It seems that just like "that" summer is creeping upon us and working it's way in to our everyday routine. Natalee only has reading to complete before we take the rest of May and month of June off from school, so our sit down learning time is minimal, leaving more time for out door exploring and getting dirty. I find my down time (ha) filled with washing dirty little feet and sweeping up sand and crumbs from the floor - because, as you all know, the harder you play outdoors the more you have to eat to keep up!
Mia is filling her time by being silly, fine tuning her walking skills, taking her clothes off, and growing big!
Mia is voicing her independence in all things about life.
Instead of feeding her for every meal we've begun letting her have control of her plate, which delights her immensely. We're still working on just saying/signing "all done" instead of trying to remove the plate herself when she's finished.
The humidity is finding the curl in her hair - if only she had hair on top, too, instead of just in the back!
Xavier is trying to shake off the last of his "little boyhood" right before my eyes, in favor of being a man. He's getting bossy and demanding (we're working on it!) and wants to be a leader. He is soaking up every aspect of baseball and I love the way he's pushing himself to improve his skills. He spends much time in the back yard with the throw back net learning to catch and field balls and is constantly begging someone to be "coach" so he can practice batting without the tee.
Occasionally I catch a glimpse of his sweet little boy'ness' left (and I pray it stays forever).
He's an increasingly thoughtful and caring big brother and can always be relied on to lend a helping hand when it comes to baby sister.
He can often be found kissing and hugging Mia (and often she's found pushing him away!) and telling her how loved and precious she is. He is a wonderful protector.
Natalee is in her element with the sun shining and fresh soil to dig in. She's constantly dirty and mostly quite cheerful. She's enjoying baseball and got to play pitcher at practice the other night, which is a very important role to these children.
She can often be found with either Xavier or Ameliya, reading to them for their enjoyment and her's.
She's always offering to help around the house and is practicing her mama skills daily. She can be depended upon to help watch Ameliya and keep her safe while I do small tasks such as get dressed in the morning, switch laundry, etc. We have taught her to pick up Mia around her tummy in case she needs to remove her from danger (stairs, etc.) and she exercises great caution with this task (also likely because she doesn't want to hear the squealing that follows).
Many of you know Natalee received physical therapy services for a few years during her toddler/preschool age. We continue to work on large muscle strengthening and I am so proud to say she's officially able to pump her own swing. This is a HUGE deal - rejoice with us!
Natalee is great at setting up a scheme and getting her brother involved. Here they are having a clinic/hospital check up day. Today, while I blog and Mia naps, I can hear them fixing up a picnic for their babies.
As you can see, summer, and the freedom feel that comes with it, is upon us. I'm busy growing #4, wrapping up J.A.M., praying for a special baby waiting for a bone marrow transplant, planning for NYR, thinking about a family vacation, and starting to lesson plan for school in July. I got to throw a baby shower for my sister-in-law this past weekend (pictures later!) and we are anticipating the arrival of her little girl in late June. The windows are open, the house is humid and a little sticky with a light breeze blowing through and I LOVE it. Mike is trying to keep up with us all and work and some church volunteering and is doing a wonderful job making sure we feel loved and filled up while at the same time fulfilling his work obligations with a 3 hour daily commute. The house is still for sale and we'd covet your prayers on that front. While we wait for our own moving date, we're excited to throw our whole selves into helping my baby sister and her hubby clean and move into their new home that they are purchasing.
We hope you have that light and airy summer feeling like we do. Find some time to be outside and soak in some Vitamin D and some of God's glory. It does the heart and mind wonders!
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