Tuesday Traditions

I have started a new Tuesday tradition with the boys.  Every Tuesday I take one of them out for a "date" with mommy.  I wasn't sure how this would go over for Caleb and Ethan.  Caleb is so hard to read and I didn't think Ethan would understand, but I thought it was a great way to spend some alone time with each boy doing something fun!

I have had one date with each of the boys and I am so happy I started this.  Each one needs a little something different to make it fun for him, but I think part of the fun for me will be finding new things to do together.  Both Jacob and Caleb went to the splash pad with me.  It is so interesting to me to see the differences between them.  I had to beg Jacob to go get his feet wet.  He was overwhelmed by the big kids and just too nervous to go out there alone.  Mommy gladly jumped in to make it more fun!  Caleb was the opposite.  He ran right in and I had a hard time keeping track of where he was.  Caleb was happy to be out doing something and because I wasn't trying to keep a location on three babies, he had more freedom than i usually give him.  Jacob gave me a huge hug at the end of our date and told me "my love you, momma."  Melted my heart! 

Ethan was a little unlucky, on his date night it was raining, so no splash pad for him.  We will just have to do that on another one of our dates.  He enjoyed the one-on-one attention.  He was able to walk and be a little more independent.  We stopped by Target and I held his sweet little hand as we walked in.  He was so excited to see the big red concrete balls in front of the store.  He ran to the "ball" and pushed with all his strength, groaning and trying to make that ball roll!  Absolutely adorable moment.  We went to a play areas and played together and as he gets older we will only have more fun!

I didn't take many pictures while we were out because I wanted to give the boys my undivided attention.

I should mention that my dates nights are encouraged by my husband and I couldn't go if he wasn't willing to watch the other two while we go out.  I have a good man!

A Loss...

When Jonathan and I met we both had a cat.  His kitty, Josey, was a little shy, but very accepting of me.  My kitty, Kristy, loved Jonathan more than she loved me the first day she met him!  The girls took a while to get accustomed to each other.  They fought and hissed, but finally turned into best buds.  They were the "beings" that kept us company while we were single.  They are members of our family.  Today we had to say goodbye to Josey.  Our hearts are broken.  It was very sudden and she was not old enough for us to be worried we would lose her anytime soon.  It was hard for me, but I wasn't sure how Jonathan would handle her passing.  He is a very strong man, but he has a big heart and is very capable and willing to show emotion.  So, not only did my heart break in knowing that we lost a family member, but watching my husband's emotions was difficult too.  Rest in peace sweet Josey girl! We will miss you!


Josey is the kitty in the front.  Kristy is the black and white kitty and Hailey is our Maltese baby.

Catching Up!

Ok, it has been a very long time again, so let's hit the high points and move on so I can try to stay on top of this a little better:

Jacob - He has finished his first year of pre-school.  His teachers brag about how both he and Caleb are the sweetest, cuddliest boys they have had in a long time.  He is very polite and he is growing out of being a baby and into a little boy.  Jacob will be evaluated soon for a few speech errors he has, but we know he will oversome those quickly.  We had a date last Tuesday (July 2nd) and I had an amazing time with him.  This picture is from our time at the splash pad on our date.  When I put him back in the car at the end of our date he looked at me so sweet and said "I love you!"  He has told me this many times, but never without me saying it first.  He is our helper; he loves to help with laundry and taking care of the dog, he even likes to help me cook.

 

Caleb - My little free spirit!  This kid has enough energy for 5 kids and he definitely keeps us on our toes.  He also finished his first year of pre-school (with same cuddly nature as Jacob).  Caleb has had a few issues with his ear and we think we are at the end of that battle.  Caleb has speech delays, but he has been accepted to the PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities) for the coming school year.  I think this will be a great program for him and I cannot wait to see how well he does in this kind of structured environment.  Caleb's picture is from our date on Tuesday (July 9th).  He was so excited running through all the water, I never could get a very good picture of him.  By the end of our time there I was soaked, even though I had planned on staying mostly dry.  Caleb is generous with his hugs and never meets a stranger. 

 Ethan - I think Ethan has stolen quite a few hearts!  His big eyes and happy smile draw people right in!  Ethan has had his palate closed, but he still has some small holes.  I think those must be slowly closing because we are seeimg less and less food coming out of his nose.  Maybe he is just learning how to keep it out of his nose.  We have also had a hard time keeping Ethan on the growth chart for weight.  He is just as skinny as he can be, but he pack away the food.  At 19 months he finally hit the 20 pound mark!  I believe he is just blessed with incredible metabolism, he will thank me for it later.  He has a few teeth growing in the middle of his palate and these will eventually need to be pulled.  For now there are no more surgeries scheduled for a while so we are just enjoying watching Ethan grow!  Ethan's picture is from about a week ago.  The boys all went outside with Miss Jessica to play and Ethan decided it should be pool time!





These three boys are special and wonderful, but each in a unique way.  They have all got my heart and I am so blessed that God has given me the opportunity to raise them.