Big Bad Wolf

Lincoln's preschool had their spring nursery rhyme and fairy tale show. Lincoln was the Big Bad Wolf.

You'd never guess it by seeing the driving rain outside right now, but we had some good weather last weekend.I've mentioned sickness in the past, but this past week has been filled with vomiting and coughing and tiredness. So far, Henry and I have been spared, and Jenn has been mildly affected. Lydia started the fun, but Lincoln has been hit the hardest. It's sad to watch, but this morning it looks like things have turned around. Lincoln didn't sleep in until 9:30, and he's back to being bossy with Henry & Lydia. We'll see if Henry and I fall to the bug in the next couple of days...

Freezing Morning at the Beaver Pond

While Jenn went for a run on the Towpath yesterday, I took a walk with the kids to the beaver pond. It. Was. Cold.Jenn and I have been talking recently about how Henry's hand is going to be more and more of an issue as he shows initiatve in getting dressed, playing with more complext toys, etc. Of course he'll figure out ways to do these things, but it'll still be some kind of ordeal during the learning process. He continues to surprise us at how well he adapts, and one of those areas is with Legos.Jenn is not on Pintrest, but if she were, this photo would be posted. Yesterday she made little scrambled egg men for the kids.

Henry's Talking!

You know your blogging frequency has fallen off the map when you get an e-mail from your sister asking if everything is okay. Things are okay with the Gates Family. There has been a perfect storm of busy-ness and a good bit of stressors that have combined to make finding the will to blog more of a challenge lately. Managing two 2-year-olds and a nearly 5-year-old is proving to be difficult in this particular stage of life. I don't suppose it's any different than anyone else in our situation, but as we have to live in our situation, there have been some difficult times for us.

(Some of the photos on this page are from a visit the kids paid to the Clinic with me yesterday to check on a kitty.)That's not to say the kids aren't growing up and doing well. Henry is on is own little verbal explosion. Over the past three weeks, the words have flowed from his mouth at an amazing pace. Clearly he was mentally banking words until his mouth could figure out how to make the sounds. He and I can't read a book without him pointing to something saying, "Look! Look!" and then repeating the word several times after I tell him. "Horse! Cow! Meow! Geese! Tractor! Etc."

I've been getting some photos printed to update our frames around the house. I also posted some of the photos in Henry's room and each night we say goodnight to those in the photos. Part of the photo collage is the photo of Jenn and I along with Henry and one of his nannies. What a different experience, going from Lincoln and Lydia to Henry, but as all of that is part of his past, we're going to include it right up front for him. And he loves the photos. Ever since I put them up, he loves to stare at them and call out the names of everyone. "Pictures! Pictures!" he says. I think his favorite one is with his birthday cake.Lydia is getting sassy. Just last evening, while Jenn was washing dishes Lydia kept turning off the kitchen light. Jenn said, "No, no, Lydia." Lydia's response? "You're not the boss." She's just the cutest thing, though, with her mannerisms and the stuff she comes out with, but today Jenn said something at lunch about having to crack the whip with her. As hard as it is to get tough, it'll never be easier to start than now, I imagine.

Jenn made more cake pops for Lincoln's preschool.

Lincoln is learning to sound out words and is on the cusp of genuinely reading. He's reading some very basic things with practice, but it's looking like things are going to click with him real soon. Jenn and I completed his initial paperwork to enroll him in Summit Christian School in the fall. We're also going to enroll him in some of the summer actities at his preschool. They've got some really neat activities going that he'll love to be a part of, and it'll keep in somewhat of a routine so that all day Kindergarten won't be too much of a step for him.

He's also impressing Jenn during the day with his abilities with some of his building toys. What once used to be a budding imagination is now an ability to think three dimentionally and come up with some pretty creative designs.This time next week we'll be getting ready to head down to Columbus. Jenn and I will be attending the Midwest Veterinary Conference while the kids get some grandparent time with the Parkinsons.

First Zoo Trip of 2012

I'm really getting behind the curve here.

Lincoln has been helping me with a few painting projects. One of them is for Henry's room, and when we're through with it, we'll post some photos.He's also been back to playing with Legos after a brief hiatus. This has been prompted a bit by his receiving the Lego Club Magazine where he enjoys playing some of the word games as well as looking at the photos of things that "kids have made." I'm convinced that parents are building those things, but what do I know. So Lincoln built a couple of guns of which he wanted me to take photos. I like his iniative spirit!
We've also been battling some coughs... all of us have.
Last Saturday I had a Daddy Day with the kids while Jenn was at work in the morning, so after a few errands, we went for our first Akron Zoo visit of the season. Sure it was cold, but we still had fun.Thankfully, Lydia has been more into books lately. You'll recall that Lincoln was interested in books seemingly from the womb. Lydia, not so much. But over the last few weeks, she's been more interested in picking out books and sitting still for longer periods of time while we read to her.She's also learned to use a step stool very, very effectively.
And word out of middle Tennessee is that the Hopwoods are still waiting...

Summer Splashin'

It was hot and humid today, so we turned on the air conditioning inside, and sent Lincoln to play in his pool outside.
This morning Lincoln wanted to play with the camera, so this is what we came up with.We enjoyed a fun evening with the Grigsbys tonight. They live way up in Cleveland and we don't get to see each other too often with our collective busy schedules, but we always have so much fun together when we do find the time. Their little boy is a few months older than Lydia, and he's all over the place, so between our two and their one, the kids had a fun time watching each other.

And Lydia's eyes aren't getting any less blue.

Bubble Bath!

It's Easter weekend! Lincoln colored eggs for the first time today, and he did very well doing most of the things himself.
He's also been into crafts and drawing......and Legos. Today he wanted to take his own pictures of his Lego steps that he built. I've been pretty impressed at his budding creativity. It's also neat to see him show an interest in taking photos. It's a slow process, but he's got to start somewhere!Jenn and I were quite motivated to put something up on our big, plain walls after spending the weekend in Franklin with Auntie Em and Uncle Jeremy. Their house is decorated so nicely that it made Jenn and me want to get off of our fannies and get decorating. So we've been going through our photos and deciding what to print, and Jenn's beend finding some neat art for various places around the house. Lincoln's been helping...Next time you're over for a visit, you'll see our work in progress. The next real big project is painting the dining room! I'm actually looking forward to that.

Happy Easter! Remember Jesus.

Lego's, phase 1

He's either a Lego-maniac or a future engineer in training... or both.

On another note, and this will warm his Auntie's heart: when he looks at our family pictures, he can identify most of the faces, and when we say, "Where's Auntie Em?" he points right to his Auntie.