tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81244492265649590542024-02-02T06:51:52.840-07:00Howard Trio Plus OneKendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-1253779495963869212023-09-06T10:26:00.000-06:002023-09-06T10:26:01.134-06:00Graham turned 6 (in April)<p><span style="background-color: white;">Here are Graham's answers to his annual birthday questions! <br /><br /></span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Name: Graham Howard</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Age: 6</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When is birthday: April 23 (close)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Favorite color: orange and green </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Favorite food: z bars, fig bars, chicken nuggets, cheese pizza, pesto pasta, candy</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Who is your best friend? Jack</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Favorite song? Luigi’s Mansion Theme song</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Favorite animal? Koala</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What are you scared of? Monsters, bees </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What makes you happy? Jack</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Where is your favorite place to go? The Variety Store</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What is your favorite toy? Fox Lodge Lego, Waddle Dee stuffie, and other birthday gifts </span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What job do you want to have when you grow up? Robot maker</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What is Mom’s favorite thing to do? Clean</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What is Dad’s favorite thing to do? Work</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicEZFcshazJFZmlQ_Cu4d1qG0olPMO_OjalOLyaKJ9Wlp2qQZVgtcyUwB4kxFO6UoY840u5dzkIxDwYZhmyvle_aH9SmEgmv73f8TeLCnq0eR7o_u1-czzVIQWujJPaY2bxesWy2lz4Hfz4uY9KHRrCZHM2Js2zlCGDHmZnlJrm7QLGnLTmvCf6TcEXIqB" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicEZFcshazJFZmlQ_Cu4d1qG0olPMO_OjalOLyaKJ9Wlp2qQZVgtcyUwB4kxFO6UoY840u5dzkIxDwYZhmyvle_aH9SmEgmv73f8TeLCnq0eR7o_u1-czzVIQWujJPaY2bxesWy2lz4Hfz4uY9KHRrCZHM2Js2zlCGDHmZnlJrm7QLGnLTmvCf6TcEXIqB" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-LIT-VGh4KCuOq3ZvmbjL9V9GAo_VxwQeLQmTQGox3p_NYq1vo5tJKfv3u-Uk57enr3lCievpx0-aRjQFKA4nkuJRZ2MD94zs5Sp0frPBVqYhyZMVyqdKm2Io9mdLa9yB6L4-kt1QamzQ31v1pNwMo6vJkXUh1-AyWg3sQv01wMBZMsS_qxvfLV1PY0IJ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-LIT-VGh4KCuOq3ZvmbjL9V9GAo_VxwQeLQmTQGox3p_NYq1vo5tJKfv3u-Uk57enr3lCievpx0-aRjQFKA4nkuJRZ2MD94zs5Sp0frPBVqYhyZMVyqdKm2Io9mdLa9yB6L4-kt1QamzQ31v1pNwMo6vJkXUh1-AyWg3sQv01wMBZMsS_qxvfLV1PY0IJ" width="180" /></a></div></span><br /></div>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-14624444215385530702023-01-02T13:36:00.010-07:002023-01-02T13:38:00.437-07:0020 Years Away From "Home"<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">Twenty years ago today </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;">my parents were helping me unload a bedroom's worth of stuff from a U-Haul into an apartment I had never seen before. </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">Micah and I had both just moved across the country as we were transferring from our separate colleges in Michigan to the University of Colorado at Boulder. He moved in with his sister in Westminster, and I moved into an apartment in Boulder with a couple of girls I had never met. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">It was really scary to move across the country, especially since the only people I knew in Colorado were Micah and his sister. This was before FaceTime or social media. I didn't even have a cell phone yet! I was young, and I didn’t know much about the world, but I was determined to make the move work. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Within the first couple of years of living in Colorado, I remember flying back to Michigan for a visit. I met someone on the plane who had moved away from Michigan 20 years ago. I remember thinking how crazy that sounded. Twenty years sounds like an eternity to someone in their early 20's!</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The "20 Years Away From Michigan" mark has stuck with me over the years. Occasionally, I’ve thought about what life would be like when I have lived away from Michigan for 20 years. It was impossible to imagine, but fun to think about.</span><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Now I am here. I am 40-years-old and it's been 20 years since I left "home." So much was unknown, but I am glad I took that first giant step as l</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">ife is truly interesting and amazing when you allow yourself to be brave. I’m excited to see what will happen in this next decade of our lives.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGaxa2hDN_JzHkAbt0i0YRqJQTWvDloPfWCWZByVRwJtF7Q3LIM7-sA4HQfMOp_TJ2YYreI7H7AQZMLUG_K53shIU-Zk4rqJCICHLLYNYJx-ctn0hfomxFqNCplhP7YyXTY91C_FovmBd_YxIFXVDHajQDDmFLlygI_7yasZbHvcC-hEEzQkxQKH1S4A" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="894" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGaxa2hDN_JzHkAbt0i0YRqJQTWvDloPfWCWZByVRwJtF7Q3LIM7-sA4HQfMOp_TJ2YYreI7H7AQZMLUG_K53shIU-Zk4rqJCICHLLYNYJx-ctn0hfomxFqNCplhP7YyXTY91C_FovmBd_YxIFXVDHajQDDmFLlygI_7yasZbHvcC-hEEzQkxQKH1S4A=w428-h284" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Micah and I at the overlook above Boulder when we first moved</td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRUvysatp1Z4TqIZWvibWO-7xfuANReXyXtcDD1PfnuSXBpGEzybWUJDdwLJ6KbyGNJt6cy2BIjKIhFECc1CQOP8U23e2WgQGtZC8GjVLbCT8zPd0M2Zec8eBSHFBBsoFV7Me4IsOJOAPHhk9DdnmcQPG_TseEAGtiOo2wXp-as9uBhk6q5prbT9QabQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="332" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRUvysatp1Z4TqIZWvibWO-7xfuANReXyXtcDD1PfnuSXBpGEzybWUJDdwLJ6KbyGNJt6cy2BIjKIhFECc1CQOP8U23e2WgQGtZC8GjVLbCT8zPd0M2Zec8eBSHFBBsoFV7Me4IsOJOAPHhk9DdnmcQPG_TseEAGtiOo2wXp-as9uBhk6q5prbT9QabQ=w379-h251" width="379" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents and I at the overlook above Boulder when they dropped me off</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic_wFCjAVsI3XZDTm1EQlW5WV5yXfP9b3uW5u9FevcNBoRnz19GrpBjX6KSCBWbEPWO-XKmU2LIrNwIX_O7wxsC3iELFA-0iU6mAAXHA81YWoatuTdD_nE1G1UaI-C4q2usa90w3bQ_yqFm81X7FbIPWMggcfi_4zCagUoRcWgvm-LC0qKkcn0wgT4RQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="892" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic_wFCjAVsI3XZDTm1EQlW5WV5yXfP9b3uW5u9FevcNBoRnz19GrpBjX6KSCBWbEPWO-XKmU2LIrNwIX_O7wxsC3iELFA-0iU6mAAXHA81YWoatuTdD_nE1G1UaI-C4q2usa90w3bQ_yqFm81X7FbIPWMggcfi_4zCagUoRcWgvm-LC0qKkcn0wgT4RQ=w362-h240" width="362" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My room in my first apartment</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="892" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXVT6NhmIl7TMBdZZFGKxgDx0f1xamv-jFCnVL__1dK0khzc3aLWsYzAiG9Jnmb5kGIZfktNEV88BiB2LOwSzK35iVYF2O0XNIOxk2SOlc0eyCftuWlDzUMY5MXtWETRM-Aa0lAjIr2t5vtjh8pux5DXBTsmyvTVaAyvKEUuxY8KwRteQ84srGpaF7yg=w378-h248" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="378" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My room after I rearranged the furniture a few months later</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXVT6NhmIl7TMBdZZFGKxgDx0f1xamv-jFCnVL__1dK0khzc3aLWsYzAiG9Jnmb5kGIZfktNEV88BiB2LOwSzK35iVYF2O0XNIOxk2SOlc0eyCftuWlDzUMY5MXtWETRM-Aa0lAjIr2t5vtjh8pux5DXBTsmyvTVaAyvKEUuxY8KwRteQ84srGpaF7yg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><br /><br /></div><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-78583444209840405192022-06-07T15:57:00.001-06:002022-06-07T16:01:22.165-06:009th Birthday Interview Questions<p><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 9.5pt;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /><br />I've been asking the kids the same questions every year since their 3rd birthday. It's fun to see how their answers evolve each year!</span></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JkDTy_4qY8E6kMNNz86niFyMhOhRGYmDOKvBuXxE_fwROjw8IBgcdDJxTca1y2EPLyQELLrWuIUAgSSSCVxcCbw9jZWmNTPmPNxPkH76oBDB5t54eg2ke_Rz_Ldnt95lRtHP8r2hU69yKBi24PBWzrQwVMU6M4pV2fkrjK_uJzeWUpoXd_epmJBw1w/s4032/IMG_6773.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JkDTy_4qY8E6kMNNz86niFyMhOhRGYmDOKvBuXxE_fwROjw8IBgcdDJxTca1y2EPLyQELLrWuIUAgSSSCVxcCbw9jZWmNTPmPNxPkH76oBDB5t54eg2ke_Rz_Ldnt95lRtHP8r2hU69yKBi24PBWzrQwVMU6M4pV2fkrjK_uJzeWUpoXd_epmJBw1w/s320/IMG_6773.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: large;">Alexis</span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your full name?</b> Alexis Joy Howard </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 9</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>When is your birthday? </b>June 7, 2013 [they finally know their birth year]</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite color?</b> purple</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite food? </b>hot dogs, ribs, and drumsticks </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite dessert? </b>chocolate and vanilla twist ice cream</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Best friend?</b> The Halls and the Clubbs </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite animal?</b> dogs and wolves</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What are you scared of? </b>Spiders and other bugs</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What makes you happy?</b> A bunch of presents and a birthday cake</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Where is your favorite place to go? </b>To a park</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What do you want to be when you grow up? </b>Vet, dog rescue person, dog foster person, or a dog walker </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What is your favorite thing to do?</b><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"> Being with my family and reading</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Mom’s favorite thing to do?</b> Bake</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Dad’s favorite thing to do? </b>Run and snuggle</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite subject in school?</b> Math </span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYBIIDzxfWDXK92QhkoKcsd5P4Xj-zrTDj7_L17oREBWHcDdRH6ydxp289h2x1WE4BBcHqrCQ6vwIySx9lLxc2ROTOhqeOHZLELtyjVhyNeq6iyiL74ygq8F9vyHrSnDO81u85XpohfjGxpUjiXCbau48F6lbdPW-zXzzZFOpanPpJzskQjn5O_kRaw/s4032/IMG_0078.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYBIIDzxfWDXK92QhkoKcsd5P4Xj-zrTDj7_L17oREBWHcDdRH6ydxp289h2x1WE4BBcHqrCQ6vwIySx9lLxc2ROTOhqeOHZLELtyjVhyNeq6iyiL74ygq8F9vyHrSnDO81u85XpohfjGxpUjiXCbau48F6lbdPW-zXzzZFOpanPpJzskQjn5O_kRaw/s320/IMG_0078.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><p style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Jack</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your full name?</b> Jack Micah Howard</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 9</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>When is your birthday? </b>June 7, 2013 [they finally know their birth year]</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite color?</b> blue</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite food? </b>pesto pasta</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite dessert?</b> ice cream</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Best friend?</b> The Halls (Lily and Maggie)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite animal?</b> tiger</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What are you scared of? </b>criminals, bank robbers, and Putin</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What makes you happy?</b> Legos</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Where is your favorite place to go? </b>Legoland</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What do you want to be when you grow up?</b> Aerospace engineer [just like Dad] </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite thing to do?</b> Building with legos, making cardboard creations, and watching Star Wars movies with Dad</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Mom’s favorite thing to do?</b> I don't know, go for bike rides?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Dad’s favorite thing to do? </b>Watch me play baseball</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite subject in school?</b> Language Arts</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ejAARcbvxXRBZKPJxnDuTMJzw_UAPJJIZhqy9klrNilD1n0OFNUHeL4JqX1tgiQHEeLhgPv7MBMy_VEUvdB4oe15edwLqM3e3zAR8JTK19-z5mkZr38j_DLOGYvB-lOdAPioDwczoDbCyYygvCrr3Igh7A-vGWyvFVm-hemr6AArTFlPypxaHc4Rfg/s4032/IMG_0197.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ejAARcbvxXRBZKPJxnDuTMJzw_UAPJJIZhqy9klrNilD1n0OFNUHeL4JqX1tgiQHEeLhgPv7MBMy_VEUvdB4oe15edwLqM3e3zAR8JTK19-z5mkZr38j_DLOGYvB-lOdAPioDwczoDbCyYygvCrr3Igh7A-vGWyvFVm-hemr6AArTFlPypxaHc4Rfg/s320/IMG_0197.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Faith</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your full name?</b> Faith Elizabeth Howard</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 9</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>When is your birthday? </b>June 7, 2013 [they finally know their birth year]</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite color?</b> pink</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite food? </b>watermelon</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite dessert?</b> moose tracks ice cream</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Best friend?</b> Lily & Maggie, Mr. & Mrs. Clubb, and the Krafts</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite animal?</b> dogs</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What are you scared of? </b>dying</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What makes you happy?</b> Waking up in the morning (because I'm alive) and petting a dog</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Where is your favorite place to go? </b>To the pool, the Hall's backyard, and Mrs. Clubb's house</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What do you want to be when you grow up?</b> Work at a dog shelter. Or maybe I'll just have a dog and let my husband go to work.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite thing to do?</b> Doing something with my family, reading, and drawing</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Mom’s favorite thing to do?</b> Have the kids go to bed so she can relax.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Dad’s favorite thing to do? </b>Go for a run, work with the kids on sports</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite subject in school?</b> Math</span></p><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_kbacs6bfFmn8-p4JFSHd5zkWTJ52mbF47CnOrBgjDN4mwJWxsVsSOnXVJ7SMW0E7yQ-lZvMPwpzrjHDW-FlVLMVd_Vv1Oxp0wLkmpQXaPsZrNOq0o8f-x_cHD5ce0enO46Je7fJtrtou_opRD_1XVGSlA3YsIfeFtDKpvRYn2b6yOr7ZJBCs7nLtg/s4032/IMG_0665.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_kbacs6bfFmn8-p4JFSHd5zkWTJ52mbF47CnOrBgjDN4mwJWxsVsSOnXVJ7SMW0E7yQ-lZvMPwpzrjHDW-FlVLMVd_Vv1Oxp0wLkmpQXaPsZrNOq0o8f-x_cHD5ce0enO46Je7fJtrtou_opRD_1XVGSlA3YsIfeFtDKpvRYn2b6yOr7ZJBCs7nLtg/s320/IMG_0665.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></span></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></p>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-25369584312937807812022-06-05T20:52:00.001-06:002022-06-05T20:52:39.956-06:00Graham is 5!Graham turned 5 in April and I kept meaning to finish his birthday blog post, but I've been struggling to find time. Although it's cliche, the truth is that things don't get easier or less busy as kids get older, it is just different. When the kids were younger I could plan on some down time during naps, but I haven't had a child that napped since Graham turned 3! And although our kids spend more time playing independently than when they were younger, many evening are busy with sports. Plus. the kids go to bed much later now, so there isn't as much time (or energy) after they go to bed to get stuff done. <div><br /></div><div>In addition to the normal busyness of life, we did some traveling and we were sick right around Graham's birthday. We traveled to New York over Graham's birthday to visit Legoland for a day and to go to NYC. We had a great time, but we must have caught Covid while we were there. Covid made its way through our family, but thankfully the kids only had mild symptoms (fevers, sore throats, headaches, and coughs for a couple of days), Micah was asymptomatic, and I never got it. After having Covid, we traveled to Michigan and finished up our homeschool year. Things just never seem to slow down!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPb1-gmgYjALNMkTTLj2JdPCnbLsS3W0BBam1db9zEjgQdLTu-3Xtx6OIx7PGIcN-7df0k3tQGuSgScBGO2M1gLGHV93ZaZfViJYGCV7E_5MIGH6KiHLtdOUJ0TlQq0LeXsiqCEPSU00V-uFCoDJOlZGxZnCJgOqpH-2IsE4qIHBxpGA2cDX4dvm_-Q/s4032/IMG_0115.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPb1-gmgYjALNMkTTLj2JdPCnbLsS3W0BBam1db9zEjgQdLTu-3Xtx6OIx7PGIcN-7df0k3tQGuSgScBGO2M1gLGHV93ZaZfViJYGCV7E_5MIGH6KiHLtdOUJ0TlQq0LeXsiqCEPSU00V-uFCoDJOlZGxZnCJgOqpH-2IsE4qIHBxpGA2cDX4dvm_-Q/s320/IMG_0115.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He opened some of his presents before we went on our NY trip</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGsSfxCOFozUv39JSYMQ1shrGCG4JcGB-tGd4IU-eN3C8z4z3vRcsXoWuWHWNeMc-lYkgLesWzvPwAP41yvTcVq9d8m_fXjpO1YWn0INoQmL1x5CMd0_1XiNu0ZCT2_nKIqefkhUXLAx4DzHZm6KJ-S8t1eJJxD6CwtVv2yRoGdpW4USSkleVAhENyg/s2618/IMG_0152.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2618" data-original-width="2618" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGsSfxCOFozUv39JSYMQ1shrGCG4JcGB-tGd4IU-eN3C8z4z3vRcsXoWuWHWNeMc-lYkgLesWzvPwAP41yvTcVq9d8m_fXjpO1YWn0INoQmL1x5CMd0_1XiNu0ZCT2_nKIqefkhUXLAx4DzHZm6KJ-S8t1eJJxD6CwtVv2yRoGdpW4USSkleVAhENyg/s320/IMG_0152.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legoland!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfI8on-VRAnCNgOFcsZt0FtzgDPGYaf4PIQqLij55xfcYvDTZkJmBGzoIH_Ydpv9nFGeOpiGMHpNYtvknVM-3b2SYEJ965O24h_pEHrzQmr2Ezs7cOswJqHjfISvHrbRL7LjfRPDCDPwNKRC01uUnHh38HRKqZNM6GC73hWliP1byZH5nnWviNhTpriA/s4032/IMG_0171.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfI8on-VRAnCNgOFcsZt0FtzgDPGYaf4PIQqLij55xfcYvDTZkJmBGzoIH_Ydpv9nFGeOpiGMHpNYtvknVM-3b2SYEJ965O24h_pEHrzQmr2Ezs7cOswJqHjfISvHrbRL7LjfRPDCDPwNKRC01uUnHh38HRKqZNM6GC73hWliP1byZH5nnWviNhTpriA/s320/IMG_0171.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPoLyIpWH7B4JbPhKA_bFXQcMVRBJ_niJVQMRpK6oEip60xCmev6qq4bbcsa4HToE-2S5SUHzbTb0bSFF2MKWA_XHN0S8ttB8RqGo0ohEuRv68Jq_rWL29cpggyRGPLc3qvk2wUYrndh40ghB6nlxx1W7OLlZRFeT_jncG-jIb7g4AT00xo4WUrlTEg/s2787/IMG_0222.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2787" data-original-width="2090" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPoLyIpWH7B4JbPhKA_bFXQcMVRBJ_niJVQMRpK6oEip60xCmev6qq4bbcsa4HToE-2S5SUHzbTb0bSFF2MKWA_XHN0S8ttB8RqGo0ohEuRv68Jq_rWL29cpggyRGPLc3qvk2wUYrndh40ghB6nlxx1W7OLlZRFeT_jncG-jIb7g4AT00xo4WUrlTEg/s320/IMG_0222.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His last night as a 4-year-old (in the hotel)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU__PMT6X_-Z8QtH7z8WAGjdumV40LNqEY-nvgZTXw5HRCsTixtG7p2-CgbeGQnQvmzteUcfZDeHjOZZeo9i51MfhY3Mb-DUF43ne8d-h-9HjGjSRd1FABkh1wdIT6udljXHptbNGN18BJi1NhdmlhTogDcx6Q0WMTUZrc6RCtG5uJKOwgC7q6gIGagw/s4032/IMG_0242.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU__PMT6X_-Z8QtH7z8WAGjdumV40LNqEY-nvgZTXw5HRCsTixtG7p2-CgbeGQnQvmzteUcfZDeHjOZZeo9i51MfhY3Mb-DUF43ne8d-h-9HjGjSRd1FABkh1wdIT6udljXHptbNGN18BJi1NhdmlhTogDcx6Q0WMTUZrc6RCtG5uJKOwgC7q6gIGagw/s320/IMG_0242.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening gifts on his birthday</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA4Y60YVmAZEDeNgziJ7mZdfqBDdzvcXwzj0pO1M3ZLdZ5erodu8RYcxbE_JM3l2ASP7O0CZrZH42rBdvzl858-h8xTuwZ39cSnvezxZi9m-DpisKz6HWTD1pAnMVUZdDZnyMDPLK8Nkm7Fj10yOhc9y6lEboL4jAT9XE93btuFc5rAKb2_pSb_7Jwg/s4032/IMG_0246.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA4Y60YVmAZEDeNgziJ7mZdfqBDdzvcXwzj0pO1M3ZLdZ5erodu8RYcxbE_JM3l2ASP7O0CZrZH42rBdvzl858-h8xTuwZ39cSnvezxZi9m-DpisKz6HWTD1pAnMVUZdDZnyMDPLK8Nkm7Fj10yOhc9y6lEboL4jAT9XE93btuFc5rAKb2_pSb_7Jwg/s320/IMG_0246.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His favorite gift - a Pokemon battlefield backpack</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4lO639wa6oFhVMNDXgIIuhvlJKXJnlzHD0LfFbQYD2qwwD4qu1wwfxSa5lF1jNEoVaVrSUKKcSLKA27w8ZKegA5qNoes6YArzpg7-5q3qm5tQcjfUhvOnppdAiWZGjmtB6JXKAhZ5fyFbm6gcBIWkBDEaUFAKqd4Ag5mV0ZTEs80tks4JpEFaXGhkg/s4032/IMG_0318.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4lO639wa6oFhVMNDXgIIuhvlJKXJnlzHD0LfFbQYD2qwwD4qu1wwfxSa5lF1jNEoVaVrSUKKcSLKA27w8ZKegA5qNoes6YArzpg7-5q3qm5tQcjfUhvOnppdAiWZGjmtB6JXKAhZ5fyFbm6gcBIWkBDEaUFAKqd4Ag5mV0ZTEs80tks4JpEFaXGhkg/s320/IMG_0318.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took a carriage ride around Central Park on his birthday</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7zA9sHXvuD-gjXB0yGiBCF8hT0ZYNMYkIvQn5VMbhj2vsuOkXYzOXu2ZeVovTwpdiO_35vO_psXyBngtbysu69Su90neRtJImZVE8FaXS7ql0mBtUujNid66mAaz2jmxFPEroMuUa1vo-cMtlXDTb1i5hPsbugxFW7EVhK9b6ZhBcCQWiuJCbzNo3g/s4032/IMG_0347.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7zA9sHXvuD-gjXB0yGiBCF8hT0ZYNMYkIvQn5VMbhj2vsuOkXYzOXu2ZeVovTwpdiO_35vO_psXyBngtbysu69Su90neRtJImZVE8FaXS7ql0mBtUujNid66mAaz2jmxFPEroMuUa1vo-cMtlXDTb1i5hPsbugxFW7EVhK9b6ZhBcCQWiuJCbzNo3g/s320/IMG_0347.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Central Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw9K-elvwv-IfsE9Y_OnlPddD22zDRAqvrAf-CoHui3fKT4icIsbkXkYE2zAD8V2S5LrHy4zO2N7-HuLVkNDiwvl3AMivv4s19EDhgS3ph1_8e3G4T3TgdTzwq-kO6Mrt7RFjJt2l683Yd_d5CZgUErvYkV6M5cgX5tGLRS6Mne0cYlnJqOUCgSvyOg/s4032/IMG_0367.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw9K-elvwv-IfsE9Y_OnlPddD22zDRAqvrAf-CoHui3fKT4icIsbkXkYE2zAD8V2S5LrHy4zO2N7-HuLVkNDiwvl3AMivv4s19EDhgS3ph1_8e3G4T3TgdTzwq-kO6Mrt7RFjJt2l683Yd_d5CZgUErvYkV6M5cgX5tGLRS6Mne0cYlnJqOUCgSvyOg/s320/IMG_0367.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got cupcakes from a fancy shop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5odH4nhg1vIlCBtnZpSITiCRBRIgJdu7t1NsMBoZ-xndjmwL4beakVXu4dKl0lQH4zrPRxs233YWp31qIsfOGrmw8792aIJblM68WJtubSPCrf0UtflAqh2gsonfChz9eZ04Rk_HvF0dS7hdM27r1gE7vP-FscmPxub9pv8vTQcmXiqbk0-ZkX7m14w/s4032/IMG_0379.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5odH4nhg1vIlCBtnZpSITiCRBRIgJdu7t1NsMBoZ-xndjmwL4beakVXu4dKl0lQH4zrPRxs233YWp31qIsfOGrmw8792aIJblM68WJtubSPCrf0UtflAqh2gsonfChz9eZ04Rk_HvF0dS7hdM27r1gE7vP-FscmPxub9pv8vTQcmXiqbk0-ZkX7m14w/s320/IMG_0379.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham has a little toy minion that he named "Sycamore." He was excited when he saw that the minions had also been to the Empire State Building.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Although this post is delayed, here are some things about Graham at age 5.</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Height: </b>At 42 inches he is the same height Alexis was at this age (he’s taller than Jack was and shorter than Faith was). He grew 2 inches in the last year.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Weight:</b> Physically he’s our heaviest child at this age, which is funny because he’s only 35 lbs (still very light compared to other kids his age). He gained 4.5 lbs in the last year!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Sleep: </b>Jack and Graham continue to share a room and it actually works out quite well despite the age difference. Bedtime is between 8:30 and 9:00, and lights out is around 9:15. Most nights Graham decides to just rest while Jack reads in bed, and sometimes he even falls asleep when Jack is still reading. Graham wakes up between 8:00 and 8:30 most mornings, although sometimes he even sleeps later. None of our other kids slept in at this age, but homeschool has allowed us to be on a later schedule. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Food:</b> He’s not a very adventurous eater. His favorite foods are Iced Oatmeal Z bars, Fig Bars, Chobani Mixed Berry yogurt, applesauce pouches, pesto pasta, pizza, quesadillas, chicken nuggets, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and salami. He also enjoys most fruit and he’ll eat broccoli (steamed) and carrots (cooked and raw). He'll also eat all desserts!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Preschool: </b>School was great for Graham. I was sad that he missed out on a year of preschool because of the pandemic, but this year he went MWF from 9-12. Although most days he complained about having to go to school, he always came home with stories about what he did there. He really seemed to grow as a person during the school year. The school, St. Aidan's, focused on moving and playing outdoors, but they also spent some time working on letters and such. It was a wonderful school and I felt great about dropping him off there while the big kids and I worked on homeschool.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Writing His Name:</b> For some reason, Graham was resistant to learning to write his name. For Valentine's Day, though, he was supposed to write his name on cards for his classmates. He decided to sit down and do it all in one day, and that was the day that he memorized how to write his name. He still didn't know the letter names, though, so Grandma taught him to sing the letters of his name to the tune of Happy Birthday (they did a little bit of "Grandma School" while our family was stuck at home with Covid). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1NsdIKjBR30P6MIUbjid5KoimheCiGeTkKHAc5Wiea8Y-J5KiFMiHY1KqHJNn_-aR3Ub9Gt08btWudoX9lwWFfC1WlqFhw5fbOLH9-b2X7LFdlM4QwEQ-1QxWHytULE1sGpMo5tRC7KgrK5a7b3CN9LocZ245vfi2tTNAuwehypuIaz2sJrrOl0HAQ/s4032/IMG_7713.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1NsdIKjBR30P6MIUbjid5KoimheCiGeTkKHAc5Wiea8Y-J5KiFMiHY1KqHJNn_-aR3Ub9Gt08btWudoX9lwWFfC1WlqFhw5fbOLH9-b2X7LFdlM4QwEQ-1QxWHytULE1sGpMo5tRC7KgrK5a7b3CN9LocZ245vfi2tTNAuwehypuIaz2sJrrOl0HAQ/s320/IMG_7713.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Music Class: </b>On Thursday mornings the kids and I attended an outdoor music class for homeschool families. This was a highlight of our week as all of the kids enjoyed the class, and it was great to interact with other homeschool families. At the beginning of the year Graham didn't participate much, but by the end of the year he happily did drum solos, danced around with the class, and sang along to the songs. It was awesome to see him grow musically this year.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIx9kQ_V_T9I85C5zYv6ppjbxBtfqa0vF4OHlmqLKLpguKoPbFmCTuiTZhgJLKe7e8pdwLU3Cqklw942YBwjx-xRmyqN8dNbHUIHiEW7B3wb3vUqT6G7qG4MKrklGgn72H3UPq_18-ONW4-7wI4X2l079hoiTi-6Wq4-LbFIc615o2ewgACtx-_RRrbg/s4032/IMG_8057.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIx9kQ_V_T9I85C5zYv6ppjbxBtfqa0vF4OHlmqLKLpguKoPbFmCTuiTZhgJLKe7e8pdwLU3Cqklw942YBwjx-xRmyqN8dNbHUIHiEW7B3wb3vUqT6G7qG4MKrklGgn72H3UPq_18-ONW4-7wI4X2l079hoiTi-6Wq4-LbFIc615o2ewgACtx-_RRrbg/s320/IMG_8057.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drumming during class</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOL7Y05MyGHPzwaNW3VPMQzZuDrBFB4d-fg8Cizw0b4kKrAekH2pfauQQ22H-KQFYxQ9Fh9ipS0Lw_eCVDkbH3Qk7tjrGxsRYcMSA3YhUCGt9FYy8b4--3F4vxgMYq7S74Me5omPJqNl8IAS_UrBiPHrY-bdxqN-bTnxqX0L6CEtDpcPwWDPz7X2o7bQ/s4032/IMG_9039.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOL7Y05MyGHPzwaNW3VPMQzZuDrBFB4d-fg8Cizw0b4kKrAekH2pfauQQ22H-KQFYxQ9Fh9ipS0Lw_eCVDkbH3Qk7tjrGxsRYcMSA3YhUCGt9FYy8b4--3F4vxgMYq7S74Me5omPJqNl8IAS_UrBiPHrY-bdxqN-bTnxqX0L6CEtDpcPwWDPz7X2o7bQ/s320/IMG_9039.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the spring we spent a lot of time playing in the muddy stream while dancing to music!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Speech:</b> Graham's speech has come a LONG way in the last year. He started speech therapy right before his 4th birthday with a private therapist. In the fall he switched to a speech program through the local school system, and it worked out well. On Monday afternoons I brought him to the neighborhood elementary school where he met with the speech therapist for 30 minutes 1:1. On Tuesday mornings a preschool resource teacher came to our house and worked with him 1:1 for 45 minutes. Going to speech at the school was one of his favorite things to do every week, and it was amazing for me to have 45 minutes of someone working with him in our home while I worked with the other three on homeschool. When we first had him evaluated for speech over a year ago we were told that he had a stutter, but that seems to have disappeared on its own. He will continue with a private therapist over the summer and then he'll probably switch back to the school program in the fall. He still drops his S at the beginning of some words and he has a lateral lisp that makes his speech sound a little slushy, but his articulation is so much better that I rarely have to help others understand him these days.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Art / Creations:</b> Graham loves to draw and recently he’s really into coloring in his drawings (and he colors well!). He also loves to create things out of paper and cardboard, just like Jack. They spend hours working next to each other creating things like Star Wars weapons and such. I'm always amazed by what he comes up with. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings when he didn't have school, he mostly spent time making things or drawing while we did our homeschool. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisY8gl8kQnzbkCp4TQg2YKMaMkNr8KUFkdcCngXvAHHsAnKUoTrhETyiEEr655Q3_hzVATYhRvQUoUViJ0hIr2MEerCX1Z_WQWkwrdprtQqJa0bzLAekZl-qw5wEkYUEcaxtzTslQwTVTLirJZoXylrVPP_mPikusWl8ei_OP9gsRNrWMg05dWn-PSaw/s4032/IMG_0079.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisY8gl8kQnzbkCp4TQg2YKMaMkNr8KUFkdcCngXvAHHsAnKUoTrhETyiEEr655Q3_hzVATYhRvQUoUViJ0hIr2MEerCX1Z_WQWkwrdprtQqJa0bzLAekZl-qw5wEkYUEcaxtzTslQwTVTLirJZoXylrVPP_mPikusWl8ei_OP9gsRNrWMg05dWn-PSaw/s320/IMG_0079.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7imeUCLdrC9DhzPJUUcP_cEzLFB-EpZE8Rj9Fw76-wuiRpQ5hNYOHCzXnldEkISl83DY1LGMUNCUd5a9b-UQ5rWj_IKky0qOP9V6hkxfi_Qq6LSBejgoU32wBCg_9BB3tuBxPCMSW_W6XIN7bCrdH7_as96u1S2q0Tfoe6az-J2YTpPboG4m8ojqww/s4032/IMG_8120.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7imeUCLdrC9DhzPJUUcP_cEzLFB-EpZE8Rj9Fw76-wuiRpQ5hNYOHCzXnldEkISl83DY1LGMUNCUd5a9b-UQ5rWj_IKky0qOP9V6hkxfi_Qq6LSBejgoU32wBCg_9BB3tuBxPCMSW_W6XIN7bCrdH7_as96u1S2q0Tfoe6az-J2YTpPboG4m8ojqww/s320/IMG_8120.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxwHjGqSaGy04zs9m1luukhuxxBIGuyLZxyPvF-qvVm37bjxB9v5JroJoUpPTdFrxhC6RVEImf4DOHuGEBxDJy_r7Rs_E0UvqQoTzuHmZO-Ay5ErDvoERtyhONjvWNRnD73iXeG0u7_9bdFjlSNhbezZjLNnNKyTcACdJ33RigngACZgG__6z9NRYtA/s4032/IMG_8547.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxwHjGqSaGy04zs9m1luukhuxxBIGuyLZxyPvF-qvVm37bjxB9v5JroJoUpPTdFrxhC6RVEImf4DOHuGEBxDJy_r7Rs_E0UvqQoTzuHmZO-Ay5ErDvoERtyhONjvWNRnD73iXeG0u7_9bdFjlSNhbezZjLNnNKyTcACdJ33RigngACZgG__6z9NRYtA/s320/IMG_8547.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He made the letter G out of math manipulatives</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbQHIu-9lMRoK2z9GAsqlwjD0tJiMUnOcVzuk-W-SAiZ00_aaa6PiYRGL3IR-ivbBBN0rkQh5-bR9e5rQq79GeiaC8fVpYBReExwfYI5XnbfTVYy87sNYKXo_LfPKyRVGHq2Vuh2xtwBmp_G6_yDQbXwHw8bdcr7smkRivcvdCuWiM8cbRGX_XVgh_A/s3768/IMG_8680.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3768" data-original-width="2528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbQHIu-9lMRoK2z9GAsqlwjD0tJiMUnOcVzuk-W-SAiZ00_aaa6PiYRGL3IR-ivbBBN0rkQh5-bR9e5rQq79GeiaC8fVpYBReExwfYI5XnbfTVYy87sNYKXo_LfPKyRVGHq2Vuh2xtwBmp_G6_yDQbXwHw8bdcr7smkRivcvdCuWiM8cbRGX_XVgh_A/s320/IMG_8680.jpeg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoda</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXyHfY6KlVKSJr3rC300dB6Ngn7-bGYYT9k62xm8GBtCFDTUPOQihZumfb7QtSG0cTCiHc3vWSfMSeOY_qMJO4J9NsMB95eqg4YxB-N9aUOdU5300d69d7Qz_sPpn3HvhsV2tG8QgkCTQ1SDiqxZD04F4y1eAUPsTrUKmC0ezicbZ9hX1-2XHbKYzXg/s2425/IMG_8944.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1819" data-original-width="2425" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXyHfY6KlVKSJr3rC300dB6Ngn7-bGYYT9k62xm8GBtCFDTUPOQihZumfb7QtSG0cTCiHc3vWSfMSeOY_qMJO4J9NsMB95eqg4YxB-N9aUOdU5300d69d7Qz_sPpn3HvhsV2tG8QgkCTQ1SDiqxZD04F4y1eAUPsTrUKmC0ezicbZ9hX1-2XHbKYzXg/s320/IMG_8944.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>We decided to do topic and country posters for homeschool, and Graham wanted to do them too. He studied Koalas as his topic and then Australia as his country. </div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcZLUJCPdl3U5Q_5If8kXIcyRnfZD3jOJQwSQHxypnVmUWwQ-nTnE4AEvFBZJT_1WeK0SPekQOHMkSpcaKJjYeP6aYtnxBxZMMQzQYfGsku7IE1d1yyyImFpmySrKI73Q9GEIiVCl4d1ufETOQhB6gS954Y9GvstUfTZ4C5b-6VaVpgWOLTjpjYlvTQ/s4032/IMG_9741.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcZLUJCPdl3U5Q_5If8kXIcyRnfZD3jOJQwSQHxypnVmUWwQ-nTnE4AEvFBZJT_1WeK0SPekQOHMkSpcaKJjYeP6aYtnxBxZMMQzQYfGsku7IE1d1yyyImFpmySrKI73Q9GEIiVCl4d1ufETOQhB6gS954Y9GvstUfTZ4C5b-6VaVpgWOLTjpjYlvTQ/s320/IMG_9741.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham's corner of the schoolroom for displaying his art</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Sweet Personality:</b> He's very affectionate and randomly he’ll say, “Mom I don’t think I’ve given you a kiss, a hug, or an I Love You today.” He loves to give me kisses on the cheek and to be held. I'm trying to savor these moments as I know that they won't last forever.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gddiozs7g-ND1w1flcFDFxM9MxnmoJtcXIsU4nSayMb6563Xs9Yvq8Iio7QYNBtQ6L4FSZc-X3Sh3MFTNF3rB0D5gupFd-uhtp5WZgAktTg7jrpnQbzDhPqp1pvZ7HYqIKsX3swUPBJdNKdO-wC5F0quHRWcGGXIpLopUrqIEgkbe5MoFFbSKZJcIQ/s4032/IMG_9026.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gddiozs7g-ND1w1flcFDFxM9MxnmoJtcXIsU4nSayMb6563Xs9Yvq8Iio7QYNBtQ6L4FSZc-X3Sh3MFTNF3rB0D5gupFd-uhtp5WZgAktTg7jrpnQbzDhPqp1pvZ7HYqIKsX3swUPBJdNKdO-wC5F0quHRWcGGXIpLopUrqIEgkbe5MoFFbSKZJcIQ/s320/IMG_9026.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One day when we had our baby chicks he decided to "teach" the chickens.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh186C2E7ZxP6tiq2r77Z2TJHvMNlVt9WLm87I0WLT5_5U5qn_I75ve-VQOCq56Wd08Rxq634asyS7B4q2gvWegAcHcKy1bBL49uI1uN8C7WK8kLrz6rlVWLROWNT-lYZ_ADAASTcKlsyZiuHVPJ51RG5r64InBQYZJ6_fLNqaNSJ-5v38Bm54Id7Wrog/s4032/IMG_9377.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh186C2E7ZxP6tiq2r77Z2TJHvMNlVt9WLm87I0WLT5_5U5qn_I75ve-VQOCq56Wd08Rxq634asyS7B4q2gvWegAcHcKy1bBL49uI1uN8C7WK8kLrz6rlVWLROWNT-lYZ_ADAASTcKlsyZiuHVPJ51RG5r64InBQYZJ6_fLNqaNSJ-5v38Bm54Id7Wrog/s320/IMG_9377.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding a baby chick.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdGH-qxSdEXSc6RVcAszdcN2xvWzPGok65QFXigq42vuuucKnHGZ-86kM1d9rq7wW2oG6D0bze7e-Y_xjef9jstbh7srk92unbDUXRa41TE-caQGLwRsejlUo8f5tiSYColuutgStTShCmhZS6m4B55_Ww-UdPMvCBKksaYbVDVJ7ZoaCuloBznWOWw/s4032/IMG_9607.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdGH-qxSdEXSc6RVcAszdcN2xvWzPGok65QFXigq42vuuucKnHGZ-86kM1d9rq7wW2oG6D0bze7e-Y_xjef9jstbh7srk92unbDUXRa41TE-caQGLwRsejlUo8f5tiSYColuutgStTShCmhZS6m4B55_Ww-UdPMvCBKksaYbVDVJ7ZoaCuloBznWOWw/s320/IMG_9607.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When we went to Mount Vernon recently he did an excellent job of reading the map all by himself.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrB7GUMOBaq0hqcRGDxzDehe9T5PFE-2vQ5Ugz3mXiCLUJ6_e-sDlQlDBuPJgdZhYW5w4OdnNt4qDs_l7FQgt92gWTPsbKMCGrZzIV9Xyl-C5cFM70pLUNyEGlvVbU0b_-8HHY_Ne_kJJPj8LPftlvVJfzObtBmii4dXGC7uX02L27DXVt0Yam399unA/s4032/IMG_9857.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrB7GUMOBaq0hqcRGDxzDehe9T5PFE-2vQ5Ugz3mXiCLUJ6_e-sDlQlDBuPJgdZhYW5w4OdnNt4qDs_l7FQgt92gWTPsbKMCGrZzIV9Xyl-C5cFM70pLUNyEGlvVbU0b_-8HHY_Ne_kJJPj8LPftlvVJfzObtBmii4dXGC7uX02L27DXVt0Yam399unA/s320/IMG_9857.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His room for the last two years. Sadly we have to move soon, but it's been fun to have this giant mural by his bed.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtVaGSC6PnOExRaEbXUxsyblMqjL8ICoGAS7db6wcKEZoOIp4EyYamX2k14Awas4mhl8PlH6FUmQKfUg5OdXQ5H8PLRBhJRFS5Zu-t47eZrxX60ATK3ETrs80KzCeWs0v1tNXFL2uw0kKfIEZaRz7XQB_1wsXPYjLVn2HVy4JTulRjqxSjI6TI-H7VQ/s4032/IMG_9866.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtVaGSC6PnOExRaEbXUxsyblMqjL8ICoGAS7db6wcKEZoOIp4EyYamX2k14Awas4mhl8PlH6FUmQKfUg5OdXQ5H8PLRBhJRFS5Zu-t47eZrxX60ATK3ETrs80KzCeWs0v1tNXFL2uw0kKfIEZaRz7XQB_1wsXPYjLVn2HVy4JTulRjqxSjI6TI-H7VQ/s320/IMG_9866.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Meditating" while we were on an evening walk. I have no idea where he comes up with these things.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Play:</b> He’s into playing with the big kids now. He still plays by himself a lot (he gets really into his imagination), but he can easily play with the others too. He loves to play Legos with his siblings. He also likes to ride on the “B machine” (teeter totter swing) in our backyard. Jack and Graham like to play with their Harry Potter wands and do other reenactments from tv shows or movies. He also enjoys riding on the back of the Trail Gator that is hooked up to my bike.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUCq3Lp7X6XhViW_3WZ78yyiBNa_itzUAqg_3lC1B4Cc2xeNmWNaNiBiFd_mCSW6cUbwf-m75Ml-HtN3f-BpOAIqWlBgaSYKeE6unhtxdxXL9i_Wvvg_OPblvcHT8O9UYZzoh-iMar5xm7Rk1rtcwUK38WBzZWhbCBQ9i4gR2RMPwoLE4592HLpdh2A/s4032/IMG_8875.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUCq3Lp7X6XhViW_3WZ78yyiBNa_itzUAqg_3lC1B4Cc2xeNmWNaNiBiFd_mCSW6cUbwf-m75Ml-HtN3f-BpOAIqWlBgaSYKeE6unhtxdxXL9i_Wvvg_OPblvcHT8O9UYZzoh-iMar5xm7Rk1rtcwUK38WBzZWhbCBQ9i4gR2RMPwoLE4592HLpdh2A/s320/IMG_8875.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Photos:</b> Most of my photos these days are of Graham (his request), or taken by Graham of something he’s created. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYgcCCcQpWxWEYNk7IxVL7v6YZ7wzOzW8qgKzU3xS8knk6OR5sRtLQYcfP5u0UA_AzgQThSTC4GUlfV78WmLO2fx7oCi6E-DuKBk5596QDpQil1QUPOvktrA1gPE_xBOd60RoLNgI2t-ZvbsMblUSBWr9TuHhzVDpJAC-RVduwj8sMPGZ7sAlSgh1_g/s4032/IMG_0229.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYgcCCcQpWxWEYNk7IxVL7v6YZ7wzOzW8qgKzU3xS8knk6OR5sRtLQYcfP5u0UA_AzgQThSTC4GUlfV78WmLO2fx7oCi6E-DuKBk5596QDpQil1QUPOvktrA1gPE_xBOd60RoLNgI2t-ZvbsMblUSBWr9TuHhzVDpJAC-RVduwj8sMPGZ7sAlSgh1_g/s320/IMG_0229.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has the best bedhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXxKk2NPn1P4qXG8BTI94I3EfU81niYX3viYdTo8fNym7T3bT6dZ0BAO_kkygxfGzMR521KfYYM7bgwL1u7MgAnOYdsPCSwCmscvUUCXigubAkKJi7B6snnyUj02Q99sq7mzjzfrtiQ7uq0CKWj6X7KgmbnAvNuCJs28IaAW2UVtp2lhD5a4SSBJW6w/s4032/IMG_8924.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXxKk2NPn1P4qXG8BTI94I3EfU81niYX3viYdTo8fNym7T3bT6dZ0BAO_kkygxfGzMR521KfYYM7bgwL1u7MgAnOYdsPCSwCmscvUUCXigubAkKJi7B6snnyUj02Q99sq7mzjzfrtiQ7uq0CKWj6X7KgmbnAvNuCJs28IaAW2UVtp2lhD5a4SSBJW6w/s320/IMG_8924.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Take a picture!" We were doing a geometry lesson outside with toothpicks and marshmallows and Graham joined in.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64OBDRTw-xEgBITPlwJrcUOhQ2qjH8i1-XVcnNsF6q9IYc4RfV7dzzqGgOc4v6hTm9ULl_4ScLj-DtrtYgpQ4JoRvoi8KNp-OUitPovr0z7dZooDZ4BEHFHSJPMIb5b8sy0Qyw5dBcyJEvh5E3h8z6VcIbHHi_v29dOxmSHh_Blvf2Dus5MNUwxdELA/s4032/IMG_9172.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64OBDRTw-xEgBITPlwJrcUOhQ2qjH8i1-XVcnNsF6q9IYc4RfV7dzzqGgOc4v6hTm9ULl_4ScLj-DtrtYgpQ4JoRvoi8KNp-OUitPovr0z7dZooDZ4BEHFHSJPMIb5b8sy0Qyw5dBcyJEvh5E3h8z6VcIbHHi_v29dOxmSHh_Blvf2Dus5MNUwxdELA/s320/IMG_9172.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have tons of random stuff like this on my phone</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSej8fSOmaHOdjxPE8lvyzzNgMyJPm3Dl5xG8MiWmf_YmwpMjcSZy5TopKJejKDginug4AJlaQkAykXVuniyfYRwmuA5Q6c2H3vMSZm-Vg5UrzM9FeXs-zKYeAX_ig8WmZINAkjvak_RPkGpnlIJ29L-_z9yW5qi0mIJjdDxFaKQKaC-28wrvIdEs5cw/s4032/IMG_9907.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSej8fSOmaHOdjxPE8lvyzzNgMyJPm3Dl5xG8MiWmf_YmwpMjcSZy5TopKJejKDginug4AJlaQkAykXVuniyfYRwmuA5Q6c2H3vMSZm-Vg5UrzM9FeXs-zKYeAX_ig8WmZINAkjvak_RPkGpnlIJ29L-_z9yW5qi0mIJjdDxFaKQKaC-28wrvIdEs5cw/s320/IMG_9907.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Take a picture!"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Reading:</b> Like his siblings, he really enjoys books. He loves being read to, but he’ll also spend a lot of time looking at books by himself. He's even written some of his own short books!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I5bscYJXO8HcAqkCC8wC71NUAy0zccf3uXnZWnpLRRh-SjMMR8RtdPGZDNpmhocdgDl30fCVEpI6VPVAskynz5uZ90Rm6Zu1dZ32gA-pH6GnDFpMKK_EBwEqHsWleyNdmlK0RjY7tbUuhV-rvvtIcMwmcqotmq8VepW0tzpVov88fuEoPyZp8piK0g/s4032/IMG_8896.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I5bscYJXO8HcAqkCC8wC71NUAy0zccf3uXnZWnpLRRh-SjMMR8RtdPGZDNpmhocdgDl30fCVEpI6VPVAskynz5uZ90Rm6Zu1dZ32gA-pH6GnDFpMKK_EBwEqHsWleyNdmlK0RjY7tbUuhV-rvvtIcMwmcqotmq8VepW0tzpVov88fuEoPyZp8piK0g/s320/IMG_8896.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conquering Fears:</b> He’s still not that excited about play structures at parks because he doesn’t like being up high and looking down at the ground, but he will go on them. He shocked me when we went to Legoland and he decided to do the rollercoaster. Admittedly, he did not really enjoy it, but he tried it!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJF2PMnurKrhr2j5cF6dE-T5Kb7CnhfZUWWGO7xPiqjmH2A_GNdWLzHb54kP82m77vGLJZ7SevHCEWhfci0-g1tPrUhIqkRCQ32hsIKbgy48rY0EycVM7Lb8Yq940c7xf7KZYZlLlLpn6A0JcUzcxXHquWtsvDBHHcGXka9jhAS30ecfcKMLvBsc9tWg/s1588/IMG_9131.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJF2PMnurKrhr2j5cF6dE-T5Kb7CnhfZUWWGO7xPiqjmH2A_GNdWLzHb54kP82m77vGLJZ7SevHCEWhfci0-g1tPrUhIqkRCQ32hsIKbgy48rY0EycVM7Lb8Yq940c7xf7KZYZlLlLpn6A0JcUzcxXHquWtsvDBHHcGXka9jhAS30ecfcKMLvBsc9tWg/s320/IMG_9131.jpeg" width="236" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was really nervous about this slide, but when he finally agreed to try it he loved it.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcPVYy8J-iZDUJYuESpUFxsk6zkYc_i9cffVgeP_x68UTr0EwVrlt-T5O0CpbmjykIOBsq7D1jOfbghmh-o_Zx3ihbToEmKmpQGSmL1i39WDitmDE1XJpvD-hGwBXKKEAMZoJbWkeX3gbT-SQi1PCYR9GfCN14qjvFpmSkhaUN0UWuAvCeeiXjyQmMw/s4032/IMG_9633.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcPVYy8J-iZDUJYuESpUFxsk6zkYc_i9cffVgeP_x68UTr0EwVrlt-T5O0CpbmjykIOBsq7D1jOfbghmh-o_Zx3ihbToEmKmpQGSmL1i39WDitmDE1XJpvD-hGwBXKKEAMZoJbWkeX3gbT-SQi1PCYR9GfCN14qjvFpmSkhaUN0UWuAvCeeiXjyQmMw/s320/IMG_9633.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the Magnolia tree in our yard.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Annual Birthday Questions</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What is your name? </i>Graham Andrew Howard</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>How old are you turning? 5</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>When is your birthday?</i> April</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>How old is Daddy?</i> five a hundred</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>How old is Mommy?</i> five a hundred</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What is your favorite color?</i> All the colors</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What is your favorite food?</i> Z bars and ice cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Who is your best friend?</i> Luke (a friend from preschool)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Favorite song? </i>Ninjago</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Favorite animal?</i> Koala</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What are you scared of?</i> The darkness and the Dark Lord (in Star Wars)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What makes you happy? </i>Koala</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Where is your favorite place to go?</i> Australia and New York</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What is your favorite toy?</i> My minifigure and koala</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What do you want to be when you grow up?</i> A koala hospital person</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do? </i>Listen to Alexa's music</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>What is Daddy’s favorite thing to do? </i>Eat candy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnviq2nktBEVC3kK47ggb73lbS7u6GK4xcf7QixiKzn7twpfmjMMN7L2x-nDAZbDapWvruH1nmLAgyr4qmxde345vPdqHyDJpKYObgYwmlmgG1E_-eecag7R0PgVocn1FHWqh245xf3bWLDpKhWpNw_IG1y3w5By1BLkb-5hjC5gx4fL9sOPEDSjvRQ/s4032/IMG_0404.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnviq2nktBEVC3kK47ggb73lbS7u6GK4xcf7QixiKzn7twpfmjMMN7L2x-nDAZbDapWvruH1nmLAgyr4qmxde345vPdqHyDJpKYObgYwmlmgG1E_-eecag7R0PgVocn1FHWqh245xf3bWLDpKhWpNw_IG1y3w5By1BLkb-5hjC5gx4fL9sOPEDSjvRQ/s320/IMG_0404.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empire State Building</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FlXlWMec55-HqUQJ4K7DNGH6Z-8MKQnhpdAnyYpLbU-LuZhrJ5vgu-Jif36Uuhl0POS_BR0-UtYKPPJ3FU3xkveGW_7bNlbkyqTocFTzxj7WkPhB98vzgql91uU7dD84tdzm9oLENwxzdnBdol1oG7ALYJS21IX6xbddfHFwUB1QxJ8G49UvOH7KUw/s4032/IMG_6799.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FlXlWMec55-HqUQJ4K7DNGH6Z-8MKQnhpdAnyYpLbU-LuZhrJ5vgu-Jif36Uuhl0POS_BR0-UtYKPPJ3FU3xkveGW_7bNlbkyqTocFTzxj7WkPhB98vzgql91uU7dD84tdzm9oLENwxzdnBdol1oG7ALYJS21IX6xbddfHFwUB1QxJ8G49UvOH7KUw/s320/IMG_6799.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday cupcakes in the hotel room</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-34398343225330241362021-06-19T20:30:00.004-06:002021-06-19T20:32:57.321-06:00Eight-Years-Old<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Eight. This age seemed like a lifetime away when Alexis, Jack, and Faith were born, yet somehow we are here already! In the fall they will start 3rd grade. But as unbelievable as it is that they have already been in our lives for 8 years, it’s also hard to remember them as younger versions of themselves. I’m so thankful for my old blog posts and Facebook posts as, without them, I don’t think I’d remember anything!</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPnlgDLNNtBys1FVZgl0-bgWTuus8YQ2XXxEXStqiDK52hDL2IUS4NOHyINcO9pCxQFcJqxUE2weUe4EffLvVbEo6ANgHVHoj0ZM-np74f9Af9GYJ43Df6HnRSFW9fSZ2IYHYxJA4LjRt/s4032/IMG_2228.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPnlgDLNNtBys1FVZgl0-bgWTuus8YQ2XXxEXStqiDK52hDL2IUS4NOHyINcO9pCxQFcJqxUE2weUe4EffLvVbEo6ANgHVHoj0ZM-np74f9Af9GYJ43Df6HnRSFW9fSZ2IYHYxJA4LjRt/s320/IMG_2228.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family vacation in Hilton Head</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlBJg7RFojCqh8FqZ1T7j2AOf-jbJpb1nlNplzHaFxSms0T_QhQ0fuA9Nw0g_kxlrJ5OugKsC-7ecRyNDnQz7h8wRBkDR6gsPZVwSB4-LLLi_iZ1gvxfk1dKgHIGNWqKUBrK4n0Muj0LS/s4032/IMG_2651.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlBJg7RFojCqh8FqZ1T7j2AOf-jbJpb1nlNplzHaFxSms0T_QhQ0fuA9Nw0g_kxlrJ5OugKsC-7ecRyNDnQz7h8wRBkDR6gsPZVwSB4-LLLi_iZ1gvxfk1dKgHIGNWqKUBrK4n0Muj0LS/s320/IMG_2651.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUjKP9ctVh3TR7jEqQ31CIXs8STNrT83m0KoMOsHCKpVgW5PVX0d4fqKs3OtgzUxm4mzU4fJkfj0LM_JiNifYBfZt8LAZyVKCH5g_Xv410GGIlFIrg1UYNbtsAll7i-IoRQ5S4gzORhO3/s4032/IMG_2652.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUjKP9ctVh3TR7jEqQ31CIXs8STNrT83m0KoMOsHCKpVgW5PVX0d4fqKs3OtgzUxm4mzU4fJkfj0LM_JiNifYBfZt8LAZyVKCH5g_Xv410GGIlFIrg1UYNbtsAll7i-IoRQ5S4gzORhO3/s320/IMG_2652.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwksDAgDgl8CeHrr7WSbrDKgu1oeIol2AVGp3_ncqhxJcvqAywv_oy6GOdGk3FZHSL10t_GqmavpETU2Y0qdGCEWNM78OAsD4X4WGFTtbAaEQh8qb6BMBhKp1maS33vY2OiDSPy0FheVsE/s4032/IMG_2667.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwksDAgDgl8CeHrr7WSbrDKgu1oeIol2AVGp3_ncqhxJcvqAywv_oy6GOdGk3FZHSL10t_GqmavpETU2Y0qdGCEWNM78OAsD4X4WGFTtbAaEQh8qb6BMBhKp1maS33vY2OiDSPy0FheVsE/s320/IMG_2667.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The 8th year of their lives was unusual. COVID had a huge impact on our daily lives as it limited our outings and interactions with others. We were used to going to school, going to church, going to others’ houses for church Community Group and play dates, and going to fun places like the zoo, Botanic Garden, and parks. With COVID we were cautious. Compared to what we used to do, we have hardly been anywhere in the last year. The funny thing is that we have all become accustomed to staying home, and now I forget that there are a lot of places that we can explore in the area. </span></p><div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Of course, besides the pandemic, our lives also looked different because we moved across the country to northern Virginia last summer. We were fortunate to be greeted by friendly neighbors, which helped us feel at home very quickly. Alexis, Jack, and Faith have enjoyed playing with the other kids on our street, especially during the fall and winter when the local school was still 100% virtual and sports weren’t really happening. They played hours of four square, kickball, and other outdoor games with the kids in our culdesac. </span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Since we moved right before school started, and we weren’t sure what school would look like in our new area with COVID, we decided to homeschool. In a way, it felt like we got to take a step back and just let them be kids again. We did about 4 hours of school a day, and then they had a lot of free time to play, read, and play outside with the neighbor kids. Although having triplets obviously has its challenges, I have been very thankful that the kids have each other during the pandemic. They do fight like other siblings, but they also spend hours at a time playing well together. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Although we plan to send them to the local public school in the fall, homeschool was definitely the right decision for us last year. I enjoyed being very involved in their learning, and we were able to do many things that they won’t get to do in public school (daily Bible lessons, cursive, watching random videos to figure out answers to questions they asked, etc.). I will miss teaching them, but I’m also ready for a break after spending almost every day with them since March 2020. And I think it will be good for them to learn from others and spread their wings a bit. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7KI7bf1-Iuo1zr8ZZsNEMHt_D1CBQfgorGSlOzSdtxv4H60hjbzvvrc2XIpfQxVPg0vcVB2H4Q1l890XwwaF27XvhgcsY9BcxI2fUH2ZtgZ1__MODheAuoxYFgonnpy8QHmfxna96e6d/s2048/IMG_0230.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7KI7bf1-Iuo1zr8ZZsNEMHt_D1CBQfgorGSlOzSdtxv4H60hjbzvvrc2XIpfQxVPg0vcVB2H4Q1l890XwwaF27XvhgcsY9BcxI2fUH2ZtgZ1__MODheAuoxYFgonnpy8QHmfxna96e6d/s320/IMG_0230.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BNZCBA1moYyKxRu0-leKtsnk1sgUcI6KwIMYZ_Ac3jwMpNo_eTewe8Fz7eNl7a0-v5Mv3Ov8g_sTjJ36DyHBzEBM66vFQN5sSk1TYMG6K98G32OICXeZxH3ZpJKcB2x2w9zGBFY3AhR-/s2048/IMG_0232.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BNZCBA1moYyKxRu0-leKtsnk1sgUcI6KwIMYZ_Ac3jwMpNo_eTewe8Fz7eNl7a0-v5Mv3Ov8g_sTjJ36DyHBzEBM66vFQN5sSk1TYMG6K98G32OICXeZxH3ZpJKcB2x2w9zGBFY3AhR-/s320/IMG_0232.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSUEg8Vpgsu366tjy8EXmblXv99_GHYN2u16bLMUpaUWBfG7z1Buy6MrNrtjgj7r4otZr3wvIMX50wnZqtR9M7fmr7vzb_1WNuJ3xvfuRmht9cO1o6IIiI_xOKN9BJARrZnMqUsDGycCg/s2048/IMG_0233.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSUEg8Vpgsu366tjy8EXmblXv99_GHYN2u16bLMUpaUWBfG7z1Buy6MrNrtjgj7r4otZr3wvIMX50wnZqtR9M7fmr7vzb_1WNuJ3xvfuRmht9cO1o6IIiI_xOKN9BJARrZnMqUsDGycCg/s320/IMG_0233.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgev61pYWk3U4e1pEEQY6fs8NNYc2Jv1oZjdJU1LQK_w0nPAWXSS655k9qvdcPOhLrqESpG9CsFaIiz87MS2Px8AzOtzwCuu4boTjbAh2AsSPCJhRMa5CdgbmjrXfVc4FLWJpazDnwC8QoQ/s2048/IMG_0377.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgev61pYWk3U4e1pEEQY6fs8NNYc2Jv1oZjdJU1LQK_w0nPAWXSS655k9qvdcPOhLrqESpG9CsFaIiz87MS2Px8AzOtzwCuu4boTjbAh2AsSPCJhRMa5CdgbmjrXfVc4FLWJpazDnwC8QoQ/s320/IMG_0377.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building 3D shapes outside</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLMJk_bIrbIk4Z32c1rAw-w11dgTtJnea9l7sPh6xIUybAUNkq9qs3vTtPCEFghOYVOcqmD5O7i7xzezzRydHuuepUxwN6OikrD_eBHBNwU3_vHDaBL7lOQ_c_Mr0Lp9xdotRGlqlXNiE/s2048/IMG_2014.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLMJk_bIrbIk4Z32c1rAw-w11dgTtJnea9l7sPh6xIUybAUNkq9qs3vTtPCEFghOYVOcqmD5O7i7xzezzRydHuuepUxwN6OikrD_eBHBNwU3_vHDaBL7lOQ_c_Mr0Lp9xdotRGlqlXNiE/s320/IMG_2014.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLct1ZEP7JBkrjFIiSqBlaCrV49vW3qfjEyke9uo1MRg3viT0bw5bdDRIborODMoIk_lLvTv6VG65b0GZ1K1wcFhS83eScVihWBKqTqvubQIo3KP5ZM9xMaVDzwDo7noNe1RjhJcDrQzm3/s2048/IMG_2015.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLct1ZEP7JBkrjFIiSqBlaCrV49vW3qfjEyke9uo1MRg3viT0bw5bdDRIborODMoIk_lLvTv6VG65b0GZ1K1wcFhS83eScVihWBKqTqvubQIo3KP5ZM9xMaVDzwDo7noNe1RjhJcDrQzm3/s320/IMG_2015.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwr05LLyNLgzkSmZKz6HKN4DM_2iai5hYyxesRsWrQ3RZiVVDaMEyVohIlH3qC60eDuKfahWR5rTYXhbQC4JHvo-iLfzzY0UgyE-nHaNsnuXsGRR1HFSJ1wgCSBC2Tg6x-XJDTR8NfV0T/s2048/IMG_2017.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwr05LLyNLgzkSmZKz6HKN4DM_2iai5hYyxesRsWrQ3RZiVVDaMEyVohIlH3qC60eDuKfahWR5rTYXhbQC4JHvo-iLfzzY0UgyE-nHaNsnuXsGRR1HFSJ1wgCSBC2Tg6x-XJDTR8NfV0T/s320/IMG_2017.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yDJvkGyjZYiPSPD3GitNs3AvpHeQTvnAuf5pX-YDumMeeGAdNp57kh9I5HBYkwi2aECfbyQTlUo0K0WjOjwrQ8A53jYNjfN_CP3TPxH9dS_PoVk0FFzXxeqNF3S-6hPH0dRCkugSN80A/s2048/IMG_9759.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yDJvkGyjZYiPSPD3GitNs3AvpHeQTvnAuf5pX-YDumMeeGAdNp57kh9I5HBYkwi2aECfbyQTlUo0K0WjOjwrQ8A53jYNjfN_CP3TPxH9dS_PoVk0FFzXxeqNF3S-6hPH0dRCkugSN80A/s320/IMG_9759.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack's LA worksheet for the day. I loved his drawings.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In Albuquerque we spent a lot of time at the climbing gym, and we spent many weekends climbing. The kids and I haven’t climbed at all since March 2020, because of COVID and moving (there are climbing gyms here, but we haven’t made the effort to go). The kids also usually ski every winter as they've been doing it since they were 4-years-old, but it didn't work out to go this year. They noticed that neighbor kids were doing organized sports, and they were interested in trying them. This spring we signed Jack up for Little League, and Alexis and Faith signed up for soccer. Organized sports were a hit! All three kids looked forward to every practice and game, not only for the sports, but also for the social aspect. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lzvOZsDie8qcA2dabYBesh7IxXXYvINboCsghd95TywXlFzEAEgRO5SRIZgv1Fj7wYvhyphenhyphen7bT7Fzhd27Yt5sq7U7okjsf2-wgobjcj64D9LZZEtv93wniyX5d5zgvg_BiTQmtS1Q0FGou/s2048/IMG_1434.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lzvOZsDie8qcA2dabYBesh7IxXXYvINboCsghd95TywXlFzEAEgRO5SRIZgv1Fj7wYvhyphenhyphen7bT7Fzhd27Yt5sq7U7okjsf2-wgobjcj64D9LZZEtv93wniyX5d5zgvg_BiTQmtS1Q0FGou/s320/IMG_1434.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Micah has taken them running several times (and I ran with them as well, before I got injured)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhQroMakzfVO6h-kpmCDcEluoAjaQtOIqHD7Myy1qFWGcmpW8Xn6ZdD31GlqITmGOpgQjXQcxZG69nB_2Xnmx93otrCGVUhYkKVx-TUA8gU-2Le-RAn1QJvSc3sz_3hE2ia0F-0eTs6AK/s2048/IMG_0759.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhQroMakzfVO6h-kpmCDcEluoAjaQtOIqHD7Myy1qFWGcmpW8Xn6ZdD31GlqITmGOpgQjXQcxZG69nB_2Xnmx93otrCGVUhYkKVx-TUA8gU-2Le-RAn1QJvSc3sz_3hE2ia0F-0eTs6AK/s320/IMG_0759.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have gone on numerous family bike rides this year.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uQ-1cTnLOaaeqkNQy-IFCDxLhlQU2kKxYAjSHNUFFLmMsT0QelHXF3Pl-uBhvh4Hi0mLas1XIbzruLfnE5iF93VKmsCqJXxf7AtiJvKt3WlJNruk_IEu_RkJpwTApiiro24_VmuCjrTD/s2048/IMG_2021.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uQ-1cTnLOaaeqkNQy-IFCDxLhlQU2kKxYAjSHNUFFLmMsT0QelHXF3Pl-uBhvh4Hi0mLas1XIbzruLfnE5iF93VKmsCqJXxf7AtiJvKt3WlJNruk_IEu_RkJpwTApiiro24_VmuCjrTD/s320/IMG_2021.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP30uxRTD0nNtQpMFJy4K5v4kFQD-I0lYbkQRNPF5JeqFHHx1mqbldxqbzjmtknPvTK9pWLwhSShickasZ8fLGtpYSq79WNJPbwOqun2wCoaf9yhwSpDecRNyf9fQz7o-qHCzuIVC99mRB/s4032/IMG_2291.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP30uxRTD0nNtQpMFJy4K5v4kFQD-I0lYbkQRNPF5JeqFHHx1mqbldxqbzjmtknPvTK9pWLwhSShickasZ8fLGtpYSq79WNJPbwOqun2wCoaf9yhwSpDecRNyf9fQz7o-qHCzuIVC99mRB/s320/IMG_2291.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here are some other things about Alexis, Jack, and Faith at age 8.</span></i></b></div><div><b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Reading:</b> All three are avid readers. Jack is working his way through the Harry Potter series and both girls read all 60+ books of the Puppy Place series. I often find them reading on the couch at random times throughout the day. Jack is an earlier riser, so he likes to read or draw if he wakes up before the rest of the family. The girls like to wake up a little later and then read in bed. All three enjoy reading before bed every night.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwp41p8wimnQuEvl-de8HzAjok0WWjVeaj8fmJhJKzve-fPfwEczzUbeePVeuGdsMMv0-1yGmkrvwHKsv7nSGgS78iVgs1aaWrm2zr1ID-CHDfHTjjk8SxQErJZE6yzueGRJyvJbX2u5W/s4032/IMG_2412.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwp41p8wimnQuEvl-de8HzAjok0WWjVeaj8fmJhJKzve-fPfwEczzUbeePVeuGdsMMv0-1yGmkrvwHKsv7nSGgS78iVgs1aaWrm2zr1ID-CHDfHTjjk8SxQErJZE6yzueGRJyvJbX2u5W/s320/IMG_2412.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A common sight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qpPETBY9OoyUOCz93V-HeZNcbOFHwjsNCMSzgB6ehbvArrYnMWn2VXh7zEPYuatPz9YD7vtPpgHBfySwyHkMdfNzYU5QxXNOgq6mKFc8sHz_BdOKc6HWm0NuaJOxuUIyXBjORCb0bGSO/s2048/IMG_2905.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qpPETBY9OoyUOCz93V-HeZNcbOFHwjsNCMSzgB6ehbvArrYnMWn2VXh7zEPYuatPz9YD7vtPpgHBfySwyHkMdfNzYU5QxXNOgq6mKFc8sHz_BdOKc6HWm0NuaJOxuUIyXBjORCb0bGSO/s320/IMG_2905.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith reading in bed on her last night of being 7</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEhwmCOyxPi6LyQfBxFE9W_CkZ4kqr279YYEZbIM_lIs0jMovgwIIG7G8RBiDjZ3bRiLx9UnNg_942x_6W1aEF2bMyrePhsShYF8K0448Z6eiPVz9Q5DLtOVZdqgk8d1BXIaKMVLjh2_x/s2048/IMG_2906.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEhwmCOyxPi6LyQfBxFE9W_CkZ4kqr279YYEZbIM_lIs0jMovgwIIG7G8RBiDjZ3bRiLx9UnNg_942x_6W1aEF2bMyrePhsShYF8K0448Z6eiPVz9Q5DLtOVZdqgk8d1BXIaKMVLjh2_x/s320/IMG_2906.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis reading on her last night of being 7</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg783kjamIjieEyo5cNpKJnQVZlJLENWIONvEe5_dxoTskiGjLs4-KWNRRJniWAIkEVOIRecaWJhdn5vb5BpzUFm8sFczu06lceWEPOkE5gutjix_sjCEVDb9osMq0F6IpJdRkuJ5vnfFWR/s2048/IMG_2907.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg783kjamIjieEyo5cNpKJnQVZlJLENWIONvEe5_dxoTskiGjLs4-KWNRRJniWAIkEVOIRecaWJhdn5vb5BpzUFm8sFczu06lceWEPOkE5gutjix_sjCEVDb9osMq0F6IpJdRkuJ5vnfFWR/s320/IMG_2907.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack on his last night of being 7</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Siblings:</b> Graham is playing with Alexis, Jack, and Faith a lot more these days. He joins in with their pretend play and tries playing actual board games with them. Although they definitely get annoyed by their (sometimes demanding) little brother, all three are also quite patient with him. Alexis, Jack, and Faith play well together a lot of the time, but in the last year I've noticed that quite often two of them will be playing together while the third one is doing their own thing. I'm glad that they are finally learning how to be alone as they have always had each other as entertainment. Plus, it must be tiring always having your siblings around.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTX0mc5cgsk_f4vtxa2zbr_vb9K1SXCuYzYQOJTJ0YBcWuuCNAzjZDDMaBmPP_pR6TY8qYuHsJwjAcFmhED1GaCQq74ZEnfMFJAsbU43n4j3bQDAqNvr-WCpX1x07TV3t7-ybXu4M5DCX/s2048/IMG_0170.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTX0mc5cgsk_f4vtxa2zbr_vb9K1SXCuYzYQOJTJ0YBcWuuCNAzjZDDMaBmPP_pR6TY8qYuHsJwjAcFmhED1GaCQq74ZEnfMFJAsbU43n4j3bQDAqNvr-WCpX1x07TV3t7-ybXu4M5DCX/s320/IMG_0170.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2XyQPHKh338143emuTGN07LSZ05zDcV_5mUilKKAoyaD_wm6orDv_SEyur9naFsjt8kIxuhhd7XeZg6513JKjDPCcIMxHoUut4FxEUXYa88K0tXqL5y3vgPqjtQDxaHHANUBq0chJOwX/s2048/IMG_0856.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2XyQPHKh338143emuTGN07LSZ05zDcV_5mUilKKAoyaD_wm6orDv_SEyur9naFsjt8kIxuhhd7XeZg6513JKjDPCcIMxHoUut4FxEUXYa88K0tXqL5y3vgPqjtQDxaHHANUBq0chJOwX/s320/IMG_0856.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_8gfNSKkNSRCHwijccmiE66XvGs4vIeK_FNFUcoQ9Vf1rcHwBzulIWxxtZpqAu31HBBnJZcpniIQcp0Ev6sXQsaO5fyyHB4rzesdeMxy0Kz6_aMq9FKSKOarkGIUWxi0DC-l06JCuKu0/s2048/IMG_0241.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_8gfNSKkNSRCHwijccmiE66XvGs4vIeK_FNFUcoQ9Vf1rcHwBzulIWxxtZpqAu31HBBnJZcpniIQcp0Ev6sXQsaO5fyyHB4rzesdeMxy0Kz6_aMq9FKSKOarkGIUWxi0DC-l06JCuKu0/s320/IMG_0241.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLNQctLGgEi74Dy9AK2liZHKgqFSVFHubuyG6vOHdOCp1oY24QAN9W2oRmgQY6UEM9ialTgvPMOmELl5dUHP7zvXPdhlcDF8g69xCNymMtnDHwZC2Cp_zXv7D0YS9vEdTVP3KuU3Vp1NS/s2048/IMG_1885.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLNQctLGgEi74Dy9AK2liZHKgqFSVFHubuyG6vOHdOCp1oY24QAN9W2oRmgQY6UEM9ialTgvPMOmELl5dUHP7zvXPdhlcDF8g69xCNymMtnDHwZC2Cp_zXv7D0YS9vEdTVP3KuU3Vp1NS/s320/IMG_1885.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5is86ofEJ8elXd6jLSuXrL9vYGqGf1n1DU65StDpuvtBEPJqN4oetf5ZVajfb-FOxYOlGGmBzglqLbpLcsNV5_-CkMRdZ1izjxcawNGGh5CTYSymIsOfA4ATJ31XarpywBWnr2Z-omoV/s2048/IMG-5779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5is86ofEJ8elXd6jLSuXrL9vYGqGf1n1DU65StDpuvtBEPJqN4oetf5ZVajfb-FOxYOlGGmBzglqLbpLcsNV5_-CkMRdZ1izjxcawNGGh5CTYSymIsOfA4ATJ31XarpywBWnr2Z-omoV/s320/IMG-5779.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter Sunday</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQQyHtQvRS0d64I1TH4sND-n0PW3u3qQrkfYJJ__sc2SpE8EBl30gxYDLOAiT2noOQC3gKFT3hocpAbOYx8M8b9dKuraU0Xx5Y3btj0Q5DWDb6JbA8s_wtFX1mjXn6DCVxuErHTXSzW5f/s4032/IMG_2181.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQQyHtQvRS0d64I1TH4sND-n0PW3u3qQrkfYJJ__sc2SpE8EBl30gxYDLOAiT2noOQC3gKFT3hocpAbOYx8M8b9dKuraU0Xx5Y3btj0Q5DWDb6JbA8s_wtFX1mjXn6DCVxuErHTXSzW5f/s320/IMG_2181.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousin Kinsley, Faith, Graham, Alexis, Jack</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Music: </b>Jack started taking virtual violin lessons in August. He mostly has enjoyed learning the violin and when he's really enjoying it he'll practice without any prompting. The girls have continued to learn songs on the piano, with me as their teacher. I hope to find them an actual teacher soon, though, as my elementary school piano skills are quite rusty and they probably aren't progressing as quickly as they would with a "real" teacher.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Pretend Play:</b> I am still surprised by how well they play together most of the time. They love to create things to go along with their games, and they really get into their play. The only downside is that they are always creating a bit of a mess, and there is usually some grumbling about picking up after themselves.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWkmoRFcdqIizr5hthVu4uBNQL3yqv6Pwsex5StxVszrqLQ2HlH4wmALwMCz_0Q1t7cinZouAy8YX-yV08Vre7gD6lzV9XoHDYuxMjYX6ie5XX2IZ3xlFKr0QD3-_dzaywyjivUb10CGY/s2048/IMG_0147.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWkmoRFcdqIizr5hthVu4uBNQL3yqv6Pwsex5StxVszrqLQ2HlH4wmALwMCz_0Q1t7cinZouAy8YX-yV08Vre7gD6lzV9XoHDYuxMjYX6ie5XX2IZ3xlFKr0QD3-_dzaywyjivUb10CGY/s320/IMG_0147.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith drew Dr. Suess characters on the driveway</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU89XrO4wUnrmTUT8KPItvDA-yEzGo993ZWLtLrzXTyNYJLdl1BDJHjH3pTKtxagdiinw1THIpEvwYLJPSrk0qHUB5igYCWeFM_yOmxqMcy8Xlw3dcgaXuMLnpargCs_K6nuElvsAVW3UI/s2048/IMG_0055.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU89XrO4wUnrmTUT8KPItvDA-yEzGo993ZWLtLrzXTyNYJLdl1BDJHjH3pTKtxagdiinw1THIpEvwYLJPSrk0qHUB5igYCWeFM_yOmxqMcy8Xlw3dcgaXuMLnpargCs_K6nuElvsAVW3UI/s320/IMG_0055.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham and Jack in homemade mustaches</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbfUE_ebnCRFyhFpYqCrr8P0y5JOfrYrA_r-vK_sGq7ZSbRudGazgHZqLQcGwFmA88HgQrOjRhe41bmupeCF7qB7asOc4gTolAQN2_Y1glAgTqJRMU33r0msTz5XOAMX5g5ksh7OCjXB1/s2048/IMG_0658.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbfUE_ebnCRFyhFpYqCrr8P0y5JOfrYrA_r-vK_sGq7ZSbRudGazgHZqLQcGwFmA88HgQrOjRhe41bmupeCF7qB7asOc4gTolAQN2_Y1glAgTqJRMU33r0msTz5XOAMX5g5ksh7OCjXB1/s320/IMG_0658.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis playing a game in the backyard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Dog Lovers: </b>I honestly don't think I've ever met anyone who loves dogs as much as the girls do. Jack and Graham both enjoy dogs too, but Faith and Alexis LOVE dogs. They know the neighbors by the dogs that live at the house. Unfortunately Jack has a fairly severe dog allergy, but it seems inevitable that we will get a dog some day.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Outgoing Personalities: </b>I can't get over how unafraid my kids are to talk to adults, both those they know and those they don't. I was definitely a shy child, and it amazes me that they run up to random people to ask them questions, especially if a dog is involved. Jack tends to hold back a bit more than the girls, but all three are excited to meet new people.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Lost Teeth:</b> Faith has now lost 8 teeth, Jack has lost 6 teeth, and Alexis has lost 7 teeth (although 2 of those have been lost since her birthday!). Jack visited the orthodontist last week and the girls will go for the first time in a couple of weeks. Jack will probably have braces in the next year.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Birthday Celebration</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The kids and I went to Michigan at the end of May / beginning of June, and Micah helped us drive home the day before the kids' birthday. That meant that we were home on their actual birthday, but I was exhausted from the drive and Micah was taking a class from home that week. We squeezed in birthday activities when Micah had breaks in his class, so they opened a couple of gifts in the early morning and they opened the rest mid-morning. At lunch time they quickly decorated their own cakes, and then we sang and ate cake. I took the kids swimming at our pool in the afternoon, and then they had their first swim team practice in the evening. We ate a late pasta dinner (that Micah cooked while I took the kids to swim practice), and then we ate more cake and played outside for awhile. It was an odd birthday in some ways, but the kids still had fun and felt celebrated. The two big surprises on their birthday were that I had ordered a large yard sign that was put up during the night while the kids slept, and that I had organized for us to dog sit for 10 days at our house (the closest we can get to having our own dog right now). We also had an early birthday celebration for the kids with my family while we were in Michigan. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfjgEKacH47uCwIeI-eH-k0g1bEpAlQnNuL6PHVGPa85Ky73BnmNCGWz6g89Auk_yLnbc8hDmsQkpoB2k4ItewPxJVFmb5MMJMqO8eIaLVee-qYZ7iQjhydH3kHE6iqrBGdmQYQ_LUK_p/s4032/IMG_2536.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfjgEKacH47uCwIeI-eH-k0g1bEpAlQnNuL6PHVGPa85Ky73BnmNCGWz6g89Auk_yLnbc8hDmsQkpoB2k4ItewPxJVFmb5MMJMqO8eIaLVee-qYZ7iQjhydH3kHE6iqrBGdmQYQ_LUK_p/s320/IMG_2536.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to celebrate in Michigan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5unXUn4RsxEl6FKFwz4XiIxr6fmniV4zfaGAYqE6NHuiqCnHTt9oKuKG_4ziDN6UdgMDokZ2GETmIOe3IyssbcL-xi9tUHcf1wwct7-PTgR0ZoOwBTpAt0IQrWqaMu63shBpPPqkvU6nW/s2048/IMG_2815.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5unXUn4RsxEl6FKFwz4XiIxr6fmniV4zfaGAYqE6NHuiqCnHTt9oKuKG_4ziDN6UdgMDokZ2GETmIOe3IyssbcL-xi9tUHcf1wwct7-PTgR0ZoOwBTpAt0IQrWqaMu63shBpPPqkvU6nW/s320/IMG_2815.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donuts on National Donut Day in Michigan. The kids were born on National Donut Day in 2013, so we always celebrate with donuts!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfc-1eeqfPlbfi4DRmlCA87rgo1sRAym8qGQZkwoSqE3Ub-Co1h4d6dwDJgiSZTIB84Elid86qICRqwOWo0Xk_PH80kSfOxs5hcq_twkcf8i47JMZU-cWlGmTfx9urGFnf3OUx_-E71a8/s4032/IMG_2839.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfc-1eeqfPlbfi4DRmlCA87rgo1sRAym8qGQZkwoSqE3Ub-Co1h4d6dwDJgiSZTIB84Elid86qICRqwOWo0Xk_PH80kSfOxs5hcq_twkcf8i47JMZU-cWlGmTfx9urGFnf3OUx_-E71a8/s320/IMG_2839.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday morning at home</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaDTC1OlQYdODaBMOqX_B_Aninr4w2SJy1_laZql5x_hW_1gpVnKLwyTRUlI325LYo0KX2Ldk6hMkClDU89_MU0FGJK5BmJKYKMZU6Nr7zERQ5dI3DBeYQoLsNzJSFK0lojigIkdPl-Y-/s4032/IMG_2848.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaDTC1OlQYdODaBMOqX_B_Aninr4w2SJy1_laZql5x_hW_1gpVnKLwyTRUlI325LYo0KX2Ldk6hMkClDU89_MU0FGJK5BmJKYKMZU6Nr7zERQ5dI3DBeYQoLsNzJSFK0lojigIkdPl-Y-/s320/IMG_2848.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The giant sign</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVR6dTnTplXVJqdwDA6lUbppCkq3KPcOGhrI0-JxBee_N5p2f4vCvVRqXcqf2x6rnQnMLG9pM_HAqSgdqaoiTBjFApAfkpTP6qrjNLLtcoguDxV7LrUs0vB06v_g988EAQQEY3KlvukXB4/s4032/IMG_2849.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVR6dTnTplXVJqdwDA6lUbppCkq3KPcOGhrI0-JxBee_N5p2f4vCvVRqXcqf2x6rnQnMLG9pM_HAqSgdqaoiTBjFApAfkpTP6qrjNLLtcoguDxV7LrUs0vB06v_g988EAQQEY3KlvukXB4/s320/IMG_2849.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We live on a corner on a street you have to go on to get out of the neighborhood, so EVERYONE saw this giant sign!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZ3zLRFXNloCVkEWMjsD5aF_SzB6M1U6uweBuGo-YaxzoERkdXP4A5cNuuDUlHJIqA0W-AGUwWCelsWBwcc8PIkdU3jTRBa12mYp7M3YCwAu7uFNMdel1EGADkGJKXDe9XLK_aLaGZroE/s4032/IMG_2859.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZ3zLRFXNloCVkEWMjsD5aF_SzB6M1U6uweBuGo-YaxzoERkdXP4A5cNuuDUlHJIqA0W-AGUwWCelsWBwcc8PIkdU3jTRBa12mYp7M3YCwAu7uFNMdel1EGADkGJKXDe9XLK_aLaGZroE/s320/IMG_2859.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We laid paper down to cover the frosting that we didn't want sprinkles on, and then carefully peeled the paper up after the cake was decorated.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbA_2gwxkbRE_Io7oSOncKLmK9hDmzdgj8v_M_fDKSHE-oz3WAa_8DXhgbW7RlnMyUJesa27lSJyhHgI9bkMvbiY3LLTxWUl4vC6JV5GJSyi-WGrhd3w1tGdk53w_tiBsp6mnWp9lrs7Bh/s4032/IMG_2860.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbA_2gwxkbRE_Io7oSOncKLmK9hDmzdgj8v_M_fDKSHE-oz3WAa_8DXhgbW7RlnMyUJesa27lSJyhHgI9bkMvbiY3LLTxWUl4vC6JV5GJSyi-WGrhd3w1tGdk53w_tiBsp6mnWp9lrs7Bh/s320/IMG_2860.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb377WSIzXPFgtP36tBHNRKTKDImK45qLzIVmIHZLIq-bwZRt-T87MIZoeew99Dt54EfFr-coOAATjMXvSCyddbxCQ-sjws6se3e1xsS23rZw0-tUBZeqvmoabCX0gf7zcug9d6WzZvZS/s4032/IMG_2861.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb377WSIzXPFgtP36tBHNRKTKDImK45qLzIVmIHZLIq-bwZRt-T87MIZoeew99Dt54EfFr-coOAATjMXvSCyddbxCQ-sjws6se3e1xsS23rZw0-tUBZeqvmoabCX0gf7zcug9d6WzZvZS/s320/IMG_2861.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOgDDgX1fxs2_Wkc3tncEsRPQhDlKjE7q5nCalE2wEH8Fdf8LlEITDAnYRXFqnPnmoVJCcUKc-oYV5Cr3G1tzP8a522sX-VU1mtFUBiRGtF79Ywae2VM_ULoF-RJBd0lFn73MPFfvs_Um/s4032/IMG_2894.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOgDDgX1fxs2_Wkc3tncEsRPQhDlKjE7q5nCalE2wEH8Fdf8LlEITDAnYRXFqnPnmoVJCcUKc-oYV5Cr3G1tzP8a522sX-VU1mtFUBiRGtF79Ywae2VM_ULoF-RJBd0lFn73MPFfvs_Um/s320/IMG_2894.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First swim at our pool in Fort Hunt</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-pNSigjqOgPRaijFdrknEt0ZT3Hw8hCtq95SJyyuGi1_bYRkCLtU2jymEavTExiytODYlbDh3rR6Iy6FLWMeGDB325AEnG5kwbl5FRj2uq6A4CjLdMkY4x9wZ_B8k-sCvSIPnC4P5Wwl/s4032/IMG_2895.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-pNSigjqOgPRaijFdrknEt0ZT3Hw8hCtq95SJyyuGi1_bYRkCLtU2jymEavTExiytODYlbDh3rR6Iy6FLWMeGDB325AEnG5kwbl5FRj2uq6A4CjLdMkY4x9wZ_B8k-sCvSIPnC4P5Wwl/s320/IMG_2895.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for their first swim team practice</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG2Z1lkXbsKsqRpi-6OFvI1u-vebIVl0L6faZ14UkUww4zqblGVjlOIABR_30R7gEzYXvwtHCM6acwx2VNprhf6Tvr9_am3LeJKr0JE-22rs4-2X0u0e2dNTCLYw-rd7aq5EFAfbBsE5z/s1936/IMG_2897.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="1936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG2Z1lkXbsKsqRpi-6OFvI1u-vebIVl0L6faZ14UkUww4zqblGVjlOIABR_30R7gEzYXvwtHCM6acwx2VNprhf6Tvr9_am3LeJKr0JE-22rs4-2X0u0e2dNTCLYw-rd7aq5EFAfbBsE5z/s320/IMG_2897.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished products</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div></div>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-2137124388538877442021-06-19T16:44:00.011-06:002021-06-19T16:44:55.437-06:008th Birthday Interview Questions<p><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: 9.5pt;">I've been asking the kids the same questions every year since their 3rd birthday. It's fun to see how their answers evolve each year!</span></i></b></p><p><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-size: large;">Alexis</span></b></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your full name?</b> Alexis Joy Howard </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 8 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>When is your birthday? </b>June 7</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What Year?</b> 1972? </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old is Mom? </b>38 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old is Dad? </b>39</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite color?</b> purple, red, and black</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite food? </b>ribs </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite dessert? </b>soft serve vanilla ice cream in a cone with sprinkles </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Best friend?</b> Faith, Jack, and Graham </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite animal?</b> dinosaur, dog, and horse </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What are you scared of? </b>Snakes </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What makes you happy?</b> When I get to spend time with my family </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Where is your favorite place to go? </b>Michigan and Colorado </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What do you want to be when you grow up? </b>Veterinarian, astronaut, paleontologist, or a travel soccer coach </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Mom’s favorite thing to do?</b> Have breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Dad’s favorite thing to do? </b>Run</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite subject in school?</b> Math and History </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxzN8ODQEYIgs0Z6zTOGPENMsrXK4COoUuT7nUkDIWQKCJM1ygbd-ns1dtanPiBYhsBvXkDiw6Nx6P-4NVVNFZ9DgPlvIAPruuOhyphenhyphenPeiKphrKLOxG3S8LnSos5VmtE2aD4WDlobrxswgB/s4032/IMG_2864.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxzN8ODQEYIgs0Z6zTOGPENMsrXK4COoUuT7nUkDIWQKCJM1ygbd-ns1dtanPiBYhsBvXkDiw6Nx6P-4NVVNFZ9DgPlvIAPruuOhyphenhyphenPeiKphrKLOxG3S8LnSos5VmtE2aD4WDlobrxswgB/s320/IMG_2864.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;"><b>Jack</b></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your full name?</b> Jack Micah Howard </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 8</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>When is your birthday? </b>June 7 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What Year?</b> 2019</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old is Mom? </b>38 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old is Dad?</b> 38 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite color? </b>all of them</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite food?</b> pesto pasta </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite dessert? </b>ice cream sandwiches</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Best friend?</b> Graham</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite animal?</b> tigers </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What are you scared of? </b>bees</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What makes you happy?</b> watching movies </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Where is your favorite place to go? </b> the pool </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What do you want to be when you grow up? </b> engineer for highways (civil engineer) </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Mom’s favorite thing to do? </b>go to Captain Sundae on Sunday’s in Michigan </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Dad’s favorite thing to do? </b>Run </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite subject in school?</b> History</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SaVUmwc2w8vthTj-MWgXpwwmZ1hUxG3_tU8AcELmhbYw7bH5Sap68kOc6RT3qCzjL9_cca7ezFE03lHQlH_spWeNTQYFBoPc1__Uq5J6JLXCiWl0bOTt8n7drMHWLVQFYK-ZAHT3Y6DZ/s4032/IMG_2862.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SaVUmwc2w8vthTj-MWgXpwwmZ1hUxG3_tU8AcELmhbYw7bH5Sap68kOc6RT3qCzjL9_cca7ezFE03lHQlH_spWeNTQYFBoPc1__Uq5J6JLXCiWl0bOTt8n7drMHWLVQFYK-ZAHT3Y6DZ/s320/IMG_2862.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;"><b>Faith</b></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your full name?</b> Faith Elizabeth Howard </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old will you be on your birthday? </b>8 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>When is your birthday?</b> June 7</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What Year?</b> 13 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old is Mom? </b>38 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>How old is Dad?</b> 39 </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite color?</b> pink and turquoise</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite food? </b>tacos </span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">Favorite Dessert?</b> anything from the Peanut Store</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Best friend?</b> Alexis, Jack, and Graham </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Favorite animal?</b> Huskies </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What are you scared of? </b>sharks and jellyfish </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What makes you happy?</b> Mommy, dogs, my family </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Where is your favorite place to go?</b> At home with Mommy and Daddy</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What do you want to be when you grow up? </b>dog rescuer </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Mom’s favorite thing to do? </b>have everything her way (...she explained that she knew I wanted to have a day off from my mom duties)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is Dad’s favorite thing to do? </b>see his kids</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>What is your favorite subject in school?</b> History </span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6F6UbExEzTKETf11TOZHRk2ugNdVr8M5FYv67cEiMUWToL7hk6e6OeBzFPf3my1dC3mVBSSUk37uf23MFhYBNCbs-Usm76r9PS2rosQOb8B5iYjPfMyTyZB5b_BDwdcy00qvdfjGpHY7/s4032/IMG_2866.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6F6UbExEzTKETf11TOZHRk2ugNdVr8M5FYv67cEiMUWToL7hk6e6OeBzFPf3my1dC3mVBSSUk37uf23MFhYBNCbs-Usm76r9PS2rosQOb8B5iYjPfMyTyZB5b_BDwdcy00qvdfjGpHY7/s320/IMG_2866.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-11808073532151923652021-04-22T14:22:00.002-06:002021-04-22T14:23:08.974-06:00Graham is 4!<p>Our “baby” is 4-years-old today! He has grown up so much in last year. In fact, it seems like he has grown up so much just since we moved to Virginia at the end of last summer. He definitely took his time reaching some of his milestones, but he is so much more independent now than he was just a few months ago (potty trained, dressing himself, picking out his own clothes, washing his own hands using a very tall stool, washing himself in the shower, putting on his own socks and shoes, and even opening the refrigerator and opening his own yogurt cup!).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzag0sAdd47ZjcXmr-yrxLzSK5xL_gy6UznjbcJwAkTOAouzBZkrbj9LrhnrVcRSeiE51KLMbmdVHr0u1ImqfJb_-4AcGTSn0GDqkMncwkVMjp8IgwKclNFiAE7BQwdj5mshSQkCEAhhrr/s2048/IMG_1618.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzag0sAdd47ZjcXmr-yrxLzSK5xL_gy6UznjbcJwAkTOAouzBZkrbj9LrhnrVcRSeiE51KLMbmdVHr0u1ImqfJb_-4AcGTSn0GDqkMncwkVMjp8IgwKclNFiAE7BQwdj5mshSQkCEAhhrr/s320/IMG_1618.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoa8P5A6s5JRyAFgNuHujSjBdZHHaK5B3bf0brr22Frdo5Mgv1ku0O4C_l8hKOiu8zHcGRBrlY_hz8RpFnn_wA5FYjHjPvkJdWCeSSem7I_nJ6KbWgl6iSv4K9g10MZLEG7zfW3OWC8Na/s2048/IMG_5906.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoa8P5A6s5JRyAFgNuHujSjBdZHHaK5B3bf0brr22Frdo5Mgv1ku0O4C_l8hKOiu8zHcGRBrlY_hz8RpFnn_wA5FYjHjPvkJdWCeSSem7I_nJ6KbWgl6iSv4K9g10MZLEG7zfW3OWC8Na/s320/IMG_5906.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvPH0jWCRPGK9rsFgwLzX3KAwyngtpR4Ci9O97RhhqE9QUQ_6fPw9TN8ZTg66G0UCGLY2qEhacWuqed9ePGXyzqp7wo_Dvy95nK0mr6Bf7r1E44up0oOaf_r5Q443QUvKu0FM9iy2i4XQ/s2048/IMG_5909.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvPH0jWCRPGK9rsFgwLzX3KAwyngtpR4Ci9O97RhhqE9QUQ_6fPw9TN8ZTg66G0UCGLY2qEhacWuqed9ePGXyzqp7wo_Dvy95nK0mr6Bf7r1E44up0oOaf_r5Q443QUvKu0FM9iy2i4XQ/s320/IMG_5909.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is hard to believe that Alexis, Jack, and Faith were six weeks away from their 4th birthday when Graham was born. At the time, we thought of them as being so grown up already. Now that Graham is the same age, though, he seems so young to us. We laugh at ourselves in hindsight since we thought waiting until our triplets were “older” would help us handle the stress of having a 4th child. Now I am shocked that we dealt with three kids that were this age when we had a newborn. It makes me realize why I was overwhelmed since I barely have the patience to deal with one 4-year-old right now. It’s great that he is becoming so independent, but it makes us late for everything, and he literally won’t let me help at all or he starts the process over. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think most families experience a similar adjustment in their perspective of a child’s age between the oldest and the youngest. We feel like our firstborn is so grown up when they turn another year older, but the youngest is always “the baby.” I believe part of the reason this happens is that we want our oldest to grow up quickly, but we want to savor every age with our youngest. I think it also has to do with realizing that each kid does things in his or her own timing, so we didn’t push Graham as much as we did our older kids. It probably also has to do with being busy with our older three kids as sometimes it’s just simpler to do things for a young child than to teach them something or wait for them to do it.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF4r41ehhr6-itY6j1TPLRLYhzveope405vecr0yvJUSqJtml5vlpCAly7iWXzRVgbEgAT3EEAVuopRnIiLXeWDBktCDJJ2MnNXTgeVeNpIRvF2T4aJWzt37fRkPvtCvI2PgwNIssqK7V/s2048/IMG_5779.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF4r41ehhr6-itY6j1TPLRLYhzveope405vecr0yvJUSqJtml5vlpCAly7iWXzRVgbEgAT3EEAVuopRnIiLXeWDBktCDJJ2MnNXTgeVeNpIRvF2T4aJWzt37fRkPvtCvI2PgwNIssqK7V/s320/IMG_5779.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter Sunday...all dressed up to watch church from our computer thanks to COVID</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5Yv_SS7-BSXoM1yswHSE5Z98RZy7Xwyxw2QzKeiuuT-OYRdNj9WfCqStxDoun9AZ3XOq1VnW_ddCS_nIcIfZHoXiB7N19Q9vAkGnsWh4yv9kL4x200n7SeX4_KnIzTe5uLu3b3hTDyqu/s2048/IMG_1445.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5Yv_SS7-BSXoM1yswHSE5Z98RZy7Xwyxw2QzKeiuuT-OYRdNj9WfCqStxDoun9AZ3XOq1VnW_ddCS_nIcIfZHoXiB7N19Q9vAkGnsWh4yv9kL4x200n7SeX4_KnIzTe5uLu3b3hTDyqu/s320/IMG_1445.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even though he wants to do everything himself, he says he doesn't want to get any bigger. He fits on my lap quite comfortably still.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Regardless, whether we want to admit it or not, our baby isn’t much of a baby anymore. Here are some things about Graham at age 4: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white;">Height:</b><span style="background-color: white;"> 40 inches, which means he grew 3 inches in the last year</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Weight:</b> 30.5 lbs, which means he gained 3.5 lbs in the last year</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Size Clothes:</b> He is wearing 4T shirts and some 4T pants (3T are starting to get short). He is in shoe size 9. Honestly, he’s small / average size for his age, but since Jack was very small, Graham is wearing some of the clothes that Jack wore in Kindergarten (including his shoes that he wore as part of his school uniform). That seems crazy to me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Night Sleep:</b> Graham is a great sleeper, once he falls asleep. The boys still share a room, and some nights it is very hard to get them to calm down and go to sleep. He goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 (with the older kids), but some nights he doesn’t fall asleep until 10. He wakes up between 8:00 and 9:00 (or later if I let him continue to sleep!). Having a child that sleeps in is so strange to me since our older three were always up by 7:00 when they were younger. The best part is that most mornings I actually wake up to an alarm instead of a child, which means I can wake up a bit and get myself ready before talking to anyone. This feels like a gift after so many years of starting my day to a child calling my name. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Naps: </b>Graham hasn’t napped since the occasional car naps he took before his 3rd birthday. I was surprised to hear that other kids on his tee ball team still take naps since it’s been so long since he’s taken a nap. Honestly, it has been fine that he doesn’t nap since we are homeschooling this year and it would be hard to convince him to take a nap when the other kids are playing. He doesn’t seem like he needs naps anyway, especially since he is able to sleep in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-aTHqCnm_TKI4P_5tbBJpRfMSQOItZpkGcrEJ5A-XKpgTFa98pC3OcAmGPd4UG2-jopfSm0mXBet3eSLU74YTtOB-pII22b5-baquhB088bORGl0v9fH35iRP2GkB0A9HQMvpwypieNw/s2048/IMG_1401.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-aTHqCnm_TKI4P_5tbBJpRfMSQOItZpkGcrEJ5A-XKpgTFa98pC3OcAmGPd4UG2-jopfSm0mXBet3eSLU74YTtOB-pII22b5-baquhB088bORGl0v9fH35iRP2GkB0A9HQMvpwypieNw/s320/IMG_1401.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resting on the couch with his favorite stuffed animal (he calls it Fawala, but he's really trying to say Koala)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Food:</b> Graham seems to have completely outgrown his dairy intolerance (which was very severe when he was a baby). Some of his favorite foods now are pizza, quesadillas, pesto pasta, and yogurt! He continues to love chicken nuggets, Z bars, applesauce pouches, and all fruit. He is starting to eat more vegetables like broccoli, carrots (cooked and raw), and peas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Milestones: </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Potty Trained</i>: Graham is potty trained during the day! I attempted to train him many times, but he was very stubborn and didn’t want to do it. In October we took a few days off of homeschool to focus on potty training and he did it! I think the fact that he was 3 1/2 really helped since he truly understood what he should be doing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Open Cup:</i> He was resistant to drinking from an open cup for a long time, but I bought him a “Tiny Cup” that is meant for babies and that helped him become more confident drinking from an open cup. Now he can use a regular plastic cup without a problem. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Gaining Independence:</i> He dresses and undresses himself, he can put on his own socks and shoes, he can put on his own jacket and zip it (and don’t try to help him!), and he washes his own hands. He can walk down the stairs, but for some he still prefers to go down backwards. Honestly, he can do most things for himself these days and he does not want me to help him. This is only a problem when we are in a hurry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdXLA03IEOSFPNnIzsuJ-ekdYw7vbxY36C95_W7tWXJ5_yngVh10k7j-tE-BqMuXJu9MBo8XDj_BJBl5glmGh8dJBBZySAKcSGgbQA_BHSJnORRdj-2QCFz-Mbyuu3EUmffbzsYeU84N0/s2048/IMG_0753.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdXLA03IEOSFPNnIzsuJ-ekdYw7vbxY36C95_W7tWXJ5_yngVh10k7j-tE-BqMuXJu9MBo8XDj_BJBl5glmGh8dJBBZySAKcSGgbQA_BHSJnORRdj-2QCFz-Mbyuu3EUmffbzsYeU84N0/s320/IMG_0753.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4FZHKgTHdUxHpE19vReKepRLYmdwMYA31noz_Kx4hCaxtCzoglxuSM-Upq1ZBSBwpaNRpleMaq4YLg-d2_2CqpKKVaphfCqIh_Es70z_a1CJub8t-_nd_xSCAinUl4GHtXhB9AoHXOMU/s2048/IMG_0281.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4FZHKgTHdUxHpE19vReKepRLYmdwMYA31noz_Kx4hCaxtCzoglxuSM-Upq1ZBSBwpaNRpleMaq4YLg-d2_2CqpKKVaphfCqIh_Es70z_a1CJub8t-_nd_xSCAinUl4GHtXhB9AoHXOMU/s320/IMG_0281.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves to ride this bike and his training wheels bike around our culdesac...at his own pace.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zrGfL8Z5Bf1LI8lBnYyNsf6DkARnntwbhQz88wt4zzzl9dQMlgciW7vZVQgWaEyi2PABNg1D0qmz0xOf1bAy8r17QIrS5q0D7_p_Mtm7nOlXnp1nopAq3aVJK7tHT81dCFvG8w9IQLBp/s2048/IMG_0452.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zrGfL8Z5Bf1LI8lBnYyNsf6DkARnntwbhQz88wt4zzzl9dQMlgciW7vZVQgWaEyi2PABNg1D0qmz0xOf1bAy8r17QIrS5q0D7_p_Mtm7nOlXnp1nopAq3aVJK7tHT81dCFvG8w9IQLBp/s320/IMG_0452.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully he still lets me push him in the strollers most days that I want to go on a walk. On this particular day he looked quite comfortable, but he won't fit much longer!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8efAI3n8d_p9FhecqzHdOe9x4A3mz88OUqKSYfuMnMlMBQ83ttgVqtBHwzvUHRanilVYHloqauaDT1v1vCFuNb6-IsWeZepw3Yj0V1WzoME5BL47UlZ8hg7E1y_oCNMSidUt2CxRPSQ_/s2048/IMG_1232.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8efAI3n8d_p9FhecqzHdOe9x4A3mz88OUqKSYfuMnMlMBQ83ttgVqtBHwzvUHRanilVYHloqauaDT1v1vCFuNb6-IsWeZepw3Yj0V1WzoME5BL47UlZ8hg7E1y_oCNMSidUt2CxRPSQ_/s320/IMG_1232.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He excitedly picked this bouquet of dandelions for Grandma when my parents came to visit. He even decorated the jar 100% by himself.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Our Backyard:</i> One of the biggest hurdles he overcame recently was going up the ladder and playing on the deck of the play structure in our backyard. He has been very scared of heights, especially when there are holes or gaps that he can see through to the ground. Jack thought of the idea of putting a blanket on the deck of the play structure so that he couldn’t see the ground. It took some convincing to get him up there initially, but since that day he has climbed up and down numerous times without any help. In fact, he loves playing up there with the big kids.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlf4RI2X6jlpQ06n3H6chmGu67KMjPOP5wMJ0cm0SmV2-0air-s-pBLIaAOB2pV0-HYlZF2ZYSLMTmy2l4rYeg6qhZ7helnumAL03Cf1SSGz1-io0ehXDfsXPEOMw9Vk7m70gow2oj6qNi/s2048/IMG_1446.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlf4RI2X6jlpQ06n3H6chmGu67KMjPOP5wMJ0cm0SmV2-0air-s-pBLIaAOB2pV0-HYlZF2ZYSLMTmy2l4rYeg6qhZ7helnumAL03Cf1SSGz1-io0ehXDfsXPEOMw9Vk7m70gow2oj6qNi/s320/IMG_1446.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has courageously conquered the backyard play structure</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Playgrounds: </i>When I started writing this blog post a couple of weeks ago, Graham had not gone onto a play structure at a park in over a year. He was terrified, so we really didn’t go to many parks because it wasn’t fun for him. Two weeks ago, his tee ball game was canceled at the last minute. We were already at the school and many other kids were playing on the playground, so we stayed to play too. My parents were in town and my mom was walking around with Graham. At first, he just sat on a bench under the play structure. Then, he decided to climb to the top of the play structure, but he was crawling around on his hands and knees as he was nervous. The next time I looked at him he was walking on the play structure! Before I knew it, he was going down the slide, running around the play structure, climbing back up every ladder, and going down every slide. I was shocked! No one asked him to try playing on the play structure that night. We think he saw the other kids his age from his team playing, and he realized that it must be fun and that he was big enough to do it too! Now he has excitedly played on several playgrounds around town and he LOVES it. This makes us all so happy. Alexis, Jack, and Faith were so excited for him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebN2DcxXDVy_GmPYQM_pM2qmx9AK4AQQqyV5ZHm548kqv5pF1Y0Y9ywgp214Cv2orK8KV4qQzfmQl9K9zqV79mUP51aaQb54AebIZqRZ0aRi6qbDlfUQWw71JsXSo9ZU9q70g5LHc94tk/s2048/IMG_0884.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebN2DcxXDVy_GmPYQM_pM2qmx9AK4AQQqyV5ZHm548kqv5pF1Y0Y9ywgp214Cv2orK8KV4qQzfmQl9K9zqV79mUP51aaQb54AebIZqRZ0aRi6qbDlfUQWw71JsXSo9ZU9q70g5LHc94tk/s320/IMG_0884.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Speech:</i> Graham talks constantly, and with a lot of detail. He does continue to have some articulation issues, though, especially for the G and K sounds (he substitutes D and T). He also drops the S at the beginning of words and has a lateral lisp. When there is a lot that he wants to say he often stutters, and during his recent speech evaluation I was told that the stutter (called Disfluency) may never go away. Time will tell if this is truly the case, as we feel like he could be stuttering because his vocabulary is exploding, and it’s hard for him to get the words out when he is excited. Although I have been trying to get him services through the local school system, it has taken months to work through the process (and at this rate he won’t start therapy until the fall), so I recently enrolled him in private speech therapy. He is already making progress with articulation, which is exciting, especially since it is all being done virtually through Zoom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Imagination: </b>Graham has a great imagination. Our triplets have always had each other to play with so, although they are imaginative, their games always involve each other. Graham, on the other hand, spends part of his time playing with his older siblings and part of his time playing on his own. He LOVES to dress up. Our older kids would put on a costume for a little while and then get tired of it quickly. Graham will wear the same costume for days on end. For several months he was constantly changing characters and he would get really upset if we called him by the “wrong” name. So, I would have to say, “Peter Parker, would you like a snack?” because if I called him Graham he would throw a fit. It was an exhausting stage since I had trouble keeping his characters straight, especially when I was just trying to get things done. He is also good at playing trucks or with other toys by himself, but it does get upset if we “interrupt” his play by asking him questions since he gets so into it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIhzdOXX8Rtf79TH164Pd1jbGc1qVqAZqPpE3g5-xUrnMlFR7TIvCTpL7IpzIeWqf6la13WvO_0i6wrGBy9riJxWdVmnFSrNtQa1lPfM_p6lt8g8f9Ev9WUyuPl_wD8BcwtO1xEJtkoSL/s2048/IMG_0631.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIhzdOXX8Rtf79TH164Pd1jbGc1qVqAZqPpE3g5-xUrnMlFR7TIvCTpL7IpzIeWqf6la13WvO_0i6wrGBy9riJxWdVmnFSrNtQa1lPfM_p6lt8g8f9Ev9WUyuPl_wD8BcwtO1xEJtkoSL/s320/IMG_0631.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He picked out this outfit, packed his backpack, and grabbed his toolbox. He is ready for anything.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JxXJOPbFkx6NUo3E-yhQ-xaUgLqVncum0cD6hOLmLqCU4m4EsZ6W4VvV96dsJMKvoxA9N45tWH5FxSlDEKzxe8wcbRrp8NgHehsaMo3w1xEtRpHjqHwamUgA5w0RpXrcw_2mXxp5zjLE/s2048/IMG_0640.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JxXJOPbFkx6NUo3E-yhQ-xaUgLqVncum0cD6hOLmLqCU4m4EsZ6W4VvV96dsJMKvoxA9N45tWH5FxSlDEKzxe8wcbRrp8NgHehsaMo3w1xEtRpHjqHwamUgA5w0RpXrcw_2mXxp5zjLE/s320/IMG_0640.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on the stool with sound effects</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowPidi9k3tJSq0FVtn06jsUBks_P1EWitoKGegZ95zCj9qKhAL6F0yfn-w3-x4gd9Hrp4ApRz_mIgYpvKWrQe5TVwOAQJsHfiqsPv4SeEiakvp9-bJkrrY0yIQP1VfKlUrScScvSkfP_x/s2048/IMG_0660.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowPidi9k3tJSq0FVtn06jsUBks_P1EWitoKGegZ95zCj9qKhAL6F0yfn-w3-x4gd9Hrp4ApRz_mIgYpvKWrQe5TVwOAQJsHfiqsPv4SeEiakvp9-bJkrrY0yIQP1VfKlUrScScvSkfP_x/s320/IMG_0660.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He asked me to add a string to his sunglasses</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAGn-Es1XW6vPEtOvbQ_av_C6AJjXLDcCxVKlFbihzyNtwVbuTwHf7hcz8ncx7nYt59N4Bx6t0ZqKlM2USjXzz7ZjYEg8mWPKzPPVOtDFlP-OOl5Yx7KclZGrlfJDT8lpqpTv5dDD7Ope/s2048/IMG_0058.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAGn-Es1XW6vPEtOvbQ_av_C6AJjXLDcCxVKlFbihzyNtwVbuTwHf7hcz8ncx7nYt59N4Bx6t0ZqKlM2USjXzz7ZjYEg8mWPKzPPVOtDFlP-OOl5Yx7KclZGrlfJDT8lpqpTv5dDD7Ope/s320/IMG_0058.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He came up with this outfit himself and he wore it for two days straight - paper mustache and all</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUt6UezWTW1ByuI_uJDJIcZvEhkT1C5hz-PywLKkZwffc9co2k1_5bFR2tqJiYrKtA_OvudFrbPdsxUvSTFw8vT2p8bb8MsCkfCbqaDFyWs3oAINaGb6sXd7Hx1NHAzUYAXaj5LkdPLwnQ/s1936/IMG_0328.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="1936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUt6UezWTW1ByuI_uJDJIcZvEhkT1C5hz-PywLKkZwffc9co2k1_5bFR2tqJiYrKtA_OvudFrbPdsxUvSTFw8vT2p8bb8MsCkfCbqaDFyWs3oAINaGb6sXd7Hx1NHAzUYAXaj5LkdPLwnQ/s320/IMG_0328.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costumes galore</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkdDV-J06_fe6hoqh_CLEqOPZsw5fPPwHtJ1_0usfusdR4Vj8h33AfP-od_MOB9jEtz2_zXC3EFnSxdh1a63k0ofx2JppVmJoBQgN_lKNbnYPyPUaii32mt0lN3lwWcgGuoFkdZM4GNxr/s2048/IMG_0847.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkdDV-J06_fe6hoqh_CLEqOPZsw5fPPwHtJ1_0usfusdR4Vj8h33AfP-od_MOB9jEtz2_zXC3EFnSxdh1a63k0ofx2JppVmJoBQgN_lKNbnYPyPUaii32mt0lN3lwWcgGuoFkdZM4GNxr/s320/IMG_0847.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys have been wanting suits and ties like Dad wears to work. When someone posted the blazer for Jack and the tuxedo for Graham to the local Buy Nothing group that I'm a part of on FB, I jumped on it. The boys were thrilled and they've spent hours walking around the house dressed up.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Preschool: </b>Our older kids went to preschool when they were 3. Although we planned to have Graham go to preschool, COVID and our move across the country made this difficult. I thought I could just teach him some things when we did homeschool, but it was hard to find the time and he wasn’t very cooperative. I needed to find a way to occupy him and to teach him some things, so in November I bought a homeschool preschool curriculum and my mom went through the lessons with Graham on FaceTime for a few months (December through the end of February). Graham looked forward to his calls with Grandma four mornings a week (at least on the days he wasn’t extra grumpy). She would spend 20 minutes with him reading, singing songs, and talking about letters, numbers, colors, or whatever else was part of the curriculum for the day. When my parents went on an extended camping trip in March, I took over as his teacher, and he has continued to enjoy it. Next fall he is enrolled at a local preschool two mornings a week, and I think it will be really good for him to interact with other kids his age and be away from me regularly for the first time in his life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFPgwa2m04UYEveT9OPRc7vWVi9xbbMpFkULQi_WagVe-gg7Ss-S93byvdFk8tLlOdZo4Jyf_g4X7ihhX6CJp7-ycpQ0Ivy7XuPQ2S9S4_Hjk1SV1oHy3gcxplxXIfT_hw_Hja3rlWAEc/s2048/IMG_0254.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFPgwa2m04UYEveT9OPRc7vWVi9xbbMpFkULQi_WagVe-gg7Ss-S93byvdFk8tLlOdZo4Jyf_g4X7ihhX6CJp7-ycpQ0Ivy7XuPQ2S9S4_Hjk1SV1oHy3gcxplxXIfT_hw_Hja3rlWAEc/s320/IMG_0254.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham's drawinings of people and some letters he knows. He spends a lot of time drawing on the whiteboard while I do homeschool with the big kids.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFilmsQKX0q-8-HiITW5wJRl2vQiF5kp3sHrjrdlPB1cotJibW588_Z-Kz0riS5CgmKrw-9egukhRP-S3OHJckcYWnt2dAVP74zngYBGLOslFx9jdGWIDZZv-cjjJq9NishSIrNOXvcrF/s2048/IMG_0538.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFilmsQKX0q-8-HiITW5wJRl2vQiF5kp3sHrjrdlPB1cotJibW588_Z-Kz0riS5CgmKrw-9egukhRP-S3OHJckcYWnt2dAVP74zngYBGLOslFx9jdGWIDZZv-cjjJq9NishSIrNOXvcrF/s320/IMG_0538.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preschool activity. He cut it all out and glued it on the paper completely by himself.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Tee Ball:</b> When Graham heard us talking to Jack about signing up for Little League for the first time, he decided that he wanted to try out Tee Ball. We were surprised that he made the cut-off by a few months since he is so young, but since he continued to be excited about it, we signed him up. We could save a little money on signing him up if we volunteered, so Micah said he would do it (we figured one of us would have to be there during practice anyway). For some reason we didn’t realize this would mean being an actual Tee Ball coach…so when the email came from another parent saying we were co-coaches I was a bit surprised. Unfortunately (for me), Micah’s schedule doesn’t allow him to commit to an early practice time every week, so I ended up doing the co-coaching. Although it’s laughable that I’m a coach since I don’t know much about baseball, it has been somewhat fun to get involved in something in the community. Graham has surprised us by understanding the game better than many of the other kids out there. He actually pays attention and follows directions, which is basically all that is required at this age ;). He seems to be having fun, and it’s definitely been good for him to be around other kids his age since he hasn’t been exposed to many kids with COVID. His favorite thing about Tee Ball is wearing the hat that is part of the uniform.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c3vs6G6upF0yAo834mUO-qLgrkuv8XFDcOODofwLo73up5bd3Y9kVUtWw4VoiH3D9eIHK8toaG8DhyphenhyphenaslUqTaB0vV07f7yx_g1mZl1XmHrUMcGh_in1ACAsb1dv0RM9NzjT6pOibr89H/s2048/IMG_0556.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c3vs6G6upF0yAo834mUO-qLgrkuv8XFDcOODofwLo73up5bd3Y9kVUtWw4VoiH3D9eIHK8toaG8DhyphenhyphenaslUqTaB0vV07f7yx_g1mZl1XmHrUMcGh_in1ACAsb1dv0RM9NzjT6pOibr89H/s320/IMG_0556.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaW_6HGBnz56PiY6ZDDL5JRu9EnodbGDnVFWNRAOsjGhQjFbDpBvemNdSH-LGohSBguSLn1wxEFQewUXHGmcKSIswSIuZAFDvn4SrDT6rMkRcrOTVq4s6iYNlOdTx0nlkwemsKqqEwgUzD/s2048/IMG_0557.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaW_6HGBnz56PiY6ZDDL5JRu9EnodbGDnVFWNRAOsjGhQjFbDpBvemNdSH-LGohSBguSLn1wxEFQewUXHGmcKSIswSIuZAFDvn4SrDT6rMkRcrOTVq4s6iYNlOdTx0nlkwemsKqqEwgUzD/s320/IMG_0557.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdKio2olGrGFCw2W-cQoLd8P4n14kBk1C_9fEC07pAU_5Ny-aKfFbgaEfModeskc_hFqsT3zxAkbl-GqS7nzc0UsiwIsnto6_jxuxMNslP0IkULjViXCkZzKCcdnmgGoXc87EmWU0K2xi/s2048/IMG_0714.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdKio2olGrGFCw2W-cQoLd8P4n14kBk1C_9fEC07pAU_5Ny-aKfFbgaEfModeskc_hFqsT3zxAkbl-GqS7nzc0UsiwIsnto6_jxuxMNslP0IkULjViXCkZzKCcdnmgGoXc87EmWU0K2xi/s320/IMG_0714.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiIiLV3G82wVbJnRptTFf2m0WmV9mmIFtY5DviEsTDpKzl3Ubv-zcDAKbWPqA4fXMr-wby9MFDvXo3Zbcx_U53M5RaufrO-H0g52dMZmCbgXHg56jLmhLfGhPiSxFPUoJCtEgtXcgK7Lm/s2048/IMG_0284.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiIiLV3G82wVbJnRptTFf2m0WmV9mmIFtY5DviEsTDpKzl3Ubv-zcDAKbWPqA4fXMr-wby9MFDvXo3Zbcx_U53M5RaufrO-H0g52dMZmCbgXHg56jLmhLfGhPiSxFPUoJCtEgtXcgK7Lm/s320/IMG_0284.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing catch in the backyard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Annual Birthday Questions</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What is your name? </i>Graham Andrew Howard</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>How old are you turning? </i>(Held up 4 fingers)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>When is your birthday?</i> Chincoteague!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>How old is Daddy?</i> (Held up 10 fingers)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>How old is Mommy?</i> (Held up 9 fingers)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What is your favorite color?</i> A lot of colors! Strawberry one (red) and monster one (green)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What is your favorite food?</i> Meatballs, chicken nuggets, and ketchup</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Who is your best friend?</i> Max and Peregrine (he actually asked me whose houses I used to drop him off at when I did a childcare swap with friends pre-COVID)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Favorite song? </i>Twinkle Twinkle Little Star</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Favorite animal?</i> Koala (stuffed animal which he says "fawala")</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What are you scared of?</i> Ghosts</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What makes you happy? </i>Koala, mommy, and daddy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Where is your favorite place to go?</i> (He couldn't come up with an answer....we don't go many places with COVID)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What is your favorite toy?</i> Koala</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What do you want to be when you grow up?</i> An Engineer</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do?</i> Hold hands together</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What is Daddy’s favorite thing to do? </i>Hold hands</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We wanted to take a family trip this spring, and when we started looking at dates the week of Graham's birthday worked the best for us. We decided to go to Chincoteague, VA as it's only a little over 3 hours away, it's on the ocean, and we learned about the wild ponies that live in nearby Assateague Island in a book I read aloud to the kids called "Misty of Chincoteauge." It has been fun to go away for Graham's birthday as it makes it feel even more special to everyone. Yesterday Graham (and the big kids) got to see the ocean for the first time! We also saw wild ponies on Assateague Island. We are staying in a cottage we found through Air BnB and it's right on Chincoteague Bay, which means Micah has been able to try our new SUP from our backyard! There has been some slight changes to the backyard since the photos were taken for Air BnB, and we were happily surprised to find a giant patch of sand in the yard that the kids spent hours playing in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKF6rs7t96SiiluQUcDwXjKPtxZTCtCci9zg_x59oCXnZPamUWrD9gckF2oIxfF1q3STXSMu0k_kgTQfixzOeAEGj4qW68MmoYE2E6eU5CsQbI498aJjDE1YhnInrAKCtiYNmTgTUYnwuH/s2048/IMG_1477.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKF6rs7t96SiiluQUcDwXjKPtxZTCtCci9zg_x59oCXnZPamUWrD9gckF2oIxfF1q3STXSMu0k_kgTQfixzOeAEGj4qW68MmoYE2E6eU5CsQbI498aJjDE1YhnInrAKCtiYNmTgTUYnwuH/s320/IMG_1477.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the master bedroom of the backyard and bay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBfOkTDbIjLmQfEolLB1e0Sbz9zWCDw0H7UlAtM35kVe0mVUrNECwKp36eYnrr4EeBp-x1aXx_0D2QiuMdY5q-CocUcAEltx8880F2PSpJ5xDd7Bw6dOKrFhv3_R6OV0eAB8OHjARfIwO/s2048/IMG_1579.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBfOkTDbIjLmQfEolLB1e0Sbz9zWCDw0H7UlAtM35kVe0mVUrNECwKp36eYnrr4EeBp-x1aXx_0D2QiuMdY5q-CocUcAEltx8880F2PSpJ5xDd7Bw6dOKrFhv3_R6OV0eAB8OHjARfIwO/s320/IMG_1579.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running from the waves at the Atlantic Ocean on Assateague Island</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9fk8ErWLKyr7XpZwlJWrWqqAB_Sw5fTXoKXsNpQ5P86jWGuO965PaPiad2Uww6H3SUJYFjoRt4Xl9gbFbfOd-avAZcRgvQmBqEbZboNc_YSyY5_lBo3jzZeE9_5F53oYczWPRXqVhwqL/s2048/IMG_1581.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9fk8ErWLKyr7XpZwlJWrWqqAB_Sw5fTXoKXsNpQ5P86jWGuO965PaPiad2Uww6H3SUJYFjoRt4Xl9gbFbfOd-avAZcRgvQmBqEbZboNc_YSyY5_lBo3jzZeE9_5F53oYczWPRXqVhwqL/s320/IMG_1581.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We hiked 1.5 miles each way in hopes of seeing wild ponies. Luckily the trail ended at the Atlantic Ocean, so it was worth the walk. Graham walked most of it.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQW34LMY82bq6a7-hYc4eMHCzvhXz7oGIocpDfzeZsuez1ijbeMJFYXy9dWz45MeTyfU2oYcmsBc8dbR2ZnEqk6NMx2hddXJMQqgorFcm0odq8M4Dftt363AQ12Ah3IlLkGGYV3R6UHQq/s2048/IMG_1602.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQW34LMY82bq6a7-hYc4eMHCzvhXz7oGIocpDfzeZsuez1ijbeMJFYXy9dWz45MeTyfU2oYcmsBc8dbR2ZnEqk6NMx2hddXJMQqgorFcm0odq8M4Dftt363AQ12Ah3IlLkGGYV3R6UHQq/s320/IMG_1602.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying their first ever full bottles of Sprite in our Air BnB</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTQtlcoyXzjIR2KoqEvpjLa0EigwYHrGKklu8Jo9XB6usMqk9lFSpp5Z7CrKuAZWbifI9d8CRfbUnYdj0ys3Xpl3z9YkFGT0ghvn0g1ci1UkudyCrVlWRxwq5e7ZIPg_ciJ0NOCxXNmhI/s2048/IMG_1639.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTQtlcoyXzjIR2KoqEvpjLa0EigwYHrGKklu8Jo9XB6usMqk9lFSpp5Z7CrKuAZWbifI9d8CRfbUnYdj0ys3Xpl3z9YkFGT0ghvn0g1ci1UkudyCrVlWRxwq5e7ZIPg_ciJ0NOCxXNmhI/s320/IMG_1639.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory tourist photo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /><br /><br /></p>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-942401375045797322020-06-24T22:39:00.001-06:002020-06-24T22:42:45.051-06:00We Are Moving!<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">For years Micah had mentioned the possibility of getting a temporary position in Washington DC with his employer, but he was waiting for the right opportunity to come along. At the beginning of the year there was a job posting in DC that looked interesting to him, so we decided he should apply. But then COVID hit, and we didn't hear anything, so we figured it wasn't going to happen. Towards the end of April, though, Micah was contacted about the position. He was told that he had to decide if he was really interested in making the move before going through the interview process, as they only wanted to interview serious candidates. Since we were in the midst of the Stay at Home order due to COVID we were a little hesitant when thinking about moving, but ultimately we decided he should go for it . We were shocked when he was given the position! We have been all over the place emotionally around the move, especially since a cross country move is daunting to begin with, but especially during a pandemic. But overall we are all excited to live somewhere different for awhile. We have been in Albuquerque for almost 10 years already and, besides this temporary move, we have no plans to leave New Mexico.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiYea-2MWobIV9Jf1TBlh8z-hW1jtsCkn6fGYhg4EeDq06RKA2W3fz5SH-OZngrwYEE6O2AiztIxVvqzvNRLSUtt5Q-mIL6iNF4GC7UDUulWnNGBL04P7TTggixsKKyIShTzfYBmyv7dS/s1600/IMG_4865.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiYea-2MWobIV9Jf1TBlh8z-hW1jtsCkn6fGYhg4EeDq06RKA2W3fz5SH-OZngrwYEE6O2AiztIxVvqzvNRLSUtt5Q-mIL6iNF4GC7UDUulWnNGBL04P7TTggixsKKyIShTzfYBmyv7dS/s320/IMG_4865.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 2020 at the top of the Sandias in ABQ</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although we spent the first 8 weeks of our Stay at Home Order enjoying a bit of a slower pace, once we were told on May 7 that we were moving to DC, we got busy with purging stuff we no longer needed, tackling an ever growing list of house projects, finding renters for our house in ABQ, researching where to live in the DC area, and researching homeschool curriculum, plus Micah has been extra busy at work in preparation for this transition. I know many people will look back on their quarantine and remember their extra family time, or maybe even being a bit bored, but this has become one of the busiest seasons of life for our family.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Micah’s position will take us to the DC area for 1-3 years. It sounds like most people end up staying for 2 years, but it all depends on how things are going with the job. Knowing we are coming back to ABQ definitely helps with the sadness around our move as, although I haven’t always talked about the city in a positive way, it truly has become home for us. We will certainly miss our community (and the weather) while we are gone!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, one thing that makes this move harder is that it happens to be during the middle of a pandemic. Although we are becoming accustomed to wearing masks in public and such, it definitely won’t be easy to find a new community while we should still be avoiding other people. We also are leaning towards homeschool since starting at a new school with part time school / part time distance learning doesn’t sound ideal. We’ve also already switched our kids to two different schools for Kindergarten and First Grade, so going to a third school in three years doesn’t sound great either.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As of right now, the kids and I plan to leave ABQ on July 13. My mom is flying out here and then her and I will drive to Michigan with the kids. We are going to stay with my parents through the end of August while Micah wraps things up with work in ABQ. The kids and I are definitely looking forward to our time in Michigan since so much is closed in ABQ right now and we don’t even have access to a private pool. For us, summers in Michigan include a lot of swimming in pools and lakes, and we can’t wait for that. I'm also looking forward to having the stress of getting ready for the move behind me, and a long stop in Michigan along the way to DC should be relaxing (plus I'll have the help of grandparents). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulGelxpqoX9XS7q1tl37xztBmxo9Odv7TIPCKOVIVH7zf9pKiXp3UTAmtiNJzMPQuSQ8GVhBgMWdbRkRfn18qcuH5xovjGYEm2Fkze1yjYKuYblQ-u28pw7UodGK2u6HcgZ0NZFze-izZ/s1600/Picture+023+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulGelxpqoX9XS7q1tl37xztBmxo9Odv7TIPCKOVIVH7zf9pKiXp3UTAmtiNJzMPQuSQ8GVhBgMWdbRkRfn18qcuH5xovjGYEm2Fkze1yjYKuYblQ-u28pw7UodGK2u6HcgZ0NZFze-izZ/s320/Picture+023+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Christmas 2010, two months after we moved to Albuquerque and Micah started his job at Sandia</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzYSDXS7hZhzfFODOzLBxJwVINn-OP7ESTxRfjghM1Tsr8sq4iySPhFQ9vsik4rpFYY7u8Sljw298MFXloKOvkJw6hzr3uoepw7kX_a_KjV9nt6MywJkBIU67x0cQ9IfSI_LAN2ruwVEp/s1600/IMG_3543+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1014" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzYSDXS7hZhzfFODOzLBxJwVINn-OP7ESTxRfjghM1Tsr8sq4iySPhFQ9vsik4rpFYY7u8Sljw298MFXloKOvkJw6hzr3uoepw7kX_a_KjV9nt6MywJkBIU67x0cQ9IfSI_LAN2ruwVEp/s320/IMG_3543+2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">May 2020</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a6Vja-i_hE6x9qFweGfp4rAbE4W-VECgSLvqusOuly6ki45fEriPd2AfGsvTMop79AlXU9quyB2jrqfLhZy0oV_iRH2DvsKb58CZvWRZAmxaOt7_9nr9EkcPO4DNXlXvb_3J9_RiWtq2/s1600/IMG_0166.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a6Vja-i_hE6x9qFweGfp4rAbE4W-VECgSLvqusOuly6ki45fEriPd2AfGsvTMop79AlXU9quyB2jrqfLhZy0oV_iRH2DvsKb58CZvWRZAmxaOt7_9nr9EkcPO4DNXlXvb_3J9_RiWtq2/s320/IMG_0166.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alexis, Jack, and Faith at 9 months old. This was taken one week after we moved into our current house in Albuquerque. It will be hard to leave the house that the kids have spent the majority of their lives in!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9IPl3YTd-M1eW7ElMKqaTY9jWO7TA2T2Hg7ueFLkbOQIgPQVeqoVUw4WjVdjF-ciypnTsnqgBwFmvAS7B7O7-LR6tFd7WehZLrjh1EmYHvFrt9Ko8FX3PMxlZ_OKrGf8Nrd_TuWBP3_G/s1600/IMG_1946.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9IPl3YTd-M1eW7ElMKqaTY9jWO7TA2T2Hg7ueFLkbOQIgPQVeqoVUw4WjVdjF-ciypnTsnqgBwFmvAS7B7O7-LR6tFd7WehZLrjh1EmYHvFrt9Ko8FX3PMxlZ_OKrGf8Nrd_TuWBP3_G/s320/IMG_1946.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">April 2017 when Graham came home from the hospital. He has spent his whole life in this house.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYBEgjvycmiB5H7DlS4tevB8MOSGLTRbFGp7i7M0TVjDhW2HUKK5p2wu0H-Mw0h_TvczFQn4CPuYsN0wcYT3MwcOg_RaF3SUrVT1Bqlk3ZP8mANU0cN7sipbjwc07X6mvh9xQAsduB70u/s1600/IMG_7977.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYBEgjvycmiB5H7DlS4tevB8MOSGLTRbFGp7i7M0TVjDhW2HUKK5p2wu0H-Mw0h_TvczFQn4CPuYsN0wcYT3MwcOg_RaF3SUrVT1Bqlk3ZP8mANU0cN7sipbjwc07X6mvh9xQAsduB70u/s320/IMG_7977.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mother's Day 2017</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our only "pool" in Albuquerque this summer</span></td></tr>
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<br />Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-5294440353537187312020-06-20T14:56:00.002-06:002020-06-20T14:56:41.663-06:007-Year-OldsAnother year has come and gone! This last year seemed to go so fast, and the last few months have been really strange since we have been at home due to the governor's "Stay-at-Home" order because of COVID-19. I'll be honest, I worry about a lot of things, but I never even realized that a worldwide pandemic was something to worry about! Although the situation is not ideal, I have to admit that I've enjoyed a slower pace without rushing the kids off to school and trying to keep up with other activities for the kids and ourselves. The last few months have given the kids a chance to play a ton, which is something they always long for. We've also gone on numerous bike rides and scooter rides around the neighborhood, which is something we didn't do very much before we were stuck at home because we would just take our riding toys to the park instead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMT9wL6_Ka0ozHhbvd2is1-sIRneXHhZDEfYIAPxLTUE6L_Q3bn8L_czpanoBRieryI7-81gsSmX8cqXHI0W4CURikcKn6T_-kewuJF3N96KHClG-2j9FUenlSoX6S8SIpz8Cnqqu1zTtb/s1600/8C06C47A-9F11-4A66-8974-504522B1B2DB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMT9wL6_Ka0ozHhbvd2is1-sIRneXHhZDEfYIAPxLTUE6L_Q3bn8L_czpanoBRieryI7-81gsSmX8cqXHI0W4CURikcKn6T_-kewuJF3N96KHClG-2j9FUenlSoX6S8SIpz8Cnqqu1zTtb/s320/8C06C47A-9F11-4A66-8974-504522B1B2DB.jpeg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijohQEhq0soVVKp6_63ymUiWE887sguxETlfk6LHpd-sezt8jmZf19hE6-9e2HfX92TJyqa1lKSvtIISZOgm6roYK8XAKHkuKZtt54ppL0-pYuJNXir9uNjaju-kuFicKPbryV6qiXUbt7/s1600/4D75279C-74ED-4528-AB26-2A7915E6542B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijohQEhq0soVVKp6_63ymUiWE887sguxETlfk6LHpd-sezt8jmZf19hE6-9e2HfX92TJyqa1lKSvtIISZOgm6roYK8XAKHkuKZtt54ppL0-pYuJNXir9uNjaju-kuFicKPbryV6qiXUbt7/s320/4D75279C-74ED-4528-AB26-2A7915E6542B.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VFAdpgEy0TExzGqHQmZ876wisUbBwJsYvKsrFtAJvp8h8rMCF-KMwvLDihS0-6kvoaBTkc2-7fh_nKvyt8nT0z1kT6Rqt_1Fg8du8y6SsTzRf2KuAPd7cVDzoNV_fFwmw8RNjZq1pGDv/s1600/1C946A87-93F4-4D5D-A92E-B5F6949D6295.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VFAdpgEy0TExzGqHQmZ876wisUbBwJsYvKsrFtAJvp8h8rMCF-KMwvLDihS0-6kvoaBTkc2-7fh_nKvyt8nT0z1kT6Rqt_1Fg8du8y6SsTzRf2KuAPd7cVDzoNV_fFwmw8RNjZq1pGDv/s320/1C946A87-93F4-4D5D-A92E-B5F6949D6295.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They have spent a lot of time climbing this tree since the "Stay at Home" order began</td></tr>
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For Christmas we bought the older kids plane tickets to Michigan so that I could take separate trips there with them during the winter (usually we just do one big trip to Michigan in the summer). Jack and I went in January and we had a great time. Alexis, Faith, and I traveled to Michigan on March 11, but we almost didn't go because COVID was just starting to pick up in the U.S. Although it was a weird trip because we didn't go many places due to the virus and I was very worried about us catching it while traveling, I'm now glad that we went as the girls had a great time. It is one of those things that will always stick out in our minds as the last thing we did "before the virus." That same weekend, Micah took the boys to his parents house so that he and Jack could ski one last time for the winter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Abz3oM9W_o9LrwbpzO2YsiPTVQVT11W78R5FV9m-VmoJqd8a9ufpefYlUb3rjsLfw4YHX6Ei3RbUS38LucAqdaUF7lzHpyxW2qisGfCG00Ts0Ygkt6EIXBtJgX7QXl46gN0NE_TmBSMF/s1600/C3E6A226-7F27-4AD7-933C-91481C7337A7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Abz3oM9W_o9LrwbpzO2YsiPTVQVT11W78R5FV9m-VmoJqd8a9ufpefYlUb3rjsLfw4YHX6Ei3RbUS38LucAqdaUF7lzHpyxW2qisGfCG00Ts0Ygkt6EIXBtJgX7QXl46gN0NE_TmBSMF/s320/C3E6A226-7F27-4AD7-933C-91481C7337A7.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack on the airplane</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQ1qWN8TTvwY5J1tEDay996QJ0FByY7eiBKaoO4FU_NLnz9J9RmNNg8Z-RpVoKESAu53BwCLg3_Y4A-RPE2aYOwW1SPDwdzS13pSnwdyKfEVFdK_pv56gmy1yqMyxT_ZoAIEfaO9rcU4i/s320/96B237E0-07EE-45CD-9A9E-AD004E0E9000.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith and Alexis on the airplane</td></tr>
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By the time we all got back to ABQ on March 15, schools across the nation had been closed for a couple of weeks, including schools in New Mexico. This soon changed to schools being closed for the rest of the school year, so we were thrown into "distance learning" with several video calls a week with the kids' teacher and some other students from their class. I was very glad that the kids were in the same class during "distance learning" since it minimized our video calls and we didn't have any schedule conflicts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xEUeuokzYy4lsTzmCcmyyunG2o_e3HlMAc8nc1cQ4iLGWMLsFgEfX6LISX95_PY4xo2cIPze9M9p4ozfBHhfNBOn7PSkUAZfp0t_T0lvo4Z9hqEWQUSzJzukz7wjPKKb7MiJRn-etHCU/s1600/3223A2D7-6738-4D6C-866D-DF10F6CCF6F2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xEUeuokzYy4lsTzmCcmyyunG2o_e3HlMAc8nc1cQ4iLGWMLsFgEfX6LISX95_PY4xo2cIPze9M9p4ozfBHhfNBOn7PSkUAZfp0t_T0lvo4Z9hqEWQUSzJzukz7wjPKKb7MiJRn-etHCU/s320/3223A2D7-6738-4D6C-866D-DF10F6CCF6F2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of distance learning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVy-fRgr2AwSYc0xBP1myf2U2lZAJ08jVep-0D9kfF6a82hA0N_9MDUfA9frwrtYhpKThz3bg1AQkIvn5Qex0xIAoE_oyQCFWbT3ujdv0HAqyLhKcywaeRijGZu-ernSt4mAIdUmwLybhW/s1600/6B5ECAF4-916F-4CE1-996A-0E6F3CB456A1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVy-fRgr2AwSYc0xBP1myf2U2lZAJ08jVep-0D9kfF6a82hA0N_9MDUfA9frwrtYhpKThz3bg1AQkIvn5Qex0xIAoE_oyQCFWbT3ujdv0HAqyLhKcywaeRijGZu-ernSt4mAIdUmwLybhW/s320/6B5ECAF4-916F-4CE1-996A-0E6F3CB456A1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journaling during our "homeschool"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5HLifs8P8AsVlPH2vTruaN_mwaalSdqq9NW4Cgvv3EamSbsUFUoZ9kHVuJKOc1wi3WBd66Q7vfeSDHkzGgQqFIDYnzlNtug_20jabQQ6Jj-LfQAEbbr61SnSpHefoPbX-i0G1hmxMogK/s1600/2B372537-A1BB-4153-9D88-AAC2E99A74E2_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5HLifs8P8AsVlPH2vTruaN_mwaalSdqq9NW4Cgvv3EamSbsUFUoZ9kHVuJKOc1wi3WBd66Q7vfeSDHkzGgQqFIDYnzlNtug_20jabQQ6Jj-LfQAEbbr61SnSpHefoPbX-i0G1hmxMogK/s320/2B372537-A1BB-4153-9D88-AAC2E99A74E2_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last day of distance learning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12S7t15uoeSUkD_IzroxPRwhouvpg3YG-6nraF8NulYA2XlmtDRySUQJzHEOKlqVFFk2-hwlIVKBBTFJDiaOdrOS9Rsx7QVm0D5jkNxRcqoUuLzgSKeh0KbEa98zxJ5bSQrOmULorZVB2/s1600/6343FB9A-6CA8-49D3-A930-D4FB64FC33DA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12S7t15uoeSUkD_IzroxPRwhouvpg3YG-6nraF8NulYA2XlmtDRySUQJzHEOKlqVFFk2-hwlIVKBBTFJDiaOdrOS9Rsx7QVm0D5jkNxRcqoUuLzgSKeh0KbEa98zxJ5bSQrOmULorZVB2/s320/6343FB9A-6CA8-49D3-A930-D4FB64FC33DA.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last day of distance learning</td></tr>
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I have definitely seen the benefits of being a triplet / having triplets during this "Stay-at-Home" order. Although they definitely do their fair share of fighting, they can keep each other entertained for hours! I'm constantly amazed at the new things they come up with to play. Because of this, they have mostly been okay with staying at home. In fact, they sometimes complain when I say we have to leave the house to pick up groceries or do a Target drive-up order. Kids are funny.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAzK10mtJ5pjJ6Psf1Dnz-BzSly8zso6unn4okmsOScpodginLuAtp00Fcv7KaQfgc4y4WkVGRc8BLInQYlqeVr_Ufn_yex1UhlbhvyQTuAkw_aypZfQm8V5ZaX3UektN9wSvb11IxMVj/s1600/8842ADFA-D4A9-491A-9906-B0AE1533784E.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAzK10mtJ5pjJ6Psf1Dnz-BzSly8zso6unn4okmsOScpodginLuAtp00Fcv7KaQfgc4y4WkVGRc8BLInQYlqeVr_Ufn_yex1UhlbhvyQTuAkw_aypZfQm8V5ZaX3UektN9wSvb11IxMVj/s320/8842ADFA-D4A9-491A-9906-B0AE1533784E.heic" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdYqtwvisNJ24kg-27Qm7LtCbH-rb26G0-ehK8FuDeI5KwHvOyIXQ3qIqD7FQYxBj6dNBwZEyKdr8s_KNgdh0EjdmpccF2x19SktcNu1noE7yg-rJhNWs7ejF6QDUyfBoHOatnlzH9EMA/s1600/F6157157-FC75-4ADD-9976-12630EA52AA5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdYqtwvisNJ24kg-27Qm7LtCbH-rb26G0-ehK8FuDeI5KwHvOyIXQ3qIqD7FQYxBj6dNBwZEyKdr8s_KNgdh0EjdmpccF2x19SktcNu1noE7yg-rJhNWs7ejF6QDUyfBoHOatnlzH9EMA/s320/F6157157-FC75-4ADD-9976-12630EA52AA5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you have to wear a mask, you might as well make it fun!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSyCEVFaQQn-qNEoTPz7Bjcdsy6COIGn9Y562KO3rHmUnr1qtYrKllU0G-deQ15EPZROBf1fbKoFxJGLEf3M5vZTrHcEF0s2ntTKgLAPVZh8Qy6kxUe3dE7Z86iCzvvilubGFVJHGhX7G/s1600/D96244EE-6080-44E1-8097-C3F5742751FA_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSyCEVFaQQn-qNEoTPz7Bjcdsy6COIGn9Y562KO3rHmUnr1qtYrKllU0G-deQ15EPZROBf1fbKoFxJGLEf3M5vZTrHcEF0s2ntTKgLAPVZh8Qy6kxUe3dE7Z86iCzvvilubGFVJHGhX7G/s320/D96244EE-6080-44E1-8097-C3F5742751FA_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgtwgHGuqiiSxe_znKr-AIJ11Rk7OaA7HbFlwYIHVLPdevZHcOzu1RcQcSMQ0aYwas-WUs6ty85YOYP9x6DvsELOZdjanTP9webMux3U1DS7S4xMllq9IfQsVvMIGfnyK5yVoEs-ZXaNL/s1600/F379B93A-B93A-4FFC-B6D3-BBF9E9F14375_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgtwgHGuqiiSxe_znKr-AIJ11Rk7OaA7HbFlwYIHVLPdevZHcOzu1RcQcSMQ0aYwas-WUs6ty85YOYP9x6DvsELOZdjanTP9webMux3U1DS7S4xMllq9IfQsVvMIGfnyK5yVoEs-ZXaNL/s320/F379B93A-B93A-4FFC-B6D3-BBF9E9F14375_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEfSUsOO-9TxXFzA-l4WwBFHnjfRmfzQMXVmCQk_FaHN_kfkzapUwIGmTvTkGX2Qb_Gh2dXdVumWsYrngCkqLMM4CautcLEqij8Kye2yOTi6F0StuGmmAWZHjLQElHqspHe4awJqjs7VW/s1600/EE407C5F-3445-4371-BF08-193230258ADE.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEfSUsOO-9TxXFzA-l4WwBFHnjfRmfzQMXVmCQk_FaHN_kfkzapUwIGmTvTkGX2Qb_Gh2dXdVumWsYrngCkqLMM4CautcLEqij8Kye2yOTi6F0StuGmmAWZHjLQElHqspHe4awJqjs7VW/s320/EE407C5F-3445-4371-BF08-193230258ADE.jpeg" width="240" /> </a></div>
Although this summer looks different as we aren't doing swim lessons, tennis lessons, VBS, or any of the other things, we are still planning on spending some time in Michigan with my family. I think we are all looking forward to that as even if we mostly stay around my parents' condo, at least it will be a different home than the one we've been in for months on end. Plus my parents and my brothers co-own a cottage on a small lake, which is great to spend time at as well.<br />
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I haven't written about the kids since their 6th birthday, so here are some updates on the last year:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOU1KuHyVPDmUUOJQozNBDbPcswzrV3oU9M9Xzra7YSqM1l8Maq5tYz8YtrY9ZI8GKc0NqXVroCKYsYInl236hPC8ZVS9M446uYGJdl2jRR6Yj_ycsECXCgOqWVX-qpYTW_Db-Md73_ph/s1600/C6B0CCF7-86ED-4C7E-B6E6-83698D019F61.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOU1KuHyVPDmUUOJQozNBDbPcswzrV3oU9M9Xzra7YSqM1l8Maq5tYz8YtrY9ZI8GKc0NqXVroCKYsYInl236hPC8ZVS9M446uYGJdl2jRR6Yj_ycsECXCgOqWVX-qpYTW_Db-Md73_ph/s320/C6B0CCF7-86ED-4C7E-B6E6-83698D019F61.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three cakes for three special kids!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Alexis:</b> She continues to be a Daddy's girl. Although everyone loves their 1-on-1 time with Daddy, she requests it the most. She still loves her stuffed Snoopy, but she also loves her newest Beanie Baby husky which she named "Little Howler" (this was a replacement for the same Beanie Baby that she called Baby Husk that she had lost). Both girls never really got into dolls, but they treat their stuffed animals like babies. Alexis is outgoing and she loves to talk to adults. She is a great big sister to Graham.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm8rGL5P4BUYJKjol3OJx0CarL855wexFf2Oc3s0t14URzeMuXnf6fLInDM0BKu1WzGe5UGvZoyqryBGm_dFq7n-J9wB33JLes-wxMvKb2pCn9v4HaUcakXihIySXEhLchqxlMGAqweHG/s1600/C79E6F37-B041-43D4-B846-B671879404D4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm8rGL5P4BUYJKjol3OJx0CarL855wexFf2Oc3s0t14URzeMuXnf6fLInDM0BKu1WzGe5UGvZoyqryBGm_dFq7n-J9wB33JLes-wxMvKb2pCn9v4HaUcakXihIySXEhLchqxlMGAqweHG/s320/C79E6F37-B041-43D4-B846-B671879404D4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis reading to Graham</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CdM56qsDdIvPe2T9zljsfYfclGBG-PY7y4F7Ak8UwMuIlxty_Q-KWhHejvcQlmvmyKlUvw5mG7JGcoagGwQ_R7T9LQ6mc_h_pWQWi0kbhPhFj_mjrOkxs3j7BIddP5buvgz1oTEsWibv/s320/IMG_4025.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis had her heart set on a Tie Dye cake, and we both had a lot of fun making it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<b>Jack: </b>Jack is definitely the early riser in our family. In the last couple of months we have convinced him that he doesn't have to wake us up if he gets up before us, so he now goes downstairs, turns on the lights, and plays or reads until someone gets up. This is AMAZING! Lately he has been finding ways to play with just Graham, which is great for both of them since they like to do "boy things" like fly around little airplanes or play with Nerf guns or swords. Jack is really strong and he can do at least 5 pull-ups in a row. He recently figured out how to climb up the brick wall in our backyard by pulling on both sides of the bricks that stick out vertically and scooting his feet up. Jack loves to create things from paper, such as pretend wallets, large creations for his walls, books, etc. He also still enjoys music.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcr_STU-oykxWNEUE6Rqe78XajB6iU5IrSL2FHrwJmTRuU1abwJIYfDfm6Fa25R0jImainPlXEY4KisMqe6UHI2Heaogq1gjvtuu0aSqp1Rd2l1lyz4xj5WkMW4If3pUjznKe7uYKfmHV/s1600/77346B09-1B35-4315-AB75-68BE66229E7D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcr_STU-oykxWNEUE6Rqe78XajB6iU5IrSL2FHrwJmTRuU1abwJIYfDfm6Fa25R0jImainPlXEY4KisMqe6UHI2Heaogq1gjvtuu0aSqp1Rd2l1lyz4xj5WkMW4If3pUjznKe7uYKfmHV/s320/77346B09-1B35-4315-AB75-68BE66229E7D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack loves Graham, even if Graham isn't always the nicest little brother in return</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRa0XWduyUksGs8NTpCC7Ew0pgYVHJVUEh9D_yk2xLqRyz2I6kiuMcADg3u9cBqXOTLmxm1YxKRREHpgQGW3e94oYNFPZtyMbGBfWFkDqoZbYgSoYXGHfWQUxq-k6g1Rz5J9xyKuKNq3_4/s1600/96FB831B-3B13-40A8-B8B1-3EA1E6E517D1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRa0XWduyUksGs8NTpCC7Ew0pgYVHJVUEh9D_yk2xLqRyz2I6kiuMcADg3u9cBqXOTLmxm1YxKRREHpgQGW3e94oYNFPZtyMbGBfWFkDqoZbYgSoYXGHfWQUxq-k6g1Rz5J9xyKuKNq3_4/s320/96FB831B-3B13-40A8-B8B1-3EA1E6E517D1.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack built this 361 piece Lego helicopter all by himself on his birthday. It took 5 hours, but he was determined!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Faith: </b>Faith loves to organize things and she is a perfectionist. She also loves to plan and make lists. (...I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree 😅). She always wants to know what adults are talking about, and she often says things that make her sound older than she is. She still loves her stuffed Husky and sleeps with him every night. Husky is Faith's baby. She loves to help me around the house as she feels proud of her contributions. She loves to create things, such as a Pin-the-tail-on-the-Unicorn for her birthday. She is also a great big sister to Graham.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGqUIST4EUGm885-r2yUa_hRhYKD9toa4cLBgr0bmM8sOgEbRcsxJIBPqmtqB8MuD13yYlzukmcSvk3x6C7WIIJOlDwJZWJGFqvXiwkKBSecNWbKiq_jT4AtVBORinIDtMIC5jsliVIKK/s1600/B8F3AF34-471B-474A-B8D7-ADC310401EE2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGqUIST4EUGm885-r2yUa_hRhYKD9toa4cLBgr0bmM8sOgEbRcsxJIBPqmtqB8MuD13yYlzukmcSvk3x6C7WIIJOlDwJZWJGFqvXiwkKBSecNWbKiq_jT4AtVBORinIDtMIC5jsliVIKK/s320/B8F3AF34-471B-474A-B8D7-ADC310401EE2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading to Grandma and Graham</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhmMwfPmU899H4EKNzmbsIJB-gYOZRf_J88I4iGfuYNtBBVBJ1ltrVffN5vhsZ8GwAIlfZJNs_PK9n6m7YSqmYZpC4jnuVKQLoXT5TznJQepUAmeIg3_dvvDCPp5QVGHWqbjC1x2xb1TB/s1600/D5693BC7-AD73-41F6-AA5E-2E8DA77CE578.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhmMwfPmU899H4EKNzmbsIJB-gYOZRf_J88I4iGfuYNtBBVBJ1ltrVffN5vhsZ8GwAIlfZJNs_PK9n6m7YSqmYZpC4jnuVKQLoXT5TznJQepUAmeIg3_dvvDCPp5QVGHWqbjC1x2xb1TB/s320/D5693BC7-AD73-41F6-AA5E-2E8DA77CE578.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A leaf project she decided to do for fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Other things...</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i>School </i>- This year the kids attended Desert Willow Family School for first grade. They were in school T-Th from 8:00-2:40 and Friday from 8:00-12:20. Mondays were homeschool days and they also had homework T-TH. It was a lot of work for all of us, but they learned a lot and they enjoyed their class and their teacher. I got to spend a lot more 1-on-1 time with Graham this year, which was nice. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Reading</i> - Everyone has become a great reader during the last few months, and I contribute a lot of this to reading with their grandmas on FaceTime during "distance learning." They were able to read books that they were more interested in, and since both grandmas didn't have much going on the kids could sit with them for 30-60 minutes and read! They can basically work their way through any book, and I now hear the girls read aloud at the breakfast table or after they go to bed at night. Jack enjoys reading too, but he is more interested in finishing chapter books than just reading random picture books. For their birthday they received five books from the "Bad Guys" series, and Jack finished the first three quite quickly. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Math</i> - Desert Willow has their own curriculum so this year the kids really focused on addition including stacked addition, adding any numbers up into the trillions and beyond, rounding numbers to the 10's, 100's, and 1000's, etc. It was challenging, but they were so proud when they reached the end of Addition 1. </li>
<li><i>Writing</i> - I am constantly finding random notes, signs, etc. around the house that the kids make.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvNXCZNQg31WsU4L5DBPg224y7u0CyVcb8cgfO6PFDvkmai1xcdP-XNK425XBQDHwzYfIHj8FLJl9tolQx_PjZ-MKXCMBhbj91PowefSPO1Vqd6N_V0djZP-tSjOBXcM3RUcLH1XbquwH/s1600/A25C2799-BEFF-4CAB-8C85-6830859C924E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvNXCZNQg31WsU4L5DBPg224y7u0CyVcb8cgfO6PFDvkmai1xcdP-XNK425XBQDHwzYfIHj8FLJl9tolQx_PjZ-MKXCMBhbj91PowefSPO1Vqd6N_V0djZP-tSjOBXcM3RUcLH1XbquwH/s320/A25C2799-BEFF-4CAB-8C85-6830859C924E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack's note to the neighborhood: Do not get the virus - Stay Home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC_9Yox98YxqEFj7ZQ7ihCT9aw0rvIc_Ht8BA1AofVjk2aTxn45HOrBXNu-Z6pDejdPUWNH5agumP9F8A5vdITPkgzt37Nlu7fmNVy2uTRwPHCJ9izO9ryvRKjhlpa-bZF5j1aFDpVXwH/s1600/0A099BAD-E4CE-4AE3-B322-BA22730EA839_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC_9Yox98YxqEFj7ZQ7ihCT9aw0rvIc_Ht8BA1AofVjk2aTxn45HOrBXNu-Z6pDejdPUWNH5agumP9F8A5vdITPkgzt37Nlu7fmNVy2uTRwPHCJ9izO9ryvRKjhlpa-bZF5j1aFDpVXwH/s320/0A099BAD-E4CE-4AE3-B322-BA22730EA839_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith probably writes the most notes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRAE4lKq8jirQcG3XhLMvpzMSYiBBcxRR7Z1imgiMnJtLRbdhN83l-X3t1fPMqlwEjWzyx93et525VqA4daoQ9esbfkX-gREwB30iM4rzlzlEtP26wfgHvH2Kp8t7g5MK4zPLibBmO60c/s1600/580DBDAD-9AE5-4763-A9CA-548F46A866D0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRAE4lKq8jirQcG3XhLMvpzMSYiBBcxRR7Z1imgiMnJtLRbdhN83l-X3t1fPMqlwEjWzyx93et525VqA4daoQ9esbfkX-gREwB30iM4rzlzlEtP26wfgHvH2Kp8t7g5MK4zPLibBmO60c/s320/580DBDAD-9AE5-4763-A9CA-548F46A866D0.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis wrote this after Micah wasn't feeling well (after a 4 hour, 23 mile, run in the foothills)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li><i>Climbing</i> - Before COVID hit, I was taking the kids to the climbing gym after school once a week. They loved it and they were getting good! Thankfully they are still young, so even if we have to take a break from climbing for awhile they can still get back into it.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6g8PvZKLo5smwYP4JfMhJnUc0kGQr1BO0xejSIp0yRmrWV6oyWxtgNzZDIL1t7EpAXGV8cv6eYMgRnwlikGEN5UNfdrt6YG03OcAxy4blZQUmeQR1uWkX3lqF6RuS18CVLsdctTPbx-q/s1600/344D28B9-C66B-400F-87C1-7E686549C2E9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6g8PvZKLo5smwYP4JfMhJnUc0kGQr1BO0xejSIp0yRmrWV6oyWxtgNzZDIL1t7EpAXGV8cv6eYMgRnwlikGEN5UNfdrt6YG03OcAxy4blZQUmeQR1uWkX3lqF6RuS18CVLsdctTPbx-q/s320/344D28B9-C66B-400F-87C1-7E686549C2E9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><i>Skiing</i> - All three love to ski and they went a few times this winter with Micah.</li>
</ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1x8Z4Xiw1qHnkGICLwVer8nNkWoUMe11l0KSEna3CUVpTpCLy5e_APT0v7B8gUrmwNTI2x9FAfonZ72SWUmo3-MieAMGLpYypyI8znYmjC8qUNbaqJUk6TjNSbUYPea1oCs3gc5mM8tl/s1600/F8C25BCF-9DAC-49D4-9BB3-681C7DFF2BB2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1x8Z4Xiw1qHnkGICLwVer8nNkWoUMe11l0KSEna3CUVpTpCLy5e_APT0v7B8gUrmwNTI2x9FAfonZ72SWUmo3-MieAMGLpYypyI8znYmjC8qUNbaqJUk6TjNSbUYPea1oCs3gc5mM8tl/s320/F8C25BCF-9DAC-49D4-9BB3-681C7DFF2BB2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><i>Taekwondo</i> - In August the kids started Taekwondo at the YMCA near our house. Overall they enjoyed it, but we ended up only doing it through November. In December our family battled many sicknesses so we weren't able to make it to practice, and then the kids didn't seem interested in going back. I was fine with that since we were so busy with schoolwork and it was always a battle getting them out the door to practice. But they have fond memories of their time in Taekwondo class. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbvxuZAi0btkh8_A-wuDKd-wfj0QpOZw4i6R7SudLlH9WRlqIfuNlOkHt5lt04a5ntUGwBLtYVU-OEG9gt9AQyz5F9mJ5vAUs41EQOqoQKhyphenhyphenoMB2y2fdZQbr6KqVNN0j5GRkL8F97nY92/s1600/23BB9E21-3D8C-42ED-80BD-08FC4EB4DFD5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbvxuZAi0btkh8_A-wuDKd-wfj0QpOZw4i6R7SudLlH9WRlqIfuNlOkHt5lt04a5ntUGwBLtYVU-OEG9gt9AQyz5F9mJ5vAUs41EQOqoQKhyphenhyphenoMB2y2fdZQbr6KqVNN0j5GRkL8F97nY92/s320/23BB9E21-3D8C-42ED-80BD-08FC4EB4DFD5.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><i>Piano </i>- In August the kids started taking piano lessons and they loved it. Getting them to practice during the week was challenging since they were so busy with schoolwork, but they loved the 1-on-1 lessons (and the best part for me was that the teacher came to our house so we didn't have to sit around her house for 1.5 hours every week!). Since COVID, I have tried to keep up the piano lessons using the little that I remember from learning in elementary school. Thankfully they are beginners so I can figure it out, but getting them to practice without them (or me) getting frustrated is a challenge. We have taken the last few weeks off, but I hope to re-start again soon. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Night </i>- It takes the girls hours to fall asleep at night, and not having to wake up for school in the morning has only made it worse since they can sleep in. Some nights one of the girls will be awake as late as 10:30 or 11! We put everyone to bed between 7:30 and 8:00, but they just don't seem that tired. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Fighting</i> - Some days / weeks it feels like there is constant bickering and fighting. Someone always feels left out and they get really annoyed with each other. Mainly being stuck at home definitely hasn't helped any of this, but I get tired of being their referee (and many days I just make them sort it out on their own). </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Pretend Play </i>- They continue to play elaborate games, which sometimes seem to take more time and effort to create / set up than actually play. But a lot of the fun is in the creating for them. For awhile they were really into playing camping, which included packing their backpacks with random stuff. The other day Faith wanted to celebrate Husky's birthday so she made all sorts of decorations, party invites, party favor bags, etc. When they actually celebrated the "birthday" it only took 10 minutes, but it took her hours to make everything. As long as they are busy and being creative, I am happy!</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqG38u-vkKoneVpcEDr4RqxhNCIzaT2tZbJYKSqpkUUwvd-yZXligMnjeUt-pqhfbv2Bb8PUWBZtMAjaYbFrTS8TvMF3fZAf9lhsYAVcYk2shIIaxES7UxXjjCMPmzFFt32FYFl2dq5Wd/s1600/690EBAE5-DEDA-49F3-9EB5-BC3F5B6EDBDF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqG38u-vkKoneVpcEDr4RqxhNCIzaT2tZbJYKSqpkUUwvd-yZXligMnjeUt-pqhfbv2Bb8PUWBZtMAjaYbFrTS8TvMF3fZAf9lhsYAVcYk2shIIaxES7UxXjjCMPmzFFt32FYFl2dq5Wd/s320/690EBAE5-DEDA-49F3-9EB5-BC3F5B6EDBDF.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Lost Teeth</i> - Faith has now lost 4 teeth, Alexis has lost 3 teeth, and Jack has lost 3 teeth (including the two he had pulled when he was 4-year-old). They all have adult teeth growing in on top and it makes them look so different!</li>
</ul>
<br />
I can still remember the day that Alexis, Jack, and Faith were born like it was yesterday. I can still picture the tiny babies that they were, and it is amazing how they have thrived over the last seven years. Although many days I am exhausted, especially since we haven't been able to get away from the house much, when I get to the end of the day I often think about how how great these three really are. They are truly miracles.<br />
<br />
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<br />Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-10575309589555564022020-06-08T22:37:00.000-06:002020-06-08T22:38:31.714-06:007th Birthday Interview Questions<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">I've
been asking the kids the same questions every year since their 3rd birthday.
It's fun to see how their answers evolve each year!</span></i></b><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
</span></i></b><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif;">ALEXIS</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
What is your full name?</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Alexis Joy Howard</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 7</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">When is your birthday?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> June 7<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
How old is Mommy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 37<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old is Daddy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 38<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">What is your favorite color?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Purple, black, and red [exactly the same as last
year!]</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite food?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Shrimp pasta and maple yogurt with blueberries</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Best friend?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Faith<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite song?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Skip to My Lou [one of her
nicknames is Lou]<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite animal?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Snoopy and Little Howler (stuffed
animals), Dogs and rabbits (real animals)<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
What are you scared of?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Moths,
spiders, and other creepy bugs [ABQ has had a moth invasion this year!]</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
What makes you happy? </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Having Daddy time [1:1
time with Micah]<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Where is your favorite place to go?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Explora [same as last year!]</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
What do you want to be when you grow up? </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">A vet or an astronaut</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> [exactly
the same as last year!]<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Relax,
and not pick up after us </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "apple color emoji"; font-size: 9.5pt;">😆</span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">What is Daddy’s favorite thing to do?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Mostly run</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b>What is your favorite subject in school?</b> Math and Reading</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR2Z680UjiB4RTYGwMjzFk1a_peWwybgSiB7dknHQrI4wfGnceeQMqayO7uzd9XGUBfx_8xJNE0t8B3cAUZ2rSBwF7YERKdg9ku3ubT1muDZCsoPxfBfZ4BhhsZyJXN5TEv-PnMl1VBtR/s1600/IMG_3858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR2Z680UjiB4RTYGwMjzFk1a_peWwybgSiB7dknHQrI4wfGnceeQMqayO7uzd9XGUBfx_8xJNE0t8B3cAUZ2rSBwF7YERKdg9ku3ubT1muDZCsoPxfBfZ4BhhsZyJXN5TEv-PnMl1VBtR/s320/IMG_3858.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self Portrait</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qUXVPxl1bAZNm9dHBi5LnU-FWulAkt5F7Arn9VmiyHIufUWOZbbqM6vqS5hyvSb419fIhACGKEZ6xCEzBJClKAXPmkkMkpGISCIRSTEcH5FCz8DUPFP-Ey-FxynnRFcbq6V24Fw5VePV/s1600/IMG_3903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qUXVPxl1bAZNm9dHBi5LnU-FWulAkt5F7Arn9VmiyHIufUWOZbbqM6vqS5hyvSb419fIhACGKEZ6xCEzBJClKAXPmkkMkpGISCIRSTEcH5FCz8DUPFP-Ey-FxynnRFcbq6V24Fw5VePV/s320/IMG_3903.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She wanted a tie dye cake with homemade frosting and lots of sprinkles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif;">FAITH</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">What
is your full name?</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Faith Elizabeth Howard</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 7</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">When is your birthday?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> June 7<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
How old is Mommy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 37<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old is Daddy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 38<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">What is your favorite color?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Pink, turquoise, and yellow</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite food?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Watermelon</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Best friend?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> My whole family<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite song?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> What Doest the Fox Say<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite animal?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Cheetahs and dogs<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
What are you scared of?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Dark
caves</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
What makes you happy? </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Dogs<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Where is your favorite place to go?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Our cousins' house in Colorado</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b>What do you want to be when you grow up? </b>That's hard. Not a vet. Not an
astronaut. Hmmmm. I want to be an accountant. [Like her mom!]</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Relax
[Can you tell I've been a little overwhelmed lately...both girls said this!]</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">What
is Daddy’s favorite thing to do?</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Look
at his phone [In his defense he doesn't look at it all day while he works, so
he's trying to catch up on his social life at night.]</span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b style="font-size: 12.6667px;">What is your favorite
subject in school?</b> Math</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7G4yhZh8Eini4PWcO93BJbTS2mrRTbgJg_xNe6zBrVw3VtbIbV0j1KgucboQMWlHvq0aonXOjqEJJWw9QEkVIVVvxE4rFaKuB5DUxHoSNp_QG-d_1YMIL779e9Mt8fH_Rx9y4kL1uFwR3/s1600/IMG_3862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7G4yhZh8Eini4PWcO93BJbTS2mrRTbgJg_xNe6zBrVw3VtbIbV0j1KgucboQMWlHvq0aonXOjqEJJWw9QEkVIVVvxE4rFaKuB5DUxHoSNp_QG-d_1YMIL779e9Mt8fH_Rx9y4kL1uFwR3/s320/IMG_3862.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self Portrait</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCVsQEunuy2VQGz4VVHCV6svlVru17aUWLR1Mmnx9PCFp0ZZWrLr6WR5nhYDNqMPqz1mdos6BhsYwjJh8GlBya7lYLSDGUuToSp-ZdQAkwCMQYCxHTe1Ir_9tgCnHko8Hy7hGCEg_yHqg/s1600/IMG_3898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCVsQEunuy2VQGz4VVHCV6svlVru17aUWLR1Mmnx9PCFp0ZZWrLr6WR5nhYDNqMPqz1mdos6BhsYwjJh8GlBya7lYLSDGUuToSp-ZdQAkwCMQYCxHTe1Ir_9tgCnHko8Hy7hGCEg_yHqg/s320/IMG_3898.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She wanted a cake shaped like a Husky, and she drew plans ahead of time so we knew exactly how to decorate. I did the frosting and she did the rest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif;">JACK</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">What
is your full name?</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Jack Micah Howard</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 7</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">When is your birthday?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> June 7<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
How old is Mommy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 36<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old is Daddy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 37<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">What is your favorite color?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Everything but pink and purple</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite food?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Pesto Pasta</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Best friend?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Dad<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite song?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Handlebars [same as last year!]<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite animal?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Lizard<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
What are you scared of?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Monsters</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
What makes you happy? </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Dad<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Where is your favorite place to go?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Cool Springs Trampoline Park</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b>What do you want to be when you grow up? </b>Engineer [Just like Dad!]</span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do?</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Work</span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">What
is Daddy’s favorite thing to do?</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> Run</span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "" "arial" "" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b style="font-size: 12.6667px;">What is your favorite
subject in school?</b> Math</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhah4m9jcabFtUo_xLwCuICYmURAFfAaRa5ShUYmJjjghEJFeCNJzqhEHTX94tX-3ZJLvT2NVhvL9LCW9-mw7xFoNcGiLnqKhc-UMv31EjHDFoDeCcrXx0fw3wKU1WlJqSQkmcV0cqpadto/s1600/IMG_3860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhah4m9jcabFtUo_xLwCuICYmURAFfAaRa5ShUYmJjjghEJFeCNJzqhEHTX94tX-3ZJLvT2NVhvL9LCW9-mw7xFoNcGiLnqKhc-UMv31EjHDFoDeCcrXx0fw3wKU1WlJqSQkmcV0cqpadto/s320/IMG_3860.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self Portrait</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack wanted an all chocolate cake shaped like a 7</td></tr>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-37049532102854606372020-04-26T20:42:00.002-06:002020-04-26T20:55:24.896-06:00Graham is 3!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My blog writing has taken a serious drop every year as I wrote 54 posts in 2014 (when our triplets were babies) and in 2019 I wrote 9 posts. But even if I don't make time to write about the smaller events that happen in our children's lives, I will keep writing birthday posts! It is so much fun to look back on how much they change from year to year, and the older kids have enjoyed hearing me read the blog posts about themselves when they were younger. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Somehow another year has already passed and Graham is 3! Thankfully we didn't have anything planned for his birthday as we haven't ever done big birthday parties for our kids, so having a "quarantine birthday" didn't seem like that big of a deal. Graham enjoyed opening presents throughout the day, talking to his grandparents on FaceTime (my parents even made cupcakes for themselves and wore party hats so that they could join in on the fun from afar!), eating cupcakes, playing with bubbles, and even seeing a friend who stopped by to wish him Happy Birthday from his car. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Here is a snapshot of Graham at age 3...</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Height:</b> 37 inches, which means he grew 4.5 inches in the last year which puts him in the 40th percentile for height. This is the most that any of our kids grew from age 2 to age 3. Although he is still shorter than Faith was at this age, he is about the same height as Alexis was, and he is 2 inches taller than Jack was. A year ago Graham was the same height as Jack was at that age, so it just goes to show that Jack’s blood disorder really did have an impact on his growth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Weight:</b> He is about 27 lbs, which makes him the heaviest of any of our kids at this age (although it’s funny to call him heavy, since he’s only in the 7th percentile for weight). In comparison, Jack was about 24.5 lbs and the girls were just over 26 lbs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Size Clothes:</b> Recently I switched all of his clothes to the 3T stuff we had from Jack, except for a few pairs of longer 2T pants.</span><br />
<b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Night Sleep:</b> Graham still shares a room with Jack. He moved in a little over a year ago, and thankfully they both sleep great most nights. Some nights it takes a little bit for Graham to calm down and fall asleep because he wants to keep the light on longer than Jack does, but most nights we let them work it out so we don’t have to get involved. Occasionally Graham wakes up during the night, but when he does it’s usually just something easy to fix like a bad dream or he needs his blanket put back on. Graham’s bed time is between 7:30 and 8:00, like the older kids, and he wakes between 7:00 and 7:30 most mornings. Sometimes he sleeps as late as 8:30! Thankfully, Jack has gotten really good at sneaking out of the room so that Graham can keep sleeping. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3YD1OPXsiXl76cUqKJtCMa8giGo-3IwPQosTK2AHreInYQRsgRHjrbW9cX7PJF9WIg4DfDP_1BNHLcb8tkdOQ_wvXYaKkt5kxu24ajOf2p1Q7JJlN5RVeMYdpzVv_0W6M2Tj6l4NCeKe/s1600/IMG_1589.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3YD1OPXsiXl76cUqKJtCMa8giGo-3IwPQosTK2AHreInYQRsgRHjrbW9cX7PJF9WIg4DfDP_1BNHLcb8tkdOQ_wvXYaKkt5kxu24ajOf2p1Q7JJlN5RVeMYdpzVv_0W6M2Tj6l4NCeKe/s320/IMG_1589.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack enjoys climbing into Graham's crib and reading with him before they turn the light off at night and after they wake up in the morning (if they are both awake)</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Naps:</b> Graham stopped napping around age 2.5. This was shocking and disappointing to me since our other kids napped fairly consistently until age 3. Occasionally he falls asleep in the car during school pick up, although this hasn’t been happening since school was dismissed for COVID-19 on March 16. Just this week we drove around for a little over an hour in the afternoon, and he fell asleep. Sadly I think he is a bit sleep deprived, but I think that's just part of being a younger sibling trying to keep up with older siblings.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQVmER14hv5cqLXilzPhqMXvvxHzTEuu7sYepVrOmr-8NUXDDf6uGmJ-jlZTVD3K8E8rQKTnrL6VJl6KYgS2F82kjgQ5glHcSiIuPmLPFqe4W30BMPz4W1t75SLTvLnepABvK_0kcjB-z/s1600/IMG_1701.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQVmER14hv5cqLXilzPhqMXvvxHzTEuu7sYepVrOmr-8NUXDDf6uGmJ-jlZTVD3K8E8rQKTnrL6VJl6KYgS2F82kjgQ5glHcSiIuPmLPFqe4W30BMPz4W1t75SLTvLnepABvK_0kcjB-z/s320/IMG_1701.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When school was still in session I would often take long walks in the afternoon and sometimes Graham would fall asleep in the stroller</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0C13B6tNqkuN93Wtu5b_B1zHUSSKyug37M9qyIrCeggRnDg8BtYDNqBxfU728JXtVeBj32Y1BN6-cFdnMqZfUG3M9XPEkWbwjRN4UPEWRgW8KLIbpRxTA42q7nUOYnu1YqiJk3dAoCIWa/s1600/IMG_2814.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0C13B6tNqkuN93Wtu5b_B1zHUSSKyug37M9qyIrCeggRnDg8BtYDNqBxfU728JXtVeBj32Y1BN6-cFdnMqZfUG3M9XPEkWbwjRN4UPEWRgW8KLIbpRxTA42q7nUOYnu1YqiJk3dAoCIWa/s320/IMG_2814.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was two days before his 3rd birthday</td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I know I handled food differently with Graham than I did with our trio for a few reasons. First of all, Graham had so many intolerances when he was younger that it was hard to find foods that he could eat that he was willing to try (we still limit dairy as I'm not sure it really works for him yet). Secondly, breakfast became a bar eaten in the car when we had to leave the house at 7:30 for school drop off (and most mornings I had to wake Graham up so we could leave on time). Another reason is that Graham is picky. Jack was also extremely picky and I know that we fought way too many battles trying to get the poor kid to eat what I made for dinner. Most days Graham eats what we eat for dinner, but if I know it is something he won't touch I just give him PB&J or chicken nuggets. His current favorite foods are: Z bars, waffles, pumpkin pancakes, vanilla almond milk yogurt, sausage, berries, broccoli, chicken nuggets, PB&J, crackers, pesto pasta, burgers, and fries. He likes to drink juice, chai (a little cold Tazo chai and almond milk), and smoothies. Like the rest of his family, he loves sweets.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WZGnF2Y01pwCebyeTDg_8lbmTDBqh-f5cMRxqxf_019Rl8cfNXZjtehrTN0T1doeKZUKPnLNLqcUDVEG3H29kUHvZM9SnWuldrdawXKxsdOHySrPJ6GPVAUVPjJg6I8gzREz-J1WINcg/s1600/IMG_1725.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WZGnF2Y01pwCebyeTDg_8lbmTDBqh-f5cMRxqxf_019Rl8cfNXZjtehrTN0T1doeKZUKPnLNLqcUDVEG3H29kUHvZM9SnWuldrdawXKxsdOHySrPJ6GPVAUVPjJg6I8gzREz-J1WINcg/s320/IMG_1725.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare Mommy and Graham donut date when the big kids were in school</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excited for a cookie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q_5ZLgNxQ4kLHIyeoejiEFC_9aYmV1vLmm-6VZrM8PI_ysULXIQ-Wfk28LhC8xfUD1gMX1rm2YMWlbnhyWdtF81BtKrr2idiUzSu9RnvX39vXzjvOd6pY39uwXFa_3fIHNILgdWUy3bt/s1600/IMG_2573.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q_5ZLgNxQ4kLHIyeoejiEFC_9aYmV1vLmm-6VZrM8PI_ysULXIQ-Wfk28LhC8xfUD1gMX1rm2YMWlbnhyWdtF81BtKrr2idiUzSu9RnvX39vXzjvOd6pY39uwXFa_3fIHNILgdWUy3bt/s320/IMG_2573.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've been eating some ice cream cones while we've been stuck at home during quarantine. Graham actually ate some real ice cream in a cone and it seemed to be okay for his body.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigK6Lc7Jr1t36_SZORXxcM_0dUImaE_-joZzjoSU-hlazw_jhkUAydmyD6GEfshyIkZNwAibFSrtAGTM_yz730googKH0cIGPeFMBp41uLZFuxoqUpYi-w5aFcuYI3k5l2zQaZsXTl_opl/s1600/IMG_2810.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigK6Lc7Jr1t36_SZORXxcM_0dUImaE_-joZzjoSU-hlazw_jhkUAydmyD6GEfshyIkZNwAibFSrtAGTM_yz730googKH0cIGPeFMBp41uLZFuxoqUpYi-w5aFcuYI3k5l2zQaZsXTl_opl/s320/IMG_2810.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When he drinks out of his water bottle he often makes the same gulping sound and the same sweet face that he made when he was nursing as a tiny baby. It's funny how sometimes I look at him while he drinks and I'm taken back to two years ago. I don't get many glimpses of the baby he once was anymore!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Milestones: </b>All I can think of right now is things he hasn't done that I should have been a little better about working on with him. He can walk up the stairs no problem, but he still turns around and goes backwards to get down the stairs (or he slides down on his tummy). He is super strong willed and, although I've attempted to get him to do many things, he has refused. (He won't drink out of an open cup. He still sleeps in a crib. He hasn't potty trained, despite two good attempts on my part. And he won't dress or undress himself, although he can take off his own pants, socks, and shoes). But there are some new things that he does now. He takes showers with Jack. He is learning his numbers and colors. He can ride a tricycle and a small balance bike. He can cut paper. He can find his own snacks in the pantry. And he seems to have stopped biting people, which is a wonderful thing that probably has a lot to do with the fact that his speech has come a very long way!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5HadOkt2joclP2-bpWlxgkkPwVFiHFnF3kIwtFBlyjZwBmvoP9UAULM2sPlvFmmWCCIJvqh41hr6AQbG4dgM6vtgXM313_471wRevbemMzf9xlDUijs0KeT-zGlCCi4k6nuul34pHEbp/s1600/IMG_1074.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5HadOkt2joclP2-bpWlxgkkPwVFiHFnF3kIwtFBlyjZwBmvoP9UAULM2sPlvFmmWCCIJvqh41hr6AQbG4dgM6vtgXM313_471wRevbemMzf9xlDUijs0KeT-zGlCCi4k6nuul34pHEbp/s320/IMG_1074.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding a tricycle with his rainboots on. If he puts on his own footwear, it's rainboots or crocs since they are both easy to slip on and off.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNhJDisVqrUzy4XSNgK6Cou-PtBt8dzCRyJRggvFRLWAoHgl19Chwd4UyI9hyWO2qF_Zk4yOLLxBog-tEN3Hksi4qTc6F2OSAIjPy9UQNtBcRAy8bfQU_BYXUjvNTZhemEPgRJmszvTNw/s1600/IMG_1475.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNhJDisVqrUzy4XSNgK6Cou-PtBt8dzCRyJRggvFRLWAoHgl19Chwd4UyI9hyWO2qF_Zk4yOLLxBog-tEN3Hksi4qTc6F2OSAIjPy9UQNtBcRAy8bfQU_BYXUjvNTZhemEPgRJmszvTNw/s320/IMG_1475.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves to cut paper with these preschooler friendly scissors. He makes a giant mess of paper all around him when he does this, but at least it keeps him busy for awhile!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgxmZyUGw7MvzK1veN51vR1G5JotQvJ3hfkiueAN9BMoY6eixKz-rHprFYXP_U00FpTm6sHw0QUYtVPM_7dlORCxM6IPg14a20iP4Bf8dqB3R61-v9PuQkJAdZGENmjz17zJ3IFu6IUHQ/s1600/IMG_2118.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgxmZyUGw7MvzK1veN51vR1G5JotQvJ3hfkiueAN9BMoY6eixKz-rHprFYXP_U00FpTm6sHw0QUYtVPM_7dlORCxM6IPg14a20iP4Bf8dqB3R61-v9PuQkJAdZGENmjz17zJ3IFu6IUHQ/s320/IMG_2118.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practicing color matching on St. Patrick's Day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-EWET67ekG82pXwbgsAUMMh5QZEgAA5r-xFAr94lK9VixbyTZ4vPJpHQ_-y-vpWgKCKmWN0SHSjK1JgS_3t1ugT37Er-1VbItCQuo5K-Cm48BtjMkNRnCBZgvYsE9K6vbBM7RmxYUvo9/s1600/IMG_2205.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-EWET67ekG82pXwbgsAUMMh5QZEgAA5r-xFAr94lK9VixbyTZ4vPJpHQ_-y-vpWgKCKmWN0SHSjK1JgS_3t1ugT37Er-1VbItCQuo5K-Cm48BtjMkNRnCBZgvYsE9K6vbBM7RmxYUvo9/s320/IMG_2205.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing in the pantry. The snacks are actually in the a drawer by his knee, but he was just being silly.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkytq5BvbKGGL4KVqBfFuqveS31RmVyFSqfMQE460DtMgfxwYasW3z80f5oLzsH4s5S6OA1unETf6ZVoOmI0tDEQdMxxBRgAEWD-3IW_RkfoClPThUq2n_6BVU7hxahJtgpXobbLQSKUr6/s1600/IMG_2284.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1496" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkytq5BvbKGGL4KVqBfFuqveS31RmVyFSqfMQE460DtMgfxwYasW3z80f5oLzsH4s5S6OA1unETf6ZVoOmI0tDEQdMxxBRgAEWD-3IW_RkfoClPThUq2n_6BVU7hxahJtgpXobbLQSKUr6/s320/IMG_2284.jpeg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is something my older kids didn't get a chance to do at Graham's age because a) we only had one iPad and I didn't want to deal with whining and complaining and b) we weren't stuck at home for a pandemic. The older kids spend a few days a week playing games on ABC Mouse while I cook dinner, and I set Graham up on the iPad.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiim7MfusvMaSeLgYmNEStBAm1qRdxWS6ccWGQBqIVeuKMTCo-TfrjxlQ4YRnhiBXkiAt8DdehH5GmQZY9nFIToqCZJbGtfN0jTVGb6Uh2q5BJjeJOhZtwG8FvF8l8aMls2c8nqfelTBf0o/s1600/IMG_2477.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1102" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiim7MfusvMaSeLgYmNEStBAm1qRdxWS6ccWGQBqIVeuKMTCo-TfrjxlQ4YRnhiBXkiAt8DdehH5GmQZY9nFIToqCZJbGtfN0jTVGb6Uh2q5BJjeJOhZtwG8FvF8l8aMls2c8nqfelTBf0o/s320/IMG_2477.jpeg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to keep up with the big kids on their scooters during one of our many neighborhood walks during the quarantine</td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speech: </b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Considering the fact that a year ago Graham was just started to say single words and six months ago he was just starting to put four words together, his speech is amazing now. There are still things he says that we don't quite understand, but he speaks using multiple sentences at a time now. He expresses himself really well and uses some advanced words. It's like he was just taking it all in during the first couple of years since all of our kids are very verbal, and now he has joined them in trying to talk the most at the dinner table 😆. Graham continued to do speech therapy up until his 3rd birthday, but we hadn't seen our speech therapist much in 2020 since she had knee surgery and Graham was doing so well anyway. His last therapy session was a couple of weeks ago so we had to do it through a video app on the iPad because of the restrictions with COVID-19. It was hilarious watching Graham interact with the Speech Therapist (Jessica) and the Care Coordinator (Charity) through the screen. He kept saying things like, "I'm going to show you something amazing," and then he'd find a toy to show them. When we would try to talk to each other about things he would say, "Stop!" because he wanted to be the one talking. He still drops the S sound for words like 'stop' so it comes out 'top' and he substitutes the T sound for a K (because sounds like betuz, okay sounds like otay), but these are normal developmental things for kids his age so right now it's nothing to be concerned about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>This is the first year that I've been able to ask Graham the annual birthday questions that I've been asking the older kids! </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What is your name?</b> Graham Mister Howard [it's actually Graham Andrew Howard, but we do call him "mister" and "mister Graham" a lot, so I guess he thinks that's really part of his name!]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How old are you?</b> Teeny</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>When is your birthday?</b> Saturday [no, it was on a Wednesday, but I was impressed that he said a day of the week!]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How old is Daddy?</b> Big</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How old is Mommy?</b> Teeny</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What is your favorite color?</b> Blue</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What is your favorite food?</b> Green</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Who is your best friend?</b> Max</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPvV0-kghFqS1n8ixi9WiVZ0PfcePgEpE40WlgX_4UT2pYO61fB1Qe6xShjK8Ocm_YCEJoplDgb59cLXOZNs3DnjG7LGK7Q1Nxy5qwEubWe2yHc6vDEFK5SLWz_0x80yZxMIyYURFBy5-/s1600/IMG_1896.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPvV0-kghFqS1n8ixi9WiVZ0PfcePgEpE40WlgX_4UT2pYO61fB1Qe6xShjK8Ocm_YCEJoplDgb59cLXOZNs3DnjG7LGK7Q1Nxy5qwEubWe2yHc6vDEFK5SLWz_0x80yZxMIyYURFBy5-/s320/IMG_1896.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would say both Max and Peregrine are Graham's "best friends" right now, besides his siblings of course. I feel so lucky to have friends that have kids around the same age as Graham. We enjoyed doing a toddler swap during the school year and these boys loved playing together at each other's houses.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Favorite song?</b> Happy Birthday</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Favorite animal?</b> That one [pointing to Faith’s stuffed puppy]</span><br />
<b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What are you scared of?</b> Monsters</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What makes you happy?</b> You [pointing to mom 😍]</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6Dt7XJa3GxZF9BiMJ1pL_xanu6_H994-n4grxGpmQ0UJJnraCq4IRu9QydLFQ-S3hzC73LoxigS5_29sUFfaV8AqMpH6ruTGkpDQYJBLF8I4Kd5sBhjz31zKZ-1Ox9piBTl66FRvSCpX/s1600/IMG_2847.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6Dt7XJa3GxZF9BiMJ1pL_xanu6_H994-n4grxGpmQ0UJJnraCq4IRu9QydLFQ-S3hzC73LoxigS5_29sUFfaV8AqMpH6ruTGkpDQYJBLF8I4Kd5sBhjz31zKZ-1Ox9piBTl66FRvSCpX/s320/IMG_2847.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He may be a 3-year-old, but he still loves to cuddle and doesn't mind being carried. He still gives me the biggest kisses all of the time.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Where is your favorite place to go?</b> To Michigan</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What is your favorite toy?</b> Sleeping bag [I don't think this is true, but he was playing in it recently]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What do you want to be when you grow up? </b>A bird</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do?</b> Pee in the potty [I guess he thinks I really enjoy this since I want him to start doing it too 😏]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What is Daddy’s favorite thing to do? </b>Buckle</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Some other recent photos:</i></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EMXHkHSVbW9UTbFfC4RaV6zU7QuC0bqicPVOLmEnJ1NYmydDmEup4YSBaQZFeX93taU4Wm2DybRyjxovZjt9AjIzi_2jqjoTUU-3jnzG9P2I9g9o75XTD_T8QTpVy73sG0gucKvVC80h/s1600/IMG_1096.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EMXHkHSVbW9UTbFfC4RaV6zU7QuC0bqicPVOLmEnJ1NYmydDmEup4YSBaQZFeX93taU4Wm2DybRyjxovZjt9AjIzi_2jqjoTUU-3jnzG9P2I9g9o75XTD_T8QTpVy73sG0gucKvVC80h/s320/IMG_1096.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He LOVES this Ninja Turtle costume that I bought him for $1 at the NM Parents of Multiples Garage Sale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RH-LNeaulcIgaONy6I6dhzyINQZIhtGGaQLO6aC5RHYE9h5hFD5smiIRiJIkvNEE-CYAL9IiV3wfp65bd5_NvS1eGWEN6PtKK0C_xKD7TyJ2PwHelggbUaW5qmAa39u2t9MSTLoxI32K/s1600/IMG_1127.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RH-LNeaulcIgaONy6I6dhzyINQZIhtGGaQLO6aC5RHYE9h5hFD5smiIRiJIkvNEE-CYAL9IiV3wfp65bd5_NvS1eGWEN6PtKK0C_xKD7TyJ2PwHelggbUaW5qmAa39u2t9MSTLoxI32K/s320/IMG_1127.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressing up is always fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6_DOuzMqZAbqmo85DToaHUT2UVFmyxacQ-AHpYXpol6zceOH9TBgKypve_X-DtEmnsL_5A3CgAqxQtVQ5eW64MKDv2uq63lfrF6cqao-_5ZC2Bhdu7n2hEDhExbBIvalZunm8TEczJii/s1600/IMG_1537.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6_DOuzMqZAbqmo85DToaHUT2UVFmyxacQ-AHpYXpol6zceOH9TBgKypve_X-DtEmnsL_5A3CgAqxQtVQ5eW64MKDv2uq63lfrF6cqao-_5ZC2Bhdu7n2hEDhExbBIvalZunm8TEczJii/s320/IMG_1537.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swinging is great and we can't wait for parks to re-open!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo_vPpaaRsiTmaPSQjKIQs-BiThkqPWpQw3crL05Q-dMn7wb9wM1EDcU-YSGiSZlrIu9I3AmvENEoqmVThX0g9cj6ePVad4rTPwOSQUvwp_jUMwpb8rJG0a5In6WG06cDCUYx7gh_KEph/s1600/IMG_1596.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo_vPpaaRsiTmaPSQjKIQs-BiThkqPWpQw3crL05Q-dMn7wb9wM1EDcU-YSGiSZlrIu9I3AmvENEoqmVThX0g9cj6ePVad4rTPwOSQUvwp_jUMwpb8rJG0a5In6WG06cDCUYx7gh_KEph/s320/IMG_1596.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking with the backpack that he refused to put on his back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLQ7_fTuFSVYP0PJAiWsnJ8E8N1QHla0eTt-xICfSst5yNnz-yNRNkPXCmxVuX7a50l5j7F6Yi_LYpmM3MrOwlyNuBY05ExrG8ZG0cym_rEN6pqZlF-f9-cwiWP8w4MpfZ7x1qXiWYkF6/s1600/IMG_1597.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLQ7_fTuFSVYP0PJAiWsnJ8E8N1QHla0eTt-xICfSst5yNnz-yNRNkPXCmxVuX7a50l5j7F6Yi_LYpmM3MrOwlyNuBY05ExrG8ZG0cym_rEN6pqZlF-f9-cwiWP8w4MpfZ7x1qXiWYkF6/s320/IMG_1597.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He still looks small next to Daddy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDq4lHGZobNamZVcWg-fDi5nmJGSES77i8AzaMCMfEnXB3Uqm8xgKil2_-M00FbVlb1kvhkw_iTOhbSuxs3X5Vik2LN4H5n0WEoJb-PCTeVLaSJ_gymNdyXOE1qJ6PibncO07UF9TdOc5E/s1600/IMG_1640.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDq4lHGZobNamZVcWg-fDi5nmJGSES77i8AzaMCMfEnXB3Uqm8xgKil2_-M00FbVlb1kvhkw_iTOhbSuxs3X5Vik2LN4H5n0WEoJb-PCTeVLaSJ_gymNdyXOE1qJ6PibncO07UF9TdOc5E/s320/IMG_1640.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the quarantine we were spending a lot of time at the climbing gym</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNh8AMX_lWb_YO4xobN_T7wTCcXz_KDUI6mwVwmAPSCVLqtj_JirbACXL2bQRY9qMlryJ-rnpfJjc0EToDagFl8y7TjOsAB3R1gpmVBk3oIOaANmc-tb6JGJKyE4n58wIlNPqm1dxu4ij/s1600/IMG_1805.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNh8AMX_lWb_YO4xobN_T7wTCcXz_KDUI6mwVwmAPSCVLqtj_JirbACXL2bQRY9qMlryJ-rnpfJjc0EToDagFl8y7TjOsAB3R1gpmVBk3oIOaANmc-tb6JGJKyE4n58wIlNPqm1dxu4ij/s320/IMG_1805.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making a mess of chalk is just as much fun as climbing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr17ao5fpcbUVNHsLpYt0rQlV1rVkoMufzjEbh_CtchWx3xL0pXLlm5sbmwZlIqF3kLocLZo5MPbv6UN_sR3rtWZdb_Y43hPpFhyphenhyphena0Qbyu2MPfed2FgIBbCVK6ICKHR7Z1FgCYl-ftFjhI/s1600/IMG_1903.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr17ao5fpcbUVNHsLpYt0rQlV1rVkoMufzjEbh_CtchWx3xL0pXLlm5sbmwZlIqF3kLocLZo5MPbv6UN_sR3rtWZdb_Y43hPpFhyphenhyphena0Qbyu2MPfed2FgIBbCVK6ICKHR7Z1FgCYl-ftFjhI/s320/IMG_1903.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singing loudly in the backyard. He still doesn't sing real songs like the other kids did at this age, but that's probably more my fault than his as I'm sure I sang to the other kids more. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlH75iX1jRkHfFHKT5exFsKyl9Ev8Yxd7scTo_wme6efzbm9dA1uWgpYKn3_m7Kr08wTTvP5XqL3QxNr7mprI7NEGVxAujOnrCkh0BL93iIjmQj46wopCknZFaiv_VNiQ-BvUcdRlK0vd/s1600/IMG_1961.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlH75iX1jRkHfFHKT5exFsKyl9Ev8Yxd7scTo_wme6efzbm9dA1uWgpYKn3_m7Kr08wTTvP5XqL3QxNr7mprI7NEGVxAujOnrCkh0BL93iIjmQj46wopCknZFaiv_VNiQ-BvUcdRlK0vd/s320/IMG_1961.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At High Desert Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BJ4snp_SbgIXfO-QFisK32gK00chuR_JJeg4QiRkTlWkyE1ADa4ioj4ISKOoqNtJRrk2YSRZcK7EVB2hR139HWwMYn5GkRe3kYRs_VCYvcQxRDqztUMmfbQY30Xm4Z63lpYZXCS0BWxm/s1600/IMG_2049.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BJ4snp_SbgIXfO-QFisK32gK00chuR_JJeg4QiRkTlWkyE1ADa4ioj4ISKOoqNtJRrk2YSRZcK7EVB2hR139HWwMYn5GkRe3kYRs_VCYvcQxRDqztUMmfbQY30Xm4Z63lpYZXCS0BWxm/s320/IMG_2049.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding the ATV at Grammy and Grandpa's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginAU_qf3IkFxCSrIErpr_qppD2kYfoblHyAiCjv_RrtKWdadi1wJDkrn0VOBpdesNG35GmZM4y8le5My6-2W7ljxw8A0NeHqhmlH_ZfKkOX0rV7xS1AFmT3OyrIV3-eJMpKuIHBd2WKJa/s1600/IMG_2242.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginAU_qf3IkFxCSrIErpr_qppD2kYfoblHyAiCjv_RrtKWdadi1wJDkrn0VOBpdesNG35GmZM4y8le5My6-2W7ljxw8A0NeHqhmlH_ZfKkOX0rV7xS1AFmT3OyrIV3-eJMpKuIHBd2WKJa/s320/IMG_2242.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first outdoor dinner of the year, and Graham had to make a silly face. He enjoys being the family clown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXrhCakuWsLgVc-cK078unpyHllDnYo_Oo27ZWECRgL2Iz8VPf1koNK72qJ372MVdpJO-seaNYO7xpH_m2PMIR69HeXhVKZyU3moP7oY9w8gycVhsnOICE8sU55NY61S4NTlKqrQUazuy/s1600/IMG_2363.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXrhCakuWsLgVc-cK078unpyHllDnYo_Oo27ZWECRgL2Iz8VPf1koNK72qJ372MVdpJO-seaNYO7xpH_m2PMIR69HeXhVKZyU3moP7oY9w8gycVhsnOICE8sU55NY61S4NTlKqrQUazuy/s320/IMG_2363.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With his favorite animal, his Koala. He says it, "Fwala."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cpQMIhpqwX0c41kia6GRs10zxwnxjdoWzAhPoevgrdRUXRlRikwf1tO2STB1GWZDi5dZmWGVPMwZF6m9_g2o_bz1z7u1vyvwVJlYjpcGTv_rzdToDKzCG91BQKXbJ8ha9AnqDc3AnSBZ/s1600/IMG_2469.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cpQMIhpqwX0c41kia6GRs10zxwnxjdoWzAhPoevgrdRUXRlRikwf1tO2STB1GWZDi5dZmWGVPMwZF6m9_g2o_bz1z7u1vyvwVJlYjpcGTv_rzdToDKzCG91BQKXbJ8ha9AnqDc3AnSBZ/s320/IMG_2469.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has always been mesmerized by water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBztC4W2cGhHAHyWKpC2axyaKetF4Kb2tOjJDHkbK39GIlu9KoCrBWX-4daYNCaCRDVR2VSSCjoRWJa4a4ZGXIDKUel6_sPqFET2zuW1I5qQ90XEThbPUlEoUvyRF-MuXWLmVwf3N1qmNt/s1600/IMG_2481.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBztC4W2cGhHAHyWKpC2axyaKetF4Kb2tOjJDHkbK39GIlu9KoCrBWX-4daYNCaCRDVR2VSSCjoRWJa4a4ZGXIDKUel6_sPqFET2zuW1I5qQ90XEThbPUlEoUvyRF-MuXWLmVwf3N1qmNt/s320/IMG_2481.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was downstairs all by himself and I found him playing this "fishing" game</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemuwjd_vbNV-k6TlNM5HtsHA_kWIdlWOFvWugc7m6CFjOpJSQrbpBmp-hm29dbXCyDJcVnX0fdXA_mX_MCDyGze0VY8ObzTDxxnzXjvo6SEBdd7CHPJBu70PEZ5Hj7OCQ783ntK42OxAU/s1600/IMG_2643.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemuwjd_vbNV-k6TlNM5HtsHA_kWIdlWOFvWugc7m6CFjOpJSQrbpBmp-hm29dbXCyDJcVnX0fdXA_mX_MCDyGze0VY8ObzTDxxnzXjvo6SEBdd7CHPJBu70PEZ5Hj7OCQ783ntK42OxAU/s320/IMG_2643.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So excited about the Easter Egg Hunt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhavuzEuqPaDMVBPWmbjvtS024eVtSzvLB416Tzo2-6oVR2BXM8mSVZ27PRB9jOpxzvpKDx7yidivkUNKhNJ5UgaUgrNHjH-yQxfzcepjbgPUfaZJLQy1a3Em6RIJXxjhf5Npg30FUzAR/s1600/IMG_2972.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhavuzEuqPaDMVBPWmbjvtS024eVtSzvLB416Tzo2-6oVR2BXM8mSVZ27PRB9jOpxzvpKDx7yidivkUNKhNJ5UgaUgrNHjH-yQxfzcepjbgPUfaZJLQy1a3Em6RIJXxjhf5Npg30FUzAR/s320/IMG_2972.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day after his birthday he woke up and wanted to play with his new bubble lawn mower. He was outside by 7:15 a.m. despite it being a little chilly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIup2vYsvp7QkgX-zHJKvYwVO1KERL7e-MTdXwpiP7LHA-A3PbColAP3FgQaDoqjWxZDfy2fUSocSTuecahBeRzSA4piwRWM5tSU1smzrJcT52RcfeSEI9PaRo9M346XxUg3YY-3JFrIh9/s1600/IMG_2994.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIup2vYsvp7QkgX-zHJKvYwVO1KERL7e-MTdXwpiP7LHA-A3PbColAP3FgQaDoqjWxZDfy2fUSocSTuecahBeRzSA4piwRWM5tSU1smzrJcT52RcfeSEI9PaRo9M346XxUg3YY-3JFrIh9/s320/IMG_2994.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He definitely has his own ideas. He demanded that he eat his breakfast in the living room on this morning. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd59R1Yz_lZc3NB4t0J3Yn0pvCvRVHQobe79aPAInrLZbZuoRbAGp2ArtKee1nDnvkeoseXQBk3EPE4n2amIHu2r_PY3FQs9dHV176xo9dd0ZT-4OXuDUFXinBN8AhIAVTfGgc8E9zzro8/s1600/IMG_3003.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd59R1Yz_lZc3NB4t0J3Yn0pvCvRVHQobe79aPAInrLZbZuoRbAGp2ArtKee1nDnvkeoseXQBk3EPE4n2amIHu2r_PY3FQs9dHV176xo9dd0ZT-4OXuDUFXinBN8AhIAVTfGgc8E9zzro8/s320/IMG_3003.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubbles are the best.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-51095973372207970232020-03-28T11:55:00.001-06:002020-03-28T11:55:27.781-06:00Michigan Last Summer<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This post is extremely belated as I wrote it on the drive home from Michigan in July, but I forgot about for awhile and then I got too busy to finish it. Thanks to the COVID-19 Stay-At-Home orders, though, I have some spare time. It's sad to think that there's a chance we won't make it to Michigan this summer because of the virus, but we are trying not to think too far into the future right now as it feels overwhelming.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The kids spent five weeks in Michigan last June and July, and I was there for all but the 10 days I spent in Italy with Micah. Our summers in Michigan are always wonderful as we enjoy our time with family and friends that live there. We also enjoy the weather as it's the best time of year to be in Michigan. Here are just some highlights from our time in Michigan:</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All three big kids became great swimmers! We took advantage of having access to a friends’ pool and we went there at least 8 times in five weeks, which helped the kids become so much stronger. All three can swim two lengths of the backyard pool in a row, and Alexis can even swim to the bottom of the deep end to get a diving ring (which is 8-9 feet deep). They can also tread water. They have zero fear about going down the slide or jumping into the deep end.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7VnV04OvcY0wAo5prkIUiCcNZMLr11HISbTqB3WyIJj8mcduRInmNEAR7TRJTZ8-uxeI74bCins32AEB75NDAWRLEpQO3lkTvuUonkEIIue-D4H3vO30l_YRobydwwHDLzandGn4wtlF/s1600/IMG_6870.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7VnV04OvcY0wAo5prkIUiCcNZMLr11HISbTqB3WyIJj8mcduRInmNEAR7TRJTZ8-uxeI74bCins32AEB75NDAWRLEpQO3lkTvuUonkEIIue-D4H3vO30l_YRobydwwHDLzandGn4wtlF/s320/IMG_6870.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgBW7Epks-ldWyJjHGwjxLRD6R4g7faVcf0tkQ0CJVwwLguYCEtCIiZR9PNIGt55YLY4QH3KOyIizYOM6JwpvSOTLNG4JBOReyWdWkU9nqH7asdF9UCEJhwh9xzpPyAHVehPfXNuUOlLT/s1600/FC071D34-6B3F-411A-B794-E63AA1D290D1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgBW7Epks-ldWyJjHGwjxLRD6R4g7faVcf0tkQ0CJVwwLguYCEtCIiZR9PNIGt55YLY4QH3KOyIizYOM6JwpvSOTLNG4JBOReyWdWkU9nqH7asdF9UCEJhwh9xzpPyAHVehPfXNuUOlLT/s320/FC071D34-6B3F-411A-B794-E63AA1D290D1.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQ0jtsJfjai8Rgag0sv-gAMunYX2d9C7QUBLzENHln8HqNWSx8bWSpweO6zNb7pwDCHUtpoHyoMJMqgN1I96LSyghsyVKvoZsLtOpn6x_QXznhA66goD3vSUKUVtTAHujIDN8el6uxNJQ/s1600/F9176C74-B960-406B-B78B-8A5BD5461B85.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQ0jtsJfjai8Rgag0sv-gAMunYX2d9C7QUBLzENHln8HqNWSx8bWSpweO6zNb7pwDCHUtpoHyoMJMqgN1I96LSyghsyVKvoZsLtOpn6x_QXznhA66goD3vSUKUVtTAHujIDN8el6uxNJQ/s320/F9176C74-B960-406B-B78B-8A5BD5461B85.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All the kids spent hours riding their bikes in the driveway and around the loop in the condo neighborhood. The big kids took turns riding along while we ran, which proved that they could bike 4-5 miles without stopping. Graham learned to pedal the small tricycle that my parents found at a garage sale. </span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10Afpho_CqPa52QneLRC-qxFOfMXpuWGramR_NEthYsyQw5b1Q1rSNS8Gnhl1Bgp6YN8t5IyooMXmcO65-OD3FGlkcnXB1nOj0CL1bAV-VOlSPXdUo5L9rvzPYGFgA_kZiKW3bembO4BX/s1600/f3abd78c-976e-434b-b7b0-3e053880cb94.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10Afpho_CqPa52QneLRC-qxFOfMXpuWGramR_NEthYsyQw5b1Q1rSNS8Gnhl1Bgp6YN8t5IyooMXmcO65-OD3FGlkcnXB1nOj0CL1bAV-VOlSPXdUo5L9rvzPYGFgA_kZiKW3bembO4BX/s320/f3abd78c-976e-434b-b7b0-3e053880cb94.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents took the kids and their bikes to Dutch Village</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshY7juIvAwuIvI1OINaZ0PVSNaVp46jWwk7nSjKUKCjS-IjRf8aEg0tZBeLV9GzS8k86MvyE4-a6H1P2tRKNCQwtrGigxjMbLCHNIlaHTLMKPbZvWHTOcMUR_hDFWqfj5CuJ-EuwNU8tv/s1600/IMG_6674.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshY7juIvAwuIvI1OINaZ0PVSNaVp46jWwk7nSjKUKCjS-IjRf8aEg0tZBeLV9GzS8k86MvyE4-a6H1P2tRKNCQwtrGigxjMbLCHNIlaHTLMKPbZvWHTOcMUR_hDFWqfj5CuJ-EuwNU8tv/s320/IMG_6674.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cN9oSi4qAy923AObNKiUSKI88DmxSXKmzeg9adekNHNKgOPrdSJ3bcqhfLgS1Mj89FZkfl04cgHdilWHN9o0cMZoC9RuMWhkU_CO2QUOBtvZqXQ8AoHTbuJUB2Fk6YAOUzjyzZbI1dMY/s1600/IMG_7293.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cN9oSi4qAy923AObNKiUSKI88DmxSXKmzeg9adekNHNKgOPrdSJ3bcqhfLgS1Mj89FZkfl04cgHdilWHN9o0cMZoC9RuMWhkU_CO2QUOBtvZqXQ8AoHTbuJUB2Fk6YAOUzjyzZbI1dMY/s320/IMG_7293.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQh69WPX-eDr7OPez8WV546Xkvh7MSRWy_IzcbMeJs1a8G2R5_izy08EM6SDI4rSrxp73vljG2wvUEgKUVPhG85qbV8BFd35Yp8Nj6n-G-kQlzHBz4euZm3WH2tyLSsyIkpQc-meSApLS/s1600/IMG_7294.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQh69WPX-eDr7OPez8WV546Xkvh7MSRWy_IzcbMeJs1a8G2R5_izy08EM6SDI4rSrxp73vljG2wvUEgKUVPhG85qbV8BFd35Yp8Nj6n-G-kQlzHBz4euZm3WH2tyLSsyIkpQc-meSApLS/s320/IMG_7294.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIBYW4yDd9kxvXFC4W341O5csgTzg7XYj26SNd95FIRLAdJ3f1DLXcXlFLUAH1lM1yg5xevucFa2f-bEuIySCfOrP2z3OQ373MEE1yVeTxHo45CHTy_ie1xvrPRm66BPtwVOvGChRPIG_/s1600/IMG_7353.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIBYW4yDd9kxvXFC4W341O5csgTzg7XYj26SNd95FIRLAdJ3f1DLXcXlFLUAH1lM1yg5xevucFa2f-bEuIySCfOrP2z3OQ373MEE1yVeTxHo45CHTy_ie1xvrPRm66BPtwVOvGChRPIG_/s320/IMG_7353.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents driveway becomes a bike road when we're in town</td></tr>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Alexis estimates she ate about 20 ice cream cones, which was one of the top items on her Michigan bucket list. </span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq2UDuNfreqsEtWOIATiRNQFoVf4DtOh5l-Oa1WcRQ-5fiXwkNlHSMf0UlPdKCIyZcxPaKmI380E0ODPuEuM0-UrhxvLVvJiwCcfV1HdSKb3bxPpbduC6dIG7l_Gu-9FADEOro8wxYnna/s1600/IMG_7042.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq2UDuNfreqsEtWOIATiRNQFoVf4DtOh5l-Oa1WcRQ-5fiXwkNlHSMf0UlPdKCIyZcxPaKmI380E0ODPuEuM0-UrhxvLVvJiwCcfV1HdSKb3bxPpbduC6dIG7l_Gu-9FADEOro8wxYnna/s320/IMG_7042.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some cones were from ice cream stores, and some were eaten at home</td></tr>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Faith lost two bottom teeth, which were the first teeth lost by the triplets except for the teeth Jack had pulled. </span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3W-6DSpcbTrvPBqxORZq_3kUPxZG8iwkjLzvxVUAZ20LHi5iREkZeKf4M66e-TsvrDcnkWhzbxzpYSOBl7oERIJiJenzQGBa8Keg09fdlwz6Room-r-UjRbL1QyldxrtA3-K9zQWzf0Kl/s1600/IMG_7147.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3W-6DSpcbTrvPBqxORZq_3kUPxZG8iwkjLzvxVUAZ20LHi5iREkZeKf4M66e-TsvrDcnkWhzbxzpYSOBl7oERIJiJenzQGBa8Keg09fdlwz6Room-r-UjRbL1QyldxrtA3-K9zQWzf0Kl/s320/IMG_7147.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Graham stopped sucking his fingers! We started him on the finger guard a few days before we left for Michigan, and after about two weeks of wearing it we stopped putting it on for his naps and at night. He hasn’t even tried to suck his fingers since!</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1C1bGfhJfknFhXr2PoSsjnC0qaN8DWUfEbNtle4noBKF-BkSJI1CCY_E9rdnl61sDcA3oEgCP0eGteXHfLSHnXpt9lmAgYxCJgMKaE_ZHWbqUVPaaHb6ZaHSCWr1lHVMeorEEjW2trMnS/s1600/IMG_6703.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1C1bGfhJfknFhXr2PoSsjnC0qaN8DWUfEbNtle4noBKF-BkSJI1CCY_E9rdnl61sDcA3oEgCP0eGteXHfLSHnXpt9lmAgYxCJgMKaE_ZHWbqUVPaaHb6ZaHSCWr1lHVMeorEEjW2trMnS/s320/IMG_6703.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham with his finger guard</td></tr>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Graham learned many new words and he started putting two words together more frequently! I have to admit that I was hoping for him to be completely caught up with his speech by the time we left, which was unrealistic, but spending more time with other people and seeing new things seemed to help him.</span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As our earliest riser, Jack spent many early mornings snuggling with Grandma and looking at the photos and short videos on her phone. He loved the 1-on-1 time. </span></li>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Graham’s affection for Grandpa seemed to only increase during our time in Michigan. Although I seem to still be his top choice, Grandpa is a close second. </span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4Z-ZpxRmTnSMedf1QlULI9kx1YSqMfFyUISkL9n9hKUjVDRB3U1M2KlFRbDjrQs3O8-2rFzVNLJbO7ss8TdPqa4Vk1rCqhgJB9yoIO2MFBx5zJZbe0_eV4851mnx0fTp6jK92RIc5Qwb/s1600/IMG_6632.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4Z-ZpxRmTnSMedf1QlULI9kx1YSqMfFyUISkL9n9hKUjVDRB3U1M2KlFRbDjrQs3O8-2rFzVNLJbO7ss8TdPqa4Vk1rCqhgJB9yoIO2MFBx5zJZbe0_eV4851mnx0fTp6jK92RIc5Qwb/s320/IMG_6632.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack, Faith, Alexis, and Graham</td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">All three big kids tried tubing behind the pontoon boat at the cottage. Faith decided it wasn’t her favorite thing, but Jack and Alexis loved it and couldn’t get enough. </span>We went to my family's cottage for two different trips that were a few days each, and we had a blast</span>.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr5pNx_hBvkindOV2B04fJDdLGjMI-ZFGRO6xx04akXiraOp-yzTdZz4LeCFWUmCWN5sewyVmcjXwIjD4-25hS5aMQC1j44fkvOn6Nlki_ng-NH6T-DJRJ4JZ4xnzzzJS6vWIvovXeCv9/s1600/IMG_2195.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr5pNx_hBvkindOV2B04fJDdLGjMI-ZFGRO6xx04akXiraOp-yzTdZz4LeCFWUmCWN5sewyVmcjXwIjD4-25hS5aMQC1j44fkvOn6Nlki_ng-NH6T-DJRJ4JZ4xnzzzJS6vWIvovXeCv9/s320/IMG_2195.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4th of July Fireworks with the family</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LqU5A33DAC9d1R0Rwuo36USTAs4fsc1MdZobhEvPPS2EOPB2hIeIfKQ1bLvolO2eaRJnE72ahrF4MrLtDp1KYKeRApOQsWyLWygJVlnaYxju1-rKjyDBrYYQSmsqmRRqPYWvYeMXy8u4/s1600/IMG_7039.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LqU5A33DAC9d1R0Rwuo36USTAs4fsc1MdZobhEvPPS2EOPB2hIeIfKQ1bLvolO2eaRJnE72ahrF4MrLtDp1KYKeRApOQsWyLWygJVlnaYxju1-rKjyDBrYYQSmsqmRRqPYWvYeMXy8u4/s320/IMG_7039.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Body boards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp35q9atZ4JQW07G3tJO9Js-mXlZJZDjnakYVIRAipJzOLpvrfGNCum5rlEQUWedusD5x9bwCLn3hrXzRQRiVrW3GrD1WXxVj_PhufJSjjb5kvUwshHKpTQnmyJejph95ZlGs0IUyU6n3x/s1600/IMG_7092.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp35q9atZ4JQW07G3tJO9Js-mXlZJZDjnakYVIRAipJzOLpvrfGNCum5rlEQUWedusD5x9bwCLn3hrXzRQRiVrW3GrD1WXxVj_PhufJSjjb5kvUwshHKpTQnmyJejph95ZlGs0IUyU6n3x/s320/IMG_7092.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE3Pmd9adnmrRPoHrYJ8lYy5SLa0SbrTh1vtZOdXNG62k7dLUtw0pkt7ri2r3XitgCUTqrR08JlZxWOpcMkKbZGJPBmq6Qft3d12xWh5aofvjWsgi9qlrN3F_rd1r34t2wGKZv495KJ1q/s1600/IMG_7102.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE3Pmd9adnmrRPoHrYJ8lYy5SLa0SbrTh1vtZOdXNG62k7dLUtw0pkt7ri2r3XitgCUTqrR08JlZxWOpcMkKbZGJPBmq6Qft3d12xWh5aofvjWsgi9qlrN3F_rd1r34t2wGKZv495KJ1q/s320/IMG_7102.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRI7jhSWvQogjgD5PH93WdN1sNYdKs-ZAwoeaM0o2MiJX6bsxEMaUsCFSvngMPQY5HbgLBeAB7HQOOAw0xi9IdEGMLhw_I2sDhVX_IgxwYl85Eu8G5_nIcwbzaNuUWajrvPxDL7cqqkfE/s1600/IMG_7319.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRI7jhSWvQogjgD5PH93WdN1sNYdKs-ZAwoeaM0o2MiJX6bsxEMaUsCFSvngMPQY5HbgLBeAB7HQOOAw0xi9IdEGMLhw_I2sDhVX_IgxwYl85Eu8G5_nIcwbzaNuUWajrvPxDL7cqqkfE/s320/IMG_7319.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the pontoon boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We spent a good amount of time with cousins!</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMY25xEqV2umSGNSInvDie5z67eNcwhvM6Wn8dGIhyphenhyphenG48RxT-9P___Xb7AWJv1eSdGywVCaTlv-nIph9IRsAO57ezjbsBV9tAbkEp89woGT_gVPfMP4eAMhlL3O-dUxIIpAO521A08_6YV/s1600/IMG_7339.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMY25xEqV2umSGNSInvDie5z67eNcwhvM6Wn8dGIhyphenhyphenG48RxT-9P___Xb7AWJv1eSdGywVCaTlv-nIph9IRsAO57ezjbsBV9tAbkEp89woGT_gVPfMP4eAMhlL3O-dUxIIpAO521A08_6YV/s320/IMG_7339.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the sandbar at the cottage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj_xZJitoTJYGkGAv-rf0YHKoXMpis6SHFO_nI8ggZUNTQk_htVP-LW6iL6iifaqEZs1xnYgmngCYLhEc_vyUil7676klbMXXngIHN4bxN4r_xCfRii8mmQ0Adq5yU3TvhdSKvCAiBtn_/s1600/IMG_7750.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj_xZJitoTJYGkGAv-rf0YHKoXMpis6SHFO_nI8ggZUNTQk_htVP-LW6iL6iifaqEZs1xnYgmngCYLhEc_vyUil7676klbMXXngIHN4bxN4r_xCfRii8mmQ0Adq5yU3TvhdSKvCAiBtn_/s320/IMG_7750.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our last night all together</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBxhs_GGZHWKOs_SXrK58ycxrDXIamUEu15UDgEUzNPwnMAyRatYyG9J-sNYYTWHXpm4zWI-dMisJNrsi5ld1HoMwCZi1J25d6sdYpbytWXGBhuILzC7TGDGpLJSggBVJv8Svl4YnCQQY/s1600/IMG_7765.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBxhs_GGZHWKOs_SXrK58ycxrDXIamUEu15UDgEUzNPwnMAyRatYyG9J-sNYYTWHXpm4zWI-dMisJNrsi5ld1HoMwCZi1J25d6sdYpbytWXGBhuILzC7TGDGpLJSggBVJv8Svl4YnCQQY/s320/IMG_7765.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Any many more fun things!</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVumculs6FKh34d8N4sh4YGgcXjf54qnv213-X1kjqats_5ramCnLueKRccBYepN2oUJcQBQEh7TqJgP6WWG5GnCHIROUPEHOjCCN2eR8GAoxBtSy_cV6YnCOy8sE3J3-8aqxbN4Gd0vP/s1600/c95b8d54-aef2-44f1-91cb-89ef2b4cc457.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVumculs6FKh34d8N4sh4YGgcXjf54qnv213-X1kjqats_5ramCnLueKRccBYepN2oUJcQBQEh7TqJgP6WWG5GnCHIROUPEHOjCCN2eR8GAoxBtSy_cV6YnCOy8sE3J3-8aqxbN4Gd0vP/s320/c95b8d54-aef2-44f1-91cb-89ef2b4cc457.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch Village</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIm84WsCeZ3LESPgBPBKLKNTn4Xo4BI-OltSDvMS5fh-_iypDPJoNy1Ml2m5haAgdQEd2sTPlFUEA0Iug2LOeSGmhJCMoglzrjh5gBq_ISsQwyAMvgDd7DoRojKDv66etXRubnEWJh0SZI/s1600/IMG_1893.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIm84WsCeZ3LESPgBPBKLKNTn4Xo4BI-OltSDvMS5fh-_iypDPJoNy1Ml2m5haAgdQEd2sTPlFUEA0Iug2LOeSGmhJCMoglzrjh5gBq_ISsQwyAMvgDd7DoRojKDv66etXRubnEWJh0SZI/s320/IMG_1893.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing soccer in the yard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMk4224kSjo7U2l-K5m1AwRb3IBBSdGJ0N71pHUfyYLwcQJQ2mpq9EmZjzaofVYkZD9a36Z1lXI5h_kTwo1d4Yke-4pzHyHzGVg7DGhupE0gFXCjeSeOJkjld_yMcIjfrrdPTL5Phkq8ii/s1600/IMG_6648.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMk4224kSjo7U2l-K5m1AwRb3IBBSdGJ0N71pHUfyYLwcQJQ2mpq9EmZjzaofVYkZD9a36Z1lXI5h_kTwo1d4Yke-4pzHyHzGVg7DGhupE0gFXCjeSeOJkjld_yMcIjfrrdPTL5Phkq8ii/s320/IMG_6648.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Father's Day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygw_jZ3QchLn5d8qNMojdcZgviztfTRcJFOJP4inDxMpPhbppraApjUJ9t9l5-oMmFNKzL3gVrDgVPhh4F-VaxRLlU6naxDoealiQA5mL74xgADvbHHqP0VO3a_59_s95wGNYc6ij40DR/s1600/IMG_6754.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygw_jZ3QchLn5d8qNMojdcZgviztfTRcJFOJP4inDxMpPhbppraApjUJ9t9l5-oMmFNKzL3gVrDgVPhh4F-VaxRLlU6naxDoealiQA5mL74xgADvbHHqP0VO3a_59_s95wGNYc6ij40DR/s320/IMG_6754.jpeg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chasing rocket balloons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGJC9cpA4S7hMD-HO45lwsgeUdPUMQhySjvfqybLJaqNaHJHeACOv038dYzK44IkNm72mEUWsw-A_hg_0-7C4qXzhkzpmhdQZsgHZKtqvW0lybv_2wt0ZELGu6r2grLa3uGjEc3sPsvjH/s1600/IMG_6920.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGJC9cpA4S7hMD-HO45lwsgeUdPUMQhySjvfqybLJaqNaHJHeACOv038dYzK44IkNm72mEUWsw-A_hg_0-7C4qXzhkzpmhdQZsgHZKtqvW0lybv_2wt0ZELGu6r2grLa3uGjEc3sPsvjH/s320/IMG_6920.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the porch swing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6JyBb9yjRcPn51xccGQHO-KlHn7UJXM5ClvgzF7uJi0c6oyc_Kxk_GpfJo4pwaOtt_61Vgzk-J5M-MfE_Pl2eyKYvqL_q7rEaWV-nH3yGvrXVToBhPzfCHWWvpZaeTOoQjfm3YS0mLLt/s1600/IMG_6979.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6JyBb9yjRcPn51xccGQHO-KlHn7UJXM5ClvgzF7uJi0c6oyc_Kxk_GpfJo4pwaOtt_61Vgzk-J5M-MfE_Pl2eyKYvqL_q7rEaWV-nH3yGvrXVToBhPzfCHWWvpZaeTOoQjfm3YS0mLLt/s320/IMG_6979.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At a strawberry festival</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXr9kIKFMbnq-Y1Vpo-dTzZd3PEHZmgE7Nu4410OQdUW7p9ra7DO6th7Lp8KliCVxaclcwG08Z9i5F9jrE8OMZrAv5N0Gg9CiqMP7pifUmnuarTDA8g4_1orUxa_yeyVSOSabLNjpxHyw/s1600/IMG_7183.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXr9kIKFMbnq-Y1Vpo-dTzZd3PEHZmgE7Nu4410OQdUW7p9ra7DO6th7Lp8KliCVxaclcwG08Z9i5F9jrE8OMZrAv5N0Gg9CiqMP7pifUmnuarTDA8g4_1orUxa_yeyVSOSabLNjpxHyw/s320/IMG_7183.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ottawa Beach on Lake Michigan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIMJ1imPIBwBMr98KBky_2aZAg_q3bTcTCW7S6FeljE4sk4XZ7kuDho_zn41r-k5wU__Ex3pEE8oCjLJBvWj_I66Ca4PneVHHLILbhqJnpLceNK0bGT_8ckYzzFH1DZyTtwyPm7InrJut/s1600/IMG_7189.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIMJ1imPIBwBMr98KBky_2aZAg_q3bTcTCW7S6FeljE4sk4XZ7kuDho_zn41r-k5wU__Ex3pEE8oCjLJBvWj_I66Ca4PneVHHLILbhqJnpLceNK0bGT_8ckYzzFH1DZyTtwyPm7InrJut/s320/IMG_7189.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith, Alexis, and Jack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts-Hg0jYmEdV89JiOL_KPoEW2rgCZMQYat1OMEO3ftUa_yvSODJBsTexovQXWnpS8ThtJEKy_PYYcpdRxAXBkBgFIE4PdAhKQ1fCdxJeBzrKavdgxsYi2wB1GQ9CWQvsPXiiDqxM5jhS0/s1600/IMG_7708.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts-Hg0jYmEdV89JiOL_KPoEW2rgCZMQYat1OMEO3ftUa_yvSODJBsTexovQXWnpS8ThtJEKy_PYYcpdRxAXBkBgFIE4PdAhKQ1fCdxJeBzrKavdgxsYi2wB1GQ9CWQvsPXiiDqxM5jhS0/s320/IMG_7708.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry picking</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-49358226306852606732019-10-24T22:10:00.000-06:002019-10-24T22:10:54.791-06:00Graham is 2 1/2<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Graham is now officially 2 1/2-years-old, and he is as sweet as he is strong-willed.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wyqYf3qI7eM9uR0-jlY_usPqBSMH_qbJpeMWBiiq-R2_DthfFib54pchcN1BSAE2p7Bp4lCMdCY6jCodjtHfo9EagaAvh3Yki22nolaKQB_PvvzAV8wnQess7l20Co2Ou5d8tHZlqfZD/s1600/IMG_9610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wyqYf3qI7eM9uR0-jlY_usPqBSMH_qbJpeMWBiiq-R2_DthfFib54pchcN1BSAE2p7Bp4lCMdCY6jCodjtHfo9EagaAvh3Yki22nolaKQB_PvvzAV8wnQess7l20Co2Ou5d8tHZlqfZD/s320/IMG_9610.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Height:</b> 34.75 inches, which means he grew 2.25 inches since his birthday. Until now he has always been the same height as Jack was at the same age, but this is the first time that he measured 1/4 inch taller. Jack didn't grow much from age 2 to age 3, probably due to his health issues during that year, so we expect Graham to be taller than Jack was at the same age going forward.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Weight:</b> Graham is 24.8 lbs, which is the heaviest of any of our children at this age, although it is still super light on the growth chart. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Size Clothes:</b> He is solidly in 2T, although some of the 2T pants are super long on him since some brands are made bigger. <br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Night sleep: </b>Thankfully he sleeps through the night almost every night. This past week he had a cold so he woke up a few nights, but our older kids do that when they are sick too. He continues to share a room with Jack, which has worked out wonderfully. They don’t keep each other awake at bedtime, and Jack knows to sneak out of the room in the morning when he wakes up before Graham. I think they both enjoy having a buddy at night. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_uBt6m-iUkBbNPenDwev5b99Koq6GObgDBVnN1Oaybqe428SHftAQ7app1xgQtHKSwBpHNfeImPZW4F9NKMGOaKDmHTIBAvpKESXD7BBxPgz0QBcV9ZiHSeANI3mgmH4HCAPZrtpO6sB/s1600/IMG_8876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_uBt6m-iUkBbNPenDwev5b99Koq6GObgDBVnN1Oaybqe428SHftAQ7app1xgQtHKSwBpHNfeImPZW4F9NKMGOaKDmHTIBAvpKESXD7BBxPgz0QBcV9ZiHSeANI3mgmH4HCAPZrtpO6sB/s320/IMG_8876.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He falls asleep with the most random things. I never would have let our other kids have toys in bed, but this time around I do whatever is easiest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our most recent camping trip we realized he is outgrowing his pack n play</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Naps:</b> Unfortunately Graham only naps 1-2 afternoons a week. Thankfully, though, he willingly goes into his crib at nap time and rests or plays quietly for 1-1.5 hours even if he doesn’t sleep, but I’m nervous that he won’t do this much longer. I depend on his naps for getting work done for my job while the older kids are at school during the week, so it will be difficult when he stops having his nap / quiet time. When he does nap, he sleeps for about 2 hours (or longer, but I wake him up so that he sleeps well at night).</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJt42Djrz_PZx0F7cZsLu3nsXVsMuF3GGoly_Zvynt44-Dsxh9k816C9dejO5IXCrRz59CgJdOhm5FVh-M5rh7hZ0thK46NBAaRrNYJZljb4wwFqyOmUP5rtB19Dd8Zh_vCKORVjqgKT0/s1600/IMG_8478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJt42Djrz_PZx0F7cZsLu3nsXVsMuF3GGoly_Zvynt44-Dsxh9k816C9dejO5IXCrRz59CgJdOhm5FVh-M5rh7hZ0thK46NBAaRrNYJZljb4wwFqyOmUP5rtB19Dd8Zh_vCKORVjqgKT0/s320/IMG_8478.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a day he actually napped he somehow fell asleep with his dirty socks on his hands</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Food: </b>Graham continues to be a picky eater. Chicken nuggets, fruit, and almond milk yogurt are his staples. He also likes several kinds of bars and PB and J. Recently I’ve discovered that he’ll drink smoothies with celery and cucumber (and fruit) in them, so it’s been a convenient way to sneak in some veggies. Sometimes he’ll eat broccoli at dinner when he’s pretending to be a monster eating trees :). Since we fought Jack over food for many years, we have decided to be more laid-back about it with Graham in hopes that he comes around to trying more foods on his own.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Food Allergies:</b> I took Graham to an allergist last month, but nothing conclusive was discovered. Dairy did not show up as an allergy in the skin prick test or the blood draw, but the doctor said he most likely has a milk protein intolerance, which would not show up on either of those tests. Thankfully, kids outgrow milk protein intolerances, so hopefully he outgrows it sooner than later. I do give him pesto even though it has cheese in it as pesto pasta is one of his favorite foods. We avoid straight milk, yogurt, and cheese, though.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br /><b>Speech: </b>Graham has been seeing a Speech Therapist twice a month since December. For awhile we didn't see much improvement, but something seemed to click for him this summer as when we got back from Michigan at the end of July his speech seemed to explode. He is still working on articulation, but he definitely has a lot to say. Last week he had his annual evaluation for early intervention and the only thing category he actually had a delay in was Self Help (getting himself dressed and undressed, eating with utensils, etc.). During the evaluation the Speech Therapist asked me if he said certain things such as: does he say mine, does he ask questions, does he say his own name, does he regularly put four words together? I didn't think he did any of those things, but in the days after the evaluation I heard him say those things!</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I got my haircut and when I showed it out to him he said, "Daddy cut it?"</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He was talking to one of his siblings about a toy and he yelled, "No, mine!"</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When driving down the road he started asking me to "Open window."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we picked the kids up from school I said to them, guess who didn't nap today, and Graham answered, "Graham."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When he got up in the morning he looked at me and said, "Daddy woke me up."</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>New Things:</b> </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just in the last few months Graham has decided that he is totally fine with us leaving him in the church nursery or leaving him at a friends house. This is wonderful and freeing after struggling with leaving him for the first couple of years of his life.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have been doing a Parent / Tot gymnastics class and it has been fun to do something for him since he is usually just along for the ride for the other kids' activities. It's also been fun for me since I never had the opportunity to do a Parent / Tot class with the triplets.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The older kids started Taekwondo a couple of months ago and Graham loves to watch. Sometimes Graham has the option to stay home with one parent, but he chooses to go to the class to watch. He can even recite parts of the oath that the kids say at the beginning and end of each class.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He plays really well by himself, which really isn't new as thankfully he seems to always have been this way. Part of the reason he is probably so independent is because last year we did homeschool on Tuesday and Thursday morning so he had to play by himself those mornings. Our other kids still have trouble just playing by themselves as they think of it as a punishment.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He no longer sucks his fingers as we bought a finger guard and used it for a couple of weeks in June. We were surprised at how quick and effective this was at getting him to stop sucking his fingers as we actually traveled to Michigan during the time period when he was wearing the finger guard, but he never regressed. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He is an awesome little brother and I love it when I find all four kids playing together.</span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He doesn't always want to pose for pictures for me</td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He loves creating things. When we painted pumpkins he spent twice as much time doing it as the other kids.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He is super goofy and does anything to make the other kids laugh.</span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A crazy noodle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He wears these goggles all of the time</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His current favorite footwear</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Difficult 2-year-old stuff: </b>I was just reading the 2 1/2-year-old blog that I wrote about our triplets, and it seems that Graham is doing the exact same frustrating things that they did at this age. I absolutely cannot believe that I had to deal with these things x3, but in some ways it was a little simpler as we didn't have to get out the door four days a week for school drop off and pick up. Graham goes through spurts of refusing to get buckled into his carseat, he still bites (although thankfully he doesn't really bite me anymore...just his siblings now), and diaper changes and getting him dressed are a fight (especially on school mornings). He also loves to chase his older siblings around the house with his big metal dump truck, which makes them run and scream...which is pure chaos. But now that I've realized I've dealt with all of this before with triplets and survived, I guess I shouldn't complain!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Overall he is a super sweet, loving, cuddly, mama's boy. He loves to ride his balance bike, look at books, play with trucks and cars, and just be outside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-62618074423297940392019-06-12T14:30:00.001-06:002019-06-12T14:31:37.419-06:006-Years-OldSomehow another year has already passed and Alexis, Jack, and Faith are 6-year-olds! We are now in the stage of mental and emotional exhaustion as opposed to physical exhaustion from raising our triplets. Although we are glad that they don't need to be carried, have their diapers changed, and they don't depend on us to get them dressed every day, this stage has it's own difficulties. The sibling rivalry has definitely increased in the last year and all three kids are starting to figure out who they are as individuals. Many days I wish I could do less refereeing and instead just enjoy talking with my kids, but that is life with multiple kids in the house. I am constantly amazed at how different all three of them are from each other, although they still love playing together and they missed each other during their school days apart. We are now getting glimpses of what the future holds with kids who are able to do activities that we enjoy, and it has been fun. They are currently in the middle of two week sessions for both tennis lessons and swim lessons. They are enjoying both, and what surprised me the most was that this was the first time there weren't any tears or major anxiety surrounding the lessons. They are truly becoming independent from us, which is both exciting and scary. Overall all three kids are intelligent, polite, engaging, brave, and funny. I suddenly feel like I'm going to blink and they are going to be all grown up and moving out of the house. Time sure is a funny thing once one is raising kids!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSp0uK18BqoqFw9zHAdZ3RShJFR1nJyn0RWZvRjMRMGDLI2wL1r-SPGD94-4mm0SqWAlE1t0656nR4I2RKHXLZsJgLIUJedAhGhctDiwsDOk9BADm33D0yBkS5AUf3jTCqTk4Wr8SiwWj/s1600/IMG_3889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSp0uK18BqoqFw9zHAdZ3RShJFR1nJyn0RWZvRjMRMGDLI2wL1r-SPGD94-4mm0SqWAlE1t0656nR4I2RKHXLZsJgLIUJedAhGhctDiwsDOk9BADm33D0yBkS5AUf3jTCqTk4Wr8SiwWj/s320/IMG_3889.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snuggling on our new sectional</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYvnoDzbduS1VJpRcd_EBdECIibBmtfFur2JcAh8kbaZp3kwa8ZsgGKY6iRzS05rShGa3BLoZH5Bg2r4K4rEQpSEDEIwM_14IBGj7r4FbMQdqeqtEl_IZp5_yTaX4WdGfEwfT7eyQY-s2/s1600/IMG_6263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYvnoDzbduS1VJpRcd_EBdECIibBmtfFur2JcAh8kbaZp3kwa8ZsgGKY6iRzS05rShGa3BLoZH5Bg2r4K4rEQpSEDEIwM_14IBGj7r4FbMQdqeqtEl_IZp5_yTaX4WdGfEwfT7eyQY-s2/s320/IMG_6263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of tennis lessons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZiXKC2fSV7pHeMthkOHtQrkz4OdyR-gdz9lTkXppWaIDfdiPU9o7cDnjpFMWAMGYLyj_2w55vKG6ERWzixM-jYHwbNbIS4E5qMk8Gb6mwLfStGCy-OZAFQTDGLA8nFr5heEeVB95fPvD/s1600/IMG_4474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZiXKC2fSV7pHeMthkOHtQrkz4OdyR-gdz9lTkXppWaIDfdiPU9o7cDnjpFMWAMGYLyj_2w55vKG6ERWzixM-jYHwbNbIS4E5qMk8Gb6mwLfStGCy-OZAFQTDGLA8nFr5heEeVB95fPvD/s320/IMG_4474.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare evening when Graham went to bed first and we were just hanging out with the five of us. Now that we have Graham, "just triplets" seems like it would be easy ;).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJi8knuIA_Re30O0QcUNT6i0zx-GDLrLq193PtTT80Jek2FomBHnXFrsJYFczey8fooONKKjvnSV9mT0jFIsX4MvoQLWfD5xA2ig_AwJu9q3Z6mN4IPKB8mQGYK92YMwpNwl4Op7bVMH0/s1600/IMG_4510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJi8knuIA_Re30O0QcUNT6i0zx-GDLrLq193PtTT80Jek2FomBHnXFrsJYFczey8fooONKKjvnSV9mT0jFIsX4MvoQLWfD5xA2ig_AwJu9q3Z6mN4IPKB8mQGYK92YMwpNwl4Op7bVMH0/s320/IMG_4510.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always excited about new shoes. Jack learned to tie shoes in less than 20 minutes. He was determined to have shoes with shoestrings, but I said he only could have them if he tied them himself!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupn2JjSOgZknoKK2q0vz2ttbzleUxHnRS9EL8z2jWlmnFfuScQ35vMWFCYpEM1hFp8XEO1_q58p5M0ahJbfEgbI9xCY-7zc_gzsEZ5mATqk1u7YndIGmHfCgC7buTfbj1LENLlE9vL-yq/s1600/IMG_4694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupn2JjSOgZknoKK2q0vz2ttbzleUxHnRS9EL8z2jWlmnFfuScQ35vMWFCYpEM1hFp8XEO1_q58p5M0ahJbfEgbI9xCY-7zc_gzsEZ5mATqk1u7YndIGmHfCgC7buTfbj1LENLlE9vL-yq/s320/IMG_4694.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water and the trampoline is a blast</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42aJC3jk59IIa2XmQMaXtjrr9pybWNDnwH2VOG1ACwxEW_hwy-Xt9Hd-1rhY67mzJUdD1QB5IJk6h2R4hWYZtn9yrxkvgHWvzcTcaYU-ncpXFyfwftXYq1R_xNBRb__SbHZnpQ135Uk7h/s1600/IMG_4924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42aJC3jk59IIa2XmQMaXtjrr9pybWNDnwH2VOG1ACwxEW_hwy-Xt9Hd-1rhY67mzJUdD1QB5IJk6h2R4hWYZtn9yrxkvgHWvzcTcaYU-ncpXFyfwftXYq1R_xNBRb__SbHZnpQ135Uk7h/s320/IMG_4924.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't keep up with them on their bikes when I run, but at least I'm getting a workout in and they are enjoying themselves too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSXB52u0xGX46hz18XAH8nUQnGwBfnt7Txq_nwlMK03kTnBkbsB6VMtrKhPpHn_Exxwl9TsVZRx5bMrYeuzLB2xGAHL4mx6-M1qNzYSQXkXT4omvVXVQIwb6XIwwMdnmzrixXsNQLzeTk/s1600/IMG_5829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSXB52u0xGX46hz18XAH8nUQnGwBfnt7Txq_nwlMK03kTnBkbsB6VMtrKhPpHn_Exxwl9TsVZRx5bMrYeuzLB2xGAHL4mx6-M1qNzYSQXkXT4omvVXVQIwb6XIwwMdnmzrixXsNQLzeTk/s320/IMG_5829.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They love these kind of swings, which are perfect for triplets.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQFfXgQf8KmeCD_kgZSWjtiFZxqDusIlKNr9ha-lbIMyOFv2Kmb66b31S8mCUG9FhrPEAX_M8W08IlHi0xUB7Qmpvwa-zGtuaFEp15M3_ahpoRoCsBrOL-mLtOKRy_ZfHGtaGatot1okj/s1600/IMG_E6311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQFfXgQf8KmeCD_kgZSWjtiFZxqDusIlKNr9ha-lbIMyOFv2Kmb66b31S8mCUG9FhrPEAX_M8W08IlHi0xUB7Qmpvwa-zGtuaFEp15M3_ahpoRoCsBrOL-mLtOKRy_ZfHGtaGatot1okj/s320/IMG_E6311.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I waited a very long time before trying Trader Joe's with the kid carts. It was worth the wait as it wasn't that stressful and the kids thought it was super special.</td></tr>
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The last blog post update I wrote was in December when the kids were 5 1/2-years-old. Here are some current things about Alexis, Jack, and Faith:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Heights and Weights:</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Alexis:</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> 44.5" and 36.5 lbs (+2.5" and </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">4</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">lbs in the last year)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Jack: </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">43.5" and 34.5 lbs (+2.5" and </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">4</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">lbs in the last year)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Faith: </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">46.5" and 38.5 lbs (+2.5" and</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> 4 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">lbs in the last year)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">* I have no idea how they managed to grow the same number of inches and gain the same number of pounds in the last week. I guess I should be thankful since everything is a competition and this way there is a tie!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There stair step height difference is very obvious in photos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRcvlX1ON3NnfkDRzcS25mENvLgwZEu37g-AQpQZjKyJD7Hz-v4pU9tTct_mWYRbbtGkf9m6pweIF9gPt_eRs8ZlDI-ffn8Y8FLRCGSzYHxCORlpYzga_hv_SaQ6SMWa7qVdL3eiBArMO/s1600/IMG_5367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRcvlX1ON3NnfkDRzcS25mENvLgwZEu37g-AQpQZjKyJD7Hz-v4pU9tTct_mWYRbbtGkf9m6pweIF9gPt_eRs8ZlDI-ffn8Y8FLRCGSzYHxCORlpYzga_hv_SaQ6SMWa7qVdL3eiBArMO/s320/IMG_5367.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith outgrew her 5-point harness carseat, so we bought her a high back booster. The other two were fairly jealous at first, but they are over it now. I'm sure they will make the transition in the next year or so.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Alexis:</b> She continues to love looking at books (and now starting to read them aloud to us). She seems to enjoy her alone time when she gets it, although this is hard with triplets because she never wants to miss out on the fun. She is a Daddy’s girl and she lights up when he is around. It’s really hard for her to make decisions and she often says, "Half of me wants to do X, but another part of me doesn't want to do X." I find it interesting that she can articulate her mixed emotions so well.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Jack:</b> He had his adenoids out in March as we felt like that was causing the issue with his eating (he seemed to eat slowly because he couldn't breathe and eat at the same time). Unfortunately when the doctor removed his adenoids she said they weren't as large as they had appeared on the X-ray, but he does have small nasal passages so that could be causing the issue. Thankfully he was back to 100% a couple of weeks after the procedure. He continues to be “all boy” in his interests. He has become the most confident climber and the strongest as he can do five pull-ups in a row. He knows he’s the smallest triplet and he’s determined to be big and strong someday, so he loves to do little exercises like sit ups and lunges to get stronger. Jack has become very brave when it comes to trying things (going down the big slide, climbing, the zip line at the park, etc.).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Faith:</b> She continues to be the self appointed leader of the trio. She is a perfectionist and she does not like being corrected, which is challenging when trying to homeschool a Kindergartener who still has a lot of learning ahead of her. She also loves to be helpful, which can be great. She has a really wiggly tooth, and she will soon be the first of the triplets to have lost a tooth naturally (Jack has two teeth pulled when he was four). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>All of Them:</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Playing Upstairs: </b>The main level of our house is an open floor plan. Although this was ideal for keeping track of three babies / toddlers when the kids were younger, as they have gotten bigger it simply meant that the main floor was a mess of toys and that all of the noise and chaos was near me all of the time. For the past couple of years I had been encouraging the kids to play upstairs in the loft and in their rooms, but they usually just ended up bringing whatever toys were upstairs back to the main level. This felt frustrating to me and I'd often tell Micah that my dream was to have them play out of sight since it felt like I didn't have a moment to finish a thought during the day. Recently, when Micah came home after work one day, he pointed out that the kids had been playing upstairs a lot more as we were actually able to have a short conversation when he came through the door instead of me competing with the kids for his attention. This was an amazing realization!! Part of this transition has to do with our main floor remodel since we now have a giant sectional in the area where the kids used to spread out their toys and run around, plus the floor is no longer carpeted in that area so it's probably not as comfortable to play there. Another part of this has to do with trying to keep Graham from messing up their games. I do believe, though, that part of this simply has to do with them being older and not needing to be right by me every second of every day. This has been a welcome change for me since it keeps some of the mess and chaos upstairs and gives me a little more quiet during the day. (Although this also means that I'm often downstairs working on dinner or laundry and wondering if I should go upstairs to break up a fight since it's hard to tell when the yelling is play or a disagreement.) </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuB0_h-k_NmnIuveMq8Ppw21cmwmA5AXX6CTecE2CsHdYyw4y4dG6JMh7prV2kPWdZmbACdZ_6U0dfIInZHM_LhevUGShBvDkBXvoaOuAce4oK8qsG7fHqzmBVOq5QpCdXJPDkjg0MQ21/s1600/IMG_3706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuB0_h-k_NmnIuveMq8Ppw21cmwmA5AXX6CTecE2CsHdYyw4y4dG6JMh7prV2kPWdZmbACdZ_6U0dfIInZHM_LhevUGShBvDkBXvoaOuAce4oK8qsG7fHqzmBVOq5QpCdXJPDkjg0MQ21/s320/IMG_3706.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I snapped this photo during our remodel this winter. We had already cut out some of the carpet, but this is the area the kids played on from the time we moved in over 5 years ago.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynZ83RSlzrzeDwXesqCnj2wHcR7mKyDNlpO5gCbDOS_uPP8QMe0M-KapqPSBEvZfeuUqzyQLGud_fg8osQiUqVvh8j2QNQS_Up0YqUN_lafhY8oGr5OrMEVH8BsKQXSGMO8ThR-m7gaZn/s1600/IMG_4167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynZ83RSlzrzeDwXesqCnj2wHcR7mKyDNlpO5gCbDOS_uPP8QMe0M-KapqPSBEvZfeuUqzyQLGud_fg8osQiUqVvh8j2QNQS_Up0YqUN_lafhY8oGr5OrMEVH8BsKQXSGMO8ThR-m7gaZn/s320/IMG_4167.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new family room / play area set up. I tried to buy a really comfortable area rug for the kids to play on, but the new furniture takes up a lot of the floorspace.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqWnzTR5YjqnQMJhZNbsyJfpXs79o86knK7qR8HV-FN6pG0YLG0xsKVymdwuvaaY-R0HX3aDkbIWPqmtZjqQMqp_0Ll5ssuaB1SYhWqcEfNjkxA48kioRHFEVw9osDq8Xszhm5rRNW9m1/s1600/IMG_4285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqWnzTR5YjqnQMJhZNbsyJfpXs79o86knK7qR8HV-FN6pG0YLG0xsKVymdwuvaaY-R0HX3aDkbIWPqmtZjqQMqp_0Ll5ssuaB1SYhWqcEfNjkxA48kioRHFEVw9osDq8Xszhm5rRNW9m1/s320/IMG_4285.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning reading</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Different Interests: </b>Jack has become more frustrated with the girls lately as he simply doesn’t want to play the games that they want to play. Most of the time he ends up going along with it, but they usually want to be dogs and he is tired of that game. He cannot wait until the day Graham is really old enough to play with.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The other day Jack and Graham had a foam sword fight, and Jack was elated. Hopefully more of this will happen in the future since Jack is often upset that the girls don't want to play "bad guys" or whatever games he has made up.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaAOLL4fmJepRlBaDrKNTK3i8qY0M1dPZV0OhOttzuApczwa5OtVKGeQQaUn0SqFczjwUw6hJf5lfV0etkn4Xaql3J-_Fmnvm77RTNh8WavcGefWdiLaL6irvsMdL0VljWaDPLYuRQcJE/s1600/IMG_6205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaAOLL4fmJepRlBaDrKNTK3i8qY0M1dPZV0OhOttzuApczwa5OtVKGeQQaUn0SqFczjwUw6hJf5lfV0etkn4Xaql3J-_Fmnvm77RTNh8WavcGefWdiLaL6irvsMdL0VljWaDPLYuRQcJE/s320/IMG_6205.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids were interested in playing Monopoly and Micah patiently played with them four days in a row! The first day they played for over two hours.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyxc5EA8G0e_CjJla6Qi4oqa6Jh6POAixsmQzQQqX9y2Mi5C6R7MEFPdvrfwkJIJ9B83nSZRn7aa4x_9XYaNihk0BFiAWZXlI1ZDrZrPWP9VT-ZfQtDoiT-aQpRkIaB4eMzPFH2M16hbP/s1600/IMG_6134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyxc5EA8G0e_CjJla6Qi4oqa6Jh6POAixsmQzQQqX9y2Mi5C6R7MEFPdvrfwkJIJ9B83nSZRn7aa4x_9XYaNihk0BFiAWZXlI1ZDrZrPWP9VT-ZfQtDoiT-aQpRkIaB4eMzPFH2M16hbP/s320/IMG_6134.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One day they were a little bored and the weather wasn't great, so they started playing games themselves. I've been waiting for things like this to start happening!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Favorite Pretend Play:</b> When the kids are getting along and agreeing on what to play, they love to play elaborate games that involve creating things and pulling out a bunch of toys. For example, they love to pretend to go camping. They often set up a fort in the girls’ room and they pull out their backpacks and fill them with books, toys, and snacks. The other day they thought of a new game which involved making signs for pretend store fronts and selling things to me and each other. I think this type of play is great as they are creating artwork, writing, and using their imaginations, but it also makes quite the mess. Whenever they start one of these games I remind them that they’ll have to clean up and they assure me that they know this, but there is still a lot of complaining when I tell them to pick up.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith made her own kangaroo costume</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kangaroo back</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTa2lPRSqVpAdl5PVFQET35gbJOV3jrBmBm0YDpnGTLL7NinRbqgC5RtbScNng05Re8zEN9jKuLQrvjI9nWTIW0vEt9Krpxwiv5f9s4CcT7PCuAYwzQk0jFSYmlzrRcMyc7tH3gU5gLX69/s1600/IMG_3688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTa2lPRSqVpAdl5PVFQET35gbJOV3jrBmBm0YDpnGTLL7NinRbqgC5RtbScNng05Re8zEN9jKuLQrvjI9nWTIW0vEt9Krpxwiv5f9s4CcT7PCuAYwzQk0jFSYmlzrRcMyc7tH3gU5gLX69/s320/IMG_3688.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think Jack was a snow leopard. They spend so much time making costumes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYVOgZxIaMhHTG4AI8X8LhmvcW_en6oKHnOPuZGkylmdN0csjVyPyywFkoawoyrGhy5h_WlYe4aEyI8N34ISe5npyLu7UhyphenhyphenhUWvJAZJX6CWfPX3YNW0bghq5uylN7mJLtwD7O-w1anBLf/s1600/IMG_3855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYVOgZxIaMhHTG4AI8X8LhmvcW_en6oKHnOPuZGkylmdN0csjVyPyywFkoawoyrGhy5h_WlYe4aEyI8N34ISe5npyLu7UhyphenhyphenhUWvJAZJX6CWfPX3YNW0bghq5uylN7mJLtwD7O-w1anBLf/s320/IMG_3855.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very elaborate tea party, which involved taking all of this kitchen stuff to the main floor as it's kept in the loft upstairs.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSH18TTuvoEtIuIZF0m95OAcmYpLInuQc0RZffamnavJ_BFJyGXYo18-jehXRmQtDyxuqTp4DcZnGyn6xw7t0aHxWgJrCFmcwJSBmdnYkF_LJpTEOwYvvLpiw5wQuQndWBmiuUOGc6Lsag/s1600/IMG_3866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSH18TTuvoEtIuIZF0m95OAcmYpLInuQc0RZffamnavJ_BFJyGXYo18-jehXRmQtDyxuqTp4DcZnGyn6xw7t0aHxWgJrCFmcwJSBmdnYkF_LJpTEOwYvvLpiw5wQuQndWBmiuUOGc6Lsag/s320/IMG_3866.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They created a juice stand based on a book.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bb0OC1oXaFWRQI4pIZaR-ETAhQ8vq-RNWPiPHxr-u7r5Va_QpqQA1Ihtd-04KtSOaYv46UkOnpVykf1vEKDww7gqeF2f2sGIQejxppeVj-7g4Z3neuoeT3l6VpQO_v52xwzvY7Pa9tNw/s1600/IMG_4543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bb0OC1oXaFWRQI4pIZaR-ETAhQ8vq-RNWPiPHxr-u7r5Va_QpqQA1Ihtd-04KtSOaYv46UkOnpVykf1vEKDww7gqeF2f2sGIQejxppeVj-7g4Z3neuoeT3l6VpQO_v52xwzvY7Pa9tNw/s320/IMG_4543.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is supposed to be Daddy on a float.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UoRzLL8lXE8wl7hNDuFm1IFrOV2gQNlyPblxB0qhtm1jiqsWijS4QNUInpcF7JkNpOzxAc_DP8itm7iZ0wDm1CLW1qDhyPwPfaO36BEFWAuV4n_t1_o0yVvhpCSRa_mlKrhtS0PpeCf9/s1600/IMG_5865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UoRzLL8lXE8wl7hNDuFm1IFrOV2gQNlyPblxB0qhtm1jiqsWijS4QNUInpcF7JkNpOzxAc_DP8itm7iZ0wDm1CLW1qDhyPwPfaO36BEFWAuV4n_t1_o0yVvhpCSRa_mlKrhtS0PpeCf9/s320/IMG_5865.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack loves to dress up.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Kindergarten Grads:</b> In May they finished Kindergarten and they are looking forward to first grade, which is great as for awhile they talked about how scared they were to go onto First Grade. Now they love to say to me when I treat them younger than they are, "Mom, we are First Graders now!" We are hopeful they’ll get into a school in another district (we are on the waitlist), but if not they’ll go to our neighborhood school.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvYO3Y9ZXQ1iDKeCGthU6_w-jmZOekHDebk7qA6hIaYeoN9_9retqENJLd4AtwdXI0UhVxG-MQafFZruiSt4F2ij0RmX8A0ApwpyN-M7o1pxCUQ2gBObGfWQ809xOta75egUJE-vh9kVa/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvYO3Y9ZXQ1iDKeCGthU6_w-jmZOekHDebk7qA6hIaYeoN9_9retqENJLd4AtwdXI0UhVxG-MQafFZruiSt4F2ij0RmX8A0ApwpyN-M7o1pxCUQ2gBObGfWQ809xOta75egUJE-vh9kVa/s320/IMG_3220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking to the car after school</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzi6K9w4UkRZSm-NksqzXeJs3Sh8vKef6i0bdCVfV8xyiTJkQ9xX_8Ua8FSUGuGNnAAgj9T-n8QqZxrqQSdKlNHPa_e6OISe3-XiiAH4o3oxl8uie_xwQOO1DW5-z1hEqOFMTZwt3z51V/s1600/IMG_5718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzi6K9w4UkRZSm-NksqzXeJs3Sh8vKef6i0bdCVfV8xyiTJkQ9xX_8Ua8FSUGuGNnAAgj9T-n8QqZxrqQSdKlNHPa_e6OISe3-XiiAH4o3oxl8uie_xwQOO1DW5-z1hEqOFMTZwt3z51V/s320/IMG_5718.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham wanted to be like the other kids at a school event</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ10xXga8VSvWyxPv4dtVES9J7RVD9U-s4pdbmPI9AIHsebioIQL_MwLdpg-rPn7HMeGFJIqh5kPuDB_UCGDyCPCZMzIbwwIsZYdxd0V9AVHL74oQf9Gwvdmsgi1FBft3HZppcfFh6GRUf/s1600/IMG_5775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ10xXga8VSvWyxPv4dtVES9J7RVD9U-s4pdbmPI9AIHsebioIQL_MwLdpg-rPn7HMeGFJIqh5kPuDB_UCGDyCPCZMzIbwwIsZYdxd0V9AVHL74oQf9Gwvdmsgi1FBft3HZppcfFh6GRUf/s320/IMG_5775.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpuxJb80nQYAYPxZI2B2JE-2wAXnkieN9blnSfoeTw0ojuN364a21jfZyLERUqYGpCAv-SaHa7gxa0_Y4QAKLDZ9XwoBEWN3l4QsmDlZ-0N-0vy8IMrMpkl6PjNG-3XlOeQeSuu1YgOFv/s1600/IMG_5776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpuxJb80nQYAYPxZI2B2JE-2wAXnkieN9blnSfoeTw0ojuN364a21jfZyLERUqYGpCAv-SaHa7gxa0_Y4QAKLDZ9XwoBEWN3l4QsmDlZ-0N-0vy8IMrMpkl6PjNG-3XlOeQeSuu1YgOFv/s320/IMG_5776.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQTxAgmV9a1RC5x14eqPdKxTeDEdtM8cbMeWgQ7Ez3hri_TTflmmFsxh_SrBE3MG1KUK2E0mPLEVzO6VJuz1baTSChWRbdK6LLAdOiQSCIoV-dO-nqyS3kJRQ-hsnkahU0N7XhhgVDH_e/s1600/IMG_5777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQTxAgmV9a1RC5x14eqPdKxTeDEdtM8cbMeWgQ7Ez3hri_TTflmmFsxh_SrBE3MG1KUK2E0mPLEVzO6VJuz1baTSChWRbdK6LLAdOiQSCIoV-dO-nqyS3kJRQ-hsnkahU0N7XhhgVDH_e/s320/IMG_5777.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Reading, Writing, Math, and Telling Time: </b>When I signed up to homeschool our kids part time I had no idea how much the kids actually learned in Kindergarten. I remember learning my letters and counting. This year our kids learned how to read and we are currently working our way through all of the Bob Book sets. They all have good handwriting and they love to sound out words to make notes and signs. They learned how to add and subtract. And they even learned how to tell time on an analog clock! It has been amazing to witness them learning all of these things and more during the last year.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLI5w_0ZxakZBPU0LtB79KZP7l5usCJtFRI5_zW4aegmcM_29jB45r_fNH8B3_NFTBNyM2cRs8NNu_XUHBZ3PUyvorf3Y0-GD4BCEafM1hzTKjUHtTafvl_s5bRfAjMOVlbP-LYcygsOj7/s1600/IMG_3604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLI5w_0ZxakZBPU0LtB79KZP7l5usCJtFRI5_zW4aegmcM_29jB45r_fNH8B3_NFTBNyM2cRs8NNu_XUHBZ3PUyvorf3Y0-GD4BCEafM1hzTKjUHtTafvl_s5bRfAjMOVlbP-LYcygsOj7/s320/IMG_3604.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grammy always brings a bag of books, and the kids devour them.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3a1-J_560Du-5jNS5jHkgmd6Mp8x2bgQMmGGYLtsfQr-13XxfSE4h6Ar_rv4chTBXKHEGhlSLbm7UuS6zA1MiMaLQPCav69Zk_4htXROcdb7fT6vQmVUTgITFUYMdYIYqSihD3Tc-Q0Lr/s1600/IMG_4684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3a1-J_560Du-5jNS5jHkgmd6Mp8x2bgQMmGGYLtsfQr-13XxfSE4h6Ar_rv4chTBXKHEGhlSLbm7UuS6zA1MiMaLQPCav69Zk_4htXROcdb7fT6vQmVUTgITFUYMdYIYqSihD3Tc-Q0Lr/s320/IMG_4684.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A note from Faith</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Art:</b> We continue to have a constant stream of art at our house, especially from Jack. We are always amazed by Jack's drawings and he seems to really enjoy it. Faith enjoys it as well, but lately she seems more focused on writing notes. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alexis doesn’t love drawing as much, but she is still proud when she makes something.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihAdT-EdRSIOdJTbabs1ACt0ewlK8cu6OqKtD9Czhb4ZvmRTAzttJ58s5N7pSapWPGFKOx0KH_QZk19rT-aO_EfzWTKm6D9ea80NCaHgr7utsxlpjp3_ztYUbXETTyUHwTuHVWCdJuQ9r/s1600/IMG_3813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihAdT-EdRSIOdJTbabs1ACt0ewlK8cu6OqKtD9Czhb4ZvmRTAzttJ58s5N7pSapWPGFKOx0KH_QZk19rT-aO_EfzWTKm6D9ea80NCaHgr7utsxlpjp3_ztYUbXETTyUHwTuHVWCdJuQ9r/s320/IMG_3813.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valentine's decorations. The kids get really into things and it's hard to say no, even though these aren't my ideal decorations.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYqiKQG3Pd6SbJtWP5SBteW7AgOedil0vVp0CNS1z3iXMhsEJ17Ny87ApfvG7WzlHBRlD1VMJKb7r29-47YOn1P_qaoxmT64DLzs22adTs8kUs71AJPDBkCnmscKGjhyphenhypheneWvesJlWsEzff/s1600/IMG_5405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYqiKQG3Pd6SbJtWP5SBteW7AgOedil0vVp0CNS1z3iXMhsEJ17Ny87ApfvG7WzlHBRlD1VMJKb7r29-47YOn1P_qaoxmT64DLzs22adTs8kUs71AJPDBkCnmscKGjhyphenhypheneWvesJlWsEzff/s320/IMG_5405.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-Y0eJ2XRdFcdRhyeWkSYm4dwcF5gCjHq2LVyBFaV36hHsqVi5UQNkGk4Y5_NuaBFPF1eG4IVJ6d4MyjjMvgnNvGsO7wSwDxIauDI6c6sqRQgH1Qo8_CLsOO1to-5VTA5wPFH8j_YvREA/s1600/IMG_5408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-Y0eJ2XRdFcdRhyeWkSYm4dwcF5gCjHq2LVyBFaV36hHsqVi5UQNkGk4Y5_NuaBFPF1eG4IVJ6d4MyjjMvgnNvGsO7wSwDxIauDI6c6sqRQgH1Qo8_CLsOO1to-5VTA5wPFH8j_YvREA/s320/IMG_5408.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecmoIzZmX9T2clBM3CR69M9d-_G1nC92508VIDTeR-uGo0XQsogdHhaOrBUh8pwcwIdtVyjfW7R3vx-6FyoHpejLSHYfy089e6cwhWd9pJmtwuWwnPQAVqg_EOQamtUXweiOAUGNLrNPe/s1600/IMG_5404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecmoIzZmX9T2clBM3CR69M9d-_G1nC92508VIDTeR-uGo0XQsogdHhaOrBUh8pwcwIdtVyjfW7R3vx-6FyoHpejLSHYfy089e6cwhWd9pJmtwuWwnPQAVqg_EOQamtUXweiOAUGNLrNPe/s320/IMG_5404.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUngswvc0EDXOxZu3xRbl_OsPYnhnfG22bJeCoOfPlT7Va_n0fd54BsrQ9xaOVHy9qS-cqdfRLSgScA3YBXT4fNabmJZHfMPfoHHp-_Elcp_kXipiy-hlj9a8hWAZ5nQR1SIDNswnfvYNf/s1600/IMG_6040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUngswvc0EDXOxZu3xRbl_OsPYnhnfG22bJeCoOfPlT7Va_n0fd54BsrQ9xaOVHy9qS-cqdfRLSgScA3YBXT4fNabmJZHfMPfoHHp-_Elcp_kXipiy-hlj9a8hWAZ5nQR1SIDNswnfvYNf/s320/IMG_6040.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack sat at the table for two hours listening to music and drawing the other day</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Regular Plates:</b> This might sound like a funny milestone, but when you have four kids using plastic dishes the top rack of the dishwasher fills up fast! For awhile I turned the heated dry off of my dishwasher so that I could put the plastic stuff on the bottom rack, but I was always fighting mold in the bottom of the dishwasher. In the last few months I started having the kids use regular plates for most of their meals and it has been great for my dishwashing loading routine! The kids also feel ver grown up since we are trusting them with the dishes I got for Christmas this past year. (Graham still uses a plastic plate, although I don't think he's ever thrown his plate on the floor like the other kids did when they were younger.) </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Eating: </b>For a long time Jack struggled to eat. He was fairly picky and he always seemed too distracted to eat. I even took him to an OT to have him evaluated to see if there was a concrete issue we could work on with him, but nothing was found. Thankfully, something has clicked with Jack in the last year and he now is a fairly good an focused eater. There are still foods that he doens't like or doesn't want to try, but things have gotten a lot less stressful for us at meal time. Alexis struggles to find food that she really likes for snacks and lunch, but she does fine with breakfast and dinner. Alexis doesn't like many sweets as she says that they tickle her throat, so even Fig Bars, Z Clif Bars, and applesauce don't appeal to her most of the time (those are staples in my diaper bag). Faith really likes it all, which is probably why she continues to be the biggest triplet.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Backyard Play: </b>They all love riding the little bikes in the backyard, which are really Graham’s size and are meant for him. Our yard is definitely too small for the kids now, but they make do. Someday when we move I'd love to have a larger backyard and be at the end of a cul-de-sac so that the kids can ride their bikes around without having to go to a park.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Park Play: </b>This has become much easier, except for Graham of course. They can all keep themselves going on a swing by pumping, and Faith and Jack can even start swinging by themselves. All three are pros at the monkey bars.<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Climbing:</b> I wish we would have taken them to the gym more, but it was hard to find time during the school year. All three were excited to climb outside this past weekend, but Jack is the one who understands it the most right now and can consistently make it to the top of the wall. The girls are athletic too, though, and I think they will catch on soon. The kids are all strong as the girls can each do one pull-up and Jack is up to five in a row.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auto belay at the gym</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and Alexis at the gym</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fatih</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaZHIlAVWMiD6wSLJlrZimBaNlThZt0YAsd3HPV-CJ1gqEqppOlUpOs9lZmWWTRMJLU4l39TegRRKBPm78Uj7cl_JQNy_FlF8KPcBCK9uYo_vCYyCZzTuatkZQhDU7Is8jqmTErZR3k9z/s1600/IMG_E5337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaZHIlAVWMiD6wSLJlrZimBaNlThZt0YAsd3HPV-CJ1gqEqppOlUpOs9lZmWWTRMJLU4l39TegRRKBPm78Uj7cl_JQNy_FlF8KPcBCK9uYo_vCYyCZzTuatkZQhDU7Is8jqmTErZR3k9z/s320/IMG_E5337.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Skiing: </b>They all skied a few times this winter and they do really well. Micah always has his dad with him to help with the kids, but next year I'm guessing he'll be able to ski alone with them if he wants to try.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PHuDdr4qtKSgbUSSnunnFDL5FxMAWJOCeSyem_sVCVUKrbQ7ItcvFX6ruriZxRPCcQcvKZP2irW8z0z6KViePwhjwi_R_I34-2a3FqlUXK5ZAChd1V0eziHkaMydUBmnmsvayJLTP1VX/s1600/IMG_E2880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="1600" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PHuDdr4qtKSgbUSSnunnFDL5FxMAWJOCeSyem_sVCVUKrbQ7ItcvFX6ruriZxRPCcQcvKZP2irW8z0z6KViePwhjwi_R_I34-2a3FqlUXK5ZAChd1V0eziHkaMydUBmnmsvayJLTP1VX/s320/IMG_E2880.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Swimming: </b>We stopped our weekly indoor swim lessons last July and it was obvious that the kids hadn't been swimming in awhile when we first went a few weeks ago. But right now they are in swim lessons at the Y and they are doing well. They are in the Guppy level, so they can float and they can swim a few yards to the teacher using doggy paddle / freestyle. They are extremely comfortable in the water, and they are able to jump in and then turn around and get themselves back to the wall. I believe they will become much stronger swimmers this summer after more lessons and practice.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjjRDPICiCqppngjOUsjY864-Ww2QODf-Y7BRc2PJqhxEWbfIRGfSSd3WMEdFqulGUc5WFaFhhmuOCdQa_NQ_YVeKGo_Bqh0Wak65hzk8B_zNoZV9HYK3OYpK89adVpcLMJLjBE-l10W5/s1600/IMG_6280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjjRDPICiCqppngjOUsjY864-Ww2QODf-Y7BRc2PJqhxEWbfIRGfSSd3WMEdFqulGUc5WFaFhhmuOCdQa_NQ_YVeKGo_Bqh0Wak65hzk8B_zNoZV9HYK3OYpK89adVpcLMJLjBE-l10W5/s320/IMG_6280.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's been a little bit chilly this summer, so they always want to lay on the ground to warm up after swim lessons</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Big Siblings:</b> They are all constantly commenting on how cute Graham is, which is great considering how often he also frustrates them. He gets into their toys and ruins their creations. He has bitten Jack several times when he gets mad about something, but Jack is quick to forgive. They are great at telling me if Graham is getting into trouble. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All three were quite selfless when it came to sharing this car with Graham. They agreed that he could stay in the whole time and the rest of them would rotate with the other seat. This is great...except Graham is really bad at taking turns since he gets his way a lot.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Jack's Roommate:</b> Jack and Graham now share a room which has worked so well. I decided to move Graham a couple of months ago after having family in town and having to move Graham out of his own room for the 100th time. Although it worked well for Graham to have his own room most of the time, having to move him meant that his sleep was disrupted as well as ours since he would sleep in a pack-n-play in our room. Although it was a difficult couple of nights, overall the transition of putting the boys in the same room went very smoothly. Jack is extremely proud to have a "mate" as he calls it. The girls have almost always shared a room, and I think Jack was always a little jealous about that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Birthday Weekend Recap:</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Months ago we mentioned to the kids that we could camp and climb at the Enchanted Tower for their birthday. They loved that idea and immediately they started creating signs and invitations to "The Big Tower" and they hung them all over upstairs. We hadn't been to The Tower since last September or October, so Micah and I were both surprised when Faith drew a very accurate picture of the main feature on one of her signs. Although the rest of the signs and invites were taken down soon after the kids made them, I kept the one picture from Faith on the wall until this weekend.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith's drawing of the tower and a campfire</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As the birthday got closer the kids started getting cold feet about camping. They have been to friend's birthday parties and they kind of wanted one of their own. Of course we could have done both a party and camping, but putting together and hosting parties aren't my favorite thing, and getting ready for a camping trip is a ton of work, so I told the kids that we were going to stick with camping and we would have a lot of fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unfortunately, Micah got a cold 10 days before we left and it lingered for awhile and he lost his voice. The cold preceded to make it's way through 3 of the 4 kids, so I was really worried that Faith and I might get it at the last minute and not feel well during our trip. Thankfully that didn't happen and overall we enjoyed ourselves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our friends were also planning on camping at The Tower since we made the plan several months ago, and it was extra special since my friend Val shares a birthday with Alexis, Jack, and Faith. Her youngest son also turned 2 over the weekend, so we had five birthdays between the 12 of us in three days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We celebrated the birthday weekend with lots of sugar (cupcakes, cake, soda, s'mores, and other junk food), climbing (we had to take turns watching the kids, but everyone got a little climbing in), the "Mega King Swing" (the kids swinging from a tope rope hung on the most famous climb in NM called Goliath), playing in the dirt, lounging in hammocks, sitting by campfires, and some adult beverages for the parents. As expected there were some difficult moments, as there always are in life, but it was definitely a memorable weekend. Hopefully when the kids look back on their 6th birthday they remember all of the fun they had!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkGa_HqpSy6G1FgF7Plt-bg8Gkcf5hN_0NwpayN57q3_l3vpHU9r4VJbkiIV_kpNFzoY00-HN5MnTNPmNwKh5PIScOOpxbeyFloJiMggUZpiBdB0Cwgstz3MyUaIGXdULv7xd8yQ7jHWE/s1600/IMG_6359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkGa_HqpSy6G1FgF7Plt-bg8Gkcf5hN_0NwpayN57q3_l3vpHU9r4VJbkiIV_kpNFzoY00-HN5MnTNPmNwKh5PIScOOpxbeyFloJiMggUZpiBdB0Cwgstz3MyUaIGXdULv7xd8yQ7jHWE/s320/IMG_6359.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOaHe0eRP2U55_Ky4EhwFbl5AiOKO7AOZuCpwt1yF1S6oEkKUwUWrHsscJpFTs6UUqXt_sGf15pcUQOlQ7NPkGU9GyPTVULDexHA7FGacNphO9NoldZ98iX1f7Yjg7263AxOEkv3uVtQz/s1600/IMG_6364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOaHe0eRP2U55_Ky4EhwFbl5AiOKO7AOZuCpwt1yF1S6oEkKUwUWrHsscJpFTs6UUqXt_sGf15pcUQOlQ7NPkGU9GyPTVULDexHA7FGacNphO9NoldZ98iX1f7Yjg7263AxOEkv3uVtQz/s320/IMG_6364.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nnvALzUQnVCmJRJTafzO7ZeYc2v5HFUHkz-a8LT1uBzw4EPEstty0ev6KWFM-jfVT-rHFh76jVmjgoriKXYCbv62Jh9Wd9WgjGv6B1jpP9AsUqSOgpy0qINHF95VVG4POjvT2WqxuVki/s1600/IMG_6366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nnvALzUQnVCmJRJTafzO7ZeYc2v5HFUHkz-a8LT1uBzw4EPEstty0ev6KWFM-jfVT-rHFh76jVmjgoriKXYCbv62Jh9Wd9WgjGv6B1jpP9AsUqSOgpy0qINHF95VVG4POjvT2WqxuVki/s320/IMG_6366.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9s6YXiuAwSkrAJZ7xq32esf-FIb694UH5tMMNTi7I6HsrcN3vCVcH7oJw9l43CblKfm-hXZUl1tPj8zQ_dIzbAMev0LQzSyf6wZ5rAmj1KZ5qD0xUclunnT9m_3amTb8kUhhqK3CVlEfB/s1600/IMG_6370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9s6YXiuAwSkrAJZ7xq32esf-FIb694UH5tMMNTi7I6HsrcN3vCVcH7oJw9l43CblKfm-hXZUl1tPj8zQ_dIzbAMev0LQzSyf6wZ5rAmj1KZ5qD0xUclunnT9m_3amTb8kUhhqK3CVlEfB/s320/IMG_6370.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5_8VKykdrS4J_hcNvBLeWYMLXLehIpLgj0KwCp5MW1Ejwc-xMcw67dWq5radkwAJ_s1DQzTPDUbetCcjsivuibHN87DyHOjwRU3TBvedw3TV8caKToMpXS3E4my9bP-LWmQjczlPPoPJ/s1600/IMG_6377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5_8VKykdrS4J_hcNvBLeWYMLXLehIpLgj0KwCp5MW1Ejwc-xMcw67dWq5radkwAJ_s1DQzTPDUbetCcjsivuibHN87DyHOjwRU3TBvedw3TV8caKToMpXS3E4my9bP-LWmQjczlPPoPJ/s320/IMG_6377.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iY429bl3xu1QqhCgKGUCbaemw5CAWz0F3zZp6FsrH1GoO2oqjwUZof2zMpqFdCuyUXwSeS2p6RMqeTzhXFIWuKlyY9WbJkEMUBn1QOqvS78vnvorZaOUab5O-yETy8I5RIkRsA0i5zSX/s1600/IMG_6378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iY429bl3xu1QqhCgKGUCbaemw5CAWz0F3zZp6FsrH1GoO2oqjwUZof2zMpqFdCuyUXwSeS2p6RMqeTzhXFIWuKlyY9WbJkEMUBn1QOqvS78vnvorZaOUab5O-yETy8I5RIkRsA0i5zSX/s320/IMG_6378.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-kj-ymgz296kY57bLD7VlZMYp6j84AvTuNBH_mzTid62b1JAw_SrXpPhjMqKBCeTfh7znD6qu9HLJDqEM2J5Tynq-zjvL1kgIELEl9uQqWR0OK6F0ikxAZGoycVEd7sMnQ2pyoa01dSW/s1600/IMG_6381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-kj-ymgz296kY57bLD7VlZMYp6j84AvTuNBH_mzTid62b1JAw_SrXpPhjMqKBCeTfh7znD6qu9HLJDqEM2J5Tynq-zjvL1kgIELEl9uQqWR0OK6F0ikxAZGoycVEd7sMnQ2pyoa01dSW/s320/IMG_6381.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWPlKvzHU7w0n0xN_XgUr7jSiMfpepwPfYL2Q9lpj7NGZHWrDs4XcYTePcjXutD3XKRKDu-qv6n2bNgx9nrQ-mHsQzxrRwaqFRCdVdHQIdBtM7tZiwz30M8El9dB86H0OhyRva2V0UVXH/s1600/IMG_6396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWPlKvzHU7w0n0xN_XgUr7jSiMfpepwPfYL2Q9lpj7NGZHWrDs4XcYTePcjXutD3XKRKDu-qv6n2bNgx9nrQ-mHsQzxrRwaqFRCdVdHQIdBtM7tZiwz30M8El9dB86H0OhyRva2V0UVXH/s320/IMG_6396.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nnnd7tmpXRTTbTMnP14h0PbUKgojvVwJBKSZHUiNCFz3Rn3OWBd_CR_CKhLi_aVWyrS1DYCL-KzGQ4hTzGMtgC8laUF_174321jxXHf9ehkAp5Izu0PH9gu96xaGWwJ0DFCkrUwJt2_q/s1600/IMG_6397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nnnd7tmpXRTTbTMnP14h0PbUKgojvVwJBKSZHUiNCFz3Rn3OWBd_CR_CKhLi_aVWyrS1DYCL-KzGQ4hTzGMtgC8laUF_174321jxXHf9ehkAp5Izu0PH9gu96xaGWwJ0DFCkrUwJt2_q/s320/IMG_6397.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BmP5xHouLb_0YyPAed4HiDjgXizfpNBys3ijMssUb5auMuWa3zzkTPQO-auCJ43i37GUDJ1QzuKY4lRRTuY9VI2MtLM91Xu7OWSDFM4SndiO1SGdEQ82xyyOz3gj75w6Ggj8WQjmEXcG/s1600/IMG_6402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BmP5xHouLb_0YyPAed4HiDjgXizfpNBys3ijMssUb5auMuWa3zzkTPQO-auCJ43i37GUDJ1QzuKY4lRRTuY9VI2MtLM91Xu7OWSDFM4SndiO1SGdEQ82xyyOz3gj75w6Ggj8WQjmEXcG/s320/IMG_6402.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cupcakes on their actual birthday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOTJhCwdIYfn-OUsqbt80vJ2Uze9Hse9Bj3bNzLHSauCmqLFVXYnIVMNuTEpJFYwtjX3Ou2XZUe3anwEsqfl77FMOQwVT1InhUNP7GjV02ee_V3KY5JBINM7rwSMDNWJSWSarIUgAXQGg/s1600/IMG_6483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOTJhCwdIYfn-OUsqbt80vJ2Uze9Hse9Bj3bNzLHSauCmqLFVXYnIVMNuTEpJFYwtjX3Ou2XZUe3anwEsqfl77FMOQwVT1InhUNP7GjV02ee_V3KY5JBINM7rwSMDNWJSWSarIUgAXQGg/s320/IMG_6483.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping with friends is so much fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1Dyf2QSOQq5CqfpI_YqbQb1D2fAgmDf-jnZo9ik160S85kRGabBpq_4kIOc65er5whzTsa1rbhgG_1iqwpLaK66R-7bq0gY9Wy8aFuntndrlY-NSJ1TaiRzR7ac_6LXE6ZyLIwZCtccu/s1600/IMG_6504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1Dyf2QSOQq5CqfpI_YqbQb1D2fAgmDf-jnZo9ik160S85kRGabBpq_4kIOc65er5whzTsa1rbhgG_1iqwpLaK66R-7bq0gY9Wy8aFuntndrlY-NSJ1TaiRzR7ac_6LXE6ZyLIwZCtccu/s320/IMG_6504.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our only family photo form the weekend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9DBLpTRbt1HswOBX7tCQgLMkAEvQDj8jW7VzCC7o3bfyXOdQHzyE45OoeSn3P4dg_lR6j-yYE6Cu5s5DBYogd2HODEVWXQX4hnf10QEie8JWzWl97xe-81v4wqdGBR8tIXDIcEOwyenr/s1600/IMG_6505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9DBLpTRbt1HswOBX7tCQgLMkAEvQDj8jW7VzCC7o3bfyXOdQHzyE45OoeSn3P4dg_lR6j-yYE6Cu5s5DBYogd2HODEVWXQX4hnf10QEie8JWzWl97xe-81v4wqdGBR8tIXDIcEOwyenr/s320/IMG_6505.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1Slb4titm3RQkNVoo1yUQq6vV07JlEZLnKlIiXIv6ukz22yNVPZNTBI44qy2SJGqVz9HAnCg57qykEYxzFYbXWCTUmtrSBSQmJV2xUjNo0-Gkg6SsJhtzSJE1IJurcc9M-Nt2-fYWS9i/s1600/IMG_6518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1Slb4titm3RQkNVoo1yUQq6vV07JlEZLnKlIiXIv6ukz22yNVPZNTBI44qy2SJGqVz9HAnCg57qykEYxzFYbXWCTUmtrSBSQmJV2xUjNo0-Gkg6SsJhtzSJE1IJurcc9M-Nt2-fYWS9i/s320/IMG_6518.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVT2vcG2vnTkELOWd12zwSoEA4xWcVKc7ciHmFvIVxCPSyWrtnnQ4UTo8PmW0P86B387LSXD3CWlljNxDMXvIDjbH5z11GGn5sTDR0eodaBZqxB4Y71AQ2XhbUCU-CKGIuxauJYQ-VqK2/s1600/IMG_6526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVT2vcG2vnTkELOWd12zwSoEA4xWcVKc7ciHmFvIVxCPSyWrtnnQ4UTo8PmW0P86B387LSXD3CWlljNxDMXvIDjbH5z11GGn5sTDR0eodaBZqxB4Y71AQ2XhbUCU-CKGIuxauJYQ-VqK2/s320/IMG_6526.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwG9GFgvNS_5mUguBzj0c6bwiNkhXVoNkFVFKT6ebponYAEHiXFna8EGMNNwoPKa1UbHWiY3CfWHud3B86oGZB-hINqozm_9ef2l3NExbc03KPfEw1q1NbJbsEXG4wk0162ChughMz_OMo/s1600/IMG_E6412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwG9GFgvNS_5mUguBzj0c6bwiNkhXVoNkFVFKT6ebponYAEHiXFna8EGMNNwoPKa1UbHWiY3CfWHud3B86oGZB-hINqozm_9ef2l3NExbc03KPfEw1q1NbJbsEXG4wk0162ChughMz_OMo/s320/IMG_E6412.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaGfwDTTaC_5CVRoIf6vUGmzpPhuhTFYjSFHQFYziNz-xg_k6JbpqRDm6uXWP38QUXnXV24NfJTX1SSq-uvN4HyF0bm_BE7RzAT9Eh_dXjOfIu1_lPZ6dWOP0DaY_VEATAslBeRnLb6DA/s1600/IMG_E6427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaGfwDTTaC_5CVRoIf6vUGmzpPhuhTFYjSFHQFYziNz-xg_k6JbpqRDm6uXWP38QUXnXV24NfJTX1SSq-uvN4HyF0bm_BE7RzAT9Eh_dXjOfIu1_lPZ6dWOP0DaY_VEATAslBeRnLb6DA/s320/IMG_E6427.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday photo with their birthday buddy Val</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbvO3r554j239Q9ID2GvBq54pp1S0mvI_seN0ZrbFGN5w4KuzTtVSGQkUngTT3FUy9Ht94T_6UEKAW-QNpbbOBsu-Azx0Bt0f0G-39xx11v995Lpuy4E_RfQyTBiK1_9YBjICakVTqq8s/s1600/IMG_E6493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbvO3r554j239Q9ID2GvBq54pp1S0mvI_seN0ZrbFGN5w4KuzTtVSGQkUngTT3FUy9Ht94T_6UEKAW-QNpbbOBsu-Azx0Bt0f0G-39xx11v995Lpuy4E_RfQyTBiK1_9YBjICakVTqq8s/s320/IMG_E6493.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-21451214454276289552019-06-02T21:37:00.002-06:002019-06-02T21:37:40.635-06:00Faith's Interview QuestionsI have been asking Alexis, Jack, and Faith the same interview questions every year since the year they turned 3. Only half of their answers made since when they turned 3 as they didn't quite seem to understand all of the questions, but in the last couple of years the answers have become more accurate. It is fun for me to see how their answers change over the years. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<i>Here are Faith's past interviews:</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2018/05/faiths-interview-questions.html" target="_blank">Faith's 5th Birthday</a><br />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2017/06/faiths-interview-questions.html" target="_blank">Faith's 4th Birthday</a><br />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2016/06/faith-elizabeth-is-turning-3.html" target="_blank">Faith's 3rd Birthday</a><br />
<br />
<i>And here are her answers for this year:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<br />
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
is your full name?</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Faith Elizabeth Howard<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old are you?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> 5 1/2</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 6</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">When is your birthday?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> June 7<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
How old is Mommy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 62 (I think any number over 20 seems big to her)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old is Daddy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 63 (????)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">What is your favorite color?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Pink and blue<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite food?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Cherries (cherry tomatoes)</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Best friend?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Riley, until he started playing with the
boys. Alexis and Jack too.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite song?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Try Try Again (a poem learned at
school). What Does the Fox Say<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite animal?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> A cheetah<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
What are you scared of?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Darth
Vader<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
What makes you happy? </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Hugging<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Where is your favorite place to go? </span></b><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It used to be the High
Desert Park, but now that orange twisty turney monkey bar place (Arroyo Del Oso
Park)</span><span style="background: white;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
What do you want to be when you grow up? </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> A vet<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Climbing
because you get to go with your friends and talk to your friends<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">What is Daddy’s favorite thing to do?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Play with kids because he really likes Graham</span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYd0HnleLdD4UM_qKvStdVhAJ0zDJsdZNcF_kgeE_AgpkE_8fkeEZWPJBMQF6Kx3kZ15iN7x3Mxg8qyO8T3PuUNisivGtlYpGdM0hU3hVYL3N5o8ly3bN2433Shn5GeB2KQW9vU9RH-BT/s1600/IMG_5933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYd0HnleLdD4UM_qKvStdVhAJ0zDJsdZNcF_kgeE_AgpkE_8fkeEZWPJBMQF6Kx3kZ15iN7x3Mxg8qyO8T3PuUNisivGtlYpGdM0hU3hVYL3N5o8ly3bN2433Shn5GeB2KQW9vU9RH-BT/s320/IMG_5933.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkxmkP3wjkPIhCY8Vxm4KV3RdX265y8Zx4ROYH0tSNSxtgdN-Lfa6jbguj4pyyEwvkh_FzEGkgVXRcIbj1O-EcgrV1j66sjt1a6-c9PpB1rH7B5LtPO8MFdWM3PWlSerQBLOuOXtweBEM/s1600/IMG_E6158+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkxmkP3wjkPIhCY8Vxm4KV3RdX265y8Zx4ROYH0tSNSxtgdN-Lfa6jbguj4pyyEwvkh_FzEGkgVXRcIbj1O-EcgrV1j66sjt1a6-c9PpB1rH7B5LtPO8MFdWM3PWlSerQBLOuOXtweBEM/s320/IMG_E6158+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self Portrait. She said the numbers by the names was their order according to height.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><i></i>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-55825888610589602212019-06-02T21:32:00.003-06:002019-06-02T21:44:38.840-06:00Jack's Interview Questions<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I have been asking Alexis, Jack, and Faith the same interview questions every year since the year they turned 3. Only half of their answers made since when they turned 3 as they didn't quite seem to understand all of the questions, but in the last couple of years the answers have become more accurate. It is fun for me to see how their answers change over the years. Enjoy!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Here are Jack's past interviews:</i><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2018/05/jacks-interview-questions.html" target="_blank">Jack's 5th Birthday</a><br />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2017/06/jacks-interview-questions.html" target="_blank">Jack's 4th Birthday</a><br />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2016/05/jack-micah-is-turning-3.html" target="_blank">Jack's 3rd Birthday</a><br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">And here are his answers for this year:</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></i>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;">What
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<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old are you?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> 5</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 6</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
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<b><span style="background: white;">When is your birthday?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> June 7<br />
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How old is Mommy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 36 (he was right!)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old is Daddy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 35 (actually 37, but he was close!)<br />
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<b><span style="background: white;">What is your favorite color?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Black<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white;">Best friend?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> My favorite friends at school are Ian
and Jacob<br />
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<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite song?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Handlebars<br />
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<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite animal?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Tigers<br />
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<b><span style="background: white;">Where is your favorite place to go?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Trampoline park<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></i>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-6794355729248773912019-06-02T21:25:00.005-06:002019-06-02T21:33:10.017-06:00Alexis' Interview QuestionsI have been asking Alexis, Jack, and Faith the same interview questions every year since the year they turned 3. Only half of their answers made since when they turned 3 as they didn't quite seem to understand all of the questions, but in the last couple of years the answers have become more accurate. It is fun for me to see how their answers change over the years. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<i>Here are Alexis' past interviews:</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2018/05/alexis-interview-questions.html" target="_blank">Alexis' 5th Birthday</a><br />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2017/06/alexis-interview-questions.html" target="_blank">Alexis' 4th Birthday</a><br />
<a href="https://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2016/05/alexis-joy-is-turning-3.html" target="_blank">Alexis' 3rd Birthday</a><br />
<br />
<i>And here are her answers for this year:</i><br />
<br />
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;">What
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<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old are you?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> 5</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<b>How old will you be on your birthday?</b> 6</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">When is your birthday?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> June 7<br />
<b><span style="background: white;"><br />
How old is Mommy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 64 (I think any number over 20 still seems big to her...)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">How old is Daddy?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> 68 (????)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">What is your favorite color?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Purple, black, and red<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite food?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Rice and beans</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Best friend?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> Brady (from school) and Faith and Jack<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite song?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> The Swing (a poem learned at school).
What Does the Fox Say.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Favorite animal?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> </span> I kind of like every animal<br />
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<b><span style="background: white;">Where is your favorite place to go?</span></b><span style="background: white;"> Explora<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self Portrait</td></tr>
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<br />Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-3661688433864784782019-05-30T21:02:00.002-06:002019-05-30T21:02:21.410-06:00Things Kids Say: Age 5<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I've been trying to write down the funny things that Alexis, Jack, and Faith say, so here are some of the best comments from our soon to be 6-year-olds:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VVNvTDdPGVveOQBfO_piNnk2uikJir5mNAAa0DCExC6kcG2K4Dso0QMS3zq8c_zHj2X6SqzV1Ye7PFuFFzdYwd8Nsw9GbwmoV_fbJMQgOI3iu7EeucgWpDYXfpQZkAR3WhTbbNdzFZ_n/s1600/IMG_5312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VVNvTDdPGVveOQBfO_piNnk2uikJir5mNAAa0DCExC6kcG2K4Dso0QMS3zq8c_zHj2X6SqzV1Ye7PFuFFzdYwd8Nsw9GbwmoV_fbJMQgOI3iu7EeucgWpDYXfpQZkAR3WhTbbNdzFZ_n/s320/IMG_5312.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Alexis...</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Graham has a natural snotty face. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ll hold your ears. [When Faith was using a hand dryer in a Starbucks bathroom and she was afraid of the noise.]</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think when Daddy is done with his work job he should be a policeman because he just loves donuts.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mom, when are we going to get the lamb rock? [She was looking at the large hole in our ceiling that we had from a leak...she meant sheet rock, but apparently she thought we had been saying SHEEP rock). </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would be a little shy working with a lion. [She was reading a book about a vet who had to fix a lion's leg, and she wants to be a vet when she grows up so she was imagining herself doing this job. I think "shy" is an understatement since I would be terrified.]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5dJ-eSTHcMQjqfwo3yF6lO_w9HUL922bx7_MtmaWmq-29FwUPa6PSgVjqHjaYgsZgb-82SSq9yvd3_3A9_zZbyuPbewLYoFmRdrH7ivQ360u3y2rHVwLCS14VVbfYU0rx656_Hm8SggG/s1600/IMG_5310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5dJ-eSTHcMQjqfwo3yF6lO_w9HUL922bx7_MtmaWmq-29FwUPa6PSgVjqHjaYgsZgb-82SSq9yvd3_3A9_zZbyuPbewLYoFmRdrH7ivQ360u3y2rHVwLCS14VVbfYU0rx656_Hm8SggG/s320/IMG_5310.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><i>Faith...</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Albert Einstein? Samual told me he died!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This music is radical. [When listening to a cd Micah made for me 20 years ago.]</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This hammer was made in China! [The kids had just finished a unit on China in school, and she had no idea that everything cheap is made in China.]</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Mama, some day we should really have you in the newspaper for cooking!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I’m as cold as a homeless person. [Unfortunately we see too many homeless people on the streets of ABQ, and I guess she thought about how cold that would be.]</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I love Grammy Karen the best because she invented back scratching!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I’m as fast as the average human! [Followed by...what does average mean?]</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I don’t want to be anything when I grow up. Just a mom...with no kids.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">[When driving past a really stinky cow farm...] ”Graham is poopy for sure. I can smell it.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Wow, that is more beautiful than I dreamed! [When looking at a mermaid costume for Faith that had been put away for awhile.]</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I hope I get married. I want someone to talk to. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Bagels with butter are just so buttery.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Mom, when there is a girl singing [on the radio] and you sing along, it sounds like one person. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I wish they would just give us gift cards so we can buy what we want. [This was said on the way home from church after he picked a prize out of a box for drawing a picture.]</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Shoes in Spanish are called sneakers.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>Jack</i>: How many calories are in wine?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>Me</i>: I don’t know.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>Jack</i>: Ask Siri.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>Micah</i>: Did he just tell you to ask Siri?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>Jack</i>: She knows everything! </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">[When playing 'I Spy' in the car on the way to school...] </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Alexis:</b> I spy something gray.<b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><i>Faith:</i></b> Mom's hair.</span></span>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-83728295334826560612019-05-14T22:05:00.000-06:002019-05-14T22:05:09.116-06:00MileBoulders: Triplet MilestonesTomorrow is the last day of Kindergarten for our triplets. I can hardly believe that they will be 1st Graders next year as that sounds incredibly old to me. From the very beginning of our triplets' lives, every milestone and birthday has felt huge to me. Now that I have a singleton and I can actually compare how I feel about Graham's milestones and birthdays vs. the triplets' milestones and birthdays, I've realized that the triplets' milestones feel more like overcoming huge boulders simply because everything is triplicated. And completing Kindergarten that was part-time in the classroom and part-time homeschool, is no exception to this feeling.<div>
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Alexis, Jack, and Faith attended school on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00-3:30. I clearly remember their first day and how anxious I was to pick them up. They had gone to preschool, but they had been in the same class as each other both years and the longest they were ever in school was four hours. For Kindergarten we decided it would be best to put them in three separate classes which was quite the change for them, and 7.5 hours seemed like an extremely long time to leave my young 5-year-olds. I have to admit, though, that once I got used to the 7.5 hour school day it was great since Graham and I could run errands and do other things in the morning, and then he took a three hour nap in the afternoon so I had some time to work for my job, clean up the house, put dinner in the slow cooker, etc. </div>
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Jack had the most difficult time transitioning to his days at school as he was upset from the moment I woke him up. Thankfully, after a few weeks he stopped crying every time I dropped him off, but I still worried about all three of them. During their 7.5 hour school day they only had one recess at lunchtime, which didn't seem like enough to me since my kids were used to playing most of the day. But they all persevered and honestly they never seemed that tired after their long day at school. They also didn't seem bothered by being in separate classes once they got over the initial shock of not being together all day, every day. In fact, I think they all enjoy being apart to some extent as it meant they weren't in constant competition with each other and they were able to build relationships with other kids. On the playground, though, they mostly played together, but they did talk about playing with other kids as well.</div>
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On Tuesdays and Thursdays we had a form of homeschool. In reality it was more like extended homework as the lessons were mostly taught on Mondays and Wednesdays during their actual school day, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays we did worksheets and written assignments and we reviewed what they learned the previous day. The work on our home days took us between 2-4 hours to complete (a couple of times it took longer). </div>
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In theory 2-4 hours of work sounded easy to me, but in practice it was difficult. The assignments were due the next day so we had to do the work on the assigned day. We had up to a week to turn in missed work, but if we fell behind we would have even more work on our next home day, so we never did that. At the beginning of the year we did a little bit of school work in the morning but we saved the bulk of it for the afternoon when Graham was napping. Again, in theory I thought this would work great since I wouldn't have to entertain a toddler while trying to help three kids with their school work, but in practice it was difficult since no one wanted to start school after lunch since they had been having fun playing all morning. </div>
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In October I was ready to call it quits, even though I knew this wasn't really an option since we were paying for this school and we had signed a contract. I decided to put a little less pressure on myself and only do the minimum amount of work required to be turned in the next day, which seemed to help a little. During Christmas break, though, I decided that I should just try to do our school work first thing in the morning even though Graham would be around. When I implemented this after Christmas it worked much better for everyone. I still dealt with my fair share of complaints since everyone would rather be playing, but the reward of being able to play was motivating and helped everyone get their work done. Unfortunately, this didn't work out as great for Graham. Some days he would sit at the table with us for awhile and scribble or play with play dough. When the weather was nice he would play in the backyard by himself while we sat at the kitchen table where we could watch him. But many days he had fits and cried and I couldn't figure out what to do to make him calm. It was incredibly stressful trying to help three kids with math and spelling while trying to keep the toddler happy (and make sure he was safe). </div>
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Although I believe all three kids had great experiences during their school days as they all had wonderful teachers, there were only 13 kids in each class, and they were in a loving, Christian environment, I believe our home days caused more harm than good. Many days I felt overwhelmed and although we got through the work, it wasn't exactly done with joy. In fact, everyone was tense and there were many tears shed during homeschool days. All three kids had numerous meltdowns at home over things they would never complain about at school, simply because they were more comfortable at home. They also are constantly comparing themselves to each other, which caused extra stress. Because of these things, we've decided to try public school next year. </div>
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I will definitely miss knowing exactly what my kids are learning at school since each week we were given the lesson plans for the school days and the home days. I will also miss spending so much time with our kids as they will go from spending 15 hours a week at school to spending 30 hours a week at school. And honestly, public school scares me. Both Micah and I went to public school, but that was in a small town in Michigan many years ago. I do have several friends in ABQ that send their kids to public school that are having good experiences, so that gives me hope, but the world is a big, scary place and sending our kids to public school feels like I'm sending them out into the world. I know that as long as I'm involved in their education everything should be okay, but I can't control what they are exposed to while I'm not there. We keep telling ourselves that we have to give it a try and we can always change schools again, but it's really hard to know what the right thing is to do. </div>
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Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-9992200829352042112019-04-23T22:42:00.000-06:002019-04-23T22:46:07.690-06:00Graham is 2!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And just like that, our baby is 2! In reality
I've been thinking of him as being 2 for the last month since he suddenly
seemed more grown up, so in some ways I've just been waiting for his birthday
to make it official. Micah commented tonight that Graham's first birthday seems
like so long ago and neither of us can remember what we did to celebrate! Thankfully I wrote about it in Graham's 1-year-old blog post. Time
seems so strange once one becomes a parent. A year seems like an
eternity and a blur at the same time. In the last year Graham has grown into an adorable, loving toddler.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;"><b>Here is a snapshot of
Graham at age two:</b></span></i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black;">Weight: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black;">22.5 lbs, which is a full pound heavier than Jack
at this age and about the same as the girls' weight at this age. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black;">Height: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black;">32.5 inches, which is tiny but exactly the same
as Jack at this age.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">Size Clothes:</span></b><span style="color: black;"> 18 month pants and 2T tops (although they are still a little
big on him)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">Night Sleep:</span></b><span style="color: black;"> Two weeks ago I moved Graham's crib into Jack's room. We
have four bedrooms so it worked well to have Graham in his own room while he
was a baby and nursing during the night, but now whenever guests come to town
his sleep and our sleep would be disrupted since we had to put him in our room
in a pack n play. I decided it would be better to put the boys together so that
they got used to sharing a room, and then nothing would be different when
guests came. In the past Jack went to bed and we never saw him or heard from
him until morning. Now that he has a rowdy toddler roommate, though, things get
a bit noisy in his room. Although I hear Jack talking to Graham, mostly it's
Graham being noisy and Graham sometimes calls for me to come in. Overall,
though, things have been going well and once they fall asleep they both sleep
well. I was very happy when Micah's parents came to town last weekend and we
all slept well.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">Naps:</span></b><span style="color: black;"> Graham still takes a 2-3 hour nap every afternoon. I'm not
as consistent as I should be about when I lay him down since life gets busy and
we don't have the same routine every day since the kids go to school 2 days a
week and we homeschool 2 day a week, but he usually goes down for his nap
between 12 and 1. Depending on the day and whether or not we have school pick
up, I wake him up between 3:00 and 3:45. Most days I have to wake him up as it
takes him awhile to fall asleep and then it seems like he could sleep all
afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black;">Food: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black;">Graham continues to be a fairly picky eater, but
thankfully he usually eats a good amount of food throughout the day and he eats
a nice variety. He still doesn't eat many vegetables, but he has been more
willing to try the bite of vegetable that I put on his plate...even if he spits
it right back out. He surprises me sometimes with what he is willing to eat,
though, so I keep trying to introduce new things. If he refuses to eat, I
usually give in and feed him something he likes as I learned with Jack that it
just isn't worth the stress of wondering if he ate enough. Most mornings he
eats a small breakfast but then he has a couple of snacks mid-morning. The
amount of lunch he eats depends on how big his snacks were. Since he generally
naps until 3:00 or 3:30 he might eat one small snack before dinner, which means
he's usually ready for a bigger meal at dinnertime. We always feed him a
bedtime snack as well. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdbiRnlSZHURRteHzB20sZtG6uewlJJcvyH_tiFDiMDWXvi5XjOKd2BKJFpUY55Nua3MI0JjocxO-XqSMbpU37dkbePRgZNWLewDhkgOBjeekOju6sulkPTbnZaSIyAm3Nn_HpDZy4YRU/s1600/IMG_4787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdbiRnlSZHURRteHzB20sZtG6uewlJJcvyH_tiFDiMDWXvi5XjOKd2BKJFpUY55Nua3MI0JjocxO-XqSMbpU37dkbePRgZNWLewDhkgOBjeekOju6sulkPTbnZaSIyAm3Nn_HpDZy4YRU/s320/IMG_4787.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating donuts at a park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After figuring out that dairy
gave him a mucousy cough (I fed it to him for about six weeks and then I
realized that his strange cough coincided with when I first gave him milk and
yogurt), I cut out milk, cheese, and yogurt. I've continued to give him butter
and foods with dairy baked into them and I don't think they are hurting him,
but I'm going to ask the pediatrician at our next appointment to make sure.
Thankfully he likes almond milk and almond milk yogurt, so I give that to him
every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black;">Milestones: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black;">Graham loves to gallop. He is starting to walk up
the stairs on his feet (instead of crawl). He can jump off two feet on the
trampoline. I'm sure there are other things he's learned in the last few
months, but mostly I think he's been working on speech.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black;">Speech: </span></b><span style="color: black;">Graham is a bit speech delayed and he has been in Speech Therapy
since December. We see the Speech Therapist twice a month and Graham adores
her. He is progressing nicely, but he's still behind. Recently the Speech
Therapist commented that he is about where an average 18-month-old is in
speech, but she's always shocked by his receptive language. He follows along
with our conversations and he will try to add to it. For example, when I was
telling the Speech Therapist about putting in our new flooring, Graham grabbed
his toy tools and started babbling and showing the therapist what we did. He
can also follow multi-step directions such as "go find your shoes and your animals and then walk to the car." </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0DDEm6EpsvpEc1hX56dbrSUkMkERZKHIt1FPyArqqtrd1BbysvYGzwApDG1kW-LiOasuDYfj0W7KCOIXGYCpK6dZZsHvTLngW1Pe3DIfbXjOZF4rOMUNEOq1-c5wXWewmo3sConOS1qs/s1600/IMG_4108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0DDEm6EpsvpEc1hX56dbrSUkMkERZKHIt1FPyArqqtrd1BbysvYGzwApDG1kW-LiOasuDYfj0W7KCOIXGYCpK6dZZsHvTLngW1Pe3DIfbXjOZF4rOMUNEOq1-c5wXWewmo3sConOS1qs/s320/IMG_4108.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for his shoes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Graham has learned to use gestures and sound effects
to compensate for his lack of words, so communication isn't necessarily a
problem for him. When Jack fell asleep first the other night Graham called for
me and when I came in the room he started pointing to Jack and imitating Jack's
snoring to let me know that he was doing that. Another example of him using
gestures is when I got Graham up in the morning on his birthday and sang Happy
Birthday to him, he started saying "daddy" and holding out his hand
and then blowing. He was telling me that the last time he heard me sing him
that song (two days earlier) Daddy lit the candles with the lighter in his hand
and then Graham blew out the candles. Because of his ability to communicate
without words he doesn't seem to have much incentive to use words, but we are
working on it with him. He does seem to add a new word every couple of days and
I don't know that I can even come up with a complete list. Just this week he
started saying "no." Just today he said "backpack" when he
saw one on the floor. He says "cheese" whenever I'm taking pictures
of him. He also makes several animal noises. But he doesn't talk to the other
kids yet using their names and he still isn't putting words together. I know
he'll get there so I'm not really worried, but it is nice to see your child
meeting milestones on time so it is a little stressful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">Teeth: </span></b><span style="color: black;">Graham has all 20 baby teeth! On his first birthday he had 8
teeth, so he cut 12 more (two sets of molars and his eye teeth) in the past
year. I'm so happy this is behind us as he wasn't a very happy teether.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;"><b>Some other interesting
things about Graham:</b></span></i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Graham was mostly a "mommy's
boy" but lately he has started to be more independent. Most Wednesday
mornings we go to a small Bible Study while the older kids are at school
and for months Graham has hardly left my side to play with the toys and
other little kids. When we would go to dinners at friends' houses he would
mostly stay near me, and he would panic if I left the room. But just in
the last few weeks he has started to venture out and do his own thing. We
went to an Easter get together with at least 40 people in one
house, and I hardly saw Graham because he was playing on his own the whole
time! It's a weird adjustment for me after always being with him in public
for the past two years, but it's a sign he is growing up!<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l10 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He has started playing on the big
kid play equipment more at parks and going down twisty slides by himself.
I still follow him fairly closely to make sure he's okay since some parks
really aren't designed for little guys like him, but there have been times
he has done things by himself that have shocked me.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRS-D2YT9Ys8IJlNttSXAjd-67gRMWiudsoPI1CTY1WvUK6zCCDxgEystlEjXATlxEeVb_GT__ecvn6o8ut4JAtKxu8I8tylRw7L1lw5Viu8BRB4dVsrQ6dayfVaNeY8c3px-9IfVjNNJ/s1600/IMG_4747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRS-D2YT9Ys8IJlNttSXAjd-67gRMWiudsoPI1CTY1WvUK6zCCDxgEystlEjXATlxEeVb_GT__ecvn6o8ut4JAtKxu8I8tylRw7L1lw5Viu8BRB4dVsrQ6dayfVaNeY8c3px-9IfVjNNJ/s320/IMG_4747.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's great to be the little brother of triplets when everyone wants to push you on the swing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He seems to be an introvert as
even though he spent a lot of time away from me at this most recent
gathering, he spent most of the time playing alone. At home he is fairly
good at entertaining himself as well, and he seems to enjoy a lot of quiet
time playing alone. He can look at books by himself for a good chunk of
time, which is every mother's dream. I'm so thankful for all of this since I pretty much have to ignore him on homeschool mornings. At the same time, though, he is quite
the character and he enjoys smiling at strangers and making faces at
people behind us at church. He's quick to smile and I often get
stopped by strangers who tell me how adorable he is (which I totally agree
with, but I know I'm a bit partial!).</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gnzf3nA3HKrqU0rpWCl0ABLa-UO_PbhjFxpuR2OPtj3sViEFdhLbNdgvptQA4XkacWh8Gdk2MdQ8F3i0wLvdF3JfQ1RX1o1cJSdjXH3jeJVugnsHleIvwifS8TwG4Nv4QnVAHOkegaRl/s1600/IMG_4583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gnzf3nA3HKrqU0rpWCl0ABLa-UO_PbhjFxpuR2OPtj3sViEFdhLbNdgvptQA4XkacWh8Gdk2MdQ8F3i0wLvdF3JfQ1RX1o1cJSdjXH3jeJVugnsHleIvwifS8TwG4Nv4QnVAHOkegaRl/s320/IMG_4583.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-OCnG9-HTZ2NzIVEYSzTXzYug6YnP7T14HuZmB7LA_o73w83BKM2uqWnJxWHvQ51O00lIG6OQCBdAjBHcJiwESRPqnp3wbD9LGCmlLxQZ7DkpJhs_K6jPjAQdV2hNLfJF5zBW52HbvNv/s1600/IMG_4863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-OCnG9-HTZ2NzIVEYSzTXzYug6YnP7T14HuZmB7LA_o73w83BKM2uqWnJxWHvQ51O00lIG6OQCBdAjBHcJiwESRPqnp3wbD9LGCmlLxQZ7DkpJhs_K6jPjAQdV2hNLfJF5zBW52HbvNv/s320/IMG_4863.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toddlers like the strangest things</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Graham loves music, just like his
big brother. Although he's not saying as many words as he should be for a
2-year-old, he does try to sing along to songs. After hearing Happy
Birthday sung to Grammy, to himself, and then to his cousin on a video we
saw, he tried to sing it by himself! He loves to pick up one of our toy
ukuleles and sing along saying "lalalala." He also loves to put
on the toy guitar that plays pre-recorded songs and dance around with the
music.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He continues to suck his index and
middle fingers on his right hand. Whenever I pick him up, especially when
we are out in public and he feels comforted by me picking him up, his
fingers go straight in his mouth. I am a bit of a germaphobe, which is I
feel is warranted since we are exposed to plenty of germs with four little
kids in the house, so I try to grab his hand and spray it with high
quality hand sanitizer before he can put his fingers in his mouth. He also
sucks his fingers when I put him in his car seat and when he goes to
sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9P2mWobIZd8Erpw8xVBbdexYOpy8O_FGPfAIxZTuk7J2HGUc21IY9cRc3oUrGh5uhEt1DOuEQbWXSrsbw_hy3DRwhmQUd_PW1jc_mEJ8441o0ooF7gzBVOoQ_XABtU48EcidW9dE1-cwm/s1600/IMG_E4602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1019" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9P2mWobIZd8Erpw8xVBbdexYOpy8O_FGPfAIxZTuk7J2HGUc21IY9cRc3oUrGh5uhEt1DOuEQbWXSrsbw_hy3DRwhmQUd_PW1jc_mEJ8441o0ooF7gzBVOoQ_XABtU48EcidW9dE1-cwm/s320/IMG_E4602.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He loves to play with water and
bubbles. He can stand outside next to the water table for hours playing,
and he always gets mad when his baths are over. Now that he can blow
bubbles he is a little obsessive about it, but I think it's fascinating to
him.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqtqoVWX_KszVy7D3e08Am1wcTOGfqChU3-Zxa3OPjtxSSdQPqY5MGACilgF11AcDJfduZLlT_UajbQNiwOmiNjT_oys4TBhFRfh3djLLHU1pdGvj7XFMxTjUDCNhzhqz4hXizHrXfcOV/s1600/IMG_4972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqtqoVWX_KszVy7D3e08Am1wcTOGfqChU3-Zxa3OPjtxSSdQPqY5MGACilgF11AcDJfduZLlT_UajbQNiwOmiNjT_oys4TBhFRfh3djLLHU1pdGvj7XFMxTjUDCNhzhqz4hXizHrXfcOV/s320/IMG_4972.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo7; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He loves all things boy, like
cars, trucks, bikes, and guns. He loves to make car noises when riding on
a toy or pushing a small vehicle around. Although we only have a couple of
toy Nerf guns in our house, they are kept on a high shelf and we have
rules about how they can be played with so Graham hasn't used them at all.
Just like Jack, though, he turns the most random things into guns and runs
around. It's crazy to me how innate this is for many boys.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Graham hits, pushes, and bites to
get his way. We try to stop this behavior right away, but since he doesn't
have many words to communicate what he wants this behavior unfortunately
comes out. Thankfully he seems to only act this way around his big sibs
and me, but I do worry that it could come out with another toddler if they
start fighting over a toy or something.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We removed the gate on the stairs
a few months ago and he has only taken one scary tumble down the stairs
that involved a backwards somersault (he was totally fine after...he
hardly even cried!). He is a cautious boy so I don't worry too much about
him on the stairs since he crawls up and down, but lately he has started
to try to walk up without holding onto anything which is a little
nerve-wrecking. I know this is an important developmental milestone, but
since he is petite it's hard for him to put his legs up that high.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo10; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I think Graham has decided that
it's his role in our family to be the comedian. When we are around the
dinner table he loves to make people laugh by doing silly things or
leading us all in various motions and noises (he'll stick his hands up in
the air and wait for us all to follow, and then he'll bang his hands on
the table and we all follow, and on and on). <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l11 level1 lfo11; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He has figured out that if you
want to be seen or heard in this family, you need to be loud and cute. He
competes with his siblings for attention quite well, although it can make
conversations at dinner time challenging. When my parents' friends stopped
by when they were driving across the country Graham was hysterical as he
grabbed the toy guitar and started singing and dancing to get everyone's
attention. He also kept giving them hugs, even though to him they were
complete strangers. It was as if he could see his siblings behaving this
way so he wanted to win everyone's affection. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo12; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Graham is a problem solver,
especially when it comes to getting things that he wants. For example,
he's a little to short to get onto our backyard trampoline (which is only
a couple of feet off of the ground), but he's figured out that he can tip
over a toy truck and use that as a step stool to climb on the trampoline.
The other day is went into the downstairs bathroom, grabbed the kid
stool, carried it upstairs (by this point I was following closely
because I knew he was up to something and I didn't want him to tumble down
the stairs with the stool), and he brought the stool over to the toy
kitchen set so that he could reach a headlamp that someone put up there.
He was still too short, but I was impressed by his ability to think this
all through!<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1H5_QwknEtn6FU__LPLMdHbWR6WrsXdkm4T16n-1hEnwIN0lxWg_A9D8W1IFhiMbUAqpTrrcJtqR29a9wi0H6C6NJfxSW6srWAP8HO9YRKuirifwVNIWgho4heRbEv_cOUTThKJkKWG1/s1600/IMG_3235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1119" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1H5_QwknEtn6FU__LPLMdHbWR6WrsXdkm4T16n-1hEnwIN0lxWg_A9D8W1IFhiMbUAqpTrrcJtqR29a9wi0H6C6NJfxSW6srWAP8HO9YRKuirifwVNIWgho4heRbEv_cOUTThKJkKWG1/s320/IMG_3235.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretend play</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUA-BbjW8pL09uic7zDFMZABaf1QNujisy-glNHQW4czjrD7UWzna_0b9S7I0_JkKHOIl62NdIt8BOpKOfbS2c86RXp7GKciXhJHuUGkbn6JBD5hTorJL5_vLgzP75i43sO-0CvwFYkPmd/s1600/IMG_3513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUA-BbjW8pL09uic7zDFMZABaf1QNujisy-glNHQW4czjrD7UWzna_0b9S7I0_JkKHOIl62NdIt8BOpKOfbS2c86RXp7GKciXhJHuUGkbn6JBD5hTorJL5_vLgzP75i43sO-0CvwFYkPmd/s320/IMG_3513.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working with Daddy on the floors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluTQoV7EbCJFvGL_ngdUTCtsNsl_R5aHbQnLKkrcWDVA-wsdhEsXiVi9mbNKEeKwDY1gVOhcC7VWoomjdR6LlGfEIYX_AnBLpbn9ArpFyIFpC3u2sEqc1wyuYCddH8mvUtoe4jaIIvNFI/s1600/IMG_3578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluTQoV7EbCJFvGL_ngdUTCtsNsl_R5aHbQnLKkrcWDVA-wsdhEsXiVi9mbNKEeKwDY1gVOhcC7VWoomjdR6LlGfEIYX_AnBLpbn9ArpFyIFpC3u2sEqc1wyuYCddH8mvUtoe4jaIIvNFI/s320/IMG_3578.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOQysghJfVUIDX8xuJ5vEwYAFrHGdvLpTIHUrZ9MeRWDYRsxIV-kwQ9hyphenhyphen3uxj1PgAm_J7ZGcieD2TwB5gwR60U34Zuu18sem2alR0fZiklpJQOI6nPDZ1yhmiBtXUsIMCyml02DY-N8OA/s1600/IMG_4202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOQysghJfVUIDX8xuJ5vEwYAFrHGdvLpTIHUrZ9MeRWDYRsxIV-kwQ9hyphenhyphen3uxj1PgAm_J7ZGcieD2TwB5gwR60U34Zuu18sem2alR0fZiklpJQOI6nPDZ1yhmiBtXUsIMCyml02DY-N8OA/s320/IMG_4202.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack is so proud to have matching shirts with Graham</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8Nd274abywMOQ4TWnZhXKnKcv2hkrUs0NDcgfAtehjR-Y0Bd75SE4ahI3dYfVmUxF8IMKNtsnAH51kw06LBhxDxNZccvuqpU4H6ZKVM7shIMzhXdlzTzrWhLkHTdRPWZKSmXrRr49moM/s1600/IMG_4335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8Nd274abywMOQ4TWnZhXKnKcv2hkrUs0NDcgfAtehjR-Y0Bd75SE4ahI3dYfVmUxF8IMKNtsnAH51kw06LBhxDxNZccvuqpU4H6ZKVM7shIMzhXdlzTzrWhLkHTdRPWZKSmXrRr49moM/s320/IMG_4335.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train ride to Santa Fe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0UXoSqihBD85aPZD0e3PRSVJZqaxbrKtUOk1PiQ_GaFr98usOVCgJxRsTYk4YS4I6nipNIfVntTRtmHzj1pkrxDMQLYD6iS0saZQ73ttxmHj4hcYwBJiQNGALWoZpSxjHIMZg7OdLXUr/s1600/IMG_4670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0UXoSqihBD85aPZD0e3PRSVJZqaxbrKtUOk1PiQ_GaFr98usOVCgJxRsTYk4YS4I6nipNIfVntTRtmHzj1pkrxDMQLYD6iS0saZQ73ttxmHj4hcYwBJiQNGALWoZpSxjHIMZg7OdLXUr/s320/IMG_4670.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zipline!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KYyhmGIzAtAXwWFKCd4BxAOPjbwaxu8Oy0SvQT6zqH6hxMwrasHp_c7g5Nm7-ih9IiuIanaL9DcJfe_j1CJ2wbzAEFmE59Ik1rxQ-JaEhWJ5FGhcfWIHbyXRKAMC4VzxKOvUuj6RWDg9/s1600/IMG_4877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KYyhmGIzAtAXwWFKCd4BxAOPjbwaxu8Oy0SvQT6zqH6hxMwrasHp_c7g5Nm7-ih9IiuIanaL9DcJfe_j1CJ2wbzAEFmE59Ik1rxQ-JaEhWJ5FGhcfWIHbyXRKAMC4VzxKOvUuj6RWDg9/s320/IMG_4877.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He thinks he's a 5-year-old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjnuDs3XI_-P2zoXIe1s8vsUvjtxUFv8PaXohHcZrgGQr1SzGQ-8s7d4iTKurVMlHZpi0wZ7ttZuqXGAZkrrSfv_MZkkr7j_A4tiyC345mY5QSQ5f66LkXZrs4iUWaQHXh56LgZl3mt3a/s1600/IMG_4908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjnuDs3XI_-P2zoXIe1s8vsUvjtxUFv8PaXohHcZrgGQr1SzGQ-8s7d4iTKurVMlHZpi0wZ7ttZuqXGAZkrrSfv_MZkkr7j_A4tiyC345mY5QSQ5f66LkXZrs4iUWaQHXh56LgZl3mt3a/s320/IMG_4908.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We continue to draw a lot of attention at stores...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WdiofK5_I6h7jBIGN6NZtj0DXJfQ7aaFITJmiYHNdYXADIK7NpkTIGN9fsMiBeBMjJT-fFbt6cMliL1YBGp12DIXmQ1eZ2JuW7RqUKHv1vnfOXHii8SXj6zhL6XGIYsDWi6CGVaBpoR9/s1600/IMG_4926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WdiofK5_I6h7jBIGN6NZtj0DXJfQ7aaFITJmiYHNdYXADIK7NpkTIGN9fsMiBeBMjJT-fFbt6cMliL1YBGp12DIXmQ1eZ2JuW7RqUKHv1vnfOXHii8SXj6zhL6XGIYsDWi6CGVaBpoR9/s320/IMG_4926.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing at a park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0QR_2EsEvFIKwb9-qfs39MeRF5gU8tmL15L9Td4604yWGiVduIf78cIY2KMMqxV-LCSrdcw_79SrTLQNZNewFq1CfRqrtIHzpk-IJEAJyKAvIiVRLHPcaXTgqsS9R3ES3UID7AjC3Fxh/s1600/IMG_E4306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0QR_2EsEvFIKwb9-qfs39MeRF5gU8tmL15L9Td4604yWGiVduIf78cIY2KMMqxV-LCSrdcw_79SrTLQNZNewFq1CfRqrtIHzpk-IJEAJyKAvIiVRLHPcaXTgqsS9R3ES3UID7AjC3Fxh/s320/IMG_E4306.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First carousel ride</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Graham's 2-Year Birthday Celebration</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year Graham's birthday fell on the Monday after Easter. Micah's parents came to town for Easter weekend, which gave us a chance to celebrate his mom's birthday which was on Friday and Graham's birthday a couple of days early on Saturday. On Saturday morning Graham opened his gifts. Although we didn't buy him much ourselves, he received gifts from his grandparents and aunts & uncles, so he got plenty! We waited until he woke up from his afternoon nap to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake. For dinner we had his favorite take out, which is Chick Fil A (he loves the fries and CFA sauce!). </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He insisted on helping with his birthday cake. Right after this photo he got mad when I told him his turn was done, and he flung batter across the counter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Crocs and a new watering can</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He tried really hard to blow out these candles!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Monday I dropped the big kids off at school and then Graham and I met a few friends at the zoo. We picked up donuts on the way which we enjoyed in the grassy area of the zoo. Graham enjoyed being with his toddler friends and I enjoyed hanging out with my friends instead of running around and doing errands like I usually do on Monday mornings. Graham ate another birthday cupcake in the evening, but we really didn't make a big deal about it being his birthday since we had already celebrated over the weekend.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He got into a bit of trouble after the zoo, but I let him get away with it since it was his birthday. This is usually NOT permitted.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He really enjoyed that cupcake on his birthday!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the evening I actually went climbing with a friend, mostly because that was the day that worked best for us this week. Truly, though, it felt good to get out on Graham's birthday as my kids' birthdays are hard for me in some ways as they remind me of the trauma around the births. The triplet birth was extremely traumatic because the events leading up to it were scary and they were born 9 weeks early. I hoped that Graham's birth would be healing, but I've learned that in reality every birth has it's own trauma since it's not an easy process. I also don't feel good about how much weight I put on during pregnancy and I don't feel like myself at all when I'm pregnant. Doing something that I enjoy on my kids' birthdays is a way of realizing that although the pregnancy and postpartum months are difficult, I do get back to that person I was before kids and I am more than "just a mama." </span></div>
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Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-63117514693702554442019-03-01T23:21:00.000-07:002019-03-01T23:21:20.473-07:00I Used to Dry My HairDo you ever look back at at the person you were years ago and think, "What was that person thinking? What would she say if she knew her future?" Recently I was going through old photos (I was getting them ready to be mailed to a photo scanning company) and I found myself staring at several pictures of myself wondering about the person I used to be. In some ways it's hard for me to remember my life before kids because having triplets was such a life-altering experience. I became pregnant with Graham when our trio was 3-years-old and his birth felt like it sent me back to square one, so now that he is almost 2-years-old I finally feel like I'm coming out of the fog.<br />
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It seems crazy to me now, but I used to get regular haircuts and dry my hair every single day. Since having triplets, I've gotten my haircut every 9-12 months. Recently I've been trying to dry my hair a little more often since I do want my hair to look nice, but realistically I average about once a week. I used to train for marathons and triathlons, and I seriously forgot until recently that there was a period of my life when I went to yoga regularly. Currently I run two miles about twice a month, and I went to a yoga class led by someone from our church last week and I was sore the next day because I couldn't even remember the last time I unrolled my yoga mat (plus Graham spent the whole time climbing / laying on me, running under my legs as I tried to balance, and then rolling up my mat so I had to finish the class on the hard floor). I do climb at the gym a couple of times a week, but my workout regimen is nowhere where it was pre-kids. And before I had kids, I had a career. I worked hard to become a CPA and I worked full time for 6 years. This past year I started working a little, but I only work 3-4 hours a week. I spend the rest of my time homeschooling two days a week, grocery shopping, making meals, making sure all of the kids are fed and clean, keeping our house in order, and taking the kids on outings. I think everyone knows that moms work more than "full time," but it is so different than showing up to a job every day and having adult conversations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnTlSsekD-13-VQyewpzN7Bo-5Rtvejb6doeAr32s8H4a3lkEnfFhdf6qFUmuFUgb4qkq1F8EXQXDfmxTHh_HGvO-HHL7x0vfD_2l91lSOBk7rXqYbHNLg8BEuxpLdvC3a0xuJmlZ-JwG/s1600/April+2010+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnTlSsekD-13-VQyewpzN7Bo-5Rtvejb6doeAr32s8H4a3lkEnfFhdf6qFUmuFUgb4qkq1F8EXQXDfmxTHh_HGvO-HHL7x0vfD_2l91lSOBk7rXqYbHNLg8BEuxpLdvC3a0xuJmlZ-JwG/s320/April+2010+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is clearly an old picture since my niece is now 12, but look at that hair! Dried and curled!<img height="16" id="yulukv6x6tte" src="data:image/gif;base64,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" width="16" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2d0W4MxPGIA8GEtmbwQHr9h4dKcxIQBg_wCwp8AWrknZvmouYM8GFF0sbIoGYuQFxDXlr2OTCDiwGPdzL5J4VLFyMZ31xA47Du1gxY8J62FQvY96uXnjG-ptJDsWPbqovC0epFMALN2wJ/s1600/Marathon+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2d0W4MxPGIA8GEtmbwQHr9h4dKcxIQBg_wCwp8AWrknZvmouYM8GFF0sbIoGYuQFxDXlr2OTCDiwGPdzL5J4VLFyMZ31xA47Du1gxY8J62FQvY96uXnjG-ptJDsWPbqovC0epFMALN2wJ/s320/Marathon+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie and I are on the right in the grey shirts during the Phoenix Marathon. I loved being able to train for this race with her when we both lived in Colorado.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_kykh9oWpXI87Zs6UXNyyj3w8tU6HJ-HGXhN3kBSvlT55xB_aTijXwSm7d4HXlJLVlaLOWBU5kgFfXodKXFt_yyhgtwOrf5NN-FonKkpDSNDkScHbkNpYo8HsjumVgJnKaSjq0sPZtgX/s1600/IMG_4035+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_kykh9oWpXI87Zs6UXNyyj3w8tU6HJ-HGXhN3kBSvlT55xB_aTijXwSm7d4HXlJLVlaLOWBU5kgFfXodKXFt_yyhgtwOrf5NN-FonKkpDSNDkScHbkNpYo8HsjumVgJnKaSjq0sPZtgX/s320/IMG_4035+%25281%2529.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life today. Messy post dinner kitchen and making a quick dessert with all of the kids "helping." I don't think I would have believed it if someone would have shown me this snapshot of my life 10 years ago.</td></tr>
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Recently I also rediscovered a blog that I kept before I got pregnant with our triplets and during my pregnancy. At the time I kept the blog private so that only those I invited could read it. I had quit my job, traveled for five weeks, and I was preparing to do IVF. After struggling with infertility for a couple of years Micah and I discovered that IVF was our best chance at having a baby, but we weren't ready to share the journey with the world since it was a difficult process for us. My job was not very flexible, so we agreed that I should quit to focus on the IVF process, and we thought I would return to work once the baby was born. Little did we know that our first round of IVF would be incredibly successful and that our two embryos would turn into three babies. Clearly I never "returned to work," but I don't regret that decision at all.<br />
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For those interested, this blog (<a href="http://immersioninhousewifery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> immersioninhousewifery.blogspot.com</a>) documents my journey during the couple of months before we started IVF and it ends with the birth of our triplets. Although the pregnancy was difficult and the birth story was traumatic for me, I am incredibly thankful that today we have three healthy, intelligent, athletic, creative, opinionated 5 1/2-year-olds. And since we were committed to using all of our embryos, we now have an almost 2-year-old that has been an amazing addition to our family, even though the thought of having another child seemed terrifying at first. As a side note, our fertility doctor told me that I was his most successful patient as we had four viable embryos and we now have four healthy children (during the first round of IVF we transferred two embryos and got three babies since once split, after our second embryo transfer in early 2016 I had an early miscarriage from our third embryo, and our third embryo transfer of our fourth and final embryo resulted in Graham).<br />
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I have to admit that sometimes I wish I could travel through time and experience life before kids again. It's hard to believe that I could just leave the house when I wanted and do whatever I wanted to do. But it's also hard to imagine life any differently than it is today. I longed for children for years before we even started to try to get pregnant, but because of life's circumstances we decided it would be best to wait. The younger me wanted babies, even if it meant less time for herself. I'm glad that I was able to spend so much time doing things for myself pre-kids as I know that someday my life will revolve less around the kids and I will become more of the person I was in the past.<br />
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<br />Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-20972810235334106952018-12-28T21:51:00.003-07:002019-02-12T21:07:58.624-07:00Graham at 20 Months<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How is it that our <i>baby</i> is approaching age 2?! The time seems to be passing much more quickly with Graham than it did with triplets, but I guess that's probably because we are so busy doing stuff with the older kids that he seems to be growing up when we aren't paying attention. Although we still refer to him as the baby, he is definitely showing us that he has opinions and wants to be a big kid. Although he can be super sweet and affectionate with us and his siblings, he can also throw quite the tantrum when he doesn't get his way...which is often. </span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Weight:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> About 21 lbs</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Size Clothes:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> 18 months</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Night Sleep: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Graham is still sleeping through the night most of the time, which is fabulous! He did have a little sleep regression around 18/19 months as he had some night waking that lasted a couple of hours at a time, but thankfully that was short-lived and he seems to be sleeping better. </span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Naps: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Graham takes one nap from about 12-3, but sometimes he gets down for his nap a little later because we are out doing something and I end up having to wake him up by 3:15/3:30 so that he sleeps well at night. Once in awhile his naps are only 1-1.5 hours, but I'm hoping he'll continue his long naps for awhile as that is my chance to get things done around the house and do my part-time job. </span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Food:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> He continues to be a picky eater, but thankfully he can now eat gluten and soy so that opens up a lot of options. He was also eating dairy, but I figured out a couple of weeks ago that his lingering junky cough was probably dairy related since he had had it since the pediatrician told me to introduce all dairy six weeks earlier. At the time of his appointment he had a cold so I assumed the cough was related, but when I realized he was still coughing and had no other symptoms I suspected the dairy since this was one of his symptoms of dairy intolerance when he was an infant. I decided to try just cutting out milk, yogurt, and cheese, and the cough is gone. He had been eating yogurt every night, but honestly he hadn't had much milk or cheese because he didn't like it so it wasn't hard to cut those out of his diet. I am feeding him butter and foods with dairy baked in, and I don't think it's causing him any issues. The foods that he will currently eat are:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fruit</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Corn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Toast with jam</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chicken taco meat from the slow cooker</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes meatballs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Turkey slices</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pesto pasta (but I'm cutting out cheese right now so he can't have this)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes pasta with marinara</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pancakes, waffles, and french toast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vanilla almond milk yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Graham crackers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ritz crackers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweet breads / muffins </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Z Bars (kids Clif bars)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fig bars</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Breakfast sausage (although lately he hasn't wanted to eat it)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hot dogs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Raisins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fish sticks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Almond milk yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Baby food pouches - they are quick, easy, and nutritious<br />Anything with sugar, which we limit but he definitely gets more of it than our other kids did at this age since he sees them eating it after meals</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His diet isn't the healthiest, but after struggling with Jack over food for the last few years (and talking to OT's and nutritionists about Jack's eating and diet) I've realized that it's better to have him eat what he will as long as his diet is somewhat balanced. I do put new foods on his tray and encourage him when he tries it, but mostly he ends up spitting new foods out. Hopefully he won't be extremely picky forever.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZb8wZPydixZ8XNxQDIK1BffzFSEFzdhebWgx9sUgqj_tmgGWVHSRvxmS1i3lCj5eOYzgdB02JG5VFjGpf466xgAwGHZWaiZNByCl4zoVzx2CDAH8COQSQlxjHRZAN2vBHa7ZHR6Ibulmt/s1600/IMG_0115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZb8wZPydixZ8XNxQDIK1BffzFSEFzdhebWgx9sUgqj_tmgGWVHSRvxmS1i3lCj5eOYzgdB02JG5VFjGpf466xgAwGHZWaiZNByCl4zoVzx2CDAH8COQSQlxjHRZAN2vBHa7ZHR6Ibulmt/s320/IMG_0115.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying his first graham cracker when we were trying soy and gluten</td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Milestones: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Graham can now run, he's attempting to jump, he can climb up and down a flight of stairs (although we are always right behind him in case he slips), he is proficient at his small slide that we have in the house and he's even figured out how to climb up it, he can take off his shoes and socks, he can buckle his booster seat straps (the one he uses for eating), he can climb into his car seat, he can climb into his booster seat, and he always grabs a stool or block to climb on to help him reach things or to get onto the couch. He also does some fairly frustrating things, like unplugs the safety plugs in the outlets, plugs in anything with a plug that he can get his hands on, opens up the canister of our small vacuum and dumps the contents on the floor, etc. He is right on track for his fine and gross motor skills.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoMdvf7P0cAwF8y6bVk22hI9whZ74nUgJ4rzSgT0wMrMzy3RG2_iv4Uk0OOVOeWt611ybzliKqYHKkV2OTm8yvGHfpT9NeHji8t8704H-OaXOulkTIVe7xsmcRBJzdBYzj0GcSFUPE8o7/s1600/IMG_0888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoMdvf7P0cAwF8y6bVk22hI9whZ74nUgJ4rzSgT0wMrMzy3RG2_iv4Uk0OOVOeWt611ybzliKqYHKkV2OTm8yvGHfpT9NeHji8t8704H-OaXOulkTIVe7xsmcRBJzdBYzj0GcSFUPE8o7/s320/IMG_0888.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climb a big rock during a climbing trip</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ2PAmGNKW6TIV8Jfgg31HOpI1GgV0n5P1gweSZ__QKU-gpDdsXYGruUjSXsmKcq8hGPg7otrsA9HfJULrZ3ytulUI3JUUVSuw2w28TUYGUvo_25VceK-74jjCoifQNUw_TLD02sne979/s1600/IMG_1015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ2PAmGNKW6TIV8Jfgg31HOpI1GgV0n5P1gweSZ__QKU-gpDdsXYGruUjSXsmKcq8hGPg7otrsA9HfJULrZ3ytulUI3JUUVSuw2w28TUYGUvo_25VceK-74jjCoifQNUw_TLD02sne979/s320/IMG_1015.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves to use these blocks to reach things and climb on the couch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADBTLWA4kpN3lbcleDi1YSibo5KCrK-JdwfTCiwKPHnl1eI2cSRtMfZL8GVyld35ZWIXjA4I3pbDbmSAsvbVHa1rC1giOkOHRdl3e-7SvHoR8wumxud5c0wwIWGs8scEuykYSzlCadn96/s1600/IMG_1056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADBTLWA4kpN3lbcleDi1YSibo5KCrK-JdwfTCiwKPHnl1eI2cSRtMfZL8GVyld35ZWIXjA4I3pbDbmSAsvbVHa1rC1giOkOHRdl3e-7SvHoR8wumxud5c0wwIWGs8scEuykYSzlCadn96/s320/IMG_1056.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pure joy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ixOOoaWFExbyUY-NkEefdiklkH_H6Fs94nIWl9x70eBPkDMdDXAeRxj9ENOtz6wCZKyxEWzmrUqmGNKw33qO2Vpqv7zM4_ZUkoimezplud1YjU52J5IXf-OceZTAswU_lbz1wRvVNM2t/s1600/IMG_2631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ixOOoaWFExbyUY-NkEefdiklkH_H6Fs94nIWl9x70eBPkDMdDXAeRxj9ENOtz6wCZKyxEWzmrUqmGNKw33qO2Vpqv7zM4_ZUkoimezplud1YjU52J5IXf-OceZTAswU_lbz1wRvVNM2t/s320/IMG_2631.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have to close the door so he can't get the stool from the bathroom all of the time, otherwise he'll be climbing places he shouldn't be</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHh_AHkNQGxbQQyuDUYOaGrCBdaBvg2pcQdg5hBWMK3OzIMJnodEJyO7MSOHxS60TS8_OWCKttQ8uitS6fw0LvyaR6kLhfjjyFCQfKZ6uK4RvBjwKrRbrqANsygQo4xlU7E1sy2n-RZhK/s1600/IMG_E2369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHh_AHkNQGxbQQyuDUYOaGrCBdaBvg2pcQdg5hBWMK3OzIMJnodEJyO7MSOHxS60TS8_OWCKttQ8uitS6fw0LvyaR6kLhfjjyFCQfKZ6uK4RvBjwKrRbrqANsygQo4xlU7E1sy2n-RZhK/s320/IMG_E2369.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He decided to help himself to some homemade chex mix</td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Teeth: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Graham now has all of his eye teeth and judging by the amount of drool and irritability, he might be working on his 2-year molars. Once he has those he will have all of his teeth until his 6-year molars!</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Likes:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> He still loves electronics and anything that plugs in, so I've had to start hiding our iPad. Unfortunately, our baby monitor is now broken from him dragging it around and winding up the cord, so I've tried to limit how much he 'plays' with other electronics so that he doesn't break them as well. Graham loves playing outside and he even plays in the backyard solo if I'm working in the kitchen and I leave the slider door open (I have a really good view of our backyard from our kitchen). He now thinks the trampoline is really fun, but he can't really jump yet and I don't let the big kids jump when he is on there. He loves balls and the small basketball hoop. He loves climbing on and off the tricycle. He also really enjoys the play kitchen and he'll bring me "drinks." The toy phone continues to be one of his favorite toys. When I'm trying to make dinner and he's being fussy, I put him in his booster seat and give him a container of play dough and he loves it! He also enjoys drawing pictures with his siblings. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pQb9MOGd5KNfAcayZorXPE6y2VO0_U-ldP3hDJ47rFNoTM6V44jGUa8Oj2ZoKcHGdOmeksgbU-yD_rXYbQHR-athiYsG86nXf_v3t6brl2DrOpC18EW-ZYtfrRwVcQuh-mK4XXKz-g3K/s1600/IMG_E0093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pQb9MOGd5KNfAcayZorXPE6y2VO0_U-ldP3hDJ47rFNoTM6V44jGUa8Oj2ZoKcHGdOmeksgbU-yD_rXYbQHR-athiYsG86nXf_v3t6brl2DrOpC18EW-ZYtfrRwVcQuh-mK4XXKz-g3K/s320/IMG_E0093.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to Facetime using the iPad is challenging with him around</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehi9vhn0guzBYhBQ5KIt292ii75UlJJoVA9LwQjgFbKtT_C2OsaRjcaWhFs4oAsC7gBrXb32ukR5UU8yZdZFfNNhqoZhxZ5unrLo-Fm-DdOGt8SjKEeYUAXKJZKmZdxb7JuZttx1YlrwE/s1600/IMG_0377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehi9vhn0guzBYhBQ5KIt292ii75UlJJoVA9LwQjgFbKtT_C2OsaRjcaWhFs4oAsC7gBrXb32ukR5UU8yZdZFfNNhqoZhxZ5unrLo-Fm-DdOGt8SjKEeYUAXKJZKmZdxb7JuZttx1YlrwE/s320/IMG_0377.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves the vacuum, but unfortunately he knows how to open the canister and he's emptied it on the floor one too many times</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB10TerKOuBIflX-DE-m0pVlNkn1fMSjXpT4zypLnoXaikpaKx-ZjcdZkro3hZYWKgxhBCrD220t2AaolbVCeqjGiAjSMPraoP07OUOYFE3iq-aDhdhWUZLAVG2tveRLFWCg3YQqYXXtzL/s1600/IMG_1740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB10TerKOuBIflX-DE-m0pVlNkn1fMSjXpT4zypLnoXaikpaKx-ZjcdZkro3hZYWKgxhBCrD220t2AaolbVCeqjGiAjSMPraoP07OUOYFE3iq-aDhdhWUZLAVG2tveRLFWCg3YQqYXXtzL/s320/IMG_1740.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of his favorite activities is mopping with my Norwex mop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjqVi_ddPU2aS60ef3mc2jJKuay2grcSyVGPC2sR1wdySbiLITTCVuQQwJBhAGR1TK8TNPumFRxQnRrWP_yU6W40NBANZweiFqSFqdNxFpgXz3c5CnpyTIhAQZAGSc3Zikl6rXmqcpJr3/s1600/IMG_0577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjqVi_ddPU2aS60ef3mc2jJKuay2grcSyVGPC2sR1wdySbiLITTCVuQQwJBhAGR1TK8TNPumFRxQnRrWP_yU6W40NBANZweiFqSFqdNxFpgXz3c5CnpyTIhAQZAGSc3Zikl6rXmqcpJr3/s320/IMG_0577.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Important phone call outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJtuhIw9Y-a5_synGLlki6cA-Dihy4EkHXDXUkDL2JlkrTO73EwcHG41Rc8Uin8OStAiAedg6GjpMuOUrVI3OMRXJNavyB2tS0IbYPq6jqKJB1zw0hoISPYjt7W4sejbfscTmci-DGcxj/s1600/IMG_0639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJtuhIw9Y-a5_synGLlki6cA-Dihy4EkHXDXUkDL2JlkrTO73EwcHG41Rc8Uin8OStAiAedg6GjpMuOUrVI3OMRXJNavyB2tS0IbYPq6jqKJB1zw0hoISPYjt7W4sejbfscTmci-DGcxj/s320/IMG_0639.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_qQOKVOPDstW0Wq4TkMwdUIcbeZhyphenhyphenH2A6-7Mb4Ogx6x1obypMn0wrhpUJ3u_2znbCO_ROvcZ-ipU2HV2XpIYBrR_vwpqMohP-t2VG8-CSgeQdQL0radWefnFfsZ_XV31RNTctrvVLK_K/s1600/IMG_0765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_qQOKVOPDstW0Wq4TkMwdUIcbeZhyphenhyphenH2A6-7Mb4Ogx6x1obypMn0wrhpUJ3u_2znbCO_ROvcZ-ipU2HV2XpIYBrR_vwpqMohP-t2VG8-CSgeQdQL0radWefnFfsZ_XV31RNTctrvVLK_K/s320/IMG_0765.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play dough</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PGyniIHX4vLZfWNUcsvpifumtYI6fd2yJOhsDvDJDS42BRnvdEmtK_s-9oReHxS_vgcFmUWv1MrTw73jKSjiYzI2HXfL3owRZNeqCTwo0WEkrTKnfbnWL8NNpnoVA5T4gjbshu2kk927/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PGyniIHX4vLZfWNUcsvpifumtYI6fd2yJOhsDvDJDS42BRnvdEmtK_s-9oReHxS_vgcFmUWv1MrTw73jKSjiYzI2HXfL3owRZNeqCTwo0WEkrTKnfbnWL8NNpnoVA5T4gjbshu2kk927/s320/IMG_1568.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play kitchen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyH5PtNG7D_h4gjexncnyxqthRCBOJA32e3lyO6xPmqMwyoe8fHordWElpnnYfzej4S2FR0wdAp5nZDE2vvPr_fhNkWh4RvxaMZwNJ0nGDkhhg7TIYKAN9V3Qvb34QUSZAkI4T_-oZXpq/s1600/IMG_1734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyH5PtNG7D_h4gjexncnyxqthRCBOJA32e3lyO6xPmqMwyoe8fHordWElpnnYfzej4S2FR0wdAp5nZDE2vvPr_fhNkWh4RvxaMZwNJ0nGDkhhg7TIYKAN9V3Qvb34QUSZAkI4T_-oZXpq/s320/IMG_1734.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves the backyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMI9CBDmvggec3D-GNJiQtYjdk8hxq-_UjODcjv-2xIKvhig3kTJ0XxB2aVyCmMW-Rdum5gWcPvox6URsFqltat8OOmCUqc1bPuDa5DHTbQ9rNd1u4AZDURbGMuDeFrrgM04Dp0qV225JK/s1600/IMG_2272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMI9CBDmvggec3D-GNJiQtYjdk8hxq-_UjODcjv-2xIKvhig3kTJ0XxB2aVyCmMW-Rdum5gWcPvox6URsFqltat8OOmCUqc1bPuDa5DHTbQ9rNd1u4AZDURbGMuDeFrrgM04Dp0qV225JK/s320/IMG_2272.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He did this completely by himself. When he's in the mood, he really enjoys looking at books.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqWyoe7FZnWeoxtIaMB8VeHHm5Kql54spBmX0u8Ayhu7zBWAeFD1AwiUie6Kz6PegP5haEAh_hz7HHuA5g399aLl8q_nQzLo_EiIyx4dboHIhmhNcZesC9YS7GrdlRjeJW3MljiSjTnlo/s1600/IMG_2367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqWyoe7FZnWeoxtIaMB8VeHHm5Kql54spBmX0u8Ayhu7zBWAeFD1AwiUie6Kz6PegP5haEAh_hz7HHuA5g399aLl8q_nQzLo_EiIyx4dboHIhmhNcZesC9YS7GrdlRjeJW3MljiSjTnlo/s320/IMG_2367.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He did this himself as well. There's a screw holding the chair together since it broke during a fall, and he's trying to get it out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PNlEwqU9X89PmGgTy47PXhs4iUCnXL4Uj3T0H-JCOxZYU3WV3s6BoDvoTuTSogFjLzEbPEuy6r0Zz47MotyiwLV_2zRHvqqEQzd2dKHlt0Y7JqhYS4DLvX5xj6L85vWRHfuVoCZJSsdw/s1600/IMG_2386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PNlEwqU9X89PmGgTy47PXhs4iUCnXL4Uj3T0H-JCOxZYU3WV3s6BoDvoTuTSogFjLzEbPEuy6r0Zz47MotyiwLV_2zRHvqqEQzd2dKHlt0Y7JqhYS4DLvX5xj6L85vWRHfuVoCZJSsdw/s320/IMG_2386.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves when his big sibs push him around the yard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1eyswKy9FYmifP7c-z5Xw8Y_UxUGQQh4J4e0cNY6bNUlMX_Rzt2znbdD-DJ_dYvFwWS3L5Lc-73K9rI4q1-cZqCzPpDPUOyEssICNVYgm3_vyaWBi8vXuyEIvQitgrHg1SDstK4t-mRh/s1600/IMG_2829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1eyswKy9FYmifP7c-z5Xw8Y_UxUGQQh4J4e0cNY6bNUlMX_Rzt2znbdD-DJ_dYvFwWS3L5Lc-73K9rI4q1-cZqCzPpDPUOyEssICNVYgm3_vyaWBi8vXuyEIvQitgrHg1SDstK4t-mRh/s320/IMG_2829.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perfect Christmas gift for a toddler that loves to clean</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8tcQ5rPs5z5qKpik0zMFhd4JLI9NPv-M7gbdgKjjdAiqKK2umpqSmLz65vO4HCo0mQbb-T4GRB7BPQgbsU2MztA_t7F-vPbjRM17CQfum07KICUPRaXbYLtJqw3e8QS6Cp2G1NQ3CTpO/s1600/IMG_E0435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8tcQ5rPs5z5qKpik0zMFhd4JLI9NPv-M7gbdgKjjdAiqKK2umpqSmLz65vO4HCo0mQbb-T4GRB7BPQgbsU2MztA_t7F-vPbjRM17CQfum07KICUPRaXbYLtJqw3e8QS6Cp2G1NQ3CTpO/s320/IMG_E0435.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves being thrown in the air, and he loves being swung upside by his feet (I can hardly watch)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4QbmxdtuCgmq55YnCV552xjolcnVAJ8nCdyVQTfRSzqMIXQhWEvFNv7MOadNAaREPnxiZDrI0vUbpJR0MaqDK1inInl3wp3lAq8cO-wfycZTwogKoF1vEnpiZUVZrmJYmg3_SCCMREp0/s1600/IMG_E0637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4QbmxdtuCgmq55YnCV552xjolcnVAJ8nCdyVQTfRSzqMIXQhWEvFNv7MOadNAaREPnxiZDrI0vUbpJR0MaqDK1inInl3wp3lAq8cO-wfycZTwogKoF1vEnpiZUVZrmJYmg3_SCCMREp0/s320/IMG_E0637.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future athlete?</td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Dislikes:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> He doesn't like anything being taken away from him or being told no. He doesn't like being confined (in the stroller, shopping cart, being held, etc) for long periods of time. He definitely does not like being strapped in his stroller, especially when we are out doing errands and he has to be buckled and unbuckled multiple times. He knows how to throw a tantrum when things don't go his way!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTc5gE05J11g3FA4E8VrSMDxwTMn_edI59YfWH_tEi6t0vh_CrMv-79ihpHu8TsR-Z24gGuHM51gIl1LS8kxi8oqyXi_qSbmbYz-FeT64qixHHgRkDEpuBQY4veJ61cmjYs2s1zYKavGi/s1600/IMG_1543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTc5gE05J11g3FA4E8VrSMDxwTMn_edI59YfWH_tEi6t0vh_CrMv-79ihpHu8TsR-Z24gGuHM51gIl1LS8kxi8oqyXi_qSbmbYz-FeT64qixHHgRkDEpuBQY4veJ61cmjYs2s1zYKavGi/s320/IMG_1543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The carseat is a daily struggle</td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Speech:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> Graham still doesn't say many words and he officially started speech therapy a couple of weeks ago. The speech therapist is not worried about him as his receptive language is great and he can communicate enough to get his point across, but I'd love to have him saying some more words as that might help with some of his frustration. He says mommy, da da, ta da, bump bump, show (doh), yum, and just in the last week he started saying baby, bye bye, and puppy. He also used to say ball and more, but he hasn't been saying those lately. Mostly he nods, shakes his head, and points to get his point across. He also waves and blows kisses. </span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Places he's been: </b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Graham had his first airplane ride when we flew to Michigan for my grandmother's funeral the weekend after Thanksgiving. The flights out went very smooth, but the flights back were a bit more stressful as he was tired and cranky. We also almost missed our second flight due to a delayed first flight, but I literally ran through the airport with a duffle bag on my back while pushing him in the stroller and we made it with only minutes to spare. Miraculously, he fell asleep on the second flight which made things much less stressful for me. Graham has also been on numerous long car rides to climbing areas, Denver, and his grandparents house in southern Colorado. This fall we went on a few camping / climbing trips and he slept well at night and even took some naps in the tent. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out the wildflowers while camping / climbing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJc3xBPpo54iqk7ZMpm5RpMHrih4Ik5Z8tzro-OUN2yKU2aQMXG3FYA76qQ3aqTxKQMc7i27ogvElyg4HI2g0d_aaIvgd3wCrp7GHyoWhDIBOS-d5jRtmTtMnR__I7oNxQPtwtd9wTcoBE/s1600/IMG_1933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJc3xBPpo54iqk7ZMpm5RpMHrih4Ik5Z8tzro-OUN2yKU2aQMXG3FYA76qQ3aqTxKQMc7i27ogvElyg4HI2g0d_aaIvgd3wCrp7GHyoWhDIBOS-d5jRtmTtMnR__I7oNxQPtwtd9wTcoBE/s320/IMG_1933.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham's first time playing in the snow was in Michigan when we went back for my grandma's funeral</td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Things he does to make us smile:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> He loves to hug stuffed animals, he's starting to dance, he enjoys leading a game of banging his hands on the table and then sticking them up in the air and watching everyone else follow his lead, and all of this makes us smile. Every time he says a new word or at least tries to imitate us, it is really exciting. One of his favorite things to do is carry Jack's lunchbox into school, which is adorable and the kids love it. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35WLP5WcZV9Qt18WKcTDbSU9GpMv7Fvlpf81IQAfbC00f5daR3UaPA_99SX5ZsOhCJtBbAQcqPS3LPEXSWBf9l0CMhfSYhJLo_1zbfe3_67zaNZyEReWTMyCewlLVFgZBP56N5n1R1Gsu/s1600/IMG_1361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35WLP5WcZV9Qt18WKcTDbSU9GpMv7Fvlpf81IQAfbC00f5daR3UaPA_99SX5ZsOhCJtBbAQcqPS3LPEXSWBf9l0CMhfSYhJLo_1zbfe3_67zaNZyEReWTMyCewlLVFgZBP56N5n1R1Gsu/s320/IMG_1361.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of the time he does NOT want to sit still for photos</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy boy at the park!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8hiK9hMT3ky-ipXXSMABeUvcPKFmRFh_cheHLefqddmUs889NSkCkz2a0FbX6F3GlQ5icSHPqlyqooJULYoPKM2KgCt3AL1lIY9GuoWxgDQcHDYEPrnqgcz8xcf84AlBGVrFu0T2mJqS/s1600/IMG_2403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8hiK9hMT3ky-ipXXSMABeUvcPKFmRFh_cheHLefqddmUs889NSkCkz2a0FbX6F3GlQ5icSHPqlyqooJULYoPKM2KgCt3AL1lIY9GuoWxgDQcHDYEPrnqgcz8xcf84AlBGVrFu0T2mJqS/s320/IMG_2403.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The big kids were reading so Graham joined them. (Ignore are awful sofa covers. Someday we will get new couches,)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JylZwYkB7zU5LQjq1c-ir3KpZILCLmJufQ0_wVTqgecvUKgMBg2EE3-L5C1KmeZKLlwXEPD9QFTywG7Qt7dQ4atRFB2vWcyrD25y3pxxkm7B3ler1g9INXE2317VGeJTTAgFtwrYBAb5/s1600/IMG_2778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JylZwYkB7zU5LQjq1c-ir3KpZILCLmJufQ0_wVTqgecvUKgMBg2EE3-L5C1KmeZKLlwXEPD9QFTywG7Qt7dQ4atRFB2vWcyrD25y3pxxkm7B3ler1g9INXE2317VGeJTTAgFtwrYBAb5/s320/IMG_2778.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were trying to take photos on Christmas Eve but Graham wouldn't stand still so we were just taking some shots of the big kids. All of a sudden Graham came into the frame wielding a toy sword and smacking the kids, which of course they thought was hilarious. It's blurry, but I caught some of the laughter. Graham is always doing crazy things that makes the older kids laugh.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8byiIGNVmj53zyJ0NNDjCFxxPGOZh-US-CWUKYlhYHvOA44Wz9enREfrQtJVPfJ8tCZw_1ZgBRggrIKqJlfMh7wJmiU8lbPUPkgoSvRjSJgPNbfwwV5VcLCL0J12XnWFW64RaSJ3Ezk4P/s1600/IMG_2843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8byiIGNVmj53zyJ0NNDjCFxxPGOZh-US-CWUKYlhYHvOA44Wz9enREfrQtJVPfJ8tCZw_1ZgBRggrIKqJlfMh7wJmiU8lbPUPkgoSvRjSJgPNbfwwV5VcLCL0J12XnWFW64RaSJ3Ezk4P/s320/IMG_2843.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piano playing at Grammy and Grandpa's along with his new favorite toy, a stuffed koala bear</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmE3pxv_RWmbz4QdFFsHtpwNKkRsNgwQq6OBL-_i9quVNZY0vEgNfTdw1TBko7DYrm4-97PvqZ2PCbbo0eQ90f0vLa_TyVGLIRQnGW2QxyIqNVwm3bH167miH_6arnkLWxAX6D85FuTKdO/s1600/IMG_E0385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmE3pxv_RWmbz4QdFFsHtpwNKkRsNgwQq6OBL-_i9quVNZY0vEgNfTdw1TBko7DYrm4-97PvqZ2PCbbo0eQ90f0vLa_TyVGLIRQnGW2QxyIqNVwm3bH167miH_6arnkLWxAX6D85FuTKdO/s320/IMG_E0385.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing with the big kids after school one day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMQ5ztI3UaNpPRD60CHxo8vGK0HxrLTCtJxqvoaYd-VTInN6qQnbGnOVfE3cBsAqGik0qPPUQWhbuPd9ThkzxFSRKuVA5HAokwRgl9Hq1syOB717Laf5W1rSSGNSz2GzNABBWVXUbLmkh/s1600/IMG_E1378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMQ5ztI3UaNpPRD60CHxo8vGK0HxrLTCtJxqvoaYd-VTInN6qQnbGnOVfE3cBsAqGik0qPPUQWhbuPd9ThkzxFSRKuVA5HAokwRgl9Hq1syOB717Laf5W1rSSGNSz2GzNABBWVXUbLmkh/s320/IMG_E1378.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They all just sat down like this while getting ready for bed, so I had to snap a pic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyd7D74uNhb2JmrDBDjFblH5i_HdX3md6gUE4AdR3_A0YicTbCi1TaL4vFHr7xx0BUqiL_lNqcwqkkykbbEFvFhUUB_1W7S3cmCEruR5tFnx-eJjj-rfjyk0sXLGpknMkl6kDWSHcxHFaa/s1600/IMG_E1418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyd7D74uNhb2JmrDBDjFblH5i_HdX3md6gUE4AdR3_A0YicTbCi1TaL4vFHr7xx0BUqiL_lNqcwqkkykbbEFvFhUUB_1W7S3cmCEruR5tFnx-eJjj-rfjyk0sXLGpknMkl6kDWSHcxHFaa/s320/IMG_E1418.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham likes to help with the french press after seeing the big kids do it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7fUMMV3ZjeJiBzPph5DdCpNsLAbXzvLG2kH_tgBx4_DndBi_3PDnu2Y258r38I7TuerO19_nnxRJuUxTphv-tRxZXkk4qlj_pAdX1jMVxsN3O-t7CoHr0mwUquVUzdmEWahm2dCMET0y/s1600/IMG_1814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7fUMMV3ZjeJiBzPph5DdCpNsLAbXzvLG2kH_tgBx4_DndBi_3PDnu2Y258r38I7TuerO19_nnxRJuUxTphv-tRxZXkk4qlj_pAdX1jMVxsN3O-t7CoHr0mwUquVUzdmEWahm2dCMET0y/s320/IMG_1814.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet boy at the end of a stroller ride</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-31780742780991662632018-12-27T15:43:00.000-07:002018-12-28T21:39:09.755-07:005 1/2-Years-Old<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although most of the time I find I am preoccupied with the day-to-day needs of our family, once in awhile I take a step back and think, "How did our tiny babes become these children?!" In the past couple of months I've found myself sitting down at the computer with Alexis, Jack, and Faith and showing them photos and videos from when they were younger, and it's shocking to me to realize how grown up they are now. Yes, I know that they are only 5 and they still have a lot of growing up to do, but they are elementary school kids now and that still surprises me. I'm not sure if every mom feels this way or if it has something to do with triplets since so much change happens at once when three kids are the same age, but I don't think the shock will ever wear off for me as the kids grow older and more independent. Lately I have found myself remembering the tiny 3-pound babies that they were, and I'm so thankful that they are healthy, strong, intelligent children today. It's truly miraculous to me.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNekQNrVqX5k-1Hm3hWxj0AF4aL2cS0gs47_iyZsULQBx8ajVFEMz12vMYWmckn9C-SNtYW8oh2GzFifwQrfy9MbllUSgaSGRvtZd6VV_DI7opkyfcwAPDRquiGeAuvn8lSzUIsPIystES/s1600/IMG_1623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNekQNrVqX5k-1Hm3hWxj0AF4aL2cS0gs47_iyZsULQBx8ajVFEMz12vMYWmckn9C-SNtYW8oh2GzFifwQrfy9MbllUSgaSGRvtZd6VV_DI7opkyfcwAPDRquiGeAuvn8lSzUIsPIystES/s320/IMG_1623.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovGtoJa5CbAVhC70bztMjqHnndtQKicY9yF8XU4KHi5Ic0F1OgRd_BiiYJDqu5-GPtE7rAh9WVZXlqiMDSq8Uy3J0LKdO9HotBGxdSHXtnZZi2c_SbAPKtkGBjv8opBKLEs68qZb9J5Yj/s1600/IMG_1637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovGtoJa5CbAVhC70bztMjqHnndtQKicY9yF8XU4KHi5Ic0F1OgRd_BiiYJDqu5-GPtE7rAh9WVZXlqiMDSq8Uy3J0LKdO9HotBGxdSHXtnZZi2c_SbAPKtkGBjv8opBKLEs68qZb9J5Yj/s320/IMG_1637.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegROgQ9KUqRgG_6fDodEd7LoK51GJICdiCj_QynUsQaudRskpszGtnzfXZfbq95ymkuuxaWFhnluygoDfCNE_gFojPHMjwqiLrb_ryYtbMUa2CeCHI5mF9yrX7ao0BDtCTwr_2rzN7zJ4/s1600/IMG_0405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegROgQ9KUqRgG_6fDodEd7LoK51GJICdiCj_QynUsQaudRskpszGtnzfXZfbq95ymkuuxaWFhnluygoDfCNE_gFojPHMjwqiLrb_ryYtbMUa2CeCHI5mF9yrX7ao0BDtCTwr_2rzN7zJ4/s320/IMG_0405.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith, Jack, Alexis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqZn7o_5SKguogcDSxCLnh81Fhp7Y3R1Xq7KH0vs1ZaCxULiOEJlc9y__S7vSpSOXHwVFW7YyDQAp2BAL-nkpN-i871cdVfbVi6NqSaEV-hu49b2t-e6lmobQci72aZK7ABclCWqk0xpQ/s1600/IMG_9658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqZn7o_5SKguogcDSxCLnh81Fhp7Y3R1Xq7KH0vs1ZaCxULiOEJlc9y__S7vSpSOXHwVFW7YyDQAp2BAL-nkpN-i871cdVfbVi6NqSaEV-hu49b2t-e6lmobQci72aZK7ABclCWqk0xpQ/s320/IMG_9658.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack, Alexis, and Faith (Snoopy and Husky are still with the girls all of the time)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GDE-tGAty4WWEp5-AHwjpMPEccq3CtlFn9YYPa7Eraag6mXOp93K1GZEYekUlay8fqkS3YVzKIZCZB67wWKIwbeGOGDBDvsxf67777eJhpHVsLONDFz9cG3z7FGJRw3b-RJ9wicfBqIl/s1600/IMG_1332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GDE-tGAty4WWEp5-AHwjpMPEccq3CtlFn9YYPa7Eraag6mXOp93K1GZEYekUlay8fqkS3YVzKIZCZB67wWKIwbeGOGDBDvsxf67777eJhpHVsLONDFz9cG3z7FGJRw3b-RJ9wicfBqIl/s320/IMG_1332.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack, Faith, Alexis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiBmBlIgJzjd6Wy8y9iEonFBB7OUnWgavSxCK_SncMiF0g2AEacpq9reZ2tTqcLDSQjwQQcMFQsz08odJ2p_gbVdtnttuSeFzrbcnfxRKrLySCz9r8qw25MSTdBe6fn4cet2kScIdLh4G/s1600/IMG_E0365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiBmBlIgJzjd6Wy8y9iEonFBB7OUnWgavSxCK_SncMiF0g2AEacpq9reZ2tTqcLDSQjwQQcMFQsz08odJ2p_gbVdtnttuSeFzrbcnfxRKrLySCz9r8qw25MSTdBe6fn4cet2kScIdLh4G/s320/IMG_E0365.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis, Faith, Jack</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I look around the house and see toys strewn about, piles of drawings on the counters, and plastic plates and cups left on the table, I have to admit that I feel stressed and overwhelmed by the mess. Lately, though, I've been trying to remind myself that it won't be long before the kids only want to hang out in their bedrooms, they will soon outgrow the stage where they are super proud of every picture they draw, and they will graduate to real plates and glasses and maybe they'll even load them in the dishwasher. Yes, right now it's messy and I find that annoying, but it is real life, the kids are learning through their play and art, and they are growing from all of their meals and snacks. Although right now I often wish that they would move some toys to their bedrooms and play with them there instead of always making a mess in the living areas, I am trying to be thankful that they want to be around me and each other. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alexis, Jack, and Faith still play together most of the time, but once in awhile one of them will branch off and they really seem to enjoy the alone time. Micah and I often talk about how tiring it must be to be a triplet because it seems like they are constantly in competition with each other since there isn't naturally an oldest to take the lead. But as much as they bicker and get frustrated with each other, they can also spend hours playing well together and they are as thick as thieves. Just in the past week I have witnessed several "I love yous" to one another followed by a kiss on the cheek. As much as I think it would be good for them to play apart more, I know that someday they probably won't want to be together this much. Their relationships with each other are so special and unique.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">All three have grown up so much in the last six months and they are now starting to sound out words. I'm sure it won't be long before they are all reading, which to me will be a major milestone. Here are some other ways that they have grown:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Heights and Weights:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Alexis:</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> 43.25" and 35 lbs (+1.25" and 2.5 lbs in the last six months)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Jack: </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">42.5" and 33.5 lbs (+1.5" and 3 lbs in the last six months)</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Faith: </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">45" and 36.5 lbs (+1" and 2 lbs in the last six months)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Jack wins the award for the most growth in the past six months, which makes us so happy since he is finally becoming less picky and he's starting to eat more. For awhile, every meal felt like a battle and it was really stressful. Lately, though, he is eating more quickly (we used to have to keep saying, "Jack, take a bite") and he is more willing to eat a variety of foods. Alexis, on the other hand, has become much more picky lately, so that probably explains why there is such a height difference between the girls. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzuMEHzSVmd_rv2Elqntb-x7etyKtVYC64CSJfymllQGLHFwVad6pbfoiAKE7fZ9Krp_auc4I6c3BCQlcMtf5BsQYYAh0b-uKxEj9KDeA-e48sehc11dLfhOuqlHU8PkBU6LO7wpRuI5N/s1600/IMG_E2865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1158" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzuMEHzSVmd_rv2Elqntb-x7etyKtVYC64CSJfymllQGLHFwVad6pbfoiAKE7fZ9Krp_auc4I6c3BCQlcMtf5BsQYYAh0b-uKxEj9KDeA-e48sehc11dLfhOuqlHU8PkBU6LO7wpRuI5N/s320/IMG_E2865.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are growing, but Micah can still carry them all in from the car when they don't have shoes on </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Kindergarten: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Alexis, Jack, and Faith started Kindergarten mid-August and they are all doing great. We are doing a part-time school / part-time homeschool program so they attend class on Mondays and Wednesdays and we have homeschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We decided to put them in separate classes on their school days, and I believe it was one of the best decisions we have made. Jack seems to miss being with the girls as he's mentioned it several times, but the girls both seem quite happy with the situation as I believe they need a break from each other since they are with each other 100% of the time otherwise. Being in separate classes has given them all a chance to be individuals without their siblings around. Jack seems to have made a few friends in his class and Faith talks about one girl that she enjoys, but Alexis is struggling a little with finding friends which is hard to hear her say even though it's 'just kindergarten</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">.' They do see each other at recess and it sounds like they play with each other quite a bit during that time, but I'm glad they are starting to branch out a little as well. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFW456TYuVsZ39fpcz__q-qNkBQ1gUQtJR0NCqElHoFrXBRae8Ti7FHDBd8DcPA0D0fscB22uVUN6wC0eqzJri2ZFOCXYjL1uoM9YNHyGHAH25tJCtAmLCqK-J60AC2T_AljSPFsl5gJvT/s1600/IMG_2627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFW456TYuVsZ39fpcz__q-qNkBQ1gUQtJR0NCqElHoFrXBRae8Ti7FHDBd8DcPA0D0fscB22uVUN6wC0eqzJri2ZFOCXYjL1uoM9YNHyGHAH25tJCtAmLCqK-J60AC2T_AljSPFsl5gJvT/s320/IMG_2627.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPQ-qWDPT84bncsF28_fY86JDkE_XERHXMxFOHmcuoOwheJdomM_EzPl3QgzTkmbkZovxarYzYvRVeNlQKClXOmql9NGPdK5721ARNyhegLfuSWvjdzJEeqIrKgmspmO4otWFFiR-Jxh1/s1600/IMG_2626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPQ-qWDPT84bncsF28_fY86JDkE_XERHXMxFOHmcuoOwheJdomM_EzPl3QgzTkmbkZovxarYzYvRVeNlQKClXOmql9NGPdK5721ARNyhegLfuSWvjdzJEeqIrKgmspmO4otWFFiR-Jxh1/s320/IMG_2626.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYVGbhT7-TsfAfIdr65NHwKW3nBollTWPo_82W0RXSB3GlhjpffFCAo56hISCyeLmC8N5JkYexrWuTFi-9V25tbD-MMeKDDicIklcDKq4slMomoazAE7NXrdpDWp1Yv8Cz_P0OhHGUl9i/s1600/IMG_2628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYVGbhT7-TsfAfIdr65NHwKW3nBollTWPo_82W0RXSB3GlhjpffFCAo56hISCyeLmC8N5JkYexrWuTFi-9V25tbD-MMeKDDicIklcDKq4slMomoazAE7NXrdpDWp1Yv8Cz_P0OhHGUl9i/s320/IMG_2628.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGKIqDIZ08Jm5TPPq-DyOxjN3mDzaSKh9mvD3YMIkQdirMwdOwd_KpJDr4Yi2I5xfkFkkXeuRTOAxaC2fuWzvoW5YtqnHt9GIjMV40MdQsRbExbsLRGsiNo9YITHyQluXThoLdyHskW2f/s1600/IMG_E1598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGKIqDIZ08Jm5TPPq-DyOxjN3mDzaSKh9mvD3YMIkQdirMwdOwd_KpJDr4Yi2I5xfkFkkXeuRTOAxaC2fuWzvoW5YtqnHt9GIjMV40MdQsRbExbsLRGsiNo9YITHyQluXThoLdyHskW2f/s320/IMG_E1598.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving party at school</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIx2bSi9dl-M1E743mY7LG-yHOmAzaez5Nhyx6j2ZFJz3f9BJ2ZDkT1LcY45-R2FLuNf11HwjkkcW_z6hpUgs6dIDw_SQAtTD4ck6GbY5akI5sr_bMgUIjN_7cTfMqj5DbX3jFT7osawI/s1600/IMG_1094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIx2bSi9dl-M1E743mY7LG-yHOmAzaez5Nhyx6j2ZFJz3f9BJ2ZDkT1LcY45-R2FLuNf11HwjkkcW_z6hpUgs6dIDw_SQAtTD4ck6GbY5akI5sr_bMgUIjN_7cTfMqj5DbX3jFT7osawI/s320/IMG_1094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using our math manipulatives on a homeschool day</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Favorite toys: </b>I really don't know what their "favorite toys" are right now as they seem to rotate through what they play with fairly well. Honestly, they probably spend the most time drawing and writing right now, which is great and also stressful as I have trouble knowing what to do with all of the masterpieces. Right now I'm keeping the absolute best things, taking pictures of the really good things, and recycling the rest. They also really enjoy playing soccer and "monkey in the middle" with a soccer ball in the backyard. The trampoline is also a big hit, although I've had to ban the "Dead Man" game as we've had one too many bonked heads. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="color: #222222;">Climbing: </b><span style="color: #222222;">We have been trying to take the kids to the climbing gym more often, and they have been loving it. Jack now climbs to the top of the autobelay every time, and the girls get almost to the top before they get a little nervous and come down. All three are doing well with their climbing, and they now all have their own harnesses. We have one pair of kid shoes, but only Alexis is interested in wearing them. For Christmas we got them all chalk bags, which they were really excited about.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chalk bags!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faith, Alexis, and Jack autobelaying at our climbing gym</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="color: #222222;"><br />Skiing: </b><span style="color: #222222;">Yesterday</span><span style="color: #222222;"> Micah took the kids skiing for the first time this season, and today they are at their first ski school lesson. Jack and Alexis are totally skiing on their own, and Faith will be there soon. Faith was not interested in skiing last winter so she has had less practice than the other two, but now that she has decided to do it I'm sure she won't have any trouble. (Edit: It is only one day later and Faith is skiing proficiently. She learned how to snowplow and stop in ski school yesterday, and today when Micah took the kids back to Wolf Creek she didn't need any help!).</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack, Micah, Alexi at Wolf Creek</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="color: #222222;"><br />Swimming: </b><span style="color: #222222;">This summer all three began swimming independently! Of course we still need to be nearby as they aren't that strong yet, but the girls are able to swim the entire 25 yard length of the pool on their backs and Jack can do it on his belly. They were in swim lessons from last August through June, and then Micah worked with them a lot this summer to help them become more confident. It was a lot of fun seeing them swim in the summer.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming at my family's cottage in July</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b>Pull-Ups: </b>Years ago Micah put the idea in the kids heads that they should try to do pull ups. They have been working on it off and on using Jack's bunk bed, and about a month ago Jack started doing pull ups from a dead hang. The girls are a bit jealous, but I'm sure they will be doing them soon too with all of their climbing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sleep:</b> The kids are starting to "sleep in" more, which means many days they don't get up until after 7:00, and some mornings Faith has even slept until 8:00. Right now I'm thankful that the kids only have school two mornings a week since I have to wake them up between 6:30 and 6:45 to get them there on time, which is a struggle. This Christmas break I have really been enjoying getting a little extra sleep in the morning since we don't have to rush off to school or wake up to start working on our homeschool. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Jack's thumb: </b>Jack has sucked his thumb since he was a baby. When he turned 2 we almost had the habit broken, but when he ended up in the hospital with low platelets he started sucking his thumb again, which I was fine with at the time since it was such a traumatic year for him. Fast forward two + years later and he's still sucking his thumb during the night, despite the fact that we have tried using a fancy thumb guard to help him stop. I was also a thumb sucker until about age 6, and the method that was used to get me to stop was taping popsicle sticks onto my thumb and drawing a picture on the tape. If the picture was still there in the morning, I got a reward after a set number of days. We decided to use this same method with Jack and it worked great! Mid-December he went two weeks straight without sucking his thumb and after those two weeks he was given a Nerf gun, which is something he has wanted for years, but for a few reasons we hadn't given one to him yet. He is still wearing the popsicle sticks to bed at night so that he doesn't regress, and he reminds us when we forget to put them on. I'm so glad that he has decided that it is time to stop sucking his thumb as it has made this whole process fairly simple.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack with his thumbs taped up. Now we need to start this process with our finger sucking boy in the background!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="color: #222222;">Big Sibs: </b><span style="color: #222222;">Alexis, Jack, and Faith are great big siblings to Graham. Yes, they do they do get annoyed with him at times if he takes their toys or "ruins" their games, but overall they are super sweet with him and they get so excited when he learns new things or says new words. Graham seems to think he is one of the triplets, which means he tries to keep up with them. Someday I'm sure he will keep up with them more, and hopefully they continue to be as kind and loving to their baby brother.</span></span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></b>Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-55107780443126050892018-08-22T21:52:00.002-06:002018-08-22T21:52:28.292-06:00Graham is 16 months!I haven't written about Graham since his first birthday in April, so an update is overdue. So much has happened in the past four months! He's walking, he's communicating, he no longer nurses, he has four more teeth, he has had a couple of haircuts, and he has become a strong-willed and opinionated toddler. He also spent a whole week without Mommy and Daddy when we traveled to Spain, which was a huge step for all of us.<br />
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If I'm being honest, I almost forgot Graham turned 16-months-old today. This NEVER would have happened with our triplets as the 7th of the month was ingrained into my brain for years and every time we hit that date I took note that they were a month older. Things are so different this time around as I'm incredibly busy trying to juggle so many things (four kids, part time job, homeschool, working out in hopes of reducing stress, etc.) that the date hardly registers. But alas, I remembered!<br />
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<b>Weight:</b> Almost 19 lbs. (I must admit that this is the first time I'm publishing a blog without an accurate weight. I think the more kids we have the less of a perfectionist I become, for better or for worse).<br />
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<b>Size Clothes:</b> 12 months. He's definitely a petite little boy, but that seems to be the trend in our family since Jack is on the small side too.<br />
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<b>Night Sleep: </b>I am so happy that Graham sleeps through the night almost every single night. On the rare occasion that he wakes, Micah usually comforts him and helps him back to sleep. This is a huge change from the first year of Graham's life when I was waking up with him all of the time to nurse him to help him sleep.<br />
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<b>Naps: </b>Graham takes one nap from about 12-2. He was napping for about 2.5-3 hours, but just recently it changed to 2 hours. I am a bit bummed about this as I am trying to work on M and W while the big kids are at school and Graham naps, and these shorter naps don't give me much time.<br />
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<b>Nursing: </b>As of June 6 Graham has been weaned! I wrote a whole blog post about it <a href="http://howardtrio.blogspot.com/2018/07/my-breastfeeding-journey.html" target="_blank">here.</a> I definitely had mixed emotions about weaning him, but I had to since Micah and I had plans to travel to Spain. Now that it is done I feel so free since I can now eat everything again. I have much empathy for those that have to eat a special diet for allergies / intolerances since I had to give up dairy, soy, and gluten for a year, and now I have a great appreciation for being able to eat whatever I want. Sometimes I still find myself questioning if I'm eating a "safe" food, and then I remember that my body is fine with *almost* everything (for some reason I have developed my own intolerance to beef, but I was never a huge beef eater anyway so it's not a big deal).<br />
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<b>Solids:</b> He is still a picky eater and the foods he can eat are limited, so he lives on a lot of the same foods. He loves fruit. The only vegetable I can get him to eat is peas. He enjoys breakfast sausage, allergy friendly chicken nuggets, and hot dogs. There are some allergy friendly crackers that he likes. He enjoys cinnamon raisin allergy friendly bread with peanut butter. Sometimes he eats chicken that I make. He likes chick fil a grilled nuggets. Allergy friendly pumpkin pancakes and waffles are almost always a hit. He also eats a couple of baby food pouches a day mostly to help him get more calories. Many days he eats spoonfuls of peanut butter for the calories and protein. Every night as a bedtime snack he gets almond milk yogurt. But that is about it!<br />
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<b>Food Intolerances: </b>I think Graham is okay with soy as we recently tested and he didn't seem to react. We still have to retest dairy and gluten.<br />
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<b>Milestones: </b>In mid-May he started walking behind his walking toy all of the time, but it wasn't until mid-July that he really started standing up in the middle of a room by himself and taking steps. Of course Micah and I were in Spain at the time, but in hindsight I'm okay with 'missing' it as the trip was wonderful and I have been there for everything else. By the time we got back to ABQ (we were in Michigan for three weeks in July), Graham was officially a walker and he has hardly crawled at all. He walks on various terrains, he attempts ramps, and he has tried some small stairs.<br />
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In June Graham really started to eat with a fork. He'll still eat with his fingers too, but he thinks he is a big kid like his siblings so he would rather eat with a fork.<br />
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Graham does pretend play that I started noticing when he was 13 months old. He will take the baby soap bottle and pretend to pump it into his hand and then wash himself. He will take our hand sanitizer, pretend to spray it into his hands, and then rub his hands together. He'll pick up a toy phone and say "he-woa." He has also taken toy cars and driven them around while saying "rrrrr." All of this has surprised me as I feel like this didn't happen until much later with our trio.<br />
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<b>Teeth: </b>Between the end of May and the end of July, Graham got all four molars. Teething has been hard on him as it makes him fussy. I think he is working on his eye teeth now.<br />
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<b>Likes:</b> All things electronics. He is obsessed with things that plug in, like phone charges and baby monitors. He literally spent all morning carrying around the baby monitor and playing with it. He also loves to climb onto the couches and his rocking chair. Parks are now really fun for him as he likes to climb on the jungle gym and go down the slides (with assistance). I think he could play outside or play with water all day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves his monkey that came from Grandma's house</td></tr>
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<b>Dislikes:</b> Being stuck inside when the big kids are outside. Having toys, including electronics that he has found, taken away from him. Being trapped in the family room by the baby gate when everyone else is in the living room or upstairs. He really wants to do whatever the big kids do. Not being able to pet the cat (we have never let him do this as she's not a nice cat). He knows how to throw a tantrum when things don't go his way!<br />
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<b>Speech:</b> Graham still doesn't say many words. He says something that sounds like: yay, kitty, hello, mama, and more. Other than that, he mostly communicates through pointing and nodding or shaking his head. I'm really amazed by his clear head nodding and it's so adorable. He does grab his shoes when he wants to go outside. He has pointed to the stairs and waved bye-bye when he wanted a nap. I'm hoping he starts saying more words soon, but in the meantime he knows how to tell us what he wants!<br />
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<b>Places he's been: </b>This summer we went to Denver for a weekend to see Micah's sister and her kids. We also went to Michigan for three weeks, although Micah and I were gone part of that time. He was great on that trip and I'm so glad that we sleep trained him last March and April so that he was a flexible napper and sleeper when traveling.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing at Auntie Becca's house in Denver</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long car ride to and from Michigan, but he was a trooper!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First boat ride at my family's cottage in Michigan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time playing in the sand at Lake Michigan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most fun he's ever had swimming was at my friend's parents' house in Michigan as the water was so warm!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time blueberry picking</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry picking</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma after a great three weeks. He and Grandpa were buddies, especially when I was out of town.</td></tr>
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<b>Things he does to make us smile:</b> Our whole family continues to adore Graham. The big kids get a kick out of the things he does, like carry stuffed animals around in his mouth and other silly things. Everyone loves to make him laugh, and he now tries to make funny noises and do things that make us laugh.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water painting outside like the big kids</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_WmY1AZyCC5XRw7DVX6I8i5gqYdE6id6ZWzC_bjZ88a4q6sKjdWPXr-D4l8IUC4ST8fjMKeuFXzPTr6lKcav0LGBLGfogUhxsejNvyA3AEXB5KwmfFq_OAUPMECzITf0X6YdfBiUhi8C/s1600/IMG_7931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_WmY1AZyCC5XRw7DVX6I8i5gqYdE6id6ZWzC_bjZ88a4q6sKjdWPXr-D4l8IUC4ST8fjMKeuFXzPTr6lKcav0LGBLGfogUhxsejNvyA3AEXB5KwmfFq_OAUPMECzITf0X6YdfBiUhi8C/s320/IMG_7931.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beware that if you lay on the floor, Graham thinks it's an open invitation</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I came downstairs one day while the kids were watching a show and found that Graham had climbed onto the couch and into Faith's lap</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6L_YLSV9n6cJTYXI4O_tOc5D2gQtjYch8ONSuZyBwe3qf4pnex8RkDhFqmYnBcerV1K349M9K6bTMcPGCA8EOrjTdZza4Q9Vck_Bgf8uGaD7XpuduXGJXWpmjfiA7yTeLLT98YBCpysh/s1600/IMG_9611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6L_YLSV9n6cJTYXI4O_tOc5D2gQtjYch8ONSuZyBwe3qf4pnex8RkDhFqmYnBcerV1K349M9K6bTMcPGCA8EOrjTdZza4Q9Vck_Bgf8uGaD7XpuduXGJXWpmjfiA7yTeLLT98YBCpysh/s320/IMG_9611.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We often take cushions off one couch so he can climb up and down, but he has figured out how to get to the other couch too</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEVeGfcgkCaWzIEZoPmrpNxxyn5y9jfuBjFh8dVpkN1v7H93hwNBi1PP90ve6qvi_t4TVeUwiN9HG2VzJoWMcEpXbgre06DC9d5RIQNUCPw_h07-vI4ZWlQfM4oq9feMOeQ5UgOWzMQax/s1600/IMG_9627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEVeGfcgkCaWzIEZoPmrpNxxyn5y9jfuBjFh8dVpkN1v7H93hwNBi1PP90ve6qvi_t4TVeUwiN9HG2VzJoWMcEpXbgre06DC9d5RIQNUCPw_h07-vI4ZWlQfM4oq9feMOeQ5UgOWzMQax/s320/IMG_9627.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another day the kids were watching something Graham snuggled into Jack's lap</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSURn7eW0u5awxOWo3AmZGe4ChrNRtkIDCa663Ep8A1_NKuZI0c4Ek_oi3BpUR1KR_D2o86zv2FIoYriaI5VmmTPC58DpNbR2iI8kGn3D72JHg3bziZwun4rlC_i4reT377wlW4NNnhX4U/s1600/IMG_9679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSURn7eW0u5awxOWo3AmZGe4ChrNRtkIDCa663Ep8A1_NKuZI0c4Ek_oi3BpUR1KR_D2o86zv2FIoYriaI5VmmTPC58DpNbR2iI8kGn3D72JHg3bziZwun4rlC_i4reT377wlW4NNnhX4U/s320/IMG_9679.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hoop was laying on the ground and Graham communicated to me that he wanted me to pick it up and lower the hoop so he can put the ball in the hoop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYtomOezIDB6BKP9ExbZfxJdsv52NqS6SoJG7bV4aUCDtajtXwKZaDrvqqnFbEZjXIvJqHN_v54jTVbq_2_2UHhx2A7wo1jfcnhnP4c1SJb6ZXSj9qQkGEZkUNWAkJ_H6jIM-KuFdeRke/s1600/IMG_9686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYtomOezIDB6BKP9ExbZfxJdsv52NqS6SoJG7bV4aUCDtajtXwKZaDrvqqnFbEZjXIvJqHN_v54jTVbq_2_2UHhx2A7wo1jfcnhnP4c1SJb6ZXSj9qQkGEZkUNWAkJ_H6jIM-KuFdeRke/s320/IMG_9686.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's figured out how to climb on and off of the tricycle, but it still makes me nervous</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVHGGDlHOPpzAV6JwNRh3fmYVRGoG7iH3pMTYjdf7v2IQENCNxFWKK6QNbw8EwyW6405SxihWXHFP_gQaZVK4uWUNL08FaEhuXUy3PxcG_Z3CyCtXKmbPgs9RRIkjSh51ERujWJdsM8sH/s1600/IMG_9698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVHGGDlHOPpzAV6JwNRh3fmYVRGoG7iH3pMTYjdf7v2IQENCNxFWKK6QNbw8EwyW6405SxihWXHFP_gQaZVK4uWUNL08FaEhuXUy3PxcG_Z3CyCtXKmbPgs9RRIkjSh51ERujWJdsM8sH/s320/IMG_9698.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His first juice box. Alexis had one so he insisted that he have one too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztMao7xMx-626MAXPx82_6koOzFkzuF_7bV4haY-EJ1u7GVY5pncVn2ke_QWnxRxeV00TQKD8PwDW58PInmOT-bbMDHh7Sj4YmxmeeBxCZfgALmtMdGildbpU4INhF3PVsL1q4XjmgBak/s1600/IMG_E9424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1217" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztMao7xMx-626MAXPx82_6koOzFkzuF_7bV4haY-EJ1u7GVY5pncVn2ke_QWnxRxeV00TQKD8PwDW58PInmOT-bbMDHh7Sj4YmxmeeBxCZfgALmtMdGildbpU4INhF3PVsL1q4XjmgBak/s320/IMG_E9424.JPG" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He found this visor on the floor.</td></tr>
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<br />Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8124449226564959054.post-57619467536232000772018-07-12T10:24:00.000-06:002018-07-24T13:27:39.909-06:00My Breastfeeding Journey<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "uictfonttextstylebody"; font-size: 17px;">When I was pregnant with our triplets I naively thought I would be able to breastfeed them all. I know several triplet moms who have been able to do this, but their situations were different than mine since their babies were born at a later gestation, some had nursed their precious babies, and some had a lot of help from local family so they could spend time nursing and / or pumping. As hard as I tried, I simply could not get enough milk from pumping to feed our babies (I didn’t even have enough milk for one baby from pumping), </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "uictfonttextstylebody"; font-size: 17px;">and although I tried to breastfeed in the NICU our babies were simply so tiny that it really didn’t work for them. I remember trying to nurse them all a little when they came home from the NICU, but I wasn’t sure that they were actually getting any milk and I simply didn’t have the time or energy to focus on it. I was quite upset that I wasn’t able to feed our triplets breast milk, but after two months of pumping I called it quits and it was truly the best decision for our family. It meant more time for me to spend with our babies since I wasn’t spending hours a day pumping, and quitting was a major stress relief.</span><br />
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Because of my previous experience, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to nurse Graham, but I REALLY wanted to give it my best effort. While I was pregnant I talked to many very supportive friends who were confident it wouldn’t be a problem for me since my circumstances would be so different this time around. I was glad for their optimism, but I wasn’t so sure it would happen. </div>
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Graham was born on his due date and I had a successful VBAC. These were two things that I believed would help me be able to successfully breastfeed since our triplets were tiny preemies born via emergency C-section at 31 weeks. Mere minutes after he was born he was rooting and trying to nurse. Immediately, though, it was very painful. </div>
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I worked with several lactation consultants while we were in the hospital and after we were discharged, but nothing really helped. I was determined to continue breastfeeding, but it was unbelievably painful. Graham’s latch was so bad that I was bleeding and I could hardly nurse with anyone around because of the pain. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For a few days I resorted to doing a little pumping and bottle feeding, and I even supplemented with a few ounces of formula just to give myself some relief. It was very stressful for me since I so badly wanted breastfeeding to work and it seemed that I had enough milk to nourish Graham, but there was another issue this time and I just didn’t know what it was. </span></div>
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I spent hours Googling solutions and trying to figure out what the issue was. I was suspicious of a tongue tie and a top lip tie, thanks to Dr. Google and a friend who had experienced this with one of her babies, so I took Graham to a dentist who was knowledgeable in this area when Graham was just a few weeks old. The dentist said that Graham had a minor top lip tie and it was up to us whether or not we got it revised.</div>
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Although I was fairly confident that Graham was getting enough milk, when he was two weeks old he started having severe reflux and vomiting massive amounts about 1-2 times a day. Our triplets spit up often, but there was something about the way that Graham spit up (force and volume) that told me it was different. Because of this, I took him to the pediatrician and I was told to cut dairy and soy out of my diet to see if it helped. When I posted about this on FB a friend added me to a couple of breastfeeding for allergies and intolerances group, and that is when I really started to learn about food issues that babies can have.</div>
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Although cutting dairy and soy seemed to help, it wasn't a complete fix. I learned that a lip tie could cause vomiting because he could be swallowing air, so we decided to go ahead and have the dentist fix Graham’s lip tie when he was 4 weeks old. I felt terrible about having it done since it was “optional,” but I was hopeful that this would fix his latch and his vomiting.</div>
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Thankfully, the procedure did seem to help his latch almost immediately. I could finally nurse in front of the other kids and hold a conversation while nursing, which is important when one is spending 6 hours a day nursing a newborn. I am glad we got the procedure done as it meant I could finally nurse without pain!</div>
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Unfortunately, though, the projectile vomiting persisted. My doula has recommended a kinesiologist who she had worked with when one of her babies had food intolerances, so I took Graham there. The kinesiologist did strength testing to determine that Graham also had a gluten intolerance. Although I was sad to hear that I would also have to cut gluten out of my diet in addition to dairy and soy, amazingly it did the trick! Within a few days Graham’s vomiting and other symptoms stopped completely. </div>
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Although I wasn’t sure that all of these things were related to food intolerances at the time, in hindsight Graham had other symptoms in addition to vomiting. He had mucous and dark specks of blood in his stool, reflux, and a weird cough. All of these things completely went away when I cut dairy, soy, and gluten out of my diet.</div>
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The good news was that I was 100% breastfeeding Graham. It was literally a dream come true. But I never expected to have to alter my diet so drastically in order to do so. Thankfully everyone around me was very supportive of my determination to nurse Graham and many friends found foods I could eat when they had us over at their house, which was not expected but definitely appreciated. One might ask why I didn’t just give up and feed him formula since I had to eliminate so many things from my diet, and believe me when I say I thought about that too, but with these kind of food issues it’s hard to find a formula that works and the hypoallergenic formulas are very expensive. Plus, although I had to alter my diet, breastfeeding was simply more convenient for me than formula and I needed convenience since I was very busy with four kids 4 and under. I also can’t deny the fact that breast milk gives babies antibodies to help fight sicknesses, and since the older kids we’re in preschool and bringing home germs, nursing gave me peace of mind as a self proclaimed germaphobe. (I know there are many other supposed benefits to breastfeeding, but I believe our other three kids are very intelligent and thriving despite having very little breastmilk as babies.)</div>
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When Graham was about 9 months old I decided that I was tired of solely breastfeeding as I longed to be able to get away for awhile in the evening to climb or go out with Micah. We decided to try formula in a bottle, but he wouldn’t drink more than a tiny sip! This was both frustrating and funny as our other kids only ever drank from bottles. I didn’t want to waste my time pumping since I wasn’t sure he would drink that from a bottle either, so I accepted his rejection of the bottle and decided to keep nursing him.</div>
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I knew that Micah might go to a conference in Spain in July, and we decided that if he went I would go along. This meant that I needed to wean Graham before our trip, which was a little stressful. It took a couple of months to slowly cut out the nursing sessions and replace them with almond milk / water and solids. It worked well, though, and June 6 was the last time I nursed Graham. </div>
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Weaning Graham was bittersweet as I would have continued to nurse him if we didn’t have an international trip planned. Graham is small (3rd percentile for height and weight) and it’s challenging to find foods that work for his diet that he will eat, so continuing to nurse him would have been an easy solution to help him with his caloric intake. But at the same time, I am relieved that after eliminating dairy and soy in May 2017 and gluten in June 2017, I am now eating everything again as of July 2018! This makes my life so much easier, but now I feel guilty that I am eating foods that Graham can’t eat and he’s at an age where he is asking to eat what we eat. I pray that he outgrows his good allergies in the near future. </div>
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I am so thankful that I was able to breastfeed Graham for 13.5 months. It was extremely challenging for the first few months due to the pain from his top lip tie and eliminating foods due to his allergies / intolerances, but the next 10 months after we figured it all out were honestly quite easy, especially once he was only eating 6 times in a 24 hour period. I would definitely do it all over again as I feel that breastfeeding is one of the most amazing things my body has done, and it created a special bond with Graham.</div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />Kendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00364607694823123391noreply@blogger.com0