So Sweet Symeon

I walked into Symeon's room the other day and found him looking at a picture of him and Sam together.  It was so cute. 

Admiring two handsome guys

His face when I said hey little man what are you doing?

Summing up their relationship these days...

A little lite reading for Mother and son

Father's Day

Since Shawn was out of town on Father's Day we had an extended celebration.  Here are the kids giving him a card they picked out and a smoothie book since they love to make smoothies together.  I love Marin's face in these pictures she is so excited. 

His sticker says super Dad which is the truth!

Shoe preference

Well at 14 months old Marin showed her first of many I am sure, shoe preferences.  I put a pair of flip flops on  her and once I did she threw herself down on the ground and began kicking her feet and crying.  I was like oh my gosh Marin what is wrong.  I said tell Mommy what is wrong why are you throwing your babes attitude (this is the term we use when Marin expresses her will in a way only she can).  What she did next blew my mind.  She stood up pointed at my shoes and then she pointed at her flip flops and I said you don't want to wear your flip flops and she shook her head no, so I took off her shoes.  Then I said what shoes do you want to wear and she walked over to the basket that holds her shoes and brought me her pink crocs.  It was so funny and a bit scary because I am sure it is a conversation I expected to have with her many times in her life I just thought I had a little time. 

Here is a recent picture of Marin that does not have anything to do with shoes but has everything to do with who Marin is and that is a woman who knows what she wants trapped in a baby's body. 

Our little climber

Since Marin has been walking for quite some time she has begun to explore the upper world by which I mean the world that occurs above the level of her head.  She is determined and resourceful when it comes to investigating this whole new world. 

We have to be so careful what we leave on the counters because she also has learned that her tip toes give her just a bit more height to reach those items which we have pushed to the back.  

I walked into our bedroom and this is what I saw.  I found it odd since Marin up to this point has not been able to climb onto our bed.  It is one of Symeon's few safe havens but on this day she not only climbed up she was enjoying her life of leisure.  I looked down to see this...

mystery solved, then I watched her do it.  She pushes the chair over to the bed rungs toward the bed and then uses them as a ladder.  This is a tiny rocking chair and it is so dangerous and we found her pushing it everywhere and standing on the rungs so the rocking chair has been put in the attic for a little while.  

My Sweet Little Symeon

Baking Together

I love to bake and Symeon has been helping me since he was about a year old so of course Marin has joined in the fun.  It can be a bit tricky to have both of them helping but we are finding a rhythm that works for us all.  Here is one of our most recent baking adventures, homemade brownies that are so good I have never bought a box mix again since making them and I don't even like brownies. 

Lots of sticky chocolate finger prints

Symeon haveing enjoyed a chocolate and yes I let me kids lick the beaters

I was helping Symeon add an ingredient and when I turned my attention back to Marin this is what I found.  I think I have found the source of her new love baking which equals chocolate yummyness.  

Here they are waiting to enjoy the fruits of their labor

Good friends

We try to instill a sense of friendship and in love in our children for others, the world, an for each other some days it shines bright and others well they are human and we can't be loving all the time but here are a few pictures of them loving each other. 

I have posted this picture a few times honestly because I love it.  

Enjoying their "boat" ride

Serving time out together

Eating lunch at the kiddos table, no pants required at this restaurant

Sharing Marin's car

Symeon will push Marin for quite awhile and she is happy as can be turning the steering wheel and keeping her feel up so they can go "fast"

Some golf baseball tips for little sister

Shucking corn together

Marin is always keeping an eye on Symeon so if he tries something new she follows.

If he can climb so can she

Together!

Double the fun and double the trouble!  

Symeon open's the door and then they both climb inside. 

Smoothies

Symeon loves smoothies so guess what Marin loves smoothies.  Shawn began this love of smoothies with them and although I can take or leave smoothies I love to drink them with the kids.  Here they are enjoying them together. 

Shawn and Symeon enjoying smoothies 

... and here is what Marin was doing while I was taking this picture...

any sort of food or drink is a full contact sport with Marin.

Saying farewell

One of the reasons I have been so busy lately is that the ED of Paxton and his wife left after 25 years of service.  They are retuning to Africa where Chris was raised and where they were missionaries when they were first married.  Paxton is a different place without their presence and I have felt it deeply these past few weeks.  We had multiple farewells and made multiple farewell gifts to bless them.  I have worked very closely with Chris over the past 3 and 1/2 years and I am a better person for it.  He has invested in me in ways that  I could never have asked for or known I needed.  I have had the privilege of watching and walking with a true servant leader that remained relevant, faithful, and affective all of the years he was here.  Here are a few pictures of some really hard days in my life and in the life of our ministry. 

Resident Farewell in our dining room

Fellow staff who have been with Paxton a lot of years

Resident choir who sang a blessing for Chris and Marlys

Chris and Marlys Books

a portion of the staff sang a farewell blessing

What was I thinking?

Well if you did not read my previous post you might need to in order to understand this one.  Yesterday morning I commented on Symeon adventures and injuries and little did I know that I was headed for another one of those times last night. 

So last night it was so hot we decided to go to the YMCA kids pool which is great and the kids love it.  We went early so there was hardly anyone there and then on the way home we were going to get pizza and just have a nice family evening out.  Well when we were done at the pool Symeon was walking to the changing area with his towel draped around him and he slipped falling face first onto tile floor with having his hands to catch himself.  When Shawn picked him up he was bleeding quite a bit from his mouth so for good or bad his teeth broke his fall.  Upon closer inspection we say he chipped his front tooth and his other front tooth is pushed back and both are a swollen bloody mess.  He had a huge fat lip and overall I think he cried for about a minute then he was on to something else. 

So as we proceeded home we called our pediatrician just to make sure and the on call person said we should take him to the ER.  When I got off the phone Shawn and I both disagreed with this doctors so we went with our guts and took him home.  I did call a pediatric dentist just to make sure and Monday morning we are off to see him to make sure everything is ok.  Since the one tooth is askew the real worry is nerve damage which will turn his tooth brown and also his adult tooth which is a bit worrisome.  I must confess a chipped front tooth fits Symeon but a possible brown tooth and chipped tooth might look like we let him chew tobacco at 2 and a half.  So we will see what the dentist says on Monday.  But to top off the whole night we were looking in the mirror at them and I was talking about going to the dentist when he slipped and smacked them into the mirror once again he started to cry and the blood began to flow so I guess if we didn't do him in the first time we were bound to get them the second time.  Regardless to say Shawn and I went to bed feeling terrible and I went online and ordered our little guy a bubble to live in for the rest of his life. Seriously I'm suppose to let this kid out of my sight, ride a bike without 3 wheels, play sports, go to school, drive a car ahhh!!!!

I don't have any good pictures of the teeth but we will see what I can do.

Symeon's Cast

Well Symeon had his cast removed and he did great.  We read multiple books from the library about bones and one focused on getting your cast removed.  Symeon is a child who needs lots of prep for new things and lots of transition time so with that knowledge I always try to prep him with books when new things are coming.  Everyone at the office was commenting on how good he was behaving and that he wasn't screaming and crying he actually was enjoying the new adventure.  He is always up for an adventure so that can made every new thing pretty fun.  Good news is he is all healed up and he is using his arm just fine.  The doctor was really pleased and so were we although the cast did not really bother him much it was nice to have it off so he can get back to swimming and other summer fun that had been off limits. 

So here he is getting ready to leave for the doctor's office.  He is carrying his tool box since the book we ready referenced the use of tools to remove his cast.  He told me multiple times he wanted to take his tools which we did and the doctor looked them over and then she had her tool box as well which I had told Symeon she might. 

Symeon was amazing through this whole experience from the day he broke his arm to the day his cast was removed.  I am so thankful that he is curious, flexible, easy going, and loves a new adventure and I am a bit worried that this combo will lead to additional posts of broken bones and injuries.  But here is to the adventure Symeon guy, I am right here with you.

  On his way to the doctor to have his cast removed and bringing his tools just in case. 

Here he is that night helping me shuck corn without a cast and doing just fine. 

A very busy month

We have been so busy this past month that I have had very little time to blog.  I really hate getting behind because catch up can be a bit overwhelming which is why I try to post frequently.  The past month has been lots of fun and I look forward to recapping it for posterity's sake.  I am sure it is going to take me a bit but I think I am going to have some time over the next couple of weeks at least I hope the next couple of weeks are a bit slower than the past few.