Can We Slow Down Time?

Our 'baby' is 18 months old!

He still smiles all the time and brightens our household with his silliness and loving nature

Working on fine motor

The snow was too soft and got into the boys' clothes so our sledding this year was not a huge hit with the little ones...

Niko went into the closet and pulled out the scooter and the helmet.  He loves all things with wheels!

Somehow our princess rounded out her ninth birthday this week.  How can this be?

Niko loves his furry sister so much and can often be found sitting with her, hugging her, filling her water bowl, or playing with her.  She has come to love him, but Alexander is still her everything.

Two peas in a pod

From snow to sunshine, Las Vegas has it all!

Ouch

Daniel tore his shoulder skiing with Alexander last week.  He is fairly certain it was dislocated, but he popped it back into place on the slopes.  He somehow managed to ski down the slope with Alexander, carry the gear back to the car (with a little help from his Bro), and drive himself to the hospital.  We are waiting to see what the orthopedist says, but the recovery time is long and the boys are already struggling without their main rough house buddy

Milestones

Nikolai has so many more words from a few months ago when he was only saying, "MAMA!" usually in a loud, agitated tone

Niko is now saying Dada, Duh for dog, NahNah for banana, Tuh for TV, and he has three animal sounds, Bah Bah, Roar (the cutest little whisper growl), and trumpeting like an elephant.  His babbling also has a much bigger variety of sounds than it used to

He and Alexander continue to get closer and closer.  They play so well together!  Alexander made up a game where he hollers, "Leh Go!" and takes off running across the house.  Niko runs as fast as his toddling legs can to catch up.  When he gets close, Alexander cries, "Leh Go!" again and they take off in the other direction.  Niko loves to build, bounce, and hammer with his brother, as well as to pass or kick a ball, or spin in circles.  The neighborhood big kids all include Niko in games whenever possible.

He loves to climb still, but has slowed down his death defying feats, choosing the slide instead of dancing with one leg hanging off the top of the playground, and sitting on the couch instead of running on it or diving over the side of it

He is our cleaner upper.  He puts his laundry in the basket, puts his shoes and toys away, helps feed Zoey, and in general, just notices mess more than big brother

Niko runs into class every day without looking back, carrying his jacket to his cubby before starting to play

He loves music!  He is always dancing, and prompting us to sing.  His current favorites are Five Little Monkeys, Wheels on the Bus, Baby Shark, and everything CocoMelon

He still loves his farm books, but is not as crazy about Old MacDonald as he was when he was younger

He is sleeping much better, usually waking up between 4am and 5am, wanting a bottle and usually needing a stinky diaper change

He isn't eating as much right now, preferring milk to real foods.  I couldn't even name a favorite food, or anything I can 

I got my second COVID vaccine yesterday and Daniel gets his Friday!

I cannot believe how fast my babies are growing and am trying to hold onto every moment.

School Days

 Our big guy is officially registered for kindergarten!

After months of subbing at different charter schools, and lots and lots of prayer, we have decided to enroll Alexander into a private Christian school!

When I went to pick Alexander up at school for his kindergarten assessment at the new school, he had a little note in his pocket, right over his heart.  Our sweet boy was feeling nervous about the test, so Ms. Melissa sent him off with words of encouragement.  We have been so blessed to have her in our lives this year!

Not surprisingly, Alexander was deemed more than ready for kindergarten, and we officially have him registered!

While Alexander gets ready for kindergarten, Niko is really getting into a routine with his class!  He loves his teachers and never even looks back to say goodbye.

To be extra studious looking, Alexander has started wearing glasses. We thought he had a lazy eye, as we began noticing his left eye kept turning into his nose.  When we took him to the eye doctor, we found out his vision is such that his brain was turning off the left eye in order to see as best as he could.  The doctor was surprised to find out that we have not had any behavior or learning problems.  He is far sighted in both eyes and is doing great adjusting to his glasses!

In between school and work we have been enjoying lots of good family time.

The boys had a blast celebrating our bestie Andy's birthday at the movies!

My heart is full of love for all my boys!!

  

A Visit from Mr and Mrs Ahgo

 

The whole crew was thrilled to spend time with 

the newly named Mr and Mrs Heckmam!

The energy of our house is always high, but we enjoyed some quiet moments, too.

Dave and Busters is a must when the whole group is together 

It was the first time Niko was old enough to enjoy some of the games.  Racing was by far his favorite!

We hope to make it to Denver soon!

Gammie's Golden Birthday!

My mom originally planned to leave Las Vegas at the end of December,  but at my continued encouraging,  she kept extending her stay. When we started talking about plans for her birthday, it only made sense for her to stay and celebrate with us!

It was a very special birthday:70 on the 7th.  A golden birthday, for sure!

The weather was gorgeous!

We headed to the park to meet up with friends.  My mom received a couple fabulous gifts and cards from my neighbors.  She has become a staple in our park gatherings and will be missed by many!

We did a lot of celebrating on Saturday, because her birthday fell on super bowl Sunday

While the boys went to a birthday party, my mom and I got to enjoy pedicures and lunch at a Thai restaurant.  We were so into the company, I forgot to take any pictures!

We had a gluten-free cake made by Retro Bakery so my mom could enjoy this birthday staple.  She requested no candles, fearing we might burn the house down!

We have made so many memories with Gammie over the last four months!

Gammie requested meatloaf for her birthday dinner

Both boys loved it

We had a great Zoom call with Jan and Heidi, during which my mom opened her present

Thank you to all who contributed a message for my mom's birthday book.  She was overcome by the love she received.  She is such a special person, and it was an honor to be able to compile the sweet contributions to share with her.

Aly and my mom will certainly remain friends for the long haul

Niko may be too young to hold onto any specific memories from this time with Gammie, but the bond they have formed will last forever

My brother sent Daniel picanha steaks as a welcome home present.  We figured the Super Bowl and Gammie's birthday created the perfect opportunity to fire up the grill for these beauties!

A Brazilian cut that promised not to dissapoint!

So good!

The game was unexpected and entertaining.  We had Bryan and Anne over to watch it with us, and we continued my mom's birthday celebration while watching the game.

My mom hit the road yesterday after four months of soaking up grand baby snuggles.  I know it will be a hard transition for all of us, but I keep reminding myself to focus on the joyful memories we created, and to begin planning for her next trip.

We love you, Mama.  See you soon.

Welcome Home!

 It's been just over a week now that we have had our crew complete again!  We have been soaking up family time and enjoying Daniel having some time off before we get back into our regular routine. 

Milestones and Memories 

Sitting on the couch with Daniel yesterday morning, Alexander asked,

"What is 99 plus 99? Wait I'll figure it out.  Well, if 100 plus 100 is 200, then 99 + 99 should be 200 minus 2." It took him a minute, but after thinking quietly, he said, "99 plus 99 is 198, right?"

Watch out world!

We are all smiles over here!