! Both kids have been enjoying them and LISTENING - without pictures! I'm flabbergasted!

Great pillow talk with the kids on the 10th- worth the "late" bed time. I've been doing the 21 days of prayers for sons as another part of my resolution, and a couple of times per day I will pray over the kids (S included) in the given format out loud. It sometimes opens up some good discussions with J. Tonight was about avoiding foolishness and being wise. We talked about the differences and making good choices. He asked about Satan and told me about a man he saw with smoke coming out of something in his mouth (cigarette). We talked about our bodies being temples and how we need to keep them healthy in every aspect and the reasonings behind it. We sang the wise man/foolish man song and he prompted yet another discussion about heaven. It's so very sweet. I treasure those moments dearly - moments that hopefully will stay with him throughout his life.

At our house, scotch tape = (unnecessary) bandaids for those "owies."

Our house is filled with sound effects ALL. DAY. LONG. everyday. From gun noises to complex beat box rhythms - it's like having the radio or TV on all day thanks to Jacob. And now Shealyn is picking up on it as well.

Jacobisms:

When asked "If you could eat only one piece of candy in the whole world, what would it be?" Jacob answered matter of factly, "That one."
Jacob and Shealyn love to play under our covers on our bed and can do so for 30 minutes + if you let them. Every once in a while you hear Shealyn crying because Jacob took the covers off of her. When asked why he does it, he answers, "I don't want her to get trapped and suffocate and die so I have to let her out every once in a while."

Our January

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:24:00 +0000

Here are the kids drinking their morning chamomile tea (not customary thing) by the makeshift window seat like grownups

He is no longer our frump baby. He is EXTREMELY happy and smiley, the smiliest of all our children.

Her pig tails are getting longer!!

The weather here over the winter is phenomenal - we get snow but we also get lots of sunny, warm days. Here is a day we went outside to enjoy. Jacob drew his family on the sidewalk. For a boy that never draws or colors, I think he did pretty good. (Ignore the scribbles from Shealyn - she's been moving from her curly-q movement to a straight line period.)

Zuma is the small one and Kona is the big one

Shealyn playing with her doll house

Like father, like son. They sit in the same fashion while playing the Wii.

NOT happy

Happy

Jacob likes to swing around his (many) pistols on his finger and snap it back like cowboys do (he's a sheriff, he says). He's also getting into non-animated movies (a couple of years ago it was Homeward Bound, now it is Home Alone, Benji and Secretariat).

Our (2 older) children have their own language with each other. It's all gibberish, but at least they can understand each other.

On the 4th Jacob said that he wanted to marry Emma Tremaine but needed to get a ring first. He had me call her parents to ask for her hand. Silly boy!

On the 5th he nicknamed us Fuzzy (he's been calling dad that for days), Spikey (himself), Curly (me), Fatty (Andrew) and Bean (Shealyn). And the new one will be fussy. New one? Yikes!

We knew Jacob needed an upgrade on his violin (from a 1/32nd to a 1/10th) this month, but we had been avoiding it. When Derek took him to his lesson on the 6th, he forgot to bring his violin. Fortunately for us this was a blessing in disguise. His teacher let him borrow her daughter's old one until he outgrows it. It's SO much better sounding, so he played so much better and was much better focused during the lesson. He was so excited and LOVES it. She had it re-strung for him, shined it up and put his name on the case. He says he wants to play it all the time and it sounds just like his teacher's. Now Shealyn gets the old violin, so she's loving it as well.

We (finally ) got to help out at the local Children's Home on the 7th. We toured the facilities, found out ways we could help on an ongoing basis, the kids played with a few of the kids, and we donated items we've been fortunate to receive (for review) from my other blog.

On the 8th, I actually started and finished an entire book, Heaven is For Real. Okay, so it's an easy read and not terribly long, but I can't remember the last time I read a book from cover to cover! And in one afternoon!

Listening to S play with her dollhouse on the 9th, she said her mom doll poo-pooed on the carpet. Not sure where she saw/heard that one, but I promise NO ONE in this house has ever done that on the floor (even when potty-training). Not yet anyway.

On the 10th my sweet 4 year old boy was staring and smiling at me while he was taking his bath. I asked him why he was doing so, and he said, "I just love you." But I knew something was up, some ulterior motive for that cute little smirk of his, and thinking he did something wrong, I asked again. He told me, "I just think you're so pretty with your hair like that." (I had just taken my curly hair down from my ponytail I had all day.) How sweet is he? Made my night!

After watching Meet the Robinsons for the 1st time on the 12th, I look over at J, obviously upset. When I asked him what was wrong, big tears and sobs gushed out. He was upset that the main character didn't end up with his birth parents. He's such a sensitive little guy. Oh, how I love him so. Fiercely. All 3 of them.

Gold chocolate coins + homemade treasure map = loads of fun for 2 little ones!

Old makeup containers painted with nail polish = loads of fun for a little girl + mom's makeup gets left alone!

I've noticed that Andrew has traded in his red coloring for a more yellowy one. Here are some smiles, talks and giggles (though we missed his first real giggles right before this video. It's hard to hear him through the other kids' laughter.

We received glowing reports from Shealyn's Bible Class. She apparently prayed in class, and is, according to the teacher, the first of her age group to do so in all her very long, long years of teaching. We also found out that she's a good gyrator when she tried to imitate a Tahitian dancer on TV.

The night before he had to do the violin group lesson play-in on the 21st, we reminded Jacob that he had to lead 2 of the Twinkle variations (C and D, or Down Pony-Stop Pony and Wish I had a watermelon) for the rest of the kids (all older, and some preteen aged) to follow. He got all giddy and said, "You mean I get to be the leader?" Why yes, you do. He wants to be the conductor eventually. Like next year. Here he is leading the group:

After a handful of attempts at giving S some gum to chew and not swallow, she finally chewed for a full 20 minutes on the 25th. (Jacob was doing this for a solid 2 hours at about 18 months of age.) We're pretty sure she'll have several mini gum trees in her stomach in the next coming months.

More on the 25th: We signed Jacob for soccer in March! S sang the funny, abbreviated version of "Hakuna Matata" on the way home from church. Several days later we caught her on tape. I played "peek-a-boo" with Andrew for the first time and he loved it. Poor third child gets ignored a lot. We hardly play with him at all. :( Here is some silliness:

Shealyn, pointing to all of Andrew's face parts on the 29th, said "Baby's chin" (pointing to his chin), "and baby's 'nother chin" (pointing to his double chin). Yep, our boy is chunky!

It is definitely confirmed on the 30th that A is teething. It may take a couple of months for teeth to show, but he is furiously (and fussingly - is that a word? It should be.) chewing his hands and our fingers, biting down hard, and slobbering buckets. Poor thing.

I can't remember the last time we were so productive with homeschool and such at home (post-baby, that is). On the 31st, we did a bunch of schooling - our usual calendar time, taught J to skip count by 2's to 100, started the water cycle and learning continents, reviewed a couple of consonant blends, did some writing with J and prewriting with S, cutting practice (S freestyle and patterns with J), wood polishing or J while S napped, and outside play for pouring/scooping/spooning practice. Apparently we also needed to do "shooting" practice - Jacob shot about 150+ rounds of caps while we were outside. On another note, Big Mac weighs 15 pounds!

Now S also hates to stop at red lights. She keeps insisting that I go, while J constantly asks to not only beat but also bump other cars. I fear for the time they actually get to drive.

Though she's really good at it and happy to oblige, S belligerently likes time out. She'll say with a big smile, "Shealyn go to time out in the corner over there?" I might need a new form of punishment for her hitting her brother.

Shealyn no longer says "yap" for her "yep" or "yes." It was cute while it lasted.

Sometimes, especially at the end of the day, I have a tendency to get short and impatient with all of the little fusses of my children - I want more water, my blanket is not on right (for the 1000th time), etc. Then I pause for a moment. These are the easy days when we as parents can "fix" things for them and make it ALL better with just a simple act. Later in life it won't be that way. Sadly, we won't be able to fix much of anything. So I carefully straighten out the blanket for the 1000th time, wipe away the frustrated tears on my sweet 2 year old's face, and watch her happily settle into sleep.

In case you are wondering why we go to collegiate basketball games... Because Jacob needs to sit with (and pretend that he is playing with) the band and Shealyn needs to go up and down the stairs the entire time. That's why.

Talkin' Trash

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:12:00 +0000

I'm not sure I'm liking this whole video game thing. Every time D and J play Mario Kart on the wii I hear J saying things like, "I left you some presents, dad" (aka obstacles like bananas) or "I'm gonna cattywompus your keister." "I'm gonna get your taters and ambagooslum."

That Charlie Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:42:00 +0000

That Charlie Brown, well he's no clown. Why is everybody always (kissin') on me? (Ahem, Shealyn and Jacob)

Our frump face boy looks a lot like Charlie Brown, don't you think? Maybe that's what he'll be for Halloween next year...

Though he's an easy and complacent baby, we will have to work hard to make him smile. He already seems to be a very serious little person, a realist that sees the glass half empty. I try hard to make him smile and he just stares back with a "Is that all you got?" look. Eventually he smiles. Probably to get me to stop.

Shealyn says he has a monkey face when is frumpy-faced or crying.

I've come to the conclusion that he looks very similar to Shealyn's early baby photos. He also has lips like her, has long, curly eyelashes and shares eyebrows with Jojo (so does Shealyn, whereas Jacob's are like mine). Their fontanelles have all been superbly different. Jacob's was "normal," Shealyn's was "abnormally" (gapping) large and Andrew's is "abnormally" tiny.

Growing up, I associated that quintessential baby smell with Johnson and Johnson products. But now that we go all natural, organic and unscented for our babies, I have come to really know what babies smell like. And I LOVE baby smells not tainted by (harmful) J&J products so much better. Oh, baby smells are perfect, and Andrew is no exception. I can't get enough of his little scent. I smell the top of his head or kiss and smell his little neck ALL. DAY. LONG.

We took S for her 2 year check-up and A for his 2 month check-up at the same time, though he was not quite 2 months (he was 7.5 weeks - a whole 9 days shy of his "birthday"), so the numbers are a little off:

Shealyn: 25.3 lbs, 33.7 inches

Andrew: 12.7 lbs (or 12 lbs 11 oz), 22.4 inches

My OCD Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:45:00 +0000

Both my older kids suffer from OCD. Or should I rejoice? Just a few examples...

Jacob incessantly asks "Is this how it's made?" when something is defective or nicked (aka not perfect). He HAS to know that it was supposed to be that way or he can't function and it will plague his little mind forever. His socks have to be perfect, so does his belt. If he notices wrinkles on his clothes it worries him and asks his non-ironing mother to iron the clothes the next time.

Shealyn has the same issues with socks and footed pajamas. This also extends into blankets - they need to be PERFECT, and it's hard and exasperating when you don't know how "perfect" is supposed to be in her eyes. Her sleeves need to be pushed back, her pant legs can't touch the floor, and she despises being messy (or having anything around her messy). If something goes awry, she cries out in desperation, "Oh, no, look!"

They both have this "end of the world" mentality. Can't wait to see what Andrew will be like. (Sigh.)

The apple, or in this case apples don't fall far from the tree. (Although, I do not have that kind of mentality.)

Here are some more pictures from these past weeks for your viewing pleasure...

Christmas didn't go as planned, and we didn't get to volunteer until after the New Year due to illnesses, abscesses (only one), and nosebleeds (Jacob). Oh well!

At church Christmas morning... the boys wore green

The girls wire gray

S looks so serious and possibly seductive (yikes)

So grown up!

It snowed that night before! These are pictures we took after church after the snow had already melted quite a bit

Granddad in the backyard looking for more pecans

Our front yard

Jacob recruited G-dad to play the Wii with him. It's only fair because when G-dad was here this past summer and even during this visit, Jacob plays Sudoku with him on the computer.

Jojo's "tricks" are a usual and necessary routine

Brothers - so sweet!

Talking to Jojo

He slept while watching Jojo get ready

Falling asleep on Jojo

Andrew's fingers are sticking out of these holes (he's sleeping under it)

Getting a rub down by Jojo is always nice

She rocked herself to sleep

Shealyn's new hair "creation"

New Year's

Shealyn's packing heat (she's got a gun tucked under her shirt). Ma'am, can I see your concealed weapons license, please?

My Sweet (and Sour) Girl is 2!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:18:00 +0000

Here's the cake I attempted to make, nothing fancy

Her presents were waiting for her in the morning

Waking up birthday morning

Zuma joined in the fun of opening gifts

Her first doll house!

She insisted on pig tails and nail polish

And she wanted to spend her day at Chuck E Cheese's

Granddad and Andrew slept in a booth

Jacob helped Shealyn climb up the "hamster tunnels" until she figured out how to do it herself

Then we came home and had cake (she had me sing the "Happy Birthday" song repeatedly to sleep for days leading up to her actual birthday)

For added effect, I made it a zebra cake - see?

My monkey girl hanging around...

Her church artwork in October (she LOVES to write and draw):

Other observations we've made these past weeks...

Shealyn has pixie-like qualities: Almost pointy ears that slightly stick out, beautiful pointy face with soft cherub-like cheeks that are often rosy in appearance, big eyes, naturally pouty lips that curve downwards and come to a poufy point at the top. And when she's falling asleep, she closes her eyes tightly and pouts her lips. She's my sleeping beauty!

Since the baby arrived, she has magically been sleeping in her toddler bed most of the night, though she does do a back and forth thing between our bed and hers vairous times throughout the night a few nights a week.

Just like her brother at this age, she now tolerates and on occasion even likes blankets and footed pajamas.

Sadly, the cute "hold you" (instead of "hold me") transition was short-lived (2 weeks at most).

At times she callas "hiding" "running."

Demands me to "get him" when the baby cries and says that "baby needs mommy" when she's done holding him.

While Jacob is a sweet, sensitive soul, Shealyn is of the fiery, spunky variety. But both like to make you laugh in different ways and both are dramatic.

When going to sleep, she sometimes wants you to envelope her completely, which she calls "roll up" (in a very particular manner, mind you), or just hold her hand (also in a particular manner). Sometimes she doesn't want you to touch her at all, and on the rare occasion she'll just want you to leave the room.

Not unlike most kids, Jacob had trouble with the sounds that came from the back of his mouth/throat (like "K") for a while. Shealyn mostly does not have trouble with those sounds (other sounds she does), although sometimes she reverts to not saying them correctly. But she can't say banana for the life of her! "Mae-ya" is how she says it.

She is very precise and complex in tower building and conceptual forms and ideas. And she is really good at puzzles. Her fine motor skills are certainly exceptional - much better than Jacob's at this point.

While Jacob is our chocolate milk boy, Shealyn has become our strawberry milk girl, though it is very seldom when she will actually drink it.

Here's a short clip of Shealyn singing. She sings ALL. THE. TIME. day and night during bed time, and so many songs and several verses of songs (including one of her favorites, "Blue Skies and Rainbows"), but we never catch her on video. She usually stops singing when she sees the camera. And she is always on key. Even one of Jacob's (group) violin teachers stopped the group class one day upon hearing her sing. She commented on how she had perfect pitch and she had never seen that in that young of a child. Perhaps she'll be our singer???

Here is a shot of Shealyn saying her colors. It was like pulling teeth to get the video done. Right before it, she was rattling off her colors perfectly (she's known her colors for quite some time now), but would not concentrate for the video. I should have turned off the TV.

More Shealyn antics:

And yes I realize that in all of these videos she is wearing pajamas and her hair is all tangled ad uncombed - they are all in the morning. Don't judge.

Blue Times 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:46:00 +0000

Well, it looks as if I will end up with 3 blue eyed children, each different. (Andrew's eyes changed from newborn blue sometime between Christmas Day and the 27th.) Jacob has a bright blue color, Andrew has a dark blue and Shealyn has an everchanging stormy blue with a hint of gray and a touch of green. None take after me.

Chestnuts Roasting by an Open Fire..

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:16:00 +0000

Merry Christmas!

We celebrated Christmas a little early this year. Since the day fell on a Sunday, we wanted to do the presents the morning before, and have Sunday be a day focused solely on Christ' arrival.

Earlier this week we allowed the kids (and us) to camp out under the tree and by the fireplace all night while watching Polar Express until they fell asleep. But the festivities really started with egg nog French toast for lunch and a ride on the Polar Express train on Thursday night (the coldest, windiest day ever). The kids had no idea what we were doing until they saw the train pull up, and it was a hit for sure! They came back with stories to tell, bells from Santa's sleigh and golden tickets (punched, of course). Jacob did tell me that they didn't visit the real North Pole - it was pretend because they apparently only went like 5 houses, maybe 4 away from where they started. That kid cracks me up.

Waiting in line for the train...

On board the train

The next night we had a small candlelight carol service at home and prepared for Santa's arrival with milk and cookies. Although, Jacob did manage to find the unwrapped presents in our guest room. Oops. Even though I was certain that the "magic" was over, he still believed that Santa came last night. At least he led us to believe it anyway.

Looking out for Santa...

Carols by candlelight

Today, we awoke to snow falling outside. The kids excitedly opened their gifts (this year's gifts were quite a hit - and aside from one gift for Andrew and a secondary Wii remote, none of the gifts require batteries), though they had fevers and were sick (presumably from the cold night at the train tracks) and I made my famous cider on the crock pot.

We settled on me making Jesus's birthday pie today and a lovely homemade ham and mozzarella loaf with eggs for dinner. After dinner we will tell the story of Jesus's birth from the Bible while the kids play with their new nativity set from Nana and Glenpa, sing some praise songs and drive to see some lights around town. Tomorrow we will go to church, hopefully help out at the orphanage in the afternoon (if the kids are better - otherwise, we may have to do it the next day) and feast on some roasted chicken.

Now, they are all napping, awaiting the arrival of Jojo and Granddad any minute. Even the dogs are fast asleep after a long romp and chew (on their new "knuckles") outside in the snow. And I will be watching Elf. And maybe Christmas Vacation and It's a Wonderful Life later this weekend.

Mr. Big Stuff is 1 Month Old!

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Can you believe it's been a month already?!?!? I can't.

Andrew's body and rest of his head finally caught up with his cheeks and double chin. He doesn't look so disproportioned to me any longer. And he's starting to look cuter and less like a turtle. :) His chest is so big around now, too. What a bruiser he is. Derek and I tease each other saying that he will be the one that his older siblings call upon when they need bully help. We call him "Mr. Big Stuff" and even sing that song to him all the time - all 4 of us.

He's got cute fuzzy blond hair already (most babies don't have visible hair yet) on his skinny chicken legs, so we think he'll be like dad. And also like the Kite family, little Drew purses his lips and sneezes big like Jojo. He also burps big and makes lots of stretching noises when he sleeps. A lot.

When he cries, he eventually stops on his own and falls asleep - which is SOOOOO unlike Jacob was. He would keep crying until he'd make himself vomit. I can't remember if Shealyn every stopped on her own, as I don't like to let them cry for much longer than like a second, but in the car sometimes there is nothing we can do. I do remember Shealyn crying in the car and she would get so very hot from crying that I had to stop and take her out of her car seat for a while. I would even have to strip her of her clothing (in the winter time) until she'd fall asleep and I could resume driving. But we never let her cry for long. Maybe because she's got a set of lungs that could be heard halfway around the world. (Now, she will stop crying on her won and tells us that she's stopped crying.) Andrew isn't very loud and will only cry for a short period of time in the car and then fall asleep.

He's got a very tiny, pointy, bony bum that is so easy to clean, and his head smells so good. I love to kiss and snuggle my face into his head, neck and face, and he absolutely loves it and relaxes when I do. In fact, I can nuzzle my face in his neck all day and both of us would be perfectly content. He enjoys cuddling by the fire - the warmth puts him to sleep. (Did I say that I'm in love?) He is such a sweet little guy, even though most of the time he has a frump face. So serious. Bit who needs a third clown anyway?

His nostrils appear to be big, but if you look into his nose, his nasal passages are tiny. Like his big sister, he is not a spit-up baby. YAY! But like his big brother and sister, he agrees that my milk must be sour. He is gassy and cries at times, but usually only one feeing per day. I call it the "witching hour." Mostly, he's our good, mellow little baby.

This is my last month as a mom with 2 under 2 (Shealyn turns 2 at the end of the month).

Here are tons of pictures and one video. The video is of him smiling when he's going to sleep. I never have a camera nearby when he's smiling at me, so I had to do it when he was sleeping. This was about 2 weeks ago.

A pile of feet (Jacob is on the outside)

Feet line-up - can you tell whose feet are whose? (S, A, J)

Christmas came early

100% Certified Organic

NOT HAPPY

Our Little Sugarplum

A Little of This and That

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:16:00 +0000

Have your New Year's resolutions ready? I never really do and never follow through. However, this year I have an actual plan ready to go. Starting the 1st, I will be doing a 31 days of prayer for my husband. And then in February, I will do the 21 days of prayer for my two sons. And in March 31 days of prayer for my daughter. Last but not least, in April the 12 days of prayer for my children's future spouses. I'm excited to become a better wife and mother!

What I've learned with being a mom of 3 now (and it's not even that hard yet, and Andrew is such a good baby, too) is to not complain how hard it is to be a mom of 2, 3, whatever. I sued to complain at times how difficult it was to have 2 kids. If I had known then what I know now, I would have never complained. It's so much easier having 2 kids. But I still wouldn't trade it for anything. Derek and I really wanted to get over the 2 kids mark, and now we have. (On a side note, I have considered having a fourth, especially since A is so sweet.) Maybe it's been more difficult because he kids have been fussier than usual. At least Shealyn has an excuse. I found out that she's teething, which explains the extra fusses, impatience, shorter nap times and the slight cries while sleeping at night. One and a half of her molars have come in, leaving us with only 22.5 more teeth to go. Unless we do have that fourth child.

Last week we made more homemade peppermint patties to give out while the kids played with peppermint play-doh and colored with Christmas-shaped crayons. We also made snowmen (from food items), colored soap paints, mini gingerbread house (mini is much more manageable for tots), and watercolored in the bathtub. We've also been doing the Jesse Tree Advent activity for toddlers.

Funny saying of the week (from Jacob): "If you don't let me have a snack, I'm just going to eat boogers."

Doing more eating than "making"

Herding Cats

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:43:00 +0000

My husband put it best... having 3 kids is like herding cats. Or maybe it's like nailing jello to a tree, as a friend put it. To me, it's like juggling a three ring circus. And I don't juggle.

Notice a growth on my 2 kids?

But they do love each other. Or smother each other.

He's so proud that he can hold his little brother by himself.

Carpooling to "work"

An Artful Kind of Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Since we've been sick and the weather's been cold, it was definitely an art day. The kids made 2 crafts (reindeer ornament and glitter trees), helped me make glittery peppermint-scented play-dough (then played with it), then helped dad make cookies. All while listening to Christmas music.

Holiday Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Last weekend was a busy one for us with Jacob's Christmas Violin Concert (which went very well), the Science Museum's Christmas festivities right after (with no nap for Shealyn), and then the baby photo shoot for Andrew (which did not go so well). Andrew was not cooperating during his photos- he slept for about 2 minutes and cried for about half the time. All in one day. Then on Sunday, our church class headed up a community outreach church program (which Jacob loved), and went to evening church followed by our new small group (which we also loved, but our kids were completely and utterly fussy almost the entire time).

I also realized that our newborn does NOT look like a newborn. From all the newborns (even some older than mine) that I saw that weekend, ours looks HUGE.

Here are the highlights of J's concert:

And Shealyn "performing":

A few photos before the concert started:

Snow, Sick and Songs

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:41:00 +0000

Four out of five of us have been sick (Derek didn't get it). Mostly just a cold, but Shealyn got a stomach bug. But the good news is that we've had snow falling non-stop for the past 2 days (some of them huge and beautiful). Today it was sunny and it started to melt. I'm glad I got my camera out this afternoon before it all melted.

So we have songs for each of our kids and have had them since the day they were born. Andrew now his 2 songs. The traditional version of "Mr. Big Stuff" and one we made up:

Oh me oh my, Andrew he's our guy,

Oh baby Annnn-drew, how we love you

(repeat)

Shealyn's is:

Sweet baby Shea

Sweet baby Shea, you're our little girl, our tiny pearl

Sweet baby Shea

(repeat)

Jacob's is:

I love my little Jacob, I love him yes I do.

I love my little Jacob, his heart is so true.

My Jacob, my Jacob, his little eyes so blue.

My Jacob, my Jacob, my heart belongs to you.

And I love you, do I do.

Look at what the stork brought us!

noreply@blogger.com (Kite Koop Keeper) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:37:00 +0000

A newly hatched early Christmas present...

Santa Baby