Laundry Ahhh!!

In general I don't mind doing laundry which to me means sorting it, putting it in the machine, then the dryer, hanging up some stuff, and then getting it when it is finished.  I don't include folding and putting it away in the category of doing laundry to me those two things fall into the torture category.  I realized as I am doing some catching up posting there is almost always a  basket of laundry in some stage in the process in all my pictures.  I wish I could say this was a fluke but that would be a fib just out of pure embarrassment.  So I figure now that my dirty little secret is public maybe I will be able to overcome it but I am really not hopeful, I have hated putting away my laundry since I was a kid. 

Caught red handed

The Scene of the Crime

Busted!

I found her walking down the hall like this after I saw her dresser.  This is one of her new favorite things to do. 

The Garbage Can

Marin has recently become obsessed with throwing everything she can grab into our garbage can.  Recently she has tossed in her both her baby dolls one of which went to the bottom and she was standing there crying and it took me awhile to figure out what happened.  She threw away our magnets.  I was changing Symeon and I went to use the diaper rash creme and it was gone.  I looked everywhere for it and then it struck me did it meet the same demise as the babies and when I checked there it was at the bottom of the trash.  Today I found my wallet laying on the top of the trash.  Thank God it was pretty full so it was just sitting on the top.  And finally although I have no proof at this point I am pretty sure she threw away one of Symeon's shoes that he wears all the time.  One day it was here and the next day it was gone.  I have looked everywhere for it so today as I continued my search I jokingly said to Marin where is brother's shoe and she walked over to the basket where we keep their shoes and grabbed one of Symeon's and began walking away with it.  I was kind of joking with Shawn when I said I should follow her she probably has a big stash of everything I can't find in our home.  I think this is a joke but yet...??? 

Who me? 

I don't want to forget

I don't want to forget just how small they were and whenever I see their little shoes sitting around it makes me realize just how tiny they are. 

The Mat

This mattress was our bed for one of us and usually one sick kid for about a week last month but during the day and evening it was a source of great fun for the kids.  Symeon refers to it as the mat.

Shawn is a faithful yoga student and so he has quite a few Rodney Yee videos and Symeon seems to be a little to interested in Rodney.  Shawn has had Symeon doing this yoga pose, downward dog, for quite a sometime and Marin is now only to happy to join in.  It is so funny to see there cute little butts up in the air when Shawn says can you guys do yoga. 

A taste of summer

When Symeon was really sick last month and not really eating we bought some popsicles to get some fluid into him but he wanted nothing to do with them but someone else loved them!

Marin is 10 months old

On March 16th Marin turned 10 months old.  I am very late with this post and if you scroll down to an earlier post and read you will see why but I feel good that I captured so many great moments of our beautiful girl in this past month.

Marin continues to be very very busy and similar to her last few months this month brought great change.  She is about to cut 4 top teeth to match her two bottom ones.  She continues to walk everywhere and has now begun climbing on anything she can reach.  Shawn turned around from his desk and found her standing on Symeon's small rocking chair grabbing things off my desk.  When he said her name she turned around and went ha ha it is so funny when you bust her.  My friend Lisa said Marin is like an 8 year old trapped in a baby body and playing the part for all our sakes and I find this to be pretty accurate.  She carries things around with her everywhere and if Symeon has something you  better be getting something ready for her as well.  For example she loves to drink out of our water bottles and sippy cups and if Symeon is handed a drink and you do not have one for her the yelling begins.  Her new thing is if she wants something she puts her hand out and curls her fingers toward herself with this priceless look on her face while "yelling" at you.  It is funny and yet not all at the same time.

We taught Marin sign language like Symeon and she knows all done, more, and we are working on please which she does about half the time.  She waves hello and good-bye and she does the motions to Its bitsy spider which she loves.  Marin also loves to dance with or without music.  It is hysterical to see her bend her knees and sometimes to mix it up she spins around and stomps her foot.  Oh yah she also stomps her foot when she is excited or if she is mad when you will not give her something she wants.  Her most recent development is that she points at things that excite her like the ceiling fan and says ohh ohhh ohh over and over.  It is so cute to see her point her short little chubby finger.  Marin also plays peek-a-boo.  If you ask her where is baby she will cover her eyes with her hands and then pull them off smiling and laughing.  She will also put things over her head and then pop out laughing.  Oh and her laugh is so great it fills the room and comes from deep in her belly.  

Marin continues to be a bit scrappy and when provoked or sometimes without  provocation she will walk up to Symeon and tackle him.  This month she has started with sneak attacks often coming up from behind him and taking him out.  Symeon thinks it is so funny but we do not find it as funny and neither does she when he returns the favor.

In the midst of all this mixing up of life she continues to be such a blessing and a source of great laughter and joy to our family.  She has a smile that draws people to her.  Everywhere we go people comment on how beautiful she is and they always mention her hair and eyes.  She is daring in spirit and has no fear and yet she continues to be weary of people and still does not like many people to hold her.  She loves any kind of food and eats so much for her age but I think that is because she is so active.  Marin continues to nurse although usually only 3 or 4 times a day and one of those is usually in the middle of the night she is a bit busy to nurse as you can imagine.  She has lost some of her baby look and Shawn and I joke that she is a toddler through and through rather than a baby (which makes me sad at times).  At the rate she is learning and interacting we think she might want to drive soon.  The other day she was quiet so I went to find her and she was sitting on Symeon's potty which she does often, why not potty train a 10  month old that would make life easier.

We put another stool in our bathroom because she has to climb up and stand on it just like Symeon when they brush their teeth.  No matter where she is if you say Sissy it is time to brush your teeth she heads toward the bathroom brushing her teeth with her finger.  She will also put things in the garbage if you ask her to which is handy when we are changing Symeon's diaper.  One of the funniest things she does is when you say Sissy is that yummy in your tummy she will take both her hands and rub her tummy and smile.  I tell you there is nothing like a buddha baby rubbing her own belly to make you laugh a deep belly laugh which makes Marin good for the soul.

She loves her babies and carries them all over the apartment.  She entertains herself quite well although you have to keep a close eye on her because you are never sure what she might be getting into when you think oh she is playing so nicely.   

I want time to slow down I want Marin to slow down and yet I would never want her to stop being her.  I love her determined spirit, her heart melting smile, and the joy that she brings to our lives.  We love you Marin and we pray that we will be able to nurture your spirit and guide you in a way that develops the gifts God has blessed you with in this life.

   Marin 10 months old

So cute....

A game of peek-a-boo

I am not sure what we did to her but whatever it was she didn't like it

Eating is a full contact sport for Marin and the amount of food in her hair and on her clothes might rival what ends up in her stomach.  She also pulls a bib off no matter what I do so I use a lot of stain stick and I practically hose her down after every meal.  And one dirty little secret I have learned is that if you wait for the food in her hair to dry you can comb it out easier which  means I don't have to wash her hair 3 times a day but she does look a bit rough while we are waiting for it to dry.  Oh the plight of the second born! 

If you look closely you can see a bandage on her pointer finger.  Her finger was closed a door by her brother and it was bleeding all over the place.  We had to make a little bandage and tape it to her finger to keep her from pulling it off.  She is so tough a little cry and she was off again no big deal to her except that blood was getting all over everything as she moved about thus the taped on bandage.  

This is one of those times I thought oh she is playing so nice while I am helping Symeon on the computer.  When I turned around I realized she had found a piece of chocolate on the floor from a chocolate covered strawberry and she had indulged.  Her hands, face, jeans, and the back of her hair were covered and she was happy!

She put this hat on all by herself

Seriously look at those legs how cute are those chubby little legs and her curled toes digging into the carpet for balance. 

Oh the dress up that is sure to come!

This is what Shawn saw when he turned around from his desk, another time when she was playing so nicely by herself.  Busted Sissy girl but it gets better...

...she then proceeded to get up on her tip toes on a rocking chair so she could reach my lap top

Marin you are beautiful in so many ways and we are so thankful for 10 wonderful months with you!

 

How did we get here?

Did you ever have one of those moments when you think how and when did this happen.  Well when I stepped back and looked at our bathroom that is exactly what I thought! 

We have also added some additional reading materials to our bathroom. 

Bugs

For Symeon's birthday he received a bug collector net and holder from my cousin Travis and it is a big hit.  Symeon is constantly collecting bugs, watching them and then when he goes to bed he wants them in his bed with him, and finally we let them go free outside to live with their families.  I have drawn the line when it comes to the bugs going to bed with him instead we let them stay in their holder and sit on the table near his bed so he can still see them but I don't have to imagine them getting loose and crawling all over him while he sleeps although I am pretty sure the thought of that happening only bothers me and would not even phase him if it happened.  Here he is enjoying some of the bugs we have found.

  Shawn helping Symeon transfer the bug from the net to the bug catcher

Symeon keeping an eye on his new bug

Buggy on day one

Buggy after 48 hours.  We told Symeon Buggy was sleeping so for days he carried around the collector with a dead bug in it ShhhhShhhing us because he was asleep.  We are sad to say that several bugs have perished in Symeon's quest for knowledge but their deaths have not been in vain.  We now know there is a 24 hour window of observation time then they must be released to the wild.       

Symeon turns 2

I find it hard to believe but it our little guy turned 2 years old on February 18th.  We had such fun celebrating his birthday in CT with family and friends.  He had a Sesame Street party that Oma and Papaw made special with lots of little extras.  It is hard to put into words the amazing little guy that Symeon is and what he means to our family.  It it like trying to describe this amazing work of art that you have to see and experience in order to appreciate the fullness of its beauty.  Symeon has turned into this amazing little guy that lives life fully.  He runs at full speed in every aspect of life.  He continues to be a bit of a daredevil and there are days I pray for a healthy fear to come over him before he has his driver's license. 

He loves sports and at this moment hockey is his favorite one to play.  He loves to draw, play outside, read books, watch Sesame Street, jump on the bed, visit his friends around Paxton, ride the elevator, watch out for his baby sister, cook with Mommy, and he still loves the computer.  His favorite food continues to be fruit of any kind and as much as you will allow him to eat.  The world is prettier through Symeon's eyes.  He still asks about the Christmas tree which is awesome.  Symeon still sleeps with Cat in the Hat and pulls his tail to follow sleep. 

Symeon is a joy and a blessing and this past year with him has been full of love, struggles, heart ache, profound joy, missteps, mistakes, tears from us all at one time or another, forgiveness given freely when we have made a mistake or lost our tempers.  He is growing into this amazing person and we are humbled by the fact that we have been entrusted with his care.  Our lives are richer, deeper, happier, and scarier by having him in our family. 

Symeon we love you so much and feel so honored to be your parents.  We are not perfect and we will make so many mistakes as we raise you but we hope with a lot of prayer, a bunch of grace from us all, and a lot of laughter and love we will create a home for you where you will feel safe enough and loved enough to venture out into the world and become who God has created you to be.  Happy Birthday our dear sweet guy! 

Symeon the day we brought him home from the hospital

Symeon when he turned 1

Symeon at 2

Birthday Party in Connecticut

Clover and Symeon at his birthday party

Symeon was a little shy when everyone was singing Happy Birthday

Some cute pics of our guy 

Always up for a climb and an adventure

What you can't see is that he colored all of his front teeth green as well

Hiding in our TV cabinet

Still a computer junkie - I wonder if Bill Gates' mother wrote that about him when he was a kid? 

Made it to round 10

Well it has been quite a while since I have posted. I feel like we have been in a boxing match for the past six weeks and honestly i might have opted for a knock out rather than a long drawn out fight. It all started with when Shawn had the regular flu then I got it then sissy. Symeon had his flu shot and avoided that illness. Then about the time I was feeling better I caught the stomach flu then Symeon, then Marin, then Shawn. Someone was either pooping or puking in our house for over a week. Then like that was not enough both our kids had bronchitis and it was miserable. Symeon had to have breathing treatments and change antibiotics and Marin was coughing like an adult it was a horrible intense week following two previous horrible and intense weeks. Then both kids decided to cut four teeth at the same time I am all for getting tooth cutting over with but following the month we had it was all I could do but cry. Then Marin started over with cold symptoms which seemed to pass in a few days and then her and I went to Denver to visit friends and she got sick on the trip. When I called home to check on Symeon and Shawn he said Symeon had a cold. Ok really it is enough, when we got home last Marin was up a good portion of the night crying and I knew she had an ear infection. Off to the doctors today and yes she did so now she is on an antibiotic and we are hoping for a better night tonight. So honestly I feel lucky to still be standing following the past six weeks and I hope that with Spring we are all going to be feeling much better and I will be able to get caught up on my blogging. So I hope over the next week, if everyone stays healthy I will get all caught up on the happenings of our lives because in the midst of all this illness we have had some great times to celebrate as well. Symeon turned 2, Marin turned 10 months, we went to CT, Marin and I went to Denver, and Shawn and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary all be it with two very very sick children but there is no one else in the world I would rather have standing next to me while we held our children through some very long nights.

9 Month Update

Marin turn 9 months old on February 16. Below is her biggest accomplishment this past month.

Haiti Hope

Our dear friends Dave and Christie have been working to adopt a little girl from Haiti for the past 3 years.  Their daughter has been living at an orphanage in Port-au-Prince and lots of red tape seemed like it would still be a few more years before she joined their family.  The terrible situation created by the earthquake in Haiti sped up the process and after many stressful sleepless nights at home and in the airport they were able to hug their daughter for the first time.  It really is an amazing story that had a happy ending but they also know how blessed they are because there are so many children in Haiti left in the aftermath of this disaster without anyone to care for them or advocate for them.  Please continue to pray for the country of Haiti.

Here is a great family picture with Ila home safe and sound!

  Mathis-4, Ila - 3, Jonas 16 months, Christe and Dave ages to remain a secret.  We love these dear friends so much and rejoice with them that their daughter is finally home safely after so many years. 

Beans and more beans

I take Symeon to a sing and play group on Friday mornings and they have these plastic bins full of dried beans, rice, or dried corn and he loves them so since it is winter and we still have a ton of dirty half melted snow on the ground I am looking for fun indoor activities to keep him busy.  I had an extra bin and bean time was born which of course is the same time Marin is sleeping since she eagerly eats the beans.  Here is Symeon enjoying his beans. 

I love hoodie towels

Soon Marin will be to a bit big for the hoodie towel but until then I use them every chance I get. 

 

Marin's smile is one of pure joy!

Time out times two

 

This mess is a regular occurrence we are working to stop.  Marin loves to pull all the books off the bookshelf and Symeon is always willing to help with the books out of her reach.  It is so annoying and they love it so much they both squeal with laughter but still it is coming to an end.  They both had a time out the other day for doing this when I told them not to.  Marin had to join Symeon since she started the whole thing and we want to be "fair" in Symeon's eyes.  It was so funny to see them both in time out.  I didn't get a picture because honestly I was just taking in the moment.  Marin had no idea she was just happy to be sitting next to Symeon so no harm done and Symeon had a bit of justice. 

Happy Valentine's Day

We had a Valentine's Day Party at Paxton this week and the kids wore their holiday best.  Really they just happen to be clothes they already have that are pink or red and I called them Valentine's Day outfits which seemed to make Symeon pretty happy. 

It is hard to be such a cool guy and dressed to impress at the same time.  

The resident's loved his tie and the bow in Sissy's hari.  I was sad every picture of Marin by herself came out blurry. 

The things they say or don't

As many of you know Symeon is still a child of few words although on a daily basis he is adding new word/

When Symeon is busy he combines both our names to make one word in hopes of getting someone's attention.  We are lovingly known as MaDA.  What I find funny about Symeon talking is the words he chooses to say.  He does not say any of the usual kid words such as up, down, please etc rather he says multiple words that mean something to him.  For instance he says "unday chool", "fall down", "remote control", and "babeee" which is the only name he will now use for his sister.  It is so sweet he draws out the eee with this sweet little smile when he is talking about her.  

It will be fun to add even more as he continues to expand his vocabulary everyday. 

I am not an artist but Symeon thinks I am

Symeon has a little table you can draw on with dry erase markers and right now he is obsessed with drawing pictures of our family using the different colors.  Shawn is blue.  I am orange.  He is purple.  Marin aka "Baby" which is the only name he will call her right now, is green.