Summer update

Some selfies taken the beginning of June

Like I've said previously, this blog is mostly for me! I know there are a (very) few other people that read it, but I love being able to look back at some of the statistics and pictures that I have here. That being said, we've had a very busy couple of months! If you are on facebook or instagram, you can search for the hashtag #14flightsandcounting to see some of the trips we've taken. We went to Oregon, Colorado, Costa Rica and Hawaii and Wisconsin.

Waiting for our plane to Costa Rica

The kids continue to grow and thrive. Just recently they began sharing a room. It is mostly fun, and mostly good. There are quite a few mornings (okay, just about every day) where one of them wakes the other, or a few nights where they stay up too late. But I suppose that's how memories are formed! It is such a blessing to see their relationship blossom and grow. They both love each other so much, and for that I am thankful.

This one doesn't do too well in the heat - makes him all sorts of sweaty!

We have had an awesome summer! Seeing lots of friends, lots of family, and going to new places! The kids are now expert travelers, going on 13 flights this summer alone. I would guess that Georgia has been on close to 50 airplanes by now in her short life, and she has visited five countries (although could be six if Scotland declares their independence!).

Walking in the rain forest

I will try to do a blog post about some of the trips in the near future - but don't hold your breath. Here is more about the kids these days.

Probably my favorite picture I've ever taken! Titus in the Costa Rican Cloud Forest

Titus is starting to talk up a storm. I was a little nervous for a bit because he barely talked (didn't say mama for a long time!), but now he never stops talking. He copies and imitates (Georgia especially). He tells us knock-knock jokes (but never finishes them), says some of his colors (blue is his favorite, and everything else is white), can sort of count (uses intonation and sometimes says things that sound like two or four), can say some of the letters of the ABC song, and so on.

Stuck his head in the sand at Jaco Beach, Costa Rica

Titus is:
Weight:25.5 pounds
Height: 35 inches (90%)
Teeth: still waiting on his 2-year molars
Diapers: size 4, almost potty trained

My little fishy - Hawaii

Georgia is:
Weight: 47 pounds
Height: 46.5 inches (height of almost-7 year old)

Hawaii

Titus' favorite thing is music. It amazes me how much he loves music. He sings along to things, can keep a beat, sings on tune, etc. Even before he could talk he would sing "Let it Go". He loves watching musicians at church, at Camp Forest Springs we sat in the front row so he could see. He even watched a couple minutes (I thought it was long!) of a symphony on Youtube. Whenever we sing, he pays attention and tries to sing along. He will hear a note and try to match it. It is really neat!

Georgia got to eat a donut after swimming across the pool all by herself!

He is my active kid. He has started jumping off the couch and the coffee table. Now he can jump from one to another. He also runs. Very fast. In fact, sometimes I have a hard time catching him. He climbs out of his crib - we find him wandering the house at night. He is also athletic - he can do a somersault, walk nicely on a balance beam, rides Georgia's scooter better than she did when she was his age. He can throw a ball further than Georgia currently can. He is always amazing me by his courage and ability. He also climbs. Onto the top of dressers, the kitchen (and bathroom sink) counters, etc, etc.

My animal lover at the mini farm in Wisconsin - giving sheep hugs

Titus is still not sleeping through the night. He does randomly, with little rhyme or reason. It is becoming increasingly difficult to help him sleep now that he can climb out of his crib. I am working on weaning him and hopeful that this will help him sleep through the night (since there will be no "reward" for waking up). (Now updated: Sept 8: Titus is now in a big boy bed for a week. He is sleeping a bit better - he likes his space. He still wakes up at night, but is no longer getting out of his bed.) We are also partially weaned. We mostly give almond milk in a bottle. When he wakes in the middle of the night, half of the time he nurses.

Titus loves to drive in daddy's car in the morning. They back out of the driveway together

Georgia has just started school. We are doing Kindergarten Homeschool. Technically because of her birthday, she is in Pre-K or Transitional kindergarten as they call it here. But we have the luxury of going at our own pace. We're working on learning to read, and she loves doing her math book. She asks to do school most days. We are using My Father's World as our main curriculum, and its basically a thematic curriculum - we spend a week on the Sun (letter S, Bible verses and discussion relating, painting the Sun using patterns, reading books related to the topic, etc). There are lots of projects and fun things like painting, cutting and coloring. I think its just right for us this year - she gets to have a lot of fun, and I don't have to plan what we are doing.

This is the pool that Georgia swam across!

Georgia attended Vacation Bible School at a local church this year. Every day she insisted that she didn't want to go, and didn't enjoy it. But.... she would come home happy and singing the songs. I think the reason she was complaining was she was tired - we had gotten home from Costa Rica the night before it started, and we were leaving for Hawaii the day after it ended. We had a busy summer!

T sleeping on the plane

I have to say that I love Georgia's age. The 2-4 year old range can be challenging with learning boundaries, tantrums, saying no, and so on. We're slowly coming out of that, and its fun to spend time with my older girl. She asks more intelligent questions, can make jokes, and says what she's thinking. Just yesterday we were out walking, and a group of four or five girls went jogging past us. She asks, "Why are they running? They must be late for a birthday party"

Titus' first boat ride