The BIG Zoo

A couple of weeks ago the kids and I went with some friends to the Austin Zoo. What? You didn't know Austin had a zoo? You were sort of right...But last weekend Owen got to go to the BIG Zoo (San Antonio) with Bee and JoJo. (Rebecca and I were at the beach with a bunch of girls--AWESOME! and Kyle was studying for his big test.) They made a whole trip out of it--staying the night before in a hotel so they could beat the crowds the next morning. I am told that a great time was had by all, including Lucky the Elephant (who Owen tells me is a girl, not a boy, and a Momma). 

I did send a stroller, but looks like Owen found a better ride... 

 

At every exhibit Owen would say "I want to go IN there!," to which Bee replied that its not allowed because the (fill-in-the-blank animal) likes their own space. She conveniently left out the part about how many of the animals would like to try and eat him. :) The hippos were a highlight--they pressed their faces and other ends right up to the glass.

Thanks to Bee Owen now sleeps with a four-foot long stuffed crocodile in addition to the already-out-of-hand assortment of blankets of every color. All in a day's work as a grandma.

Easter/Grand Canyon, Funnies, RSM Milestones

Easter was a little different this year because Kyle was at the Grand Canyon. He had been planning the trip for months with a couple good guy friends and no one realized it was over Easter until plans were set. They backpacked down into the canyon and back up over a 4-day period. Carlos was the photographer of the trip and we don't yet have pictures, but I'll share some --of the 600!--when we get them. He said it was a "trip of a lifetime" but then took it back because he doesn't want it to hurt his chances of taking another "trip of a lifetime" in the future, meaning next year. :)  Kyle came home with great stories, one minor booboo that he calls a wound (which I think is hilarious even though how it happened was a little scary and it could have been much worse), and big dreams for taking me and the kids when they get older. 

So, after church with Bee and Nana we had a little picnic in our backyard with Nana. Here's Rebecca pretending to crawl off her blanket.

 

We tried tried tried to get a family photo but nothing quite panned out...

 

It was all-important that Bee push Owen in his swing after church.

Random: our new grocery-shopping modus operandi...

 

Owen funnies:

• The other day I told Owen it was time for lunch to which he replied “Lunch is a bummer. Let’s just eat grapes.” 
• The day Kyle got home from the Grand Canyon Owen spent the evening running around yelling at the top of his lungs “Yippee! We’re going to Grand Canyon!" (The funny part was it was pretty clear while Kyle was gone that Owen knew where he was. We had a special map with pictures of the GC on it to help Owen count down the 5 days until Kyle got home. Everywhere we went he told people what his Dada was doing and when he'd be home.)
• He has a pair of kids sunglasses and yesterday afternoon he put them on and said "how do I look?” Oh boy.
• No doubt he understand superlatives (good, better, best) because he has decided that Kyle is the "better pusher" (for our swing) and that Stan/Dahdo's eggs are better than mine. At least the boy knows what he likes.  
• Owen manages to work the following statement into conversation at least once a day. "Flies eat poop.  _______ don't eat poop." (At least we're clear on that...)

Rebecca milestones:

There is a lot going on with our little princess--she's hitting a bunch of milestones, seemingly all at once!

• She definitely knows her name.
• She LOVES blowing bubbles/spitting/zurburting--it feels like we can have a little conversation. I do it, she does it back, I do it, she does it back and on and on and on.
• She is waving bye bye...she doesn't put her hand up but her fingers are definitely doing it. She does it a lot just to watch her fingers move which is pretty cute. 

Drumroll please...

• She is crawling!!! Her first crawl was Saturday night (4/10) and both Kyle and I got to see it. We were having dinner and she was sitting on a blanket on our living room floor where Owen and cousin Bailey were having a "pizza picnic". She decided to go after Owen's juice cup and she got it!  She can get her hiney up in the air but usually resorts to an army crawl right now...still, she's mobile!

AND

• Her first tooth is coming in!!! I just noticed it this morning. It's her bottom left and it has just poked through the skin! 

So, this coming weekend Rebecca and I are off for a girls' weekend to Port Aransas with some awesome girlfriends. I am really really looking forward to it. In terms of relaxation, Rebecca is such a chill little girl that it'll almost be as easy as going alone! (And it is one of my goals to get videos of her blowing bubbles, crawling and waving bye bye...so stay tuned!) While we're gone, Owen is spending 1 night with each of his 3 local grandparents. He is going to have a blast and I'm sure he's going to be spoiled rotten when he gets home Sunday...the price I pay. We're all getting out of the house to give Kyle some peace and quiet so he can finish studying for his Anesthesia oral board exam which he takes Monday (4/19) in Atlanta. We'll all be glad when that is behind us!!!

Home Grown World Christians

Kyle and I love to travel and although we're not in a period of life where we get to do as much of it as we'd like, we're always thinking/planning/dreaming about trips, both purely for fun and for mission. These dreams are starting to include our kids too...But while we're "grounded" so to speak we get really excited about teaching Owen (and soon Rebecca) things about the world beyond our house and our neighborhood. For example, Owen knows that panda bears live in the mountains of China, that Bengal tigers live in India and a variety of lemurs live in Madagascar (confession: we didn't teach him any of that, Dora the Explorer did)...but we have started showing him where these places are on the globe. It has made me go back and re-read an excellent little article Noel Piper wrote a few years ago about raising "Home Grown World Christians"...not just for parents--we all need to be reminded to open our eyes to the bigger picture in the bigger world, right? And she's got some great tips broadening our kids' horizons (and inevitably our own). At the risk of sounding preachy, I'll say everyone should read it! :)

So, on that note (and for several other reasons), we have started sponsoring a young boy in Rwanda through a great organization called Africa New Life Ministries. (We had the honor of hearing their founder "Pastor Charles" speak in church on Sunday. We also got to hear the story of and music by an amazing street kid who went through the program. Both were awesome.) Owen is really excited about his new "friend" James. He can show you where Rwanda is on the globe, knows that we're helping James go to school, and knows James like soccer and numbers. I can't wait for us to get to write our first letter to him (and then get one in return)! I believe that the work this organization is doing will significantly impact James' life, and selfishly we are getting so much out of it as a family (and our sponsorship just started a day ago)!

Update:

The pillowcase dresses I made are now on their way to Haiti (Real Hope for Haiti Rescue Center). It really was a fun (and easy!) project.

My favorite was definitely this little pink one because the pillowcase had scalloped edges which made for a really pretty bottom.

Springtime!

Spring is here and we're so happy! We are bound and determined to enjoy this beautiful Austin weather before it turns into the (dreaded) Austin summer weather, which will surely occur before we're ready and last longer than we'd like. Anyways, here are some recent shots of the kiddos enjoying the great outdoors...

Bailey and Owen "gardening" at Nana's. We've been over there twice in the two weeks (all of us) to celebrate Luke's and then Mel's birthdays. Thirty and flirty!

Kyle put a swing up in the front yard. Good times for both kids and a sign to all the neighborhood that children live here!

We went on a picnic to one of our favorite parks the other day. The weather was perfect and surprisingly we were the only ones there. They still had a great time playing. Owen found some leftover Easter eggs and filled each of them up with rocks and burried them. Dirt/rocks/sand is way more fun than slides/swings. Rebecca dirtied her outfit right when we got there, so she did a little "sunning". Here are a few of the big girl, she actually doesn't stay sitting up for long these days because she's busy rolling all over the place to get what she wants. She also does a move we're calling the "baby plank". If you're familiar with yoga and/or pilates you know what I'm talking about. Picture this: lying on her stomach, body straight (back flat, not arched), she lifts her weight onto her arms (like a pushup) and her TOES. Then she falls back down because she doesn't actually move anywhere doing this. We definitely think she'll be truly crawling soon. Right now she just rolls and pivots to get pretty much whatever/wherever she wants. :)A great shot that a "helping parent" took of Owen at school. Isn't that smile great?

And here he is "climbing" a tree in our backyard. Confession: I put him up in the tree (he wanted to). He stayed up there a really long time and talked about how he was an owl and did lots of hoo-ing. He threw a mini-tantrum when I told him it was bedtime and made him come down.

 

In other general kiddo update news...

Rebecca: 

• As it goes with poor 2nd children, we're not doing as good of a job keeping tabs on when exactly firsts occur. No doubt she "found" her hands a long time ago, but we noticed it recently because  she was staring at her hand wiggling her fingers. We've also caught the beginnings of a "bye bye"--she doesn't move her hand up but Bee and I have both seen her move her fingers into an almost fist when we wave bye bye to her.
• I already mentioned the rolling and baby plank...life is about to change!
• She tolerates Owen constantly touching/patting her cheeks like a champ!

Owen:

• Owen is fascinated by what various animals eat and drink. It's a major topic of conversation these days. Yes Owen, all animals drink water. Yes Owen, baby mammals drink milk just like you. As it relates to people--he loves to ask people (usually as soon as we see them--before hello) if they're hungry or thirsty.
• Owen really really likes to know what's coming next in a day's schedule (even if there isn't a plan/schedule). He asks lots of questions and then likes to repeat back (in order) what we're doing and when and why.
• We have a great family devotional guide for Easter that we'll probably start using next year when he's a little older, but this year we've been doing the "resurrection eggs" you can buy at any Christian bookstore and Owen has really enjoyed it. He calls it "the egg game." More importantly, he's able to follow repeat most of the Easter week story which is exciting (especially since we recognize its very very different from the stories he's used to hearing at school, at bedtime, on kids tv, etc.).

Well, that's it for now. Kyle is off to the Grand Canyon tomorrow with two guy friends. They are doing a major backpacking trip wrought with all sorts of perils, so if it occurs to you, keep them in your prayers. He'll be back Thursday.

And Happy (almost) Easter! He is Risen!!!

(Blogger has changed some recently and I can't find the spell check icon...so sorry!)

SEW cute (and what a cause!)

So, I have every intention of putting together my own little blog-worthy tutorial complete with pictures...but that's about me and this is time sensitive...What's more important is that people join in and help Haitian orphans so here's the deal...

If you have even the tiniest most meek sewing skills (como yo) then you too can turn extra/mismatched/goodwill pillow cases into sweet (and practical!) little dresses for Haitian orphan girls!!! Take my word--this is super easy! In just a few hours (while Owen naps) + $15 for bias tape, elastic and 10 (yes, ten!) pillow cases from goodwill (all in good shape) I will have made 10 dresses and you just can't beat that!

Like most good ideas, this one wasn't mine. I found it on Noel Piper's blog and she links to another blog as well. I'll put a few links below because you might find the pictures/tutorial wording more or less helpful on a given site.

Noel Piper's blog 
Her inspiration 
Another tutorial 

You can send the dresses to the following person/address which will ensure that they make it to the Real Hope for Haiti Rescue Center. (Per Mrs. Piper's blog--I just can't call someone I respect that much and have never met by her first name!--there is a container being shipped to Haiti this week so the need is urgent, but if you can't get around to it until a little later, I'm sure the need will continue...but you might want to check their website for details.)

Debbie Woodward
1500 Jackson St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Confession: I spent almost all of last Saturday making pillow covers for our couch. They turned out pretty cute...but this is a WAY more soul-satisfying way to use my meager sewing skills...


Questions: Will you join me? Will you teach someone how to sew using this project? Will you search out other organizations that support orphans that might benefit from this simple craft???


I'm excited, can you tell? :)

March catch-up

It's been a while since our last post. No real rhyme or reason to this one...just what I can remember since the last one.

Shall we begin with Owen playing with Rebecca's exersaucer? (FYI, that is not the world's largest booger, but the remnant of a little bloody nose.)

Here is a series we took outside yesterday...it's been so nice lately (dare I saw warm?). The kids and I have been enjoying lot of time in the backyard and lots of time at the lake. (Personal brag: I can now run the 3.2 mile loop at the lake while pushing their double stroller--this was a big goal of mine when I started running.) Owen really looks forward to it--he talks the entire time we run and points out every bridge, dog, person, other stroller, bike, boat and duck we see. He also sings his EIEIO anthem over and over and over again.

 

How precious is she?????

 Owen playing hide and go seek with Dadda. He's hiding behind the really skinny tree. If that wasn't funny enough I believe this particular game started by Owen telling Kyle to count so he could hide behind the tree. They also play "tag you're it" a lot. But Owen (even after being tagged) rarely chases Kyle, so it's really "tag, (Dadda is) always it".

The "Hill Country Camping Society" met again last weekend. Unfortunately,  Kyle had to stay here to study so the kids and I just went for the day. Owen had a great time running around with all the kids (seeing older kids lead make-believe games with younger kids is so great!) and spent a lot of time playing with his truck toy in the "sand". Here he is just taking in the view. 

 

 Rebecca

• Rebecca and I took a quick weekend trip to Nashville to see some friends. It was a great time (apart from me getting a nasty little stomach bug while there). We got to spend some time just hanging out with and praying for my dear friend Andrea who is moving to India with her husband this spring--it was Rebecca's first prayer meeting. :) We also got to spend some time with our dear friends the Ketch's (with their new baby Hannah) from Winston-Salem. One highlight was David (4 years old) asking me if next time for his birthday I could send him money. Too funny! Of note: everywhere we went people commented on what a good/sweet/content baby Rebecca is and it's so true. She's a great little travel buddy. 
• She is getting hair!!! It's just like I remember Owen's--this long fuzzy stuff in sort of a mohawk patturn (with a few really long, like 4-inch long hairs around her crown).  The best part is she likes to play with it, especially when she's nursing and/or falling asleep. She keeps her hand up on her head and just sort of tugs at it and rubs it. It's perhaps one of the most adorable things I've ever seen. 
• She LOVES bathtime, and now that she's eating the (messy!) baby food, I'm proud to say she's getting one much more regularly. We're even able to do both of them at the same time (now that she's sitting up) which is fun for both of them (and much more efficient)!

Owen

• The weekend RSM and I were away Owen went to a birthday party where he got to pet bunnies and ride a pony named Mustang. And of course there was cake. Oh, to be a kid!
• The other day I found Owen laying/lying (?) on top of Rebecca. Luckily, she was giggling. When I asked him what he was doing he said he made a "Betta sandwhich".
• Owen is into dipping pretty much everything in ranch dressing (which he got from Kyle). But he is still experimenting with what tastes good w/ ranch (and isn't satisfied to take our word for it) so he's tried banana, vanilla waifers, blueberries, etc.
• Someone taught Owen how to stick his thumb up (tricky) and say "Giggem' Aggies". Awesome.
• Lots of pretend games...driving his ambulance to church and then the grocery store, being chased by a bear (with Bailey), making up nonsense words and then telling me its a kind of bird...
• One night last week we were hanging out with the Foshea Family and we decided to try putting Emmy and Owen to sleep in his room so we could hang out longer. They did great for a while, Owen in his crib and Emmy on the floor on her "nap mat". They talked and sang for a long time, but didn't get up so we thought it was a success...then I walked by the room and peaked in the cracked door to find them greasing their faces and the crib posts down with lotion. After I yelled for backup and flicked the lights on (causing a frozen deer-in-headlights look on their faces) Owen calmly told me they were "playing lotion". I'm supposed to be glad Owen is taking ownership of his eczema, right? 
• When your kids start talking, and I don't mean saying words, but really talking, it's undoubtedly funny what they come up with. But it's also humbling because you often hear yourself/your words come out of their little mouths. I've learned (by reflection in Owen) that I say "I'm about to...(or) we're about to..." preceding almost every verb. Owen has started repeating this, but he also just says "I'm about" and that's it. I'll say, "Owen, we need to get in the car to go to school now," to which he replies "I'm about". I'm just gonna let this ride...I figure it'll self-correct. :) 
• Owen is trying to understand kindness/niceness...and right now he just associates it with saying no (i.e. when he tells me no after I tell him to do something I tell him it's not nice, among other things). So, he's in the habit of telling me "Do not say no to Owen, it's not nice. You need to be nicer to Owen." This is a tricky one...

FYI: The Blogger set-up has changed and I can't find the spell-check link so my spelling is sure to be worse than even normal...Sorry!

Winter Wonderland

I mentioned Owen helping with some baking projects. Here is the proof he enjoyed it. He definitely doesn't mind a little chocolate!


(Cheese!)

He likes to have Rebecca sit in his lap these days. He's actually pretty good at holding her.
We actually got a couple inches of snow in Austin yesterday. Nothing like what our friends in North Carolina (or Dallas for that matter) have had recently, but it was fun nonetheless. Kyle got home early so he and Owen built a snowman we affectionately named "Grassy". He had 2 peppermints for eyes, a carrot nose (of course) and a mouth made out of raisins. Owen was pretty upset this morning when all of Grassy's facial features had either fallen off or been eaten by animals...ah the life of a snowman.

Here is Owen holding Rebecca at bedtime. We were reading a book called "The Happy Man and His Dump Truck" which Owen refers to a couple of times.



Father and son having a little snow-ball fight.


Random: Owen knows his right and left really well now and when Kyle asked him who taught him that he said "I did"! Wow.