Bruiser

I really debated posting this but decided I needed to record this for future scrapbooking pages. Life is never dull with Mr. Xavier. He had his second soccer game this weekend. He is definitely getting more comfortable on the field which means he's more intense in his playing. He scored two goals on Saturday and though he didn't jump up and down I could see the small smile of satisfaction on his face. Anyways, another boy on his team was disappointed that he didn't get to score a goal and was feeling a little sad. In between the third and fourth quarter the coach tried to cheer him up by getting him to run around the field. He said, "Let's see how fast you can run!" The boy took off running across the field to the other side then turned to come back to the coach. At the same time, Xavier says, "I can run fast too!" and takes off running. Can you see where this is going? Both boys were so intent on their speed they weren't watching WHERE they were running...HEAD ON COLLISION. They both went down and parents came running. Xavier walked away with a goose egg and bruise on his forehead. The other boy was bleeding from everywhere and got a ride in a Marysville ambulance. Poor Xavier felt terrible! He's asked about his teammate almost every hour since the incident. He's asked to pray for him at every meal and bedtime. Thankfully, we talked to the parents today and the boy is healing with a few stitches and a fat lip. What's next?

The reluctant Sharks finished their game.

Ambulances are really cool to three year olds until they know the person inside.

ZooKids

I'm trying to exhaust Xavier so I enrolled him in the ZooKids program at the Columbus Zoo. He goes to a class with his friend Grace for 3 hours once a week during the month of September. While Xavier is thoroughly occupied with touching small alligators and learning about endangered species, Isaac and I wander the zoo with Grace's mommy and little brother. Grace, and Xavier have been buddies since they were born(two weeks apart!) and her brother and Isaac are only a month apart! This week, Andy joined us in our adventures. It was really nice to have him home during the day, but I really missed him at night!

Two in school!

Xavier started his first day of preschool last Wednesday. He was so excited he could hardly wait to get to his class. We enrolled him at Trinity so he and Brooklyn are in the same school. We allowed Xavier to pick any restaurant in Marysville for lunch, then carried it in to Brooklyn. Xavier felt like such a big boy eating in the cafeteria. Brooklyn was the envy of all her classmates because she was eating Wendy's instead of beef pie(eww?) Xavier's teacher asked that a parent stay during the first day of class to make the transition easier for the kids. Xavier didn't really want a parent to stay until he found out Daddy would be the one attending his class. Andy was on second shift last week so he was home during the day. I had a hard time letting go of the first day of school(surprise!) but knew this would be one of the few opportunities Andy would have to be part of Xavier's school activities. I think they both had a great time! Andy said Xavier was a great listener and followed directions wonderfully! He's already made a new friend. He hasn't stopped talking about "that girl in the blue shirt," aka Molly. She taught him how to pump on the swings! I'm looking forward to a fun year for Xavier and some peace and quiet during two afternoons a week!

Go Yellow..um...Red Sharks!

Soccer season has offically begun for Xavier. His first game was this morning. We were told their team color was going to be yellow. The boys picked the team name of the "Yellow Sharks." When the jerseys were passed out, they were red! Xavier didn't mind at all. He was so happy to have a jersey, any jersey!
The game itself was hysterical! I appreciate my son so much more now that I have experienced twelve three year olds together on a soccer field(they play 3 on 3). I don't think the other team had a single child that didn't cry at some point during the game. Xavier did a good job of handling the ball and even scored a goal! He doesn't seem to have that crazy competitive drive(yet!)that I expected from him. I asked him what his favorite part of soccer was and he said "chasing the other guys and trying to steal the ball!" I think we may have a future defender on our hands.




Brooklyn was happy with her new role as team cheerleader.

Pickin' and Grinnin'

I took Xavier and Isaac apple picking yesterday with a friend. Xavier complained the entire time out to the orchard. He thought it was going to take a long time, he doesn't like apples(since when?) and it was too hot. After he discovered we were picking with Ms. Julie, took a tractor ride, and filled his own bag to the brim, he couldn't stop telling me how fun it was! I'm looking forward to making some yummy applesauce!




For all those concerned viewers out there, no allergic babies were harmed in the photographing of apple picking. Isaac's teeth never broke the skin of the apple.

Opa!

I could't pass up posting this picture. The kids LOVE their Opa. They are thrilled that he is retired so he can come visit with Oma every week. His silly antics get Xavier giggling like no one else.

Labor Day

Over Labor Day weekend we traveled to see some friends who recently moved to the country. It was beautiful! Their house sits atop a hill surrounded by rolling fields and woods. We had a bonfire, which nearly overtook our blanket, stroller, etc., complete with tasty s'mores. Brooklyn learned the fine art of toasting, rather than burning the marshmallows to a crisp. She was rather proud of her accomplishment. Xavier didn't care, as long as it was accompanied by chocolate and graham crackers. The kids romped in the fields, went for hikes in the woods, and took a dip in the nearby lake. It was country living at its best! Andy would love to live in the country. I was almost convinced during this visit until the multiple near misses with deer during a drive. I'll continue my suburban living for now. Thanks to the Boyds for their wonderful hospitality. We can't wait to hear your baby news!

The latest

Isaac is officially on the move! He started crawling last week and is now pulling up to standing every chance he gets. He has no interest in sitting anymore. His physical therapy evaluation is scheduled for September 30. He's still itchy and rashy, but seems to be improving. The latest food issue is apples and pears. He seemed to do fine with the baby food, but eating the fruits raw caused a major breakout and puffy eyes. Will this ever end? Probably not, but we're dealing with it.

Thankfully, he's not that fast yet.

The kids love giving him a bottle. Xavier will sit and feed him an entire bottle!


Xavier took this picture. Isaac currently has six teeth.

This is a glimpse into the next few months. He's just starting to get into things. Here, found the marker box. Isn't that a lovely blue stripe on his face? Of course, he chose one of the very few non-washable markers.

First Grade

It's that time of year! Brooklyn started her first day of first grade yesterday. The day went very smoothly. I was proud that I was able to get all three kids out the door by 8:30, dressed, fed, and ready for the day. She has a new teacher and seemed to enjoy the class. Her only complaint? There are 5 girls and 11 boys in her class!

A Visit With Grandma Bertie

Andy's grandma lives in South Bend. We don't get to see each other very often. In fact, Xavier was around a year old the last time we were together! She stayed with us for a day before she headed to Andy's parents' house. She was able to meet Isaac and catch up with Brooklyn and Xavier. We all went out to dinner to celebrate her birthday. It was a lovely visit!

Gymnastics

We made the switch from Integrity to the local YMCA for gymnastics. The drive and cost were huge factors in our decision. I can't say the Y's program even remotely compares to Integrity's awesome facility and instruction, but for our needs it will be just fine. Flexible girl(aka Brooklyn)continues to wow us with her development, but the surprise has been Xavier. He is extremely strong and seems to have a good sense of balance. He hopped across the beam on one foot(without falling!) mastered the bridge, and can almost do a cartwheel!

As promised, here is the best picture I have of Xavier's bridge.


Brooklyn was "walking" in her bridge.

The Last Hurrah

Andy's parents come to visit every week. It is a lifesaver! I'm able to do some housework, plan appointments, and get a break from the chaos. Last week, we took a road trip to their house before school started again. Their house has all sorts of fun things to do. We tried to go for a ride on the tractor, but the tire on the trailer was flat. We went for a swim instead. Xavier tried out his new watercraft. It is motorized and shoots water! Brooklyn was happy puttering around the pool. When Isaac got up from his nap, she took him for a few laps around the pool in his Cozy Coupe floatie.

Jump, Dive, and Wail

The swimming lessons finally paid off! Brooklyn took a jump off the diving board for the first time last week. It only took 45 minutes to convince her. She was afraid...
1. She'd get chlorine in her eyes.
This coming from the girl that dives for rings sans goggles.
2. It was too high.
But not as high as jumping off the monkey bars-which she does regularly!
3. It was too deep.
It was no more over her head than the deep water she was jumping in off the side of the pool.
She was just plain scared and there was NO convincing her. She'd go to the edge of the board and freak out. Finally, the lifeguard offered to catch her. She couldn't get off the board fast enough! She jumped into the arms of the waiting lifeguard then swam to the side with a huge grin on her face. She jumped one more time to him, then asked him to "Go away, please." After that, I couldn't tear her away from the diving board. One more fear, conquered!





Xavier watched with envy as Brooklyn and her friends went off the board. He wanted to go off too! I told him that he had to swim without a floatie in order to be in the deep end. He insisted he could. Finally, I handed Isaac off to a friend and said, "prove it!" I am eating my words. He jumped off the side of the pool and swam about 30 feet without help. I took him over to to lifeguard so he could prove he could swim. He did it again! He marched up to the diving board, walked out to the edge, and chickened out. Next year, I'm sure he'll be joining his sister. What a great way to end summer vacation!

Perfecting the Chin-up

I'm amazed at how much strength Brooklyn has gained through less than one year of gymnastics. This time last year she was nowhere close to being able to pull herself up. Gymnastics has been a great thing for both Brooklyn and Xavier. Xavier can now do a bridge! I'll have to get a photo of him because I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it!

Hangin' around.

Almost there!

Ah, the sweet smile of success!

An Afternoon at the Park

We biked to the park yesterday afternoon. It was such a nice day I thought I'd take a few photos. Why couldn't the tea party look like these?

Tea For Two!

We tried a destination birthday party for the first time this year. After finding out Andy would be out of town for the four days preceding Brooklyn's party, I put in a call to The Glass Slipper in Powell. It was great! Brooklyn invited 7 other girls to a "My Doll and Me" tea party. It was adorable! The girls all dressed up and found their best manners to participate in the tea. I almost hired a professional photographer to capture the day, but decided since I had NOTHING else to do, I would take the photos. Now I'm kicking myself! My pictures are almost all blurry and the flash didn't act the way I wanted it to. Oh well, at least we have great memories!

This is the group outside the tea house. Brooklyn is holding her souvenir "glass" slipper.

All birthday honorees put their hand print with name and date in a special room in the house. Of course, Brooklyn chose pink paint for her hand print. They were running out of room on the walls so Brooklyn put her hand on the floor.

Each of the girls had to introduce themselves and their dolls. Then, they had to tell one reason their doll was so special to them.



The girls had an etiquette lesson before the tea began on how to place their napkins, how to wipe their mouths, and what to do with the napkin when they were finished. All went well until one party goer launched into a "Cake, cake, cake..." chant. Soon all the girls were shouting "CAKE!" at the tops of their lungs! So much for manners!

During the gift opening, Brooklyn sat in a special chair. The girl whose gift was being opened sat next to her. It was nice not to have everyone scrambling for a position to see their gift opened and begging to help.

Brooklyn wore an off white dress with lavender flowers that matched her doll's. Within the first 10 minutes of arriving at the party, the hostess offered dress ups to all the girls. Brooklyn chose a lovely burgundy number that looked like a Christmas dress. It was a few sizes too big and looked very lumpy with her other dress underneath. It is in ALL my pictures! I can't decide whether to be annoyed at the dress or at myself for wanting to control the party. Comments?



The last event was the tea party limbo. The girls went wild! They were giggling and cheering each other on. Who knew limbo was such a hit?


The party was a great success. It will be hard to go back to doing all the work. It is so much fun having a little girly girl!