Kid Speak

Big brother and little sister were not getting along this afternoon--most likely both were tired, hungry, and cranky in general. Brian and I had escaped upstairs for a few minutes after he got home from work, talking while laying on the bed in our room. It didn't take long for Makenna to come upstairs crying--she'd had enough of her brother--so I pulled her into the bed with us to console her. I'm sure its a hard lesson to learn at three years old that sometimes brothers are just plain mean. Mostly to distract her from the continued crying (she's a pro at it!), we started talking about all the random things we should do to Jacob because he was mean to her.
"Let's hang him upside down by his toes."
"We get to eat cake for dinner and Jake can't have any."
"He has to take his shower tonight while standing on his hands."
"Let's throw all his toys in the garbage can so he  can't play with them."
Mom: "He should have to sleep outside on the deck tonight."
Kenna: "Yeah!"
Mom: "Should we let him have a blanket?"
Kenna: "No. He can snuggle with the bunnies outside. Their fur is soft like a blanket!"

First Grade!

Spiked hair, missing teeth, and grins all around as this little man heads out for his first day of First Grade! 

Another Lost Tooth

I think this kid is trying to take the Tooth Fairy for all she's got! Jake's lost three teeth in as many weeks and is starting to look like he dukes it out in a boxing ring every weekend! Either that or, as his Nana put it, he's got the sweet smile of a first grader. 

Grandma and Grandpa come to visit

Grandpa and Grandma Miller came for a visit this summer as well, and the kids loved having their grandparents to play with.

Making brownies with Grandma.

mmm...chocolate

We visited Garden of the Gods on the rare sunny afternoon (random summer weather--it rained for a lot of the week they were here!)

Swimming Lessons

Both kids took swimming lessons this summer, twice a week for a month. I love having them in one-on-one lessons because they learn so much with the individualized attention and instruction. Makenna took to the water like a pro. She is a fearless child (scary for me, in some ways) so my primary concern for her is water safety & survival at this stage of the game. She was eager to learn and mastered floating on her back, and being able get herself onto her back after jumping in the pool. And she LOVED it! Every night she'd ask, "Do we have swimming lessons tomorrow?" even for weeks after it was all over. Next summer, little fish.

Jacob had taken lessons last summer as well, so the basics of water safety came back pretty quickly for him. He moved forward in his swimming skills, and by the end of the month was able to do the back stroke the entire length of the pool without assistance. We were watching from above when he did it, and I was one proud Mama! 

Nana's Visit

Nana came for a visit in July and we had a wonderful time together. She took us to see the new Planes movie (which Jacob loved!), made crafts with the kids, introduced us to some fun airplane fliers at the park, and we took her to the zoo. As always, the time is too short but we sure are grateful for the time we had with her. Love you! Thanks for coming!

Birthday Number Six

Birthday number six for Jacob. He's a smart little cookie. He loves books, especially informational ones. He frequently brought home ones about animals, trucks, airplanes, etc from the school library. And he's reading at a 2nd grade level right now--its been fun to watch the love & skill of reading take off in him. Jake loves the concept of "fast"--his favorite animal is the cheetah, he loves to run and is quite competitive. In fact, he told me last year that his goal was to be the fastest kid in his class. The kid still loves to play on the floor with trucks, planes, and trains, though Matchbox cars have taken a back seat to Legos right now. He can follow the directions by himself to put something together, though it doesn't stay together very long as he races, flys, and crashes his creations. And he takes his role as the big brother very seriously--he is Makenna's protector, her playmate, and he loves to torture her. It will be very interesting to see how things play out when little brother is old enough to join in.  

Mmmm...frosting! I let him lick off the beater just for the messy face picture. :)

He requested a shark cake. I think it turned out pretty well. 

We had a family birthday celebration (no friend party this year--too much work) and Jake chose mini golf. 

Four little monkeys playing in a cage...

Being eaten by a lion.

I think he was in love with the present he was unwrapping. 

Yep, it was the Lego Movie!

A completed Lego birthday gift. 

"Happy Birthday to You!"

Love their cute little faces!

I don't remember what they were laughing at, but I love the looks of sheer enjoyment!