So, Jackson's napping hasn't been quite as intense as the first week of summer break, but he's still sleeping very well and I can't complain. He has been quite a handful when awake, so his time spent in bed is extra important. :) This is only a phase, this is only a phase, this is only a phase... We've had a couple biting incidents this week, let's hope that's not a hard behavior to conquer. We may have another strong-willed little boy on our hands, which I realize can end up being an awesome thing later on in life, but, Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to help shape him into a GODLY strong-willed man with proper respect for authority! No pressure.
A couple weeks ago I was able to help my dad pour a little concrete. That was a blast from the past! It was fun to have my older three with me, and they handled it pretty well. The farm is so different from when I was their age that it's hard to share my experiences with them - they don't get to milk cows, feed calves, chop corn, etc. - but pouring cement was a way to share a bit of my childhood with them. We also baled hay in the field behind our house last week, and that's another activity that I like sharing with my kids. It's very different from when I was a kid, but at least they get the general idea. :)
Two weekends ago Mike and I got a lot of work done on the outside of the house. He had been able to fix the roofline in the house where the chimney used to be, so I wanted to paint the old siding that was underneath the chimney, just as a temporary fix until we can replace the siding a few years down the road. So, before that we powerwashed the house. Amazing!! What a huge difference in made. I knew the house was dingy in a few spots, but once we got started I realized how bad it was and it looks SO. MUCH. BETTER. to have it done! It was a beautiful Friday night and Mike had a lift from work, which helped tremendously. Took me a *little* while to get comfortable on the lift (and I still don't know that I could call it "comfortable"). It was definitely an exercise in trust in our marriage. :) Lets just say Mike's more confident in the lift because he has used it a lot at work, and when they're using it at work, he an his co-worker like to mess around getting the thing swaying and even trying to get one wheel off the ground. I am NOT a fan of such behavior. :) Anyways, the next day I went up in the lift to paint the siding and it looks much better. Clearly just a temporary fix, but for it being on the back side of the house where few people see it, I'm happy with how it looks.
That weekend I also got my tomatoes and peppers planted in the garden. I got some fun plants this year and am excited to see how they turn out! We're trying yet another method for supporting our tomatoes, really hope this way works. We took the no-till approach in the garden this year, it will be interesting to see if there's any difference. Last week I was able to get everything else planted (sunflowers, zucchini, beans, cucumbers, cabbage, dill, radishes...), and put hay down for weed control. We made a trip as a family to Countryside Greenhouse to find the rest of what I needed. What a place! The strawberries I planted last year really took off and multiplied, and right now we are harvesting berries like crazy! All the boys love the strawberries, and it's fun having them help pick and be excited about it. Last night Jackson was in the garden while Logan and I were picking, and he was just popping them in his mouth like crazy! I could hardly keep up with taking the tops off for him. :)
Last week we started doing some biking with the family, and we are thoroughly enjoying it! We're really hoping Mike has enough energy for it still after harvest starts. :) One night he took the boys by himself while I was getting my hair done, and we've gone all together a couple times since. Caleb, Logan, and Levi can all ride bike great, and we have a seat for Jackson so we don't have to mess with a trailer or anything. I'd love to be able to take the boys biking during the day, but I don't have a way to take them all in the van. I knew last summer already that Logan was close to outgrowing his bike, so I finally broke down and found him one at Love, INC. It's really a pretty nice bike, he loves it, and it's needed just a little fixing.
Jackson has been getting better with talking, and that is one thing that is just so fun about this age. He's pretty clear about asking for Daddy, and he'll even do this super cute thing where he holds up his hands and is like, "Where go?" He also says "doggy", "ball", and "mom". He kinda says "please" while signing, and he'll say "da-da" in a certain tone for "all done". He has gotten into the habit of setting his pacifier on his crib after I change his diaper to save it for the next bedtime. And he likes to bring his diaper to the trash and clap for himself after he's taken care of it. :) A week or two ago we moved his booster seat up to the dining table rather than using his tray anymore. When he finishes he likes to hand me his plate, fork, and cup to clear off the table. Did I mention he is our Little Dipper? Cracks us up. He likes to dip is food - ketchup, ranch, yogurt, guacamole...whatever. Pretty cute how he does it. I love watching my kids really concentrate on something.
Friday afternoon we had Boden and Heidi over, and the kids played so nice. And Saturday we were able to make it up to the cottage - it was very windy, but without the wind we would have been baking! Monday was Mike's birthday, and were were able to have a couple treats for him. A cinnamon roll and ice cream treats brought to work, pudding after supper (Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken!), and I think I even included an almond patty in his lunch even though I would have rather kept it for myself. ;) (I know my mom gave me two of those with the intention that we'd each have one, so I couldn't in good conscience keep it for myself, even though he wouldn't really miss it...)
The last two weeks on Tuesday mornings we've had a summer Bible study. It's just four weeks total, and I have to miss a week, but something is better than nothing! It's been great to get together and discuss the book we're going through, I do so much better with my study when I'm part of a group.
Right now the big three are outside beating the heat with the neighbor boys that they've become friends with. Yesterday they brought over a water balloon launcher, today a slip and slide. I love it!
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
growth spurt?
We're only a few days into summer break, but the non-school schedule sure seems to agree with Jackson. He's been sleeping a ton! Maybe a growth spurt? It's been wonderful letting him sleep as long as he needs to. The last couple mornings I've gotten him out of bed at 9am - he was awake (not sure for how long) but just happy laying in bed, yesterday afternoon he took a 4 hour nap, and so far today he's at 3.5 hours and still going strong. I can hardly believe this is my baby that would only nap for 30 minutes at a time for a good portion of his first year. Maybe he's finally catching up on his sleep now...
So last week I got a call again on Tuesday about Logan having a headache. I wasn't home, so I headed home to get Tylenol then went back to school. I could tell it wasn't as bad as the day before, so just gave him the medicine and had him stay at school. I was starting to get worried that maybe we were dealing with a bigger issue (anxiety? migraines? eyesight?), but he's been fine since now, so it must have just been a bug. I am going to keep an eye on him because of his tonsils, though - one side is swollen a lot, he seems to almost always be congested, and Caleb says that he snores (I'm going to have to do some fact-checking one of these nights.).
On Wednesday I helped with Field Day at school and it was so much fun! I love getting to know all the kids better and call them by name. Our boys will likely be with a lot of those kids until they graduate, and I'm sure that's going to come way too fast! Jackson came with me and did just fine in his stroller. Phew. Levi's team was at my station right away, and I tried to help him through some shyness when it was his turn. When I saw him later he seemed to be getting along fine. His teacher said there was one issue when there was a false start on the race, but they worked through it. :) Caleb and Logan sure seemed to be having fun.
That evening I was finally able to make the drive down to Kalamazoo to visit my college friend, Jen, at meet her new baby, Scarlett! What a doll. I miss my boys being small like that, but I don't want any more of my own. ;)
Thursday was the last day of school. I got Jackson settled to nap for the afternoon at my parent's so that I could take Levi on his field trip to Playworld. Of course he was a little shy at first, but once he got playing he was fine. Caleb and Logan cleaned out their desks, and it shouldn't be surprising that Caleb came home with a ton of crayons/markers/pencils/pens just dumped in a garbage bag. I finally sorted through it yesterday.
Friday was a fun day as we ran a few errands, including stopping in at Byron Center Meats so we were able to do a little bit of the Kent Trail, and then we went to Mike's work for a cookout at lunchtime. And then he was done for the day - woo hoo!!
Saturday was our first visit to the cottage for the season, and it was a gorgeous day! Jackson did pretty well - he took a good nap for one thing, which is total opposite from last summer. He played pretty nice in the sand. I'm probably most worried about how he wanders without fear, and that he thinks he's better at steps than he really is. The water was a little chilly, but not terrible, and the other kids played quite a bit in it.
Monday we attended the Memorial Day parade in Jenison, and again had very nice weather. Jackson was NOT a happy camper. For about 30 seconds he did nice sitting on the side of the road, but then he wanted to just take off and run down the road with the parade and was very mad when we grabbed him. Mike and I took a couple turns walking him in his stroller to pass the time. Of course the other boys had a blast collecting candy.
Funny conversation from yesterday: Somehow we got talking about football (clearly not my thing) and Logan asked what you were supposed to do for the game. I said something like you're trying to get to your end zone with the ball, but the other guys can do whatever they want to stop you. Logan: "Does it hurt?" Me: "Yeah, some people get hurt real bad." Logan: "Then why do they want to play?" Good question, son, good question... :)
Had a great discussion with the boys over lunch today regarding God defeating Satan, how to go to Heaven, etc. I feel so inadequate to answer their questions! Love to see that they are thinking and using their brains. I try to play it cool, but on the inside I'm kinda freaking out and praying for the right words.
I almost forgot! Last week I won a book on the radio! I heard the announcer say something about a book "A Mom's Prayers for Her Son" and calling in to win. So I called, he answered, and I won! We talked for a few minutes, and I was so nervous the whole time thinking the conversation might end up on the radio. He said something about "Elizabeth from West Michigan" winning the book, but that was it. The next morning I had the radio on again, wasn't listening all that close and I heard someone say something about having four sons, and I think, "Cool! Just like me! I'd better listen up." Then, a couple more seconds and I realize it was ME talking. Didn't even recognize my own voice on the radio. So, my conversation did end up getting played, and I was able to record some of it on my phone, even though I'm not a huge fan of how my voice sounds. :)
So last week I got a call again on Tuesday about Logan having a headache. I wasn't home, so I headed home to get Tylenol then went back to school. I could tell it wasn't as bad as the day before, so just gave him the medicine and had him stay at school. I was starting to get worried that maybe we were dealing with a bigger issue (anxiety? migraines? eyesight?), but he's been fine since now, so it must have just been a bug. I am going to keep an eye on him because of his tonsils, though - one side is swollen a lot, he seems to almost always be congested, and Caleb says that he snores (I'm going to have to do some fact-checking one of these nights.).
On Wednesday I helped with Field Day at school and it was so much fun! I love getting to know all the kids better and call them by name. Our boys will likely be with a lot of those kids until they graduate, and I'm sure that's going to come way too fast! Jackson came with me and did just fine in his stroller. Phew. Levi's team was at my station right away, and I tried to help him through some shyness when it was his turn. When I saw him later he seemed to be getting along fine. His teacher said there was one issue when there was a false start on the race, but they worked through it. :) Caleb and Logan sure seemed to be having fun.
That evening I was finally able to make the drive down to Kalamazoo to visit my college friend, Jen, at meet her new baby, Scarlett! What a doll. I miss my boys being small like that, but I don't want any more of my own. ;)
Thursday was the last day of school. I got Jackson settled to nap for the afternoon at my parent's so that I could take Levi on his field trip to Playworld. Of course he was a little shy at first, but once he got playing he was fine. Caleb and Logan cleaned out their desks, and it shouldn't be surprising that Caleb came home with a ton of crayons/markers/pencils/pens just dumped in a garbage bag. I finally sorted through it yesterday.
Friday was a fun day as we ran a few errands, including stopping in at Byron Center Meats so we were able to do a little bit of the Kent Trail, and then we went to Mike's work for a cookout at lunchtime. And then he was done for the day - woo hoo!!
Saturday was our first visit to the cottage for the season, and it was a gorgeous day! Jackson did pretty well - he took a good nap for one thing, which is total opposite from last summer. He played pretty nice in the sand. I'm probably most worried about how he wanders without fear, and that he thinks he's better at steps than he really is. The water was a little chilly, but not terrible, and the other kids played quite a bit in it.
Monday we attended the Memorial Day parade in Jenison, and again had very nice weather. Jackson was NOT a happy camper. For about 30 seconds he did nice sitting on the side of the road, but then he wanted to just take off and run down the road with the parade and was very mad when we grabbed him. Mike and I took a couple turns walking him in his stroller to pass the time. Of course the other boys had a blast collecting candy.
Funny conversation from yesterday: Somehow we got talking about football (clearly not my thing) and Logan asked what you were supposed to do for the game. I said something like you're trying to get to your end zone with the ball, but the other guys can do whatever they want to stop you. Logan: "Does it hurt?" Me: "Yeah, some people get hurt real bad." Logan: "Then why do they want to play?" Good question, son, good question... :)
Had a great discussion with the boys over lunch today regarding God defeating Satan, how to go to Heaven, etc. I feel so inadequate to answer their questions! Love to see that they are thinking and using their brains. I try to play it cool, but on the inside I'm kinda freaking out and praying for the right words.
I almost forgot! Last week I won a book on the radio! I heard the announcer say something about a book "A Mom's Prayers for Her Son" and calling in to win. So I called, he answered, and I won! We talked for a few minutes, and I was so nervous the whole time thinking the conversation might end up on the radio. He said something about "Elizabeth from West Michigan" winning the book, but that was it. The next morning I had the radio on again, wasn't listening all that close and I heard someone say something about having four sons, and I think, "Cool! Just like me! I'd better listen up." Then, a couple more seconds and I realize it was ME talking. Didn't even recognize my own voice on the radio. So, my conversation did end up getting played, and I was able to record some of it on my phone, even though I'm not a huge fan of how my voice sounds. :)
Monday, May 22, 2017
almost done
The school year is almost done, and I. Can't. Believe. It!!! I have mixed feelings about summer break. I am looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time.
Two Saturday's ago Mike was able to complete the second leg of his kayaking adventure down the Macatawa River. This time his cousin Joe went along, and of course, Caleb and Logan again. They started where they left off at the Adam's Street Landing, and went all the way to Lake Macatawa. Levi, Jackson, and I were able to see them at 120th and welcome them in at the end.
The next day was Mother's Day, and my guys took me to Red Robin for lunch. We were initially thinking of Olive Garden, but at 11am there was already a line outside, and when dining out with four little boys, not having to wait is a crucial part of whether it's an enjoyable meal or not. :) In the evening our church had a great concert by a men's choir from California Baptist University - they were so good!
Last Tuesday I was able to be a driver for Caleb and Logan's field trip to the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo. What a great place for kids! We're going to have to get back there as a family sometime. I was exhausted by the end of the day, didn't help that I had just come down with a cold.
Friday morning Levi had a friend from school over, and then that evening we went over to their house to hang out for a while. The dad is out of town for a couple weeks, and Mike was planting for my dad every evening, so us moms needing something to do with the kids!
Saturday morning we went to the Walk for Life for Alpha Women's Center - this was the second year that we've raised money and participated, and I'm so glad we did! It's a great organization, and I really appreciate having something our children can be involved in.
We left straight from the Walk for Life for the other side of the state. Fortunately, lunchtime coincided with a Chick-fil-A in Lansing. :) We got to our hotel in Auburn Hills later on, the big boys did some swimming while Jackson took a nap, then we went out for supper and ended up at a hole-in-the-wall type place with some of the best pizza I've ever had! After supper the boys did some more swimming, and then we attempted bedtime. This was probably the best hotel room we've stayed in as a family, as there were two separate rooms and the bathroom could be accessed from both rooms. The big three went to bed fine, but for some reason Jackson was really jazzed up. The next morning we were able to be leisurely about getting ready and having breakfast, then we headed out to Steve and Erin's church for our new niece, Anna's, baptism. We were fortunate enough to be there on "Music Sunday" so we enjoyed a number of great musical pieces. I especially enjoyed the handbell choir as that's not something I get to see very often. After church we headed to Steve and Erin's house for lunch and had a nice time with family and some of their church friends. Thankfully the drive home was fairly uneventful after we got through some heavy rain at the beginning. Turned a movie on for the boys, Levi fell asleep for quite awhile, and Jackson was mostly content. All in all, a great weekend!
This morning was the start of our last week of school for this year! After dropping Caleb and Logan off, Levi had to go to his 5 yr check-up at the doctor. Guess what? He's a healthy, growing boy! Love when the doctor says, "Just keep doing what you're doing!" :) Levi is 48 lbs, which is 89th percentile; and he is 3' 10", which is 95th percentile. Not surprised. :)
Not long after getting home from the doctor and groceries, I got a call from school that Logan wasn't feeling well with a headache. I headed over there to give him some Tylenol, hoping he'd then be able to stay, but he was pretty upset and in tears over it, so I just took him home. He seems to be feeling pretty decent now, so hopefully he'll be fine to go back tomorrow and not miss more of his last week of 1st grade!
Two Saturday's ago Mike was able to complete the second leg of his kayaking adventure down the Macatawa River. This time his cousin Joe went along, and of course, Caleb and Logan again. They started where they left off at the Adam's Street Landing, and went all the way to Lake Macatawa. Levi, Jackson, and I were able to see them at 120th and welcome them in at the end.
The next day was Mother's Day, and my guys took me to Red Robin for lunch. We were initially thinking of Olive Garden, but at 11am there was already a line outside, and when dining out with four little boys, not having to wait is a crucial part of whether it's an enjoyable meal or not. :) In the evening our church had a great concert by a men's choir from California Baptist University - they were so good!
Last Tuesday I was able to be a driver for Caleb and Logan's field trip to the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo. What a great place for kids! We're going to have to get back there as a family sometime. I was exhausted by the end of the day, didn't help that I had just come down with a cold.
Friday morning Levi had a friend from school over, and then that evening we went over to their house to hang out for a while. The dad is out of town for a couple weeks, and Mike was planting for my dad every evening, so us moms needing something to do with the kids!
Saturday morning we went to the Walk for Life for Alpha Women's Center - this was the second year that we've raised money and participated, and I'm so glad we did! It's a great organization, and I really appreciate having something our children can be involved in.
We left straight from the Walk for Life for the other side of the state. Fortunately, lunchtime coincided with a Chick-fil-A in Lansing. :) We got to our hotel in Auburn Hills later on, the big boys did some swimming while Jackson took a nap, then we went out for supper and ended up at a hole-in-the-wall type place with some of the best pizza I've ever had! After supper the boys did some more swimming, and then we attempted bedtime. This was probably the best hotel room we've stayed in as a family, as there were two separate rooms and the bathroom could be accessed from both rooms. The big three went to bed fine, but for some reason Jackson was really jazzed up. The next morning we were able to be leisurely about getting ready and having breakfast, then we headed out to Steve and Erin's church for our new niece, Anna's, baptism. We were fortunate enough to be there on "Music Sunday" so we enjoyed a number of great musical pieces. I especially enjoyed the handbell choir as that's not something I get to see very often. After church we headed to Steve and Erin's house for lunch and had a nice time with family and some of their church friends. Thankfully the drive home was fairly uneventful after we got through some heavy rain at the beginning. Turned a movie on for the boys, Levi fell asleep for quite awhile, and Jackson was mostly content. All in all, a great weekend!
This morning was the start of our last week of school for this year! After dropping Caleb and Logan off, Levi had to go to his 5 yr check-up at the doctor. Guess what? He's a healthy, growing boy! Love when the doctor says, "Just keep doing what you're doing!" :) Levi is 48 lbs, which is 89th percentile; and he is 3' 10", which is 95th percentile. Not surprised. :)
Not long after getting home from the doctor and groceries, I got a call from school that Logan wasn't feeling well with a headache. I headed over there to give him some Tylenol, hoping he'd then be able to stay, but he was pretty upset and in tears over it, so I just took him home. He seems to be feeling pretty decent now, so hopefully he'll be fine to go back tomorrow and not miss more of his last week of 1st grade!
Thursday, May 11, 2017
may flowers
I guess it's almost the middle of May already. Oops!
A few weeks ago, Mike took Caleb and Logan, along with my brother Eric and his son Boden, on a kayaking adventure he'd dreamed up a few months back. He wanted to start on the Macatawa River where it crosses our street, and go as far as they could, possibly all the way to Lake Macatawa. The mom side of me was a little unsure of Caleb and Logan each going in their own kayak, but they did just fine and had lots of fun. I was able to see them at a couple crossing points near the beginning (at Quincy St, Chicago Dr, and Felch St), and things were moving pretty well at that point. I guess it was partway through the Upper Macatawa Natural Area that things got a little more challenging. Lots of trees blocking the river and they had to portage. They made it as far as Adams Street Landing, and were on the river for about 5-6 hours, I believe. It should be smoother sailing from there on to get to Lake Macatawa, but they ran out of time that day.
That evening we went to the Smith's for supper and to hang out. Amy and I left the guys with the kids for a while to grab a coffee - we had fun and they survived! :)
The next day was our pastor's last Sunday at our church before retiring. There was a very nice farewell service for him, and a fellowship time after church.
Mike had told Caleb and Logan that if they did well on the kayak trip there would be some sort of reward. He was very happy with how they did, (and I was happy with Levi's good attitude about not going even though he wanted to) so the next weekend we took the kids to Crazy Bounce. It's a place with all sorts of different inflatables. The boys loved it! I had fun trying some of the slides, too. Mike didn't really try anything because he had poison ivy that was bothering him. Of course, Jackson finally got brave and was getting into it for the last 10 minutes.
That Saturday Caleb and Logan went to a friend's birthday party. The grandma of the boy owns several exoctic birds, and they even got to hold a couple! They were pretty excited about that.
That Sunday we had someone come as a pastoral candidate for our church. He was there for two Sunday's and we really, really like him. We had a fellowship time after church on the first Sunday, and a Q & A time afterwards on the second Sunday. Our church will be voting in a couple weeks. Praying everything works out smoothly!
Over that weekend Mike's Grandma Krol passed away. We had had such a nice visit with her about a month before. She had actually been more "with it" mentally than she had been for a long time before. But, she had a bad fall and just didn't recover. We're so thankful that she was a godly woman that lived a good, full life, and can now be free from pain. Her visitation was on May 1st, and the funeral was the next day. We tried taking the boys to just a little of the visitation, figuring it was a good experience for them and to "make an appearance" for the family, but Jackson had had enough after about 2 minutes... Thankfully my brother, Eric, was already planning to come pick up the boys after a while and bring them home. The next day for the funeral, Caleb and Logan just went to school, and Levi and Jackson went to Amy's house. That really worked out nicely, because her house is right in between the church and the cemetery, so it was very convenient. The visitation and service were both very nice. Grandpa and Grandma Krol had such a good testimony as a couple, I hope Mike and I can be a blessing to others the way they were.
Later in the week I helped at a garage sale with some friends from church. We do this every year and it's usually very busy, but this year the weather was less than ideal, so it was a little slower than normal but still steady. This week we're doing another sale at a different house (with more stuff added!), and the weather is gorgeous, so I'm hoping to get rid of lots of stuff!! :) It's work, but fun doing this along with the others. The kids play or nap, and it all just kinda works out.
Thursday evening Caleb, Logan, and Levi had their Spring Showcase Concert for school, and it was such a neat concert! Many times these kids programs can be a bit of a drag, but I truly enjoyed it all. There were various songs and recitations (catechism, poems, verses). The kids really did well, singing and reciting loudly. Caleb and Logan even each had a small solo! So proud!
Friday, May 5, was Levi's FIFTH birthday! He was pretty excited about having his golden birthday. :) Caleb and Logan are a little bummed that they have to wait until they're 29! Ha! I got Levi a treat before we went to the garage sale, of course he got to pick out a toy, and at supper he got his presents from us (a truck/auger/grain bin set, and garden tools). Then Saturday was his birthday party with the family. We spent the day getting ready, and it was a beautiful evening for a party! One of the fun activities that we came up with for the kids was to hide several 'gold' rocks in the woods for them the find. And, Jackson showed how good he is at walking around begging during cake and ice cream time. (He really caught on to it at the church fellowship's.)
This Monday I was able to catch up with my dear friend, Edina, who I haven't seen in way too long. You know how life just gets busy and time slips away? We had a fun evening catching up and chatting over dinner. She had her family will be moving to Hungary at some point, so I guess I know what country I need to add to my travel wish list!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! ON Levi's birthday he wanted the training wheels taken off his bike, and it didn't take long at all for him to get comfortable with it!! I gave him a push a couple times, he fell a couple times, took a break and got back to it the next day, and each day he has improved. So much fun to see. He also got a scooter for his birthday, so he's been enjoying that. Yay for nicer weather to play outside!!
Tuesday afternoon I was able to go help at school with a paper airplane lesson. So much fun to be with all the kids. (But glad I'm not a teacher.) They had been learning about airplanes and the different forces that are at play, so each child made a paper airplane, then we went out in the hallway and flew them and measured the distance. It was a fun exercise. Next week I get to accompany them on a field trip to the Air Zoo, so that should be fun!
Wednesday morning Jackson had his 18 month appointment. Unbelieveable! As expected, he checked out great. I haven't had any concerns (other than whether my sanity will survive his toddler years), and am very thankful for healthy little boys. He weighed in at 25 lbs, which is 61st percentile. I think the height on the paper they gave me might be incorrect - they measured him twice and maybe the corrected measurement didn't get entered soon enough before I got my paperwork. Anyways, it says he's 2' 8", which is 32nd percentile, and that seems a little low. He did have to get shots this time, and I feel so bad about it takes him off guard and he doesn't know what's happening! As soon as he felt it he said, "Uh-oh!" and started to scream! :( He did recover fairly quickly, though, so that was good.
Today was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed not having to be crazy busy, just normal busy. :) I needed to pick up meat at Byron Center Meats, so Jackson, Levi, and I drove out that way then went for a walk on Kent Trails before getting the meat. I had Jackson in the stroller and Levi rode his scooter. We did two miles and it worked out great! I'll have to do more of that this summer with the boys, their scooters are so easy to transport. After lunch while Jackson was napping, I may or may not have dozed off for a few outside while Levi was riding his bike around and doing some 'gardening'. :) Love, love, love this weather! After a dreary winter, I want to soak up as much of the nice weather as I can. Later this afternoon we did some work in the garden. I really need to get planning and deciding what to do this year... I'm not sure if I'm excited about it or not.
I cannot believe school is almost done! Why, O why, does it have to go so fast??
A few weeks ago, Mike took Caleb and Logan, along with my brother Eric and his son Boden, on a kayaking adventure he'd dreamed up a few months back. He wanted to start on the Macatawa River where it crosses our street, and go as far as they could, possibly all the way to Lake Macatawa. The mom side of me was a little unsure of Caleb and Logan each going in their own kayak, but they did just fine and had lots of fun. I was able to see them at a couple crossing points near the beginning (at Quincy St, Chicago Dr, and Felch St), and things were moving pretty well at that point. I guess it was partway through the Upper Macatawa Natural Area that things got a little more challenging. Lots of trees blocking the river and they had to portage. They made it as far as Adams Street Landing, and were on the river for about 5-6 hours, I believe. It should be smoother sailing from there on to get to Lake Macatawa, but they ran out of time that day.
That evening we went to the Smith's for supper and to hang out. Amy and I left the guys with the kids for a while to grab a coffee - we had fun and they survived! :)
The next day was our pastor's last Sunday at our church before retiring. There was a very nice farewell service for him, and a fellowship time after church.
Mike had told Caleb and Logan that if they did well on the kayak trip there would be some sort of reward. He was very happy with how they did, (and I was happy with Levi's good attitude about not going even though he wanted to) so the next weekend we took the kids to Crazy Bounce. It's a place with all sorts of different inflatables. The boys loved it! I had fun trying some of the slides, too. Mike didn't really try anything because he had poison ivy that was bothering him. Of course, Jackson finally got brave and was getting into it for the last 10 minutes.
That Saturday Caleb and Logan went to a friend's birthday party. The grandma of the boy owns several exoctic birds, and they even got to hold a couple! They were pretty excited about that.
That Sunday we had someone come as a pastoral candidate for our church. He was there for two Sunday's and we really, really like him. We had a fellowship time after church on the first Sunday, and a Q & A time afterwards on the second Sunday. Our church will be voting in a couple weeks. Praying everything works out smoothly!
Over that weekend Mike's Grandma Krol passed away. We had had such a nice visit with her about a month before. She had actually been more "with it" mentally than she had been for a long time before. But, she had a bad fall and just didn't recover. We're so thankful that she was a godly woman that lived a good, full life, and can now be free from pain. Her visitation was on May 1st, and the funeral was the next day. We tried taking the boys to just a little of the visitation, figuring it was a good experience for them and to "make an appearance" for the family, but Jackson had had enough after about 2 minutes... Thankfully my brother, Eric, was already planning to come pick up the boys after a while and bring them home. The next day for the funeral, Caleb and Logan just went to school, and Levi and Jackson went to Amy's house. That really worked out nicely, because her house is right in between the church and the cemetery, so it was very convenient. The visitation and service were both very nice. Grandpa and Grandma Krol had such a good testimony as a couple, I hope Mike and I can be a blessing to others the way they were.
Later in the week I helped at a garage sale with some friends from church. We do this every year and it's usually very busy, but this year the weather was less than ideal, so it was a little slower than normal but still steady. This week we're doing another sale at a different house (with more stuff added!), and the weather is gorgeous, so I'm hoping to get rid of lots of stuff!! :) It's work, but fun doing this along with the others. The kids play or nap, and it all just kinda works out.
Thursday evening Caleb, Logan, and Levi had their Spring Showcase Concert for school, and it was such a neat concert! Many times these kids programs can be a bit of a drag, but I truly enjoyed it all. There were various songs and recitations (catechism, poems, verses). The kids really did well, singing and reciting loudly. Caleb and Logan even each had a small solo! So proud!
Friday, May 5, was Levi's FIFTH birthday! He was pretty excited about having his golden birthday. :) Caleb and Logan are a little bummed that they have to wait until they're 29! Ha! I got Levi a treat before we went to the garage sale, of course he got to pick out a toy, and at supper he got his presents from us (a truck/auger/grain bin set, and garden tools). Then Saturday was his birthday party with the family. We spent the day getting ready, and it was a beautiful evening for a party! One of the fun activities that we came up with for the kids was to hide several 'gold' rocks in the woods for them the find. And, Jackson showed how good he is at walking around begging during cake and ice cream time. (He really caught on to it at the church fellowship's.)
This Monday I was able to catch up with my dear friend, Edina, who I haven't seen in way too long. You know how life just gets busy and time slips away? We had a fun evening catching up and chatting over dinner. She had her family will be moving to Hungary at some point, so I guess I know what country I need to add to my travel wish list!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! ON Levi's birthday he wanted the training wheels taken off his bike, and it didn't take long at all for him to get comfortable with it!! I gave him a push a couple times, he fell a couple times, took a break and got back to it the next day, and each day he has improved. So much fun to see. He also got a scooter for his birthday, so he's been enjoying that. Yay for nicer weather to play outside!!
Tuesday afternoon I was able to go help at school with a paper airplane lesson. So much fun to be with all the kids. (But glad I'm not a teacher.) They had been learning about airplanes and the different forces that are at play, so each child made a paper airplane, then we went out in the hallway and flew them and measured the distance. It was a fun exercise. Next week I get to accompany them on a field trip to the Air Zoo, so that should be fun!
Wednesday morning Jackson had his 18 month appointment. Unbelieveable! As expected, he checked out great. I haven't had any concerns (other than whether my sanity will survive his toddler years), and am very thankful for healthy little boys. He weighed in at 25 lbs, which is 61st percentile. I think the height on the paper they gave me might be incorrect - they measured him twice and maybe the corrected measurement didn't get entered soon enough before I got my paperwork. Anyways, it says he's 2' 8", which is 32nd percentile, and that seems a little low. He did have to get shots this time, and I feel so bad about it takes him off guard and he doesn't know what's happening! As soon as he felt it he said, "Uh-oh!" and started to scream! :( He did recover fairly quickly, though, so that was good.
Today was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed not having to be crazy busy, just normal busy. :) I needed to pick up meat at Byron Center Meats, so Jackson, Levi, and I drove out that way then went for a walk on Kent Trails before getting the meat. I had Jackson in the stroller and Levi rode his scooter. We did two miles and it worked out great! I'll have to do more of that this summer with the boys, their scooters are so easy to transport. After lunch while Jackson was napping, I may or may not have dozed off for a few outside while Levi was riding his bike around and doing some 'gardening'. :) Love, love, love this weather! After a dreary winter, I want to soak up as much of the nice weather as I can. Later this afternoon we did some work in the garden. I really need to get planning and deciding what to do this year... I'm not sure if I'm excited about it or not.
I cannot believe school is almost done! Why, O why, does it have to go so fast??
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
spring
We finished Spring Break with some beautiful weather. A little lawn mowing (one of my happy places!), haircuts outside (no hair to clean up in the house!), grilling, and getting some sunshine. Ahhhh.... Jackson sure seems to enjoy being outside, so he fits right in around here. :) I'm not sure yet whether he likes being around Roxy or not. I think he likes having her out and running around, as long as she doesn't get too close to him. He will repeatedly say, "Ba (ball), woof-woof (dog)" and he seems to like throwing the ball for her.
Last Saturday was my birthday, and the weather was so nice and warm! Rather breezy, but I certainly can't complain about the temp. Mike was gone for the morning driving my dad's new combine home from Portland. We had a "combine party" with my family celebrating the purchase, with some birthday cake thrown in there afterwards for me. :) I mowed the yard in the afternoon, and our babysitter cancelled for the evening, so we just hung out around home. I was rather pleased when Jackson was chasing me down while I was on the mower, and wanted to ride with me. :)
Easter morning we had a very nice service at church, and then we headed over to Mike's mom and stepdad's for lunch. The weather started out yucky, but ended up being a gorgeous day. We had a fun time with family for the afternoon.
On Monday I had to get Logan from school partway through the day. Poor guy, he wasn't feeling well at all. He had mentioned to me that his throat was bothering him a little, and I saw that his tonsils were still swollen. When the school called they said he had been complaining about his ear hurting, and at lunchtime he was in tears it hurt so bad. He was pretty upset when I picked him up, crying and shaking so bad he could hardly swallow some Tylenol when we got home. I was able to get him in to the doctor later that afternoon, and thankfully my mom was able to come and stay with the other boys so I didn't have to drag everyone in there. He had said his stomach was hurting, and I figured he was just feeling a little off because of just generally not feeling well and not eating much that day. Well, he threw up in the doctor's office, right where the nurse was taking his weight and height. She was going for a bucket, but didn't make it back in time. I had just let him eat a blue popsicle before we left home, too. Nice. Definitely a God-thing that I didn't have all the boys with me! Since it was just Logan and I, I was able to take the situation in stride. Had I had all the boys with me, I would have been completely, utterly frazzled. :) Anyways, he has an ear infection and because he just finished antibiotics for strep, the doctor put him on different antibiotics for this. Logan felt much better yesterday, but because he had a slight fever the day before he had to stay hom from school.
Levi was teaching himself a song on the piano the other day, and I just love to hear that. He has really enjoying plunking around on the piano. The other day he was using their toy keyboard that has a mode that shows you what notes to play, and translating that to the piano keys.
Caleb started asking about soccer camp the other day, so I suppose we should start deciding what we'll do this summer. Gotta keep these boys moving!
Last Saturday was my birthday, and the weather was so nice and warm! Rather breezy, but I certainly can't complain about the temp. Mike was gone for the morning driving my dad's new combine home from Portland. We had a "combine party" with my family celebrating the purchase, with some birthday cake thrown in there afterwards for me. :) I mowed the yard in the afternoon, and our babysitter cancelled for the evening, so we just hung out around home. I was rather pleased when Jackson was chasing me down while I was on the mower, and wanted to ride with me. :)
Easter morning we had a very nice service at church, and then we headed over to Mike's mom and stepdad's for lunch. The weather started out yucky, but ended up being a gorgeous day. We had a fun time with family for the afternoon.
On Monday I had to get Logan from school partway through the day. Poor guy, he wasn't feeling well at all. He had mentioned to me that his throat was bothering him a little, and I saw that his tonsils were still swollen. When the school called they said he had been complaining about his ear hurting, and at lunchtime he was in tears it hurt so bad. He was pretty upset when I picked him up, crying and shaking so bad he could hardly swallow some Tylenol when we got home. I was able to get him in to the doctor later that afternoon, and thankfully my mom was able to come and stay with the other boys so I didn't have to drag everyone in there. He had said his stomach was hurting, and I figured he was just feeling a little off because of just generally not feeling well and not eating much that day. Well, he threw up in the doctor's office, right where the nurse was taking his weight and height. She was going for a bucket, but didn't make it back in time. I had just let him eat a blue popsicle before we left home, too. Nice. Definitely a God-thing that I didn't have all the boys with me! Since it was just Logan and I, I was able to take the situation in stride. Had I had all the boys with me, I would have been completely, utterly frazzled. :) Anyways, he has an ear infection and because he just finished antibiotics for strep, the doctor put him on different antibiotics for this. Logan felt much better yesterday, but because he had a slight fever the day before he had to stay hom from school.
Levi was teaching himself a song on the piano the other day, and I just love to hear that. He has really enjoying plunking around on the piano. The other day he was using their toy keyboard that has a mode that shows you what notes to play, and translating that to the piano keys.
Caleb started asking about soccer camp the other day, so I suppose we should start deciding what we'll do this summer. Gotta keep these boys moving!
Friday, April 7, 2017
Daddy's Boy
Jackson is a total daddy's boy. Already! Seems a little early, doesn't it? I'm fully in support of my sons becoming daddy's boys eventually, but I should have a little more time... It's been evident for a while. He's so happy when Mike gets home from work, wants to get picked up and held, and when Mike puts him down to take a shower, he is NOT happy. There's been many instances like that, and many times he chooses Mike over myself. Like, if Mike and I are hugging and Jackson comes over to break it up, he wants Mike to pick him up. I'm just a little bit sad. :(
It's been a pretty good Spring Break week! Not good weather, but we've had enough fun things to do to pass the time. Tuesday we went to an open gym time at a friend's church, and then Wednesday I had planned an open gym time at school. The kids do great with just a chance to run around and burn off some energy.
Due to the weather, Mike has yesterday and today off work, but is planning to work tomorrow. Since we don't have any plans, I can handle him working a Saturday if he gets two weekdays off! Yesterday we took the boys bowling and out to lunch - it was fun (mostly)! Jackson lost patience with bowling, and Levi had a couple incidents during the second game.
Jackson has started with a runny nose, but otherwise we seem to be pretty healthy, and the weather is improving for the weekend, so hopefully we'll have a nice finish to our Spring Break! I decided that we're better off for sticking around rather than going to Florida or whatever like so many other people - it's a good character building experience. :)
It's been a pretty good Spring Break week! Not good weather, but we've had enough fun things to do to pass the time. Tuesday we went to an open gym time at a friend's church, and then Wednesday I had planned an open gym time at school. The kids do great with just a chance to run around and burn off some energy.
Due to the weather, Mike has yesterday and today off work, but is planning to work tomorrow. Since we don't have any plans, I can handle him working a Saturday if he gets two weekdays off! Yesterday we took the boys bowling and out to lunch - it was fun (mostly)! Jackson lost patience with bowling, and Levi had a couple incidents during the second game.
Jackson has started with a runny nose, but otherwise we seem to be pretty healthy, and the weather is improving for the weekend, so hopefully we'll have a nice finish to our Spring Break! I decided that we're better off for sticking around rather than going to Florida or whatever like so many other people - it's a good character building experience. :)
Monday, April 3, 2017
april showers
Last Friday was the first day of spring break, and I was mentally prepared for it to be Mike's first Friday back to work after the winter, but thanks to heavy rain on Thursday, he got the day off! Unfortunately, with the way the forecast is looking this week, I'm worried he'll end up having to work Saturday. Boo.
Friday night we let the boys "sleep" in their fort in the basement. Not much sleeping happened. They were up early Saturday morning, and totally wired. I thought we were going to be dealing with cranky, tired boys, but instead they were super hyper. Except Levi after a little while. He ate breakfast fine, but then he was in tears for seemingly no reason. Figuring he was tired, I sent him to bed. (Which at the time was on his folded up mattress by the door because they had apparently completely tore apart his room.) He slept all morning, then woke up around noon and threw up and he had a fever. Poor buddy. You could clearly see that he didn't feel well at all. He spent the rest of the day on the couch, napping on and off, and later on he felt up to a few crackers and some juice, but that's all. Thankfully he was in much better shape Sunday morning.
So, Saturday morning, while Levi was napping, Mike took Caleb and Logan with him to get an oil change in the van. After he returned, I took them with me to run a few errands. I went to Byron Center Meats to pick up beef payments and when I was going to look something up discovered that I forgot my phone. It's unusual for me to forget it, but oh well, I can function. Drove all the way to Wal-Mart, then discovered I also left my planner at home (which contained the receipt I needed for a return). VERY unusual for me to forgot that, and I think that flustered me more than forgetting my phone. My planner is basically my brain! After going to the bank I went home, and of course, soon after getting here I realized I forgot to go to the pharmacy to pick up antibiotics for Logan (another story). Seriously. When did I start losing my mind?! And, it was at that moment we discovered Levi was sick. I'm so thankful that even in those moments of temporary frustration, I can look at Mike and love my life, and love that I get to be on this crazy journey with him. It's not always easy, and I'm not always happy, but we have so much to be thankful for, and God sure knew that Mike and I are right for each other.
Anyways, in continuation of the day, after lunch I made my trip to the pharmacy and then had a nice, quiet afternoon. After supper I took Caleb and Logan to Target to spend gift cards they had received at Christmas. (Didn't really need anything new at that time thanks to birthdays and Christmas happening in close succession, so I thought it would be fun to get something new for Spring Break.) I had talked with Levi and knew what he wanted with his gift card, so we were able to pick that up for him.
There was just a little more crazy on Sunday. Levi was feeling better, but due to the previous day's fever, we didn't want him in Sunday School. So, Mike took Caleb, Logan, and Jackson with him to the early service and Sunday School. I had to be in nursery for the 11am service, so I brought Levi with me, then Mike and I could do a kid trade. Caleb stayed with me, wanting to help in the nursery. (Bummer for him, though, there were only two kids - one sat on my lap and fell asleep, the other sat on the other worker's lap and feel asleep.) Towards the end Caleb was talking about being hungry and asked if we could go to Taco Bell. I told him I didn't feel like driving over there, and then he asked about Culver's. I told him that wasn't on the way home either, I was thinking Wendy's. A few minutes later I checked my phone and saw a text from Mike that they had gone to Culver's for lunch and Levi had left his coat there (and now they were home). So....Caleb and I ended up at Culver's for lunch. :)
I let the boys open their new toys after breakfast today, and they've kept pretty busy. (Which is the idea, of course!) They got a little playtime in outside, and now it's raining. It could be a fairly rainy week (surprise, surprise), but we have a couple other things planned, so hopefully we manage okay.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Logan's antibiotics! So, a couple weeks ago he got a rash on his face/chest/back. He was really tired for about a day, and missed half a day of school. No fever, but his tonsils were really swollen. After that day of tiredness, he felt fine. His tonsils were staying swollen, though, so last week I took him in for a throat swab to see about strep. The rapid test showed no strep, but then they called on Friday saying his cultures did show strep, hence the antibiotics I needed to pick up.
At the moment everyone seems healthy, and I hope it stays that way!!
Friday night we let the boys "sleep" in their fort in the basement. Not much sleeping happened. They were up early Saturday morning, and totally wired. I thought we were going to be dealing with cranky, tired boys, but instead they were super hyper. Except Levi after a little while. He ate breakfast fine, but then he was in tears for seemingly no reason. Figuring he was tired, I sent him to bed. (Which at the time was on his folded up mattress by the door because they had apparently completely tore apart his room.) He slept all morning, then woke up around noon and threw up and he had a fever. Poor buddy. You could clearly see that he didn't feel well at all. He spent the rest of the day on the couch, napping on and off, and later on he felt up to a few crackers and some juice, but that's all. Thankfully he was in much better shape Sunday morning.
So, Saturday morning, while Levi was napping, Mike took Caleb and Logan with him to get an oil change in the van. After he returned, I took them with me to run a few errands. I went to Byron Center Meats to pick up beef payments and when I was going to look something up discovered that I forgot my phone. It's unusual for me to forget it, but oh well, I can function. Drove all the way to Wal-Mart, then discovered I also left my planner at home (which contained the receipt I needed for a return). VERY unusual for me to forgot that, and I think that flustered me more than forgetting my phone. My planner is basically my brain! After going to the bank I went home, and of course, soon after getting here I realized I forgot to go to the pharmacy to pick up antibiotics for Logan (another story). Seriously. When did I start losing my mind?! And, it was at that moment we discovered Levi was sick. I'm so thankful that even in those moments of temporary frustration, I can look at Mike and love my life, and love that I get to be on this crazy journey with him. It's not always easy, and I'm not always happy, but we have so much to be thankful for, and God sure knew that Mike and I are right for each other.
Anyways, in continuation of the day, after lunch I made my trip to the pharmacy and then had a nice, quiet afternoon. After supper I took Caleb and Logan to Target to spend gift cards they had received at Christmas. (Didn't really need anything new at that time thanks to birthdays and Christmas happening in close succession, so I thought it would be fun to get something new for Spring Break.) I had talked with Levi and knew what he wanted with his gift card, so we were able to pick that up for him.
There was just a little more crazy on Sunday. Levi was feeling better, but due to the previous day's fever, we didn't want him in Sunday School. So, Mike took Caleb, Logan, and Jackson with him to the early service and Sunday School. I had to be in nursery for the 11am service, so I brought Levi with me, then Mike and I could do a kid trade. Caleb stayed with me, wanting to help in the nursery. (Bummer for him, though, there were only two kids - one sat on my lap and fell asleep, the other sat on the other worker's lap and feel asleep.) Towards the end Caleb was talking about being hungry and asked if we could go to Taco Bell. I told him I didn't feel like driving over there, and then he asked about Culver's. I told him that wasn't on the way home either, I was thinking Wendy's. A few minutes later I checked my phone and saw a text from Mike that they had gone to Culver's for lunch and Levi had left his coat there (and now they were home). So....Caleb and I ended up at Culver's for lunch. :)
I let the boys open their new toys after breakfast today, and they've kept pretty busy. (Which is the idea, of course!) They got a little playtime in outside, and now it's raining. It could be a fairly rainy week (surprise, surprise), but we have a couple other things planned, so hopefully we manage okay.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Logan's antibiotics! So, a couple weeks ago he got a rash on his face/chest/back. He was really tired for about a day, and missed half a day of school. No fever, but his tonsils were really swollen. After that day of tiredness, he felt fine. His tonsils were staying swollen, though, so last week I took him in for a throat swab to see about strep. The rapid test showed no strep, but then they called on Friday saying his cultures did show strep, hence the antibiotics I needed to pick up.
At the moment everyone seems healthy, and I hope it stays that way!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)