schools out for the summer!

ok...maybe not quite as Chris only has a week of semi-freedom (because he will be spending a lot of time reading) and then jumps into his first intensive class of the summer next Monday.  But the semester is over!  Whoa, crazy whoa.  And what a great semester it was.  I'm continually grateful for the smooth transition it has been coming back to Chicago, this time with 2 kids in tow.  It's sometimes very hard to believe that we were living in Quito less then a year ago and now our life is worlds away.  

To celebrate, we headed to the beach with our friends Kyle and Jenny and their lovely little daughter, Charlotte for a picnic.  We enjoyed the beautiful weather and the kids barely ate, pulled away by the joy that only a sandy beach can bring to little hands with a shovel and bucket.

We do have our doubts about if they will actually let these 2 graduate in a few years...but we will just keep plowing ahead.

Yay for new friends!  

God is so good.

i like to move it, move it

Last Saturday we had a few friends over for the long anticipated birthday dance party.  And dance and party we did!  Here are just a few gems from the day.

Is this not the most awkward picture of my children?  Ha!  I love it.

Party ready apartment

Grandma Kris came into town for the big event.  They enjoyed a slow dance together before things got crazy.

Fueling up

Elsa ate her entire weight in popcorn during the 2 hours.  She was never seen farther then an arms length away from her popcorn cup.

I was slightly nervous that none of these kids would dance at this party and would just stand in the corners looking at one another as if they were at a junior high dance.  Luckily, that was not the case.  Although the moves were often brief and we never had everyone dancing at the same time, every little body in the joint participated.

And then Mr. Kyle helped introduce them all to the wonders of birthday streamer attire.

Breck got a little shy when the birthday song was coming his way.  Although he often thrives with being the center of attention, I guess all eyes on him and a song in his honor took it to a whole new level he didn't know how to deal with.

So he avoided all eye contact.

And the avoiding eye contact continued when it was just our family singing to him on the actual day of his birth.

I just think it is the greatest that Breck wanted a dance party birthday - and that it was all his idea.

Love this kid!

And Elsa is all partied out.

four years young

Yesterday was my boy's birthday.  

Of course I meant to give him tribute on the actual day of his birth, but with it being finals week and all around these parts, Chris has been logging some looooooooooooooong hours with the computer.  

This little boy is the coolest one I know.  And I love him so much.  And I am so unbelievably honored that he was given to us to live life with.  Wow.  

He knows how to write his name.  Loves to play with legos.  He spends hours and hours drawing.   He is figuring out which shoe goes on which foot.  He pours over books and loves to read.  Loves his little sister dearly but hates how she always is messing up his guys while he is playing.  He makes us laugh.  He, at times, make us want to scream.  He likes to wear socks with his crocs and would always rather have on comfy pants.  He screams as though we are killing him when we cut his hair.  He has an incredibly memory.  He adores his daddy and can't wait for him to get home at the end of the day.   He is obsessed with Star Wars even though he really has no idea what it is.  He would eat peanut butter and honey sandwiches at every meal if we would let him.  He has an incredible imagination.  He really fights taking a nap although most days he could still really use one.  He gives the best hugs.

I feel like being four is such an interesting age.  You're not really a toddler anymore, but at the same time, not completely a kid.  And in my days with Breck, I see glimpses of both.  He is becoming more independent and learning to do things on his own.  Yet he still can't reach the faucet at the bathroom sink to turn it on.  He can so eloquently express himself in conversation.  Yet sometimes still breaks down into a fit of tears and frustration on the dinning room floor.  I don't remember it, but I'm thinking that it must be tough work being four.  And because of that, I just have a feeling that within this year  we will lose most of what is baby left about him.  And he won't be so little at all anymore.  

And of course there is part of me that grieves that fact, but I can't wait to see what this year holds for him.

(And stay tunned for the low down on the dance party of the year!) 

bits and pieces

*We have one week left in our first semester of seminary!  How is that possible?  It has gone by so fast and it has been a great start.  Chris is sitting next to me and just finished his last term paper.  Now he just has to pound out 3 finals and then he's done!  So proud of him - he is awesome.

*A while back Elsa lost her favorite bunny, the one she sleeps with every night, at IKEA.  It was so sad.  And I thought to myself as we were getting out of the car that I should just leave it in her car seat where it would be safe.  But she was all cute and cuddly with it so I brought it in.  Then somewhere between lamps and potted plants I realized it was gone.  Awful.  I am happy to report, however, that she has fairly easily imprinted on a replacement bunny.

*There is a new bear cub in our house.  I started doing childcare for a little guy who is 3 months old last week, and it is going much better than I was anticipating. He such a sweet and chill little baby. So far Breck and Elsa think he is great and have been big helpers.  I'm sure that there will be some days that won't go as smoothly and his mother will show up to pick him up and all three of the kids will be screaming - and possibly me as well - but so far, so good.

*Breck has been in a constant state of being tired, cranky and hungry for about a week and half now.  Seriously, so tired.  So cranky.  So hungry.  I think he must be doing some major growing.

*I bought bandaids at Target last week because I realized that scraped knee season is upon us and we didn't have a single one.  Scraped knees on little kids just screams that summer is here to me.  And my kids have had so few in their life because we were almost always wearing pants in Quito.  I think a lot of people assume that because we were living in South America on the equator that it was hot.  But Quito has an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet meaning that at the equator, it was really more like spring all the time.  So I have not seen Breck's little legs out and about much in the past few years - but I am loving seeing them these days.

*Whoever decided that toilet paper should be hung 2.5 feet off the ground clearly did not have a 15 month old busy little girl living in their home.  I think Elsa spends about 2.38 minutes in the bathroom everyday (I try to keep the door closed because she really finds enjoyment in throwing my makeup into to toilet), but I feel like I spend all my time rolling the toilet paper back up.

*Life is good, summer is almost upon us :)