Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Happy 6 years, Josiah!

Six years, and my boy sure is looking big. This has been such a year of growth for Josiah. He has excelled in his school work and continues to love his sisters with care and affection. Josiah is persistent when he sets his mind to a task- one of my favorite qualities about him! He is also deeply curious. We love our dear boy and I think the year ahead will be the best yet!

Weight: 54 lbs 6 oz (87%)
Height: 49.75 in (98%)
Clothing: 6/7T, shoe size 1

Likes: art projects, tape, repurposing items, helping in the kitchen, imaginative play with Sarah and Lydia, learning new skills (like piano with dad), creating

Dislikes: working hard when he wants to be playing, injustice (to himself or others)

A day in the life:

7:00am: Josiah comes out of his room, usually asking us to get Anna out of her crib (which is under his loft bed)
           
Breakfast- Usually milk, banana, and cheerios, but he loves eggs and toast.

Morning: Morning chores to get ready for the day, then school time. Josiah's individual school work takes 1-1.5 hours and we spend about 1 hour doing read alouds and memory work all together.

Lunch: Josiah's pick would be a turkey sandwich with cheese and lettuce or perhaps a peanut butter and honey sandwich. He loves green peppers and has apples and oranges for snacks throughout the day.

1:00pm: Nap time in the guest room! He reads until 2:00 and then plays, usually doing a "project," until 3:00.

Afternoon: Our boy loves to be outside. He rides his bike, hits a baseball, or pretends to set up for camping with umbrellas and picnic blankets.

Dinner: He is a good eater and a good spirit about trying new food. This year the kids took on more responsibility with clean up and he has gotten quite good at wiping the table and sweeping.

Bedtime: After getting ready for bed, reminding him to use the restroom again, we give hugs and send him up his ladder. Then we pray for Josiah and Anna and sing Goodnight Anna and Josiah. It is a delightful mouthful!

Fun facts:
* Josiah still wants to be a painter, of both the inside and outside of houses.
* He has a whole bank of hymns in his sweet head.
* We started the reading curriculum we used last year with Sarah at the start of Josiah's year and he is doing great! I'm so proud of how he has developed over the school year. His favorite subject is handwriting. His favorite read aloud was Charlotte's Web. (<- I'm pretty sure we read this last year, but it was his definitive answer.)
* Josiah cut his hair a couple of months ago . . . I suppose they don't grow out of that as soon as I hoped.
* His best friends are Colton (from church), Raelynn (from school), and Ensley (from down the street). Thank God for the community He has given us!

A chronological look at the past year:

A special quilt by Gigi for his 5th birthday.

At the Evansville zoo


This was Josiah's first year to do swim lessons.

I love this. He was nervous about lessons. 

He and Anna share a room as well as a row in the van.
Josiah takes sweet care of her.

Games, construction, Starbucks.
A nearly perfect summer morning for everyone.

Reading for Dad at the beginning of school.

Nobody puts baby in a corner . . .
but sometimes a big brother puts baby in a basket :)

Eclipse 2017

He loves snorkel gear. This year we got him his own snorkel pack.

They love to set up "camping" in the front yard.

His good buddy Colton rode the bus to our house a few times this year.

First library card!

School pictures. We were so pleased!

our Hawesville Classical Conversations community

Meeting George Washington isn't an everyday occurrence.


Every other reading lesson has a game.
Flipping eggs was a favorite!


Zoo with friends!

We studied the body the first half of our school year.

Helping Dad build his loft bed.

Squanto for a school report on Halloween.

He finish his first (of two) math books on November 1.
This boy was trucking!

Cousin time at Thanksgiving.

A full and thankful heart.

A brave surprise.



He loves the Christmas train.

Decorating cookies at the library.

He made this on his own during nap time using a step by step "Draw the USA" book.
"I love it. Yay. I finished my first map."

This is his favorite spot at the Kentucky Science Center.

Celebrating the end of Level 1 Reading with Target popcorn and slushies.




Not quite gorilla size, but getting there fast.

When spring is one of your new words on the first day of Spring!

Post school antics.

First tooth!


Second tooth one week later at school.

He has a helping spirit. 

Keeping an eye on our eggs.


Making cinnamon rolls on his last day as a five year old.

And just like that, he is SIX!!!!!!



Saturday, April 14, 2018

Happy 21 months, Anna!

As always, it is hard to believe we are here. Almost to two with our babiest of babies. She is growing beautifully and maturing wonderfully. We are smitten with our Anna!

Diapers: size 5- no interest in potty training
Clothing: 2T, 3T

Likes: singing, the piano, being carried, kisses, raiding the candy cabinet, bath time, snuggling baby dolls

Dislikes: eating when she isn't hungry, being put down when she wants to be held <- basically not getting what she wants :)

Schedule:
7am Awake for the day!
9:00-10:30am   Play in her room
12:00-3pm   Nap
7pm   Down for bed

Sleep: Anna is a good napper, but we are still working to transition to one nap a day and efficiently accomplish school with the big kids in the morning. She continues to wake occasionally at night. We take great care to make sure she is very full before bed and pray for the best!

Physically: Anna has taken steps! She is very cautious and growing in courage. Her hair is so long and pretty, all her teeth have broken through, and she has the most sweet smile when she is feeling playful.

Food: I think she is my pickiest child. If she isn't hungry, she isn't bothered. She usually loves blueberries, raisins, mashed sweet potato, and cut up peanut butter sandwich. Anna has a cup of warm whole milk 3-4 times a day, sometimes drinking it well and other times not. She often likes to be fed, but is sometimes insistent on feeding herself. I don't feel like we've fully figured her out.

Communication: Anna has added words to her vocabulary, though most of what she says is babbling. She loves joining in routines, like folding her hands when we pray before bed and saying "amen" (sometimes before we are finished praying!) and then singing along to her goodnight song. It doesn't sound anything like the song, but she sings it the same way every night. Words she says most often: bye-bye, more, hi, no-no, yeah. Often when we ask her a question she just grins. At least she is cute :)

Fun things:
- We borrowed a walker from the physical therapist and Anna felt large and in charge as she was learning to walk. She also got her first really good busted lip :(
- She loves to say one, two, three and hold up a variety of fingers before we pull her down the slide or jump off something.
- Anna started walking at almost the exact same age as Sarah. Sarah took off when she began, while Anna has been much more slow to use her newfound talent. (21 months, 1 day for Sarah; 20 months, 22 days for Anna)

Anna loves her walker at PT!

Sarah could coax her to stand unassisted.


I caught her playing standing up. If she gets distracted and doesn't think about it, she'll do it!

Big fun at the Louisville Science Center.

BIG fun :)

Ms. Kim always bring the good times and smiles.

Anna's loves to "love" things . . . babies, pillows, balls, etc.

She has been a favorite recipient of Josiah's homemade generosity. 

She loves bath time, especially when she gets the tub to herself.
(Don't mind the brown...the paint was peeling off the tub, so we scraped it.)


Silly girl joining the big kids in outside play.


Best dad ever :)

Passing out water at the Tell City half marathon.

Rug burn to the nose at PT. That smile is still contagious!

She still gives us some good cuddles.

Piggies!

Our little Einstein :)

All the kids like to go to PT . . . I have to hold the big kids back so Anna can play :)