The Best Part of My Day

Every day is a gift and while I worry about all that needs to be done, I worry about missing each precious moment with these kids.  I don't want to miss a smile, a laugh, an opportunity to make a memory and then the horror of forgetting these precious memory.  I analyze how to be a better mom and what new thing I should be teaching these information sponges that soak up so much around them.  It's a wonderful time and a time that I know is fleeting which is why I ache to share every moment with you and yet, be present in the moment that is occurring right now!

Siena is advancing in her gymnastics and really has the shape for all that tumbling.  She is ahead of her class in school and has taken quite well to reading and writing is her favorite thing to do.  She is prepared to do well in 1st grade and her teacher predicts that she will be a teacher when she grows up.  Her favorite chore at the moment is to do the dishes by hand.  She isn't very good but practice makes perfect and she enjoys practicing.  I think the step stool makes it fun too.  She insisted on attending a baby shower I was hosting a few weeks ago.  She is stuck between the worlds of little girl and big girl -- still wanting to run and play and wanting to grow up to be somebody important.

Carson wants to help out as well and his favorite line is, "What's my next job?"  He adores both of his sisters and still asks to hold "Baby Awaygrah" Grace and sing her songs in the morning.  He looks forward to Tumbleweeds every Monday and can nearly do a handstand.  He desperately needs a drink as soon as he gets up and the liquid consumption does not cease until he falls asleep.  He is never without a water bottle in his hand.

Everything is new for Allegra and she is FINDING everything too.  She has conquered the step into the sunroom and had her first swing ride.  Oh how I wish you could see that face and hear her giggle.  She stands in her crib so we had to move that down.  She claps her hands all the time and follows each of us around the house on that tummy crawl of hers.  She is adorable in every way, even when she scrunches up her nose.

The best thing about our kids is they understand what it means to be family.  Siena wants to spend all of Daddy's free time playing and he is a pretty good jungle gym.  Just today we asked Siena what the best part of her day was and her sweet answer was, "Coming home to be with my family."  That's funny: that was the best part of my day too. 

Love & Prayers Make A Home

Happy Valentine's Day!  We hope you have found some unique way to show those around you love.  Our home is filled with love these days.  We hear it often because we say it our kids often.  Carson is very quick to say, "I love you Mommy and I love you still."  Carson has a tender heart that he wears on his sleeve, which means he loves BIG but gets his feelings hurt easily, or is that just because he is three? 

Allegra is 10 months today!  It wasn't that long ago we were anxiously anticipating her arrival and the kids would ask how much longer until baby would arrive.  She has the brightest smile and has learned to clap her hands.  Siena usually has her propped up somewhere so Allegra can be part of the fun.  Gone are the days of passively sitting by and just observing what everyone else is doing.  

Allegra doesn't get up on her knees to crawl and she is not walking at nine months like Siena (FINE by me!) but she knows how to get around.  She is usually chasing me around the house, room to room. 

 We went out to eat to a hibachi grill this month and Siena attempted to catch food in her mouth and Allegra gave her approval to the show.  Carson....well, he was hiding under the table for fear of the fire.  And I think Kurt & I were the only ones that truly appreciated our food but we are giving them the chance to enjoy new foods.  

Welcome to a small dose of the New Year's Sermon Series at World Outreach.  It is our church's objective to find creative ways to reach new people who would not typically attend church, draw them in with something they are interested in (free cupcakes and doughnuts are in there too) with the hopes they are intrigued enough to return again throughout the year and learn more about God's plan for them.  And so our children reap the benefits of this by getting to meet the Star Wars crew and Superheroes (Spiderman is Carson's favorite).  We realize that Pastor has spoiled our kids and they will never know what a typical church service looks like but they are so excited for church every weekend and seriously, what more could you want?!?!

 This weekend there were no characters but our kids are quick to step in.  A photo booth was available and not only did we get a few pictures together but they pulled in one of their many friends and grabbed a couple snapshots together.  Watch out world!  These two love on everyone they meet and they don't know a stranger!!!  They are quick to win anyone over with their smile and charm!

The theme of the sermon series is "Let's Pray" and Pastor is encouraging us to incorporate short prayers into our daily lives.  Our kids have been practicing this since they could talk and their prayers are just precious.  Carson prays for the leaves and the grass, for the stop sign and the beach.  Siena prays for those sick and hurt.  Their hearts are so tender and thoughtful that these prayers must fall so sweetly upon God's ear. 

Since We No Place to Go, Let It Snow!

As I write this current addition of the Knoll blog, I am enjoying the breath taking snow that has continued to drift in all day long.  It's possible we have been transported to a mountain cabin somewhere because this is just not possible in middle Tennessee.  The cul-da-sac is covered as his Kurt's tracks from earlier, and we had enough to create a good-sized Olaf.  In our 13 winters here, we have never seen so much continual snow during day light hours.  It's about as close as we have gotten to a Midwestern snow which is something we all miss.  There is something incredibly special about the first snow of the season.

We got Allegra out for just a few minutes so she could experience this white stuff called snow, and the kids were in and out all morning.  While Mom took care of hats, coats, gloves, boots and lunch, Dad helped out with the sledding and snowman architecture and the four-legged ones kept watch. 

Olaf was well made with two button eyes, a carrot for a nose, a scarf and two twigs for arms.

Allegra continues to be a source of joy and light in our home.  She is the kids 'play toy,' as expected and has to be rescued by Momma from time to time.  She has quite the appetite for baby food but is not as fond of finger foods.  She is weighing 17 lbs 8 oz., can army crawl better than any solider and can bounce just like Tigger.   

Siena has become such a great helper to me and is willing to help me out with tasks around the house.  She continues to breeze through school, adding to her long list of sight words, and recognizing words as we go about her day.  She is also doing very well with single digit addition.  She enjoys her time away, but she has truly become appreciative of her family and being at home with us when school is not in session, like today.  

Carson is our adorable cutie pie with so much charisma, and we can thank his sister for aiding him in being so advanced in his speech and interacting with adults and kids.  Play dates are now focused around him for a change, and he can play with others like at the Discovery Center where he played PA office with his friend Faith, or his favorite, Tumbleweeds, a tumbling class for 3-5 year olds.  

It's Still Christmas, Even If It's Not White

We had a busier Christmas season than usual and a much WARMER season.  We had our very first Christmas school program, the stomach bug, a few going away parties, a few birthday parties, work parties, and life in one month.  But I am sure your schedule was just as busy and so was everyone I spoke with.  I was reminded this week that Christmas is just one single day and it will return again next year, so I had to change my perspective, take a deep breath and remember that the Savior's birth was not meant to cause so much frustration and bustle.  We are here to celebrate, teach and commemorate this special occasion; not judge the wrapping of the gifts or the mass cookies produced.  

Siena performing on the front row of her kindergarten Christmas program at Black Fox.  No, I did NOT get the memo that she was to wear red, so she is the only kid in lavender (her favorite color).  But that is our little girl, the one who sticks out of a crowd, for a good reason.  There is no doubt that God has a plan and a purpose for this gal because she is so unique and beloved by all. 

The weather did not dip below 50 degrees all month, I believe so we did wear shorts most of the month.  Christmas day found us in short sleeves with the air conditioning on (The humidity made it impossible to be without), recovering from a tornado watch two nights before.  No white Christmas for us, but if I recall, there wasn't snow on the first Christmas in Bethlehem either.  So again, I had to change my perspective and remind myself that Bing Crosby didn't have snow until the end of his movie either.

Allegra is 8 months old and is army crawling all over the house.  She goes straight for the dog water and anything else that is down that is not appropriate for the mouth.  She has joined the kids in the bathtub and playing all around the house.  Carson and Siena continue to hug and love on her and treat her as their own baby doll.  It broke my heart to take down the baby swing this month, but she would rather be moving than to just observe our goings and comings. 

 Our family at the Christmas Eve service at World Outreach. 

Christmas day was simplistic and wonderful at our house.  We did not have big gifts and honestly, the kids were super excited about the smaller things like a Spiderman watch and our new Beta fish, Rosie.  Kurt made cinnamon rolls for us and we spent the morning in our pjs. 

 

Allegra had a beautiful 1st Christmas and how could she not when she has two older siblings to teach her all about the excitement around the big day.  She was also serenaded by carolers on Christmas Eve, dear friends who had not yet meet our newest addition. 

May your new year be bright with hope and joy and may our holiday experiences bless you.  

Some of the Smiles Around Our Home

Yup, another month has gone by.  I don't have to remind you that it seems to fly by when you are having a great time and we truly are.  Allegra is growing up with each new day.  She was 16 pounds at her 6 month check up and had grown six inches since birth.  She has taken to food and enjoys joining the family for peas or applesauce.  Siena has tried her hand at helping out with feedings.  She is also up on all fours and rocking back and forth - she will be mobile by Christmas, I am sure. 

We had a great Halloween!!!!  What a fun time of the year to dress up and ask strangers for candy.  We have had so much fun developing traditions around this colorful time of year such as our church's Hoedown and our pre-festival tailgating with our small group from Wednesday nights.  Though it was challenging with 2 kiddos running around, from bounce house to bounce house to cotton candy stations (Strangely enough, they act about the same on sugar - still full of intensity), I have never been so glad to have one content in a stroller who didn't make a peep the entire afternoon.  Carson was asleep before we hit the stoplight on the way home that afternoon.   

And may I introduce to you: THE INCREDIBLES!!!!!  Mr. Incredible, Elesta-Girl, Violet, Dash and Baby Jack-Jack.  We took the family around the town square and around a family friend's neighborhood on Halloween evening and God even held off the rain so we could enjoy watching the kids run down the sidewalk with their friends.  The kids loved dressing up more this year than before and they relished being superheros.  

Siena has had no problems with her school work at Black Fox Elementary and she has become the teacher's helper.  She has mastered her sight words and loves to write anything she sees.  We have scrap pieces of paper ALL over the house with random words on them, written in markers.  We have joined her for lunch a couple of times and the weather has been good to us to allow her playtime outside after school.  

Just Breathe

Do you ever feel like all you do is spin your wheels and nothing gets accomplished throughout your day?  Do you ever feel like you are so busy that you don't have time for breakfast, a shower....or for a breath?  While we are definitely living a slower lifestyle and choosing less so we can pour more into our kids intentionally, we are still short of breathes at the end of most days.  The couch has our names written on it and the bed by 10pm.  So a vacation was definitely what the doctor ordered for this family and breathe we did.  Well, I did and Kurt was the human jungle gym for the kids as he tossed, juggled, jumped, ran and built with the kids in the water and in the sand at our vacation getaway in Florida.  Siena loved being in the water and pretending to surf on a boogey board.  Carson was a little more hesitant to get in the water but he did and had just as much fun.  What made him giggle was destroying sand castles that everyone else built.  His boyish characteristics are definitely coming to the surface.  And Allegra adored having the waves wash over her feet.  She was content to hang out in her seat under the umbrella or in her beach tent and meet new people along the beach.  It should come as no surprise that she brought a smile to anyone who walked by.

Siena and Mommy enjoyed being buried under the warm sand together.  

Though the evening started out cloudy, we were blessed with a gorgeous sunset while we were having fun in the sand.  Our God, the master artist, painted the clouds the richest colors and the sun itself transitioned from a yellow to gold to a fiery orange to a brilliant red before going to bed.  

We thoroughly enjoyed our time away and embraced every second we caught to reconnect and relax.  Rest is good for the soul and necessary to continue on the journey but too much is not good either (or at least that's what I tell myself when the "to-do" list gets too long) but Florida and the Knolls found the right mix to make our fall break magical.