Smiling picture

Sam drew this picture today and describes it as "The mountains are smiling, the sun is smiling, the trees are smiling, the tree trunk is smiling, the stump is smiling, and the lake is smiling."

So long, hair

I finally grew 10 inches to donate and got my hair cut this weekend. Thomas cried when he saw me at first...recognized the voice and face, but what happened to the rest of her! Sam and Andrew just told me I looked like a boy. They really know how to make a mom feel good...

Andrew's sharing

Here is Andrew sharing at preschool. He's jumped right in and felt comfortable from the beginning this year. He got to bring in family photos for the first sharing day and a favorite toy. He chose his truck with the doors that open and told his classmates all about it.

Better every day

Sam was certainly hesitant about kindergarten to start with, but after a few days, he told me that it was just like I (Mommy), said it would be like. I said, "How is that?". He said, "Every day is better than the last." He continues to say that and while he has moments where he wistfully wishes each week had two Saturdays, he told me today that he was getting used to having a full day of school each weekday. So far, his favorite day is probably Wednesday because they have computer class, but he is also enjoying coloring and cutting, being the teacher's helper this week, and practicing writing. Here's a picture of him in his PE uniform with his new backpack.

Thomas' 1 year stats

Thomas is now 19lb 12.2oz, in the 25% for weight. He is 30.5" tall, in the 76% for height (no wonder he can reach 2 inches in from the edge of the table now!). For those keeping track, his head circumference is 46.25cm, or 55%.

Thomas turned one!

Thomas turned one year old last week. He's walking everywhere, babbles a lot and smiles more. A week before his birthday he learned how to climb onto the couch (to the chagrin of his mother). He's ticklish, loves playing hide and seek, and loves the adoring attention he gets from his brothers. He hasn't met a box he didn't want to climb into and loves to open drawers and cupboards to deposit his toys there. Here are some pictures of him with his birthday cake and on his special day. His big brothers had great fun making his birthday cake and adding sprinkles!

"When I grow up...

...I'm going to be a farmer because I like animals. I like chickens, bears, cats, dogs, roosters, horses, cows and frogs." -Andrew, age 3.75 years old.

Prayers

Andrew has taken a real liking to composing his own prayers. He often is inspired by Dave's rhyming grace prayers (although Andrew rarely pulls off the rhyme, making them very endearing). This is a recent one we really were impressed with:
"God King, in thy Lord. We thank you to be alive and drink and eat today. And tomorrow we'll thank you too. Amen."

Waterfalls are funny

Aspiring to new heights

Well, it's one week shy of Thomas's 1st birthday and he just learned how to climb onto the couch by himself. Yay for him. Sigh for Mom who has to be evermore vigilant and will likely earn several more grey hairs before he learns how to be safe on the couch. Onwards and upwards...literally this time.