Annual Neighborhood Halloween Party

This afternoon we had our third annual Neighborhood Halloween Party. The party is usually the Sunday before Halloween but since Halloween is on Sunday this year we had the party this afternoon.

Wesley got to show off Chris' masterpiece.

Lydia had her face painted.
Wesley had his face painted also. Again this year, he wanted a snake.
The kids did crafts.
Here is a little astronaut with his pumpkin.
Thomas and the policeman.

Lydia enjoyed eating a finger.
Our little neighbor as a cat.
Dorothy and the Scarecrow.
We had a great turn out for the party this year.
Wesley and our neighbor's dog.
It was a fun event! I loved seeing so many neighbors today.

ZooBooo

Last weekend we decided that we would make our annual trip to the Maryland Zoo today. As we were getting ready this morning I realized I should probably check the website to see if they were doing anything special for Halloween. I am glad I checked!

They were having ZooBOOO - "Come to the Zoo dressed to impress and enjoy free trick-or-treating, fun carnival games, live entertainment, and delicious food! This event is FREE with general paid Zoo admission. Some activities and games inside the event area may require a small additional fee." So, 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave I told the kids, "You get to wear costumes to the zoo today."

Wesley immediately said he wanted to wear his pirate costume. I tried to get Lydia to wear her pirate costume from two years ago but she didn't want to wear it. Lucy eagerly tried on the pirate dress but when she realized she could wear the Iron Man costume she didn't want to be the pirate. Lydia decided on Buzz Lightyear. I just realized that we didn't get a picture of all three kids together in their complete costumes. Wesley wore the pirate hat almost all day, Lucy had the Iron Man mask on and off, and Lydia wore the Buzz hat the first half of the day. We also didn't take a picture of the three older kids with Josiah.We didn't do most of the ZooBooo activities but the kids did trick or treat and they had a great time wearing their costumes. As our neighbor Mike put it, "You would feel like the worst parent in the world if your kid was the only one not dressed up." I think 99% of the kids at the zoo were dressed up today and 1% of the adults were dressed up.

The kids got to see a skunk up close without getting sprayed.
We also saw this serval cat out on a "training" walk.
Here is a picture of the kids looking at the spoonbill.
They also liked just playing.

Chris pushed Lydia and Lucy in our neighbor's double stroller for a few minutes before we stopped for lunch (corn dogs).
We all rode the train. The train seemed a little pricey at $3 per person but the kids really enjoyed it. And we got into the zoo for free with our FONZ membership.

Wesley and the UPS Man Ethan.
Mike, Sara, and Aaron.
I think Wesley looks more like a pirate now that he is missing a couple of teeth.
Lydia and Lucy petting the donkey.
The last time we were at the Maryland Zoo, Lucy's older sister, Claire, went with us. Our kids love being with their cousins.
The kids had fun in this nest.
They also loved jumping on the lily pads.
Thankfully, no one fell in.
I think we will be adding ZooBooo to our fall traditions. We had a great time today!

"Mommy Loves to Cook and Wash Dishes"

When I went to back to school night at Lydia's preschool, her teacher said that all the children were talking about their parents playing with the toys. Lydia said, "I know my mommy will play with the kitchen because she loves to cook and wash dishes." Well, she got it half right but I am glad that she thinks I enjoy both of them.

Lydia's teacher asked the kids how they help around the house. Here is Lydia's response.
Now if she would just consistently do those things and do them with a good attitude. Most of the time she will do these things but not always when I first ask her. Of course, I need to watch my attitude about household chores also.

Princess Parade

Today Lydia had a costume parade and party at school. Last year the two years old didn't participate in the parade, but Wesley's class did.

When I dropped Lydia off at her class, it was full of princesses. One girl in her class was dressed as Dorothy, the rest were princesses.
The girls did look so sweet.
Here is Lydia's class.
Here is Lydia's class singing. She loves to sing and her teacher has taught the class a lot of fun songs in addition to the ones they learn in rhythms class.

If they gave prizes for best costume, I think this little police officer would have won. He is also one of our neighbors.

Cooking Together

I am starting to let Wesley and Lydia help me more in the kitchen. Three nights this week, Wesley has used the electric can opener to open up cans for me. I showed him how to do it once and then just let him figure it out. He loves it! Chris explained to Wesley how the can opener works. He said something about levers.

Last night we had Spaghetti and Meatball Stoup. Wesley opened the cans of tomato sauce and Lydia helped mix up the stuff for the meatballs. I had to help her mix everything really well but she did a great job rolling it into balls. Both kids loved this meal and it was an easy one pot success.

Tonight we had homemade falafel. Wesley opened the cans of chickpeas and Lydia pushed the button on the food processor. The falafel and yogurt sauce were delicious.

So, what is Josiah doing while we are cooking dinner? On most nights he is taking a nap while I am preparing dinner. (I know - what a blessing!) Tonight he was playing on his activity mat. He recently started rolling from his back to his side; mainly to help get his thumb in his mouth. He has also rolled from tummy to back several times.

Not as Wise as Solomon

Tonight, Chris read the story about God giving King Solomon wisdom. God told Solomon, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." 1 Kings 3 Solomon asked for wisdom.

Chris stopped after reading God's question to Solomon ("Ask for whatever you want me to give you.") and asked Wesley and Lydia, “If you could ask God for any one thing that He would give you right now, what would you ask him?”

Wesley immediately said, “For that stuffed monkey to be real.” He just named the first thing he saw. Chris said, “Really? You want a monkey?” Wesley thought about it and said, “I want a dog.”

Lydia thought it about for a few moments and responded, “I want my own iPad.”

Chris and I continue to pray for wisdom regarding how to raise our children but I don't think we will be granting either one of these wishes any time soon.

Chicken Twins

While I was in at a continuing education class last Saturday, Chris taught Wesley and Lydia The Chicken Dance. Well, actually he showed them the Lawrence Welk Show.

Now if we could teach their little brother The Chicken Dance.
Chris commented on how much Josiah looks like Wesley in the chicken costume. Here is a picture of Wesley with Ainsley and Evan.

My Developmental Soap Box

If someone asks my advice regarding infants, I say, "Tummy time. The more tummy time your babies does, the better." Fortunately, Josiah likes tummy time. He loves to look at himself in the mirror. He always smiles at the baby in the mirror. He also likes to look at other toys, like the little Mickey Mouse that one of my former coworkers gave me before Wesley was born.
I sometimes find myself trying to explain to other parents why their babies shouldn't watch tv. One of the reasons is because brain activity actually decreases while they watch tv. About five years ago a grandmother told me, "But he learns so much from the videos." Well, the company was sued and forced to remove all educational labeling from the DVDs and give out refunds.
The other big piece of advice I have is NO BABY WAlKERS! I actually told a mom this is in Buy Buy Baby on Sunday. Her little girl was enjoying the baby walker but I felt compelled to try to persuade the mom not to get it. They really are of no benefit to development and in some cases, if the baby is struggling at all with gross motor skills, they can actually interfere with normal development. Thankfully, I didn't offend the mom in the store and she thanked me for my advice.
Of course I stick Josiah in the bouncy seat. This is especially helpful right after he eats. I also plan on using an exersaucer when I am in the shower once he can sit independently on the floor and play with toys. But, I really do try to give him as much time as possible on the floor. I think all babies benefit from playing on the floor more than being in equipment.
Okay, I will get off my developmental soap box now.

Here is a picture of Wesley and Lydia doing one of their favorite things - cutting with scissors. They love the Kumon cutting books.

Feeding the Cows

Wesley's teacher suggested that the kindergartens go outside and collect leaves since they didn't have handwriting homework tonight (but they did have math and memory work). Wesley was happy to go outside because he wanted to ride his back. He really wasn't interested in collecting leaves. Lydia wanted to go outside because she wanted to pick grass for the cows. She loves "feeding the cows." She rode her bike down the bike path and she can now hold her feet up and balance for about five seconds. If she would practice just a little bit she could master the balance bike.
Here she is feeding the cows. Don't you see them?
The speaker at MOPS last night talked about how mothers of preschoolers need to be cows. We need to munch on the grass of God's word and regurgitate it and chew the cud (think about God's Word). This provides nourishment for us and we can pass it on to our children.

An Apology Brings Unexpected Blessings

Two weeks ago, I found a letter stapled to Lydia’s school bag. It said,

Dear Mrs. Sturgill,

Lydia was following along in line and kicked a classmate. She continued to kick the girl on the back of the leg until she fell down on the ground…We would greatly appreciate you speaking to Lydia about this incident.

Thank you.

My heart sank. My eyes filled with tears and I felt sick to my stomach.

I so want my children to be kind and loving to other people. I felt like the worst mom. I was also worried about what her teachers thought of her. I don’t want them to dislike her because she is a behavioral problem.

I received this note on a Thursday and Lydia only has class on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. So, I had to wait to talk to the teacher. In the meantime, I talked to Lydia and I prayed for wisdom and that God will help Lydia be kinder at school.

The next Tuesday, I made sure we were at school early. We had to wait outside her classroom until her teachers were ready for the kids to enter. As the other little girls came in, I asked the ones I didn’t know their names. When one girl said, “Rita,” I said to Lydia, “What do you have to say to Rita?” Lydia said, “I am sorry.” “Sorry for what?” I asked. “I am sorry for kicking you,” Lydia said.

Rita’s mom said, “Oh, we didn’t know anything about it.” I just let it go at that. I spoke briefly with one of the teachers who was very positive about the whole incident and felt that the consequence was a good deterrent for the future. They made Lydia sit in time out during story time. I think that was a great consequence.

When I picked Lydia up at the end of the class, the other mom said to me, “You made my day this morning.” I thought she meant just the fact that Lydia would apologize in general. The other mom actually said, “I was so relieved to hear that someone else got into trouble. Rita is always in trouble and we were feeling like she was the only one. I realize now that she isn’t the only one.” The other mother was beaming.

I felt my eyes start to fill up with tears. I was so relieved that Lydia wasn’t the only one getting into trouble! I wasn't the only mom feeling this way. At that moment, Rita came out of the classroom and said to her mom, “No time out today!” That was such a blessing for me. Now I will pray for Lydia and her friend Rita! (And the rest of the class and the teachers but especially for Rita.)

First in Flight

Last Sunday we visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial. This was a very successful outing with the kids. We listened to one of the park rangers give a presentation. He was an excellent speaker and we were actually able to listen for over 30 minutes with the kids! We all learned the Wright brothers first learned to fly gliders.
We saw a model of the Wright Brothers' first plane that was successful. We learned how the brothers were right handed but they controlled the plane with their left hands so their stronger hand could hold on! Lydia especially liked telling people that evening about this fact.
This stone marks the spot where Orville first was able to leave the ground. His first flight on December 17, 1903 went 120 feet in 12 seconds. Wilber was next and he flew 175 feet in 12 seconds. Orville then flew again and went a little farther since the winds were favorable at that time.
The plane went down this hill on a little rail with the other brother holding the wing to help steady the plane before it took off at the spot marked by the large stone. The three smaller stones represent where each flight landed.
Sunday was another beautiful and we had a wonderful view from the top of the hill. We were staying in the third house from the right (also the third from the left) in the picture below. In the past we have stayed in both of the first two houses on the right.

Just Another Day at the Beach

This is the house we stayed in at the beach this past weekend.
In the afternoon on Saturday, the kids played in the ocean in their swimsuits and I walked on the beach with Josiah in the front carrier. Wesley, Lydia, and Chris took a quick swim in the very cold pool. We later discovered that the pool next door was heated. Since some of our friends were staying there, we were able to use that pool also.
After being in the cold pool, everyone warmed up in the hot tub. Lydia kept talking about how much she loved the "hot pool."
Monica played with Josiah while I took pictures.
This is the view from the house.
Saturday night was barbecue and fried chicken night. Yum!
Wesley and Layton had so much fun playing together.
On Saturday the kids stayed up late to see the fireworks .
Despite going to be bed at ten, our entire family saw this on Sunday morning. It was beautiful. As I looked at the ocean this weekend I was constantly reminded that our God is the magnificent creator of our world. That He tells the waves how to far to go (Job 38:11).
On Sunday afternoon we went back down to the beach. It was a gorgeous day! I love the beach and I could have sat out there all day.
Chris played with Wesley and Lydia in the water.
Josiah took a nap.
After the beach, the kids played in the heated pool. They loved playing with this boat.
Here is Wesley jumping in to push Lydia across the pool.
One of the guys brought his Serval cats. They are so pretty.
Wesley and Lydia liked playing with the cats.
They also wanted to help Monica with the crafts that she sells at craft fairs.
Before dinner, Lydia got Bryan and Monica to play "I Spy" with her.
What a wonderful weekend!