Devin -- December 2016

This little guy is growing so much. He loves the Christmas tree and has been doing so well at school. Before his Christmas break he even stayed for lunch and did so well. He still loves to nap and had a great time going to visit Princeton for all the family fun. We love him so much and here are a few of the highlights from this holiday season.

• Did a great job putting sprinkles on cookies and even said "me" on camera!
• Has been working on "kicking" a soccer ball but often just steps on them
• He loves to snuggle with mommy but not with Daddy, poor Daddy
• When Kyler was upset for some reason, Devin felt bad for him and went and leaned into him which is basically Devin giving him a hug!
• Devin laughs and claps when he give the Guinea Pigs a treat, it is pretty cute. 
• At the Biology Christmas party just loved to open and close the doors over and over again. 
• Went for IEP and had a good time talking with his teachers
• When we tried to decorate the Christmas cookies with frosting, just wanted to eat the cookies rather than put decorations on them. 
• At the Van Dyke Christmas party started to explore on his own, but then took me over to the stairs and had me walk up and down them over and over again
• Whenever we go anywhere, Devin HATES when his food is too hot and screams until it cools down
• On the 12th Devin had his first snow day! We had a lot of fun just getting to spend that time together and made a cardboard ramp for cars which he loved doing
• Saying "no" by shaking his head when I asked if he wanted to go to school
• Will often take all the pillows off all the bed and put them in a pile so that he can just sit in them
• Had a great time just watching an hour glass timer in a game
• Did well with the alphabet train puzzle and could pick out the letters even by the sounds
• Took his Bilibo chair into the bathroom and tried to add it to the tub for bath time
• We have been working on Devin helping us with dressing him and he is doing much better with getting pants on and off
• For Devin's first experience sledding he was not too happy but soon wanted to do it more and more and giggled the whole time. 
• When younger cousins would take his toys, he did really well not getting upset. 
• Kyler picked out a piano that made music for Devin and he loved it, so sweet
• Traveled very well to Princeton and smiled anytime songs from They Might Be Giants came on. 
• While staying with Ryan's family, Dev would often wake us up at 7 by opening and closing doors
• Devin loved the spinning top that his cousin received from us. 
• Did fish motion at the store when he saw fish! So cute
• Finally tried an ice cream cone form McDonald's but just sticking his tongue at it.
• Was sad when we took the tree down, but so cute sitting in the box and not wanting to get out.  

This kid loves looking at the Christmas tree

He loves looking at the photo books and his magnatiles

Books - Devin loves them.

This kid actually decorated cookies!

...and eating the dough too

Devin loves too sit by his brother

Boxes are the best toys

Another book!

All gone! He loved his fries

Kyler -- December 2016

I love the holidays and it is so special when you get to share it with a kid like Kyler who just sees the wonder in everything. I was able to witness his excitement but also his giving heart too. We had a great time decorating cookies and he loved getting to pick out gifts and make special things for those he loves. Here are a few highlights of the holiday season with this sweet 5 year old! 

• Has a hard time when people to not want to sit with him or when Devin does not want to hug him when he is picked up from school
• Had a great time shopping at the school Love Bazaar with Grandma and he showed off how talkative he is to all that he meet.
• Was a huge help decorating spritz cookies
• Daddy had a great helper this year putting up outdoor lights
• Not good choices up front at church, looked almost like he had pushed a kid down
• Kyler loves to help prep candy and cookies, did a great job helping me to unwrap and set up the HUGS and pretzles
• At open gym at church did well playing with others and pretending to play "bear cave"
• When it was just Kyler and I we had a great time doing a snowball fight. Kyler kept asking how you win and I said "whoever has the most fun!" so he tried to put snow in my pants
• Kyler loves to play "real" basketball with Daddy
• In school, Kyler is learning about Christmas around the world, including Sinter Claus!
• Loves to dance in his car seat to Sleigh ride!
• Had so much fun playing with "Nunchucks of Lightening" that I made out of pool noodles
• At the Van Dyke party he brought me a plate of treats and did really well picking them out
• Kyler loved making star ornaments for his special girls on the Volleyball team
• His favorite Holiday Treat is Banket!
• Woke up one morning with a green shirt and red pants on saying "Look mom I am Christmas"
• Loves to play Alphabetty with Daddy, lots of spelling
• One conversation we had, "tripods have three legs but we only have two." When we asked what Duncan had he said, "He only has two the other are his arms."
• With the winter weather, Kyler was VERY excited to get to wear his storm-trooper slippers in school
• Woke up at 5am with a scary dream about going down the drain in the tub
• Did very well at the church and school Christmas concerts
• We went to see a very big light show and he loved it! So cool!
• Had a great time visiting with Great Grandma and brought her a poinsettia. You also played with a game she had and the ceramic tree that I used to play with too. 
• Sledding in the backyard is a lot of fun, but once we did go too fast and broke one of our neighbors lights
• Santa Tracker was a huge hit and constant excitement for Kyler. 
• At Christmas he wanted us to open our presents from him first, he really wanted to give!
• He bought me a pink yoga mat so that we could do yoga together
• Kyler bought Ryan some bungee cords for putting lights up outside (he must have loved doing it)
• For Devin, Kyler thought that since he loves music that he would like a musical toy
• Kyler was thrilled to get his OWN TABLET! 
• We made some Ninjabread cookies and they looked pretty cool
• Kyler loved getting to play Catan Jr over the holiday break
• Had a great time vising in Prineton, seeing Grammy at the library, visiting with Great Grandma Hodge and snuggling with Aunt Britani
• Sleep was not easy for Kyler, who said that Devin would wake up and just stare at him while he tried to sleep
• Kyler has very good hearing and overheard an adult conversation about a disagreement. Kyler said, "if you hurt someone you really need to say that your sorry."
• When Grammy asked Kyler is she should redecorate, he said that she should move her kitchen to the front of the house. 
• Kyler was pretty excited when I came home from shopping with a tie, he loves to be "spiffy"

This kiddo is really proud of his own tree!

He loved getting to do his Star Wars Advent calendar

This is about as good as it gets for these two cuties

Having fun showing Keira his new game

Playing ticket to ride, he loved it

We do love to read together

He likes to show everyone his new tablet

Hanging out with Great Grandma Hodge

Spending time with Great Grandpa Bebej

My little cookie helper!

He loves to lick the beaters!

Its messy but someone has to do it!

My little Ninja!

Look Mom! I look like Christmas

Sharing a snack with the guinea pigs

Playing games with Great Grandma Van Dyke

Snuggling with Great Grandma Van Dyke

Having some yummy food at Steak n' Shake

He is such a helper! Daddy loves it

Figuring out another puzzle

Devin -- December 2015

With Devin now two we thought that the Christmas season would be a lot more exciting for him, but it just wasn't. He was still not that interested in opening presents, nor did he want to help with the cookie decorating. We did have fun with him pointing and looking at the tree, also trying too keep him from "un-decorating" most of the time. With my knee surgery before Christmas, it was a different type of season for all of us, but we all were together, safe and healthy celebrating Jesus which is one of the best ways to celebrate. Here are a few highlights of the month:

• Devin loves to stand in the doorway to watch the garage door go down when we get home
• He loves to bring me his shoes when I put on mine or anytime I say "go bye-bye?"
• Did not want to help with decorating cookies at all but he did enjoy the frosting on top of the cookies!
• Has had fun with the window clings, often licking and kissing the windows too. Not very clean
• When walking to drop off Kyler at school he stops at the beginning of the sidewalk, not the edge of the street because that is what I have told him when we talk walks. Even if I am up further to see around cars, he waits until I say okay to walk closer to the street, Good boy!
• He LOVES to put stickers on things, and gets the best smile on his face while doing it!
• Tried very hard to help the repairman to fix the dishwasher
• When Kyler tries to say good night to him, he runs away and giggles to have his brother chase him
• This kid is very stubborn at times, and at church when he was eating a cookie, he would not move at all when they were trying to wheel a bunch of chairs past him. We asked nicely and he just shock his head no, standing his ground
• He LOVES to climb all over our furniture. ALL OVER
• His favorite book right now is Good Night Moon
• While going for a walk outside, he refused to keep his winter hat on! 
• At the library, he loved to hold onto a book and carry it everywhere
• At the Calvin College Biology Christmas party, he loved going up to the terrariums with the turtles and seeing them up close through the glass
• Devin likes to pretend to not want to get out of his crib in the morning as soon as you walk into the room he will lay back down
• At the Van Dyke Christmas party Devin giggled over getting to poke Jell-O and riding on the scooters with so many wonderful cousins
• After I had surgery, he and his brother would not go near me much, but soon wanted to snuggle with me in bed
• Ryan was able to clip his nails, that is pretty huge here!
• Whenever I wear a shirt with letters, he loves to point at them and sometimes one will make him smile, giggle and bury his head into my chest...I love those
• Had Taco Bell and LOVED it. He ate more cheese quesadilla then his brother. 
• When Kyler is in bed playing computer games with me, he loves to be right there watching
• If we did not cut him off, he would eat cheese pizza and mac and cheese forever!
• Helped to make sun-catcher ornaments with Daddy
• Only opened his first present and then pushed his snow shovel around in the house
• Loves to take the jumbo crayons in and out of the box
• Not happy for family pictures at all, hopefully this is a phase for him
• When we are watching something on television he does not like, he brings us the remote or puts it in our faces
• Loves to climb onto the train table downstairs when no one is looking
• While in the ball tent, he loves to stand and throw balls out of the top, giggling when they fall back down
• Still does not really like any sandwiches and tries to feed Duncan when he does not like food
• Has liked pulling blankets up around himself when we cuddle in bed. 

My boy with my owl ornament, always taking it off the tree

This kid loves books, excited at the library

Riding scooters at the Van Dyke Christmas Party

Snuggle time with Mommy post surgery

Having fun in the new tent!

More snuggles, they help mommy feel better

What a sweet little guy!

This kid loves to climb on things!

Look at that face!

Someone was excited about his new shovel!

He ran around practicing on the carpet all morning

He loves the ornaments on the tree

My sweet Christmas boy!

Playing piano at Grandma's house

Kyler -- December 2015

So this month has been a lot of change for us all. I had knee surgery and the holidays are here. Through all of this, Kyler seems to just take things in stride and always seems to have a sunny disposition and a pension for finding fun in anything we do. He does have his crabby moments just like all kids, but really he has a heart of gold and we are so proud of our kind and loving little guy. Here are some fun highlights about Kyler this month even though the start of the list does not really represent all that Kyler is most of the time.

• Tearful while at school, but so happy to be there later and got to take home a Book Buddy too
• Thought that if he threw grapes on the floor that I would not see him, boy was he wrong and I think Duncan was upset I caught on. 
• Loves to play with anything electronic and actually does really well when it come to my computer and moving the mouse around
• Pretended to have his Star Wars characters using the potty, oh the things that I am sure George Lucas never expected form his franchise. 
• We had so much fun decorating Christmas cookies! Kyler did almost all of them himself and kept calling the red hots "rubber hots"
• Had a great time going to the "Love Bazaar" to pick out gifts for the family with a volunteer that helped him to shop. The volunteer made sure to tell me that he was "A HOOT!" and that he described his Daddy as "the biggest guy ever, oh and he is a boy"
• He has been trying things more and more, but still does not like bacon, Daddy in concerned
• We have started making limits of doing electronics four times a day for fifteen minutes and he has to do three "jobs" before he can play (dress, eat breakfast and teeth brushing). He always remembers!
• When I was running errands with the boys I asked if they would mind if I would stop for gas and Kyler said "We can do whatever you want to do mommy!" I am training him well =)
• Had a rough morning where he was just melting down, I hugged him too hard, he did not want to go to school, would not let me leave the classroom (not like him at all) but I also wonder if he is just feeding off what another kid was doing, he was fine as soon as I left. 
• We had so much fun at the Calvin College Biology Christmas party where he loved getting to look at all the animals and he EASILY makes friends with any kid close to his age
• Had a great night with Grandma and Grandpa while we finished our Christmas shopping. He ate well and LOVED getting to snuggle with Grandma to stay up late and watch Muppets Letters to Santa
• At the Van Dyke family Christmas Party, he had so much fun running around with all the kids in the family, smiling and giggling almost the whole time. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful kids there that love to play with the littler ones. At the end he hugged pretty much EVERYONE
• At church he sang "Joy to the World" a little bit with me, and it made me happy he is starting to know the words
• When our pastor and wife came over to pray with us before my surgery, Kyler loved to sit with him and show him all his toys, even getting him to try on the Boba Fett mask (Wish we had gotten pictures Dave!)
• After my surgery, Kyler did not want to come near me much, but did ask which knee was ouchy
• Told Ryan when they were playing "I am almost grown up Daddy, then I want to be a Daddy like you."
• Kyler and Duncan have not been to happy to share my bed space
• At church, his class went to sing in front of church and he told Ryan that he did not know the words while he walked up there to a song that the congregation was singing. He did pretty well though!
• Kyler and I have been coloring a lot together and he is really holding and coloring in the lines well
• We also love to play board games in bed, although we have not played the new Carcasonne game that he got for Christmas yet
• Had a lot of fun at the Happy Birthday Christmas Party with Grandma. When the teacher told him about kids that did not have a lot (we donated things for kids in need to celebrate Jesus) he became really worried that they might not have homes too. He has such a big heart
• We had a great time together as a family on Christmas Eve doing a Christmas art project, drove around to see Christmas lights, opening up one present each, eating popcorn and watching a movie. We also had fun watching "Santa Tracker" on television
• Kyler was SO excited to have us open the gifts he got us that he picked them out for us to open that night. I got nail polish, Ryan got a hammer, and Devin got a toy truck. He was so proud
• Christmas day was fun to have his excitement to open presents (Santa knew I liked Star Wars) a big meal from Grandpa and Grandma, took a long walk and had fun in a green tub
• When we asked him how Christmas was he said "great, but there were too many presents"
• Loved helping clean up the wrapping paper and playing with cousins at parties
• Actually can follow directions and build things with his new Legos
• "Daddy, I love you, you are a really good Daddy."
• Has had a great time snuggling with me in bed and watching Muppet Babies reruns
• When he wakes up, he will just sit on the couch quietly and wait for us to get up...and quiet is hard for Kyler
• Kyler has wanted to sled all winter, since getting his sled for his birthday but it was too icy so he just tried to do snow angels instead. 

Helping to decorate cookies

Petting his Puppy!

Checking my heart!

Pretty tall block tower

My favorite Stormtrooper

He likes to "organize" his ornaments

Bobba Fett boy!

Playing "bags" with his cousins

Building his own "TIE Fighters"

This kid loves to play computer games...

...and board games

He loved getting to buy gifts this Christmas. A hammer for Daddy. 

He was pretty excited about his own Legos

My sweet boy thought that I should have new nail polish

More Star Wars toys...

...and a Star Wars hat...

...Star Wars Legos...

...and Star Wars action figures