It finally feels like summer and actually the amazon would be a more accurate term this week. With temps well in the 90′s and heat index’s approaching 120 we have been doing our best to stay cool, hit the swimming pool, sprinkler, and when too hot to be outside enjoying out ball pit in the basement. The girls LOVE being outside and the water. They will play for hours. They are practicing walking on their hands in the water while their legs float behind them, blowing bubbles, and jumping into from the side.
This past week our friends from Canada joined us. They made the 855 mile drive with their four and half and almost three year old. The four kids had a blast playing all week, spent a day together at our day care, had time with just the dads, just the moms and even a couple of babysitters for a good balance for all of us to enjoy our time together. It’s so fun to see the kids actually playing together now. We were with them just nine months ago in Grand Forks and the kids all played but not quite like they did this time. I think everyone had fun and I cannot thank Layli and Clay enough for making the trip all the way here. I know it’s not easy traveling with little ones!! Love you guys!
We continue to expand our vocabulary and they amaze me at the things they are finally getting. Now listening and following directions are a completely different subject. I love listening to their conversations which are typically half English and half their own language. I love watching them play together and fight but they have such a unique bond that it is so neat to see. The other day while having a snack on the way home from the pool Brynn finished her’s before Ari and wanted more, which I did not have. However, Ari was quick to hand some of her’s to Brynn and said “here sissy have mine.” Anyone who knows Ari knows how much she likes her food and to share is a pretty big deal.
Every night before bed we always read a bible story, say The Lord’s Prayer, and list special people we want to pray for. This typically includes close family, friends, their birthmom, and anyone who might be sick or having a hard time. The girls are now listing people themselves. For the first time the other night after listing some special friends Brynn said their birthmom’s name and Ari repeated it. It was super special and brought tears to my eyes. They have never met her or even seen a picture but they hear us include her in our prayers and they get how very special she is to our family and we could not be complete without her.
After prayers has been a challenge for us. Bedtime struggles started in January and we continue to struggle each night going to bed. We have done the same routine since they were six months old so it’s not like we changed anything. They were doing well even with the big beds for two months and then things went downhill. We keep trying different things but these girls are just night owls and always have been it’s currently 9:45 and they have been in bed for about an hour When it comes time to wake up in the morning they are bears unless we let them sleep until 9. On days they go to day care it’s a fight to get them up. The other morning Ari after being fully dressed, teeth brushed, hair done, and sat on potty she told me she was going back to bed and did that. I found her two minutes later in bed, hugging her bear, under the covers while I was battling Brynn to get ready. 
We did make a trip to ND over the 4th of July. Not surprisingly we almost didn’t make it yet again. On our attempt to be 2 hours closer by leaving from my brother’s house Brynn got car sick and threw up in the car. We ended up turning around and going back home just to be sure it wasn’t a bug we shared with everyone else. By doing this we ended up in stop and go traffic for about 60 miles! To avoid that on our return home we left in the evening and got home at 2 am, well worth it because the girls slept until 9.
Brynn, Andri, Rowan & Ari. Our attempt to get for kids on a bridge.
Posing in the tractor I spent so many hours driving.
July 23, 2011 at 3:43 am |
Awh, we miss you guys soo much already…when are we visiting again?? Hope your work week went well this week. Take care and give those girls a big hug for me!!