Swimming

Kate and Grant continue to take swim lessons on Tuesdays at Goldfish. We always try to get dressed as quickly as possible after naps to arrive early to play with the chalkboards. At 4:30 Kate and I head to the small pool and Grant goes by himself to the big pool. He grabs some goggles and immediately starts talking to his instructor. Even as he is swimming he's trying to keep his mouth above water so he can keep talking! His teacher tells me he's making huge improvements. He can swim a little over half the width of the pool by himself and he loves doing cannonballs. Kate is in a phase where she doesn't like to get her face wet, except when she's going down the slide, because it is worth it!

My Sweet Kate

Today Grant, Kate and I were having a stuffed animal fight. Grant took a big wack at me with a dog that had a hard collar on it and I doubled over wincing in pain (it was a bit of an exaggeration, but it hurt!). Grant ignored my pain and continued throwing things at me while Kate came over and asked, "what happened mom?" When I told her she said, "hug, hug," and gave me a big hug. I started down a train of thought centering on how much more compassionate females are etc and was trying to explain to Grant what he should do if he hurts someone when Kate came up behind me and slammed a giant hardcover Bible against my head. :)

Hike

Today we took the kids on a "hike" along the Rouge River trail and then had a picnic under a shady tree. The kids spent most of their time throwing sticks in the river. Grant was so happy he literally galloped through the woods singing. He said he wasn't very hungry until I told him how sad it was because we were going out for ice cream afterward. When he finished his ice cream he came over and snuggled up to me and said, "if you want to share, I'm here."

Junk Food

Today I took Grant for his pulmonology check up and then out to lunch. (The doc put Grant on new meds bc his cough is still not gone.) When I was paying for lunch I bought Grant a mini Reese Peanut Butter Cup. Here's what he said when I gave it to him:

Grant: Mom, is this bad for me?
Mom: Well, it's not the healthiest thing, but I thought you'd like a treat for doing so well at the doctor.
Grant: So, you mean this is like, junk food?
Mom: It is okay to have a treat once in a while kiddo.
Grant: Wow. I can't believe you are giving me something to put into my body that is really bad for me. I don't know if I should eat it.

He did end up eating it. Is he his father's son or what?!

What they're into

Grant-playing "kitchen", mopping and doing dishes (hopefully this theme will continue when he's older), playing in sandboxes, eating watermelon, playing in the water fountain at Shain Park, swimming at Goldfish (can almost swim the width of the pool), adding a "ie" to most words (ball = ballie, book = bookie etc.) and continuing to be just about the most joyful kid I know!

Kate- riding her big wheel, using the "big" potty, trying on my shoes, going down the slide at the park over and over, doing the "hot dog dance", making calls on her cell phone, talking in complete sentences, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and rocking in the rocking chair with me after she naps while we sing and pray.

Happy July 4

This year on July 3 we went to grandma and grandpa's lake house with our cousins and their families. Unfortunately, Kate had to be quarantined because she was just getting over the hand-foot-mouth virus. The kids had a blast playing in the water, running through the sprinkler and taking boat rides. Grant even got to ride on the jet ski for the first time. What a treat! Oh, and did I mention Grant liked the dessert?

Call to Papa

Home Alone

Single moms, I don't know how you do it. God bless you! Jim just got back from being gone for 5 days. We are all so glad to have him back on the scene. Grant is still fighting a cough. We're doing breathing treatments twice a day and have two weeks to go until we see the doc again. Hopefully he will be better by then. In the mean time it is not slowing him down.

The Persistant Cough

Grant's cough is back. It disappeared for only a few days when taking the antibiotic for his pneumonia. Thankfully, we got in to see his pulmonolgist today. After listening to Grant cough and wheeze he was pretty sure it is asthma. We are going back for allergy testing in a couple of weeks to find out what Grant's triggers are. Most likely he's been dealing with this since back in October when he first came down with the cough. (He's been complaining that his stomach is hot which was probably the only language he could come up with for what was going on. Poor guy!) The many antibiotics and brief breathing treatments over the last 9 months have temporarily supressed the asthma but now we can actually deal with it head on. Grant will be on steriods for the next few weeks and then use a nebulizer as needed.

The pulmonolgist was a bit concerned by the chest x-rays that were taken recently at the ER. He wants us to repeat the x-rays again in four weeks to compare the two. Please pray that Grant's lungs totally heal and that the asthma would be gone!

Hearing God

Grant typically wakes up from his afternoon nap singing. I mean really belting it out. His joy continues to amaze me. When I go in to get him I always ask him what he dreamed about. Most of the time he says "salad." Weird. Today I tried something new. When he woke up I asked him to close his eyes and ask God to speak to him- to tell him someone to help or some way to obey today. At first he said "I can't hear anyone." Then I told him to listen with his heart. Then he told me that God told him two things. (1) that he was a soldier and (2) that he was never supposed to steal money from anyone. You can't really go wrong with either of those things!

Guitar Nudist

Today Jim took the kids to a park near our house that has a huge water fountain that they allow the kids to play in. They had fun splashing around trying to retrive pennies from well wishers. As you can imagine they came home soaked. Before I got a chance to put Kate's clothes on she bolted for the guitar. I had to snap a shot.

A Vist to Spring Lake

P.S. We moved back into our house last night. Air test came back all clear!!

Movin' Out

I took Grant to the doctor yesterday for a recheck on his lungs. The doc said that his right lower lung didn't look good and we'd need to see his pulmonolgist. I told her about the flood in the basement and she said, "GET OUT!" It is too dangerous with Grant's lung condition to be around that much moisture and possible mold. So, last night we moved in with my parents. The kids are enjoying it, although they are having a little trouble not being in their own bedrooms to sleep. Hopefully they will adjust tonight and we'll be back in our house before long. We are very blessed to have parents nearby that are kind enough to open their home. :)

Pneumonia round 3

Yesterday we were at the lake all day playing and Grant was acting perfectly normal. He has had a cough for a while so I had scheduled an appt with his pulmonolgist for later this month. After he got out of the lake he kept saying he was cold. We just thought he was being kind of wimpy (sorry Grant) and went on with the day. Soon his lips turned blue and he just didn't seem right. We got in the car to go home and his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. We woke him up and he did it again. I screamed, "drive to the ER NOW!" So, Jim went into racecar mode and we drove to Royal Oak Beaumont. The whole drive I was doing everything I could to keep Grant from passing out. His eyes kept crossing and he kept saying he was tired. Jim was praying continuously and Kate was looking on with curiosity.

At the hospital they quickly found out that Grant had an extremely high temperature. They think it was a febrile fever (temp rises extremly quickly and eventually causes a seizure). Yes, this is the same thing that happened to Kate a few months ago. It tends to run in families. After getting xrays and running a few more tests they concluded that Grant has pneumonia. They were able to get the fever down and then Grant was acting great. (While he had the fever he was moaning and crying.) I picked up the guys and we went to CVS for Grant's prescription. It was about 10:30 at this point and Grant was incredibly chipper for all that he'd been through. We pulled in the driveway at close to 11:00pm and Grant looked and Jim and said, "Dad, can we go ride bikes?"

Grandma's new hat

Potty Training Day 2

Lately Kate has seemed really irritated when she has a messy diaper. A few weeks ago Kate starting stripping herself naked in her crib before she went to sleep. This included her (sometimes full) diaper. We decided to start potty training this week. I think potty training is kind of like labor. Just as I forgot what a pain it was to potty train Grant I felt ready to take on Kate. What a chore. Here are the results so far:

Day 1:
Hits 0
Misses: 9

Day 2:
Hits: 4
Misses: 7

Soccer

Grant plays soccer at the YMCA once a week. He actually plays more of a form of rugby, diving onto the ball, picking it up and running. Regardless, it is a good way of getting him to run around. He adores the coach and is building a special relationship with him. There is a playground right next to the soccer field for Kate to play on so she always looks forward to soccer days too.

Focus on the Good

Last week
Grant: (in a very whiney voice) It's so sunny out. It hurts my eyes.
Jim: It is important in life to to learn to focus on the positive. Let's focus on what is good today, like the fact that it is a nice, warm day.

Today At Lunch
Grant: I don't want green peppers. I only eat red peppers.
Cindy: Too bad. You are going to eat your green peppers.
Grant: I don't have to. Dad told me to only focus on the good things in life.

1st visit to the Lakehouse

We make our first visit of the year to grandma and grandpa Koss' cottage. (where there was no rain or snow) The weather was warm and the kids loved the water, rafts, and and boat.

Stabilized

Thank you for praying for Rhyer. He is stabilized and even coming off some of his medications!

Pray for our friend

If you've been following the blog a while you may remember that our good friends also had a baby boy born with a congenital heart defect. His name is Rhyer and he needs our prayers. His heart condition is exponentially worse than Grant's and today he had his third heart surgery. To sum it up he is not doing well. Not well at all. The doctors may have to go in and undo the surgery that they did earlier this morning. His parents have asked us to pray for a miracle. Please pray with us for Rhyer today.

Bee

Kate is cracking me up these days. She's become really attached to a lego recently. It has a bee painted on it and she takes it everywhere she goes. She even eats with "Bee", holding it in one hand. She still refers to herself as monkey and introduces herself as monkey to kids in the park. Today she asked for her milk (I took it away for throwing it) and when I said no she asked, "milk for monkey?"

She and Grant are the best of friends. When she runs into the middle of the field during his t-ball practice he gets all excited telling all the other boys, "this is my sister, Kate." Then he gives her a big hug and kiss. The other night Grant was crying in his crib for me and when Kate heard him she yelled, "It's otay, Bruder (brother). Mama back."

Snuggles

Welcome home, uncle Hal! Here's to our last summer together before you graduate and have to get a real job.

Florida Vacation

No new pictures of the kids this time. Jim and I spent 5 days alone in sunny Florida! We went to Boca Raton for a wedding and then stayed a few extra days in Delray Beach. As much fun as we had we were ready to come home and see the kids. They had a blast with grandma and grandpa Koss. Grant greeted us with huge hugs and kisses while Kate gave me the cold shoulder. I think it is pretty standard for kids her age to be "mad" at their mom for leaving them and Kate was no exception. After a couple of hours she was back to her normal self. I feel refreshed and rested!

Joy

Grant still explodes with joy on a daily basis. Yesterday when I picked him up from gym class I asked the teacher how he did. She responded, "he is just so joyful! I've never seen a kid joyful all the time." I'm so thankful. Ever since he was 6 weeks old, even through all the poking and prodding of needles and tubes, he's been joyful. What a gift.

What they're into and up to

Kate- Loves to put on chapstick, speaks in 3 word sentences, doesn't eat much during mealtimes but constantly asks for candy, can count to 10, is particular about the shoes she wants to wear, enjoys her weekly swim lesson with mommy, loves to hang from things and yell "Kate monkey!"

Grant-can put on his own shoes (hooray!), skins his knee every other day from falling off his bike, likes to "look for clues" and go exploring outside, loves library storytime, always asks for a hug and a kiss before mommy and daddy leave, when he hurts himself says, "shake it off, shake it off," through his tears.

Kate's great date

Tonight we had some friends over for a bbq and everyone brought their kids. We ended up having 7 kids ages 3 and under and Kate was the only girl. She marked her territory early in the night by putting on a tutu and strutting about the house. The boys mostly chased each other around. As the night drew to a close we were all pretty exhausted so we put on an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The guys worked on cleaning the kitchen while the moms went on a walk. All and all a great night!

Two Habits

Kate has picked up two new bad habits. The first is pooping in the bathtub. Poor Grant, he just sits there and counts them as they float up next to him. The second is calling me by my first name. She also yells, "Hal! Hal!" when she's at grandma and grandpa Koss' house.

Happy Easter

my little chefs

Dress Up

"Shwim!"

Like I've said before Kate loves to swim. The other day she was riding her bigwheel when she saw a puddle. She yelled, "shwim!Shwim!" and then drove head first off her bike into the puddle. This photo was taken a few days later and doesn't really do it justice, but she has 6 different cuts on her face. Overall, she is a really tough girl, but this spill caused some tears.

Kate and Dad

Words

The other day when Kate was brushing her teeth I told her, "make sure you get the back." She took her toothbrush out of her mouth and reached around to brush her back. I laughed out loud and now she "brushes her back" every time she brushes her teeth.

Grant: Mom, I visited heaven the other day.
Mom: How exactly did you do that?
Grant: When we were in the airplane coming home from Florida, when we were in the clouds. I saw Jesus.
Mom: Really?
Grant: Yep. And God too.
Mom: It's not often that we see God, but if I are very quiet we can hear him.
(silence)
Grant: I heard him. He told me we need to go to the gas station and put gas in our car.
(I'm surprised God didn't tell him to visit a carwash.)

Round 2

We just got back from visiting grandma and grandpa Koss in Florida again. Unfortunately, the kids were sick the whole time. They did not sleep through the night a single night while we were there. While everyone was exhausted by the week's end I was really thankful to have the help with the kids.

Sing about my day

Grant is the king of stalling when he's going to bed. He asks for water, begs to brush his teeth again and requests us to sing songs while we play with his hair. He consistently makes the request, "sing about my day." We have to pick a catchy tune and recall all the fun things he did throughout the day. When we leave him in his bed we remind him to think about his favorite things.Tonight when I got done he said, "but I don't want to go to bed. I don't want to think about my favorite things. I can only think about sad things. I was tired and not up for cheering him up so I said, "fine. Just think about sad things." He got all cheerful and said, "okay. I'll think about disobeying, that is very sad." (said with a grin)

Making people smile

Yesterday Grant received a toy from his treasure box for going potty in the toilet. He chose a mini guitar. He insisted on bringing it everywhere. When we were driving to the grocery store he asked if he could bring it inside. He said, "I'm going to look for people who are sad or angry and I am going to play my guitar for them to make them smile. I love making people smile." So, off we went into the grocery store with Grant searching the crowd for unhappy people. But, everyone he interacted with was smiling and complementary of his guitar playing. We got in the car and he said, "Mom, I didn't find any unhappy people. Are you unhappy?" I told him "no, I'm very happy today." He then asked, "Could you pretend to be sad so I can cheer you up?" So, for the rest of the ride home I fake cried so he could play the guitar and sing. I am so thankful for my boy who is so filled with joy!

Kate and play dough

See ya Snow

It has been so nice out lately so we've been spending a ton of time outdoors. Both kids like to ride the big wheel and Grant likes his training bike that we got him last summer but he never rode. Kate loves to blow bubbles and pop them in her hands. Today we made it to the park. Whenever we pass a park Kate yells, "Weeeee." Grant can finally go on a regular swing but hasn't quite figured out how to make himself move. I'm really looking forward to summer when we can spend more days like we did today.

Pet Store

Today I took the kids on a special adventure to the pet store. The whole experience turned out to be a bit of a bust, but we surely started out on the wrong foot. From the moment we got on Woodward Grant began yelling, "easy, mom, easy." I asked Grant what he meant and he said that is what you are supposed to say if someone is going over the speed limit. No idea who taught him that. Jim, if you are reading this I was not speeding.

We got to the pet store and it wasn't long before Grant discovered that they had a vacuum. I allowed him to pretend to vacuum for 5 minutes(it wasn't even on) before the manager got really upset and we had to quit that. Then Kate stuck her hand in a fish tank (they should keep them covered) and we got another scolding. The last straw was when Grant found some lettuce on the floor and tried to feed the 2 foot tortoise crawling around the ground. Okay, so it was my idea. The science teacher in me should have known it was dangerous, but it seemed like a great way to pass the time. The manager didn't think so. We'll dress in disguise next time we go.

Tidbits

Kate's favorites:
Book: "Teeth are Not for Biting" (now if only she would listen)
Song: "B-I-B-L-E" (she pats her legs as it plays in the car)
Activity: swimming (pronounced "shwim, shwim!")
Food: cereal (this is a great way to keep her occupied after dinner)
Phrase: Me Tate! (while patting her chest)

Grant's favorites:
Book: Arthur and the Trouble with TV
Song: "All you Need is Love" (dancing with mom or dad)
Activity: climbing the structures at Kiddie Klub in Rochester
Food: mac n cheese
Phrase: "I love it when you call me Big Papa." (don't ask)

Florida Picts

The Villages

The kids and I met up with Jim at his parents house in The Villages for the second part of our vacation. The weather was slightly better so the kids even got to play in the pool once. We also took our third annual trip to "Uncle Donald's Farm" where the kids had fun feeding the cows hay and feeding the goat from a baby's bottle. Kate's favorite part was trying to climb the animals cages. Jim's mom calls her “dexterous." The thesaurus defines this as “able, active, adept, agile, apt, artful, clever, crackerjack, deft, effortless, expert, having the know how, nimble, nimble-fingered, prompt, quick & skilled.” We decided this is a very fitting description of Kate. Jim is excited to have someone to rock climb with him in a few years! We had a great visit and hope it won't be quite so long before we make it back.

Freezing in Florida

The kids and I are in Florida this week visiting my parents who spend the winter there. The record-breaking lows have made our vacation unlike any other we've had in Florida. The kids have been playing in the sand wearing their fleeces and sneakers. We've found interesting activities to do each day like visiting the Naples museum yesterday and the Discovery Science Center today. Thankfully, the kids are pretty happy as long as they have things to climb on and a place to run around. They proved the first night that they could not sleep in the same room (at home they have a barrier between them) so Grant is now sleeping in the shower. He woke up twice the first night crying but he's been okay since.

Fo' sho

Derme went back to Africa and left her mark on our family. When I ask Kate if she wants to do something she has been answering "fo show!" I definitely get double takes when we are out in public.

Grant is finally at that age where he is using his imagination. It is so much fun to watch him play. Yesterday he made a fort with a hole on top. He was trying lower one of his guys down it and said, "Look mom! I'm lowering the paralyzed man down to Jesus so he can get healed." It sure beats playing war!

Quote of the Week

Grant: Kate, when you get big like me you will grow a penis too to shoot pee in the toilet.

Kate: A huh.

Where's Kate?

Some places where Kate was found this week:

1. Locked in the bathroom (thankful for the old paperclip trick)
2. Painting her face with Jim's chapstick
3. Putting paperclips in her ears saying, "(ear)Rings Mom!"
4. Naked in the bathroom (took her own diaper off) brushing her teeth
5. Screaming next to the pack and play which she just climbed out of

Basketball Practice

Not sure we have a star in the making...nor do I think he really cares. :)

Sick Again

Yesterday Grant had a horrible day. We were in the grocery store and he cried the entire 30 minutes because he wanted to get out of the cart. Then, at basketball practice he wanted to sit on the bench with me and when I told him no he completely flipped out and threw a sobbing fit. This was not my typical joyful kid.

I started feeling bad that perhaps Grant didn't feel loved enough or secure enough or something (I know, typical mom guilt), so I planned to take him out to lunch just the two of us today. But, when I picked him up from Bible school the teacher said he wasn't quite right and that he had green puss oozing out of his eye. Great. My plan for lunch was foiled. At least this explained Grant's weird behavior. We instead went to the doctor and found out that he has pink eye and a double ear infection again! He just finished his antibiotics from the last ear infection on Sunday. Unfortunately, I have pink eye too, for the third time since the beginning of December. Please pray that our infections would go away for good and would not spread to the rest of the family.

Talk Talk Talk

Kate's language has exploded. She probably has close to 100 words now and is speaking in 2-3 word sentences. Her first sentence was "my name daddy (as she patted her chest)." Clearly she doesn't have all the details down, but she is trying. We're thinking that her skills have something to do with constantly being around a certain older brother with the nickname "motormouth."

Speaking of Grant, we seem to have crossed a major hurdle with potty training. I can't wait for the day when I can take the extra pair of pants and underwear out of my purse! We're not there yet, but he's definitely improving. Trips to the toy store with dad have helped.

Finger Painting and Swimming

Sick Sick Sick

Cindy's introduction to our family has been a bit rough (although she's handling it quite well). The day after she got here both kids got sick. As is typical, my kids are totally different when they are sick. Mostly crying and whining all the time. Jim and I kept trying to assure her that they really are better behaved than they appear. Then, on Wednesday, I got really, really sick. I have more or less been in bed for 3 days. As a result Cindy had to take care of the kids full time while Jim was at work without really knowing the ins and outs of our routine. Thankfully, Grant is pretty opinionated and told her what to do much of the time. :) Yesterday I tried to get up with Kate to let Cindy get some sleep because she wasn't feeling well either. After about 15 minutes I realized I was super weak and not doing well so I put Kate in her pack and play with some books and laid down on the couch. About 15 minutes later I heard a loud "thump" and then screaming. Kate had climbed out of her pack and play! Thankfully she landed on carpet and there are no battle wounds.

Good-bye and Hello

This week we said good-bye to our beloved Derme as she headed back to South Africa. We will be forever grateful that God chose to send her to us.


We also welcomed, Cindy, our new au pair. Cindy is also from South Africa and is Xhosa. (This is the name of her language and her people group.) She's had a lot of firsts this week including flying on a airplane, eating chicken noodle soup and using a dishwasher. She is eager to learn about Americans and about our family. We think she will fit in perfectly. Please pray for a smooth transition for her.

Jumping on the bed

Yogi Pokey

This morning I took Kate to "baby yoga." She didn't get it. I'm not sure if any of the babies did, but it was something to do at the library nearby. Kate mostly went around pointing in each child's face saying, "baby. baby. baby." Some moms didn't mind while others thought she was a little too direct. Kate's favorite part of the morning is when we did the "yogi pokey."

Grant started a new class this year called "Toddler Boot Camp." I was a little nervous because of the name (I'm sure you are too) but he ended up having a blast. It is 2 1/2 hours long at our local YMCA and includes gym and swim. The best part is that I don't have to be there to change him in and out of wet clothes. He really had a blast and keeps talking about his teacher, "Coach Kyle."

The Guys

I just came across this picture on my camera from Christmas. Grant continues to talk about his uncle Bry and Uncle Hal even though he doesn't see them very often. They play rough and do only things that guys can do.

Still Mopping

Yes, Grant is still into cleaning. He probably mops the floor over an hour a day. The great thing about it is that he's really getting pretty good so our floors have never looked better. He loves to do art projects so most days while Kate is still napping we get to do a project or two. He's in a really fun phase and is doing a great job being obedient so he is a joy to be around. We're in week 4 of potty training. Ugg! We're down to one accident a day.

Kate continues to mimic what she sees her older brother doing. Several times a day she'll run to the potty and yell, "potty!" She's yet to actually go on it, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did one day soon. She is all girl and sleeps at night with her doll which she can see burping often throughout the day.

Nicknames

I thought it would be fun to record the nicknames we have for the kids:

Kate: Katerator (we're not sure how she got this, but we've called her it from birth), Rator (short for Katerator, pronounced raytor), potato, monkey, cutie (called this by Grant)

Grant: Grant Samuel (when he's not listening), sockman (when he puts his socks on his hands, treseur (called this by Jim when he jumps off high platforms)