Devin -- November 2016

This little guy has grown so much over the last month. He has been getting the hang of school and getting ready for the holidays. He always keeps us on our toes and even with doing so well at school, we do have our fair share of tantrums too. He also has such an amazing sense of humor and always keeping us laughing. Here are some of the favorite memories over the past month.

• This kid never seems to want to get out of his Jammies, he loves them
• Whenever I pick him up from school he runs to me, but when I drop him off, he runs to his teachers! I think he just likes seeing people
• Devin is never happier than when he gets to push things like his tricycle, wagon and cozy coup
• He brings me flowers to sniff and does his own version of sniffing. I love it, my sweet boy
• We went to Subway and this kiddo seems to love the egg and cheese on flatbread, eating the whole thing
• Poor Duncan has had to deal with Devin going in and out of his crate all the time
• Whenever a door is closing, Devin likes to stop and watch it until it actually close, which usually means he is going to start jumping up and down
• After not ever wanting to color, he has started working on making marks on his paper
• Devin continues to love reading books and seems to always giggle when reading the Paw Patrol book and opening up the seagull flap for "squawk!"
• While at his 3 year appointment, Devin figured out how to open and close the door to the patient room. He did it the entire rest of the appointment
• Devin loves to sneak in the bathroom and scare me in the shower by pulling the curtain open! 
• After getting new Guinea Pigs, he wanted to get so close to them that he tried to climb into the crate with them.
• Shopping can be a challenge, sometimes he loves it (especially when he has a small cart to push like at Chow Hound) and sometimes he screams terribly the entire trip and there are terrible looks from everyone. 
• At Thanksgiving, we took his Svan chair and he was so excited about it even if he did not eat much
• When he plays the piano, Dev is so very gentle with the keys
• Did really well during a playdate with a younger boy and shared toys very well with him
• When we put our Christmas tree up Devin was so excited and just wanted to keep touching the branches.
• He would take a lot of the ornaments down and then just bring them back to me to put back up on the tree
• We no longer can only look at the fish at the grocery store, but also the lobsters now! 
• We have been working on Devin kicking a ball, but he tends to just step on it. 
• One of the favorite movies that we watch over and over again is anything from They Might Be Giants
• Though he does not fully understand it, he had a great time playing with the Nativity, playing the music over and over again
• Devin eats really well, but one of his favorite treats is Rice Noodles
• At night time, he loves to turn his flashlight friend off and on. 

Trying to see if he fits in Duncan's crate...

...yep all the way in.

He loves trees...not sure how to climb yet

Pushing his Cozy Coup all over the place

He also likes to pull his wagon...

...and ride in it. 

This kid loves to be pulled in his wagon...

with so many great smiles

My boys! I love them. 

Playing in the leaves

Working on our grip and control

He loves to sort out the crayons

Not the cleanest eater, yet. 

This is the true face of Devin...

...and this one too.

When we put up the tree we get tree little Debbies

No tree, but two boys!

He loves to hang out in the box

Kyler -- November 2016

This big guy is now five! It is crazy to think about how fast time has gone but he always has something to say and show me. We had fun outside before the weather gets colder and preparing for the arrival of his new Guinea Pigs. Kyler also had a great time taking his Dad to Frontier day at school. We put up our Christmas decorations and Kyler continues to love the huge tree box and to put the star up on top! Here are a few more details of this fun month!

• While getting donuts at our favorite place, Sprinkles, Kyler explained to some of the customers why his donut was called a bird's nest. "Frosting is like a bird and the donut is like a nest"
• Such a great helper pulling his little brother in his wagon for a long walk
• Kyler loves to read to his little brother
• While at small group, he was listening to our lesson and later told me that "Jesus is King"
• Had a great time pushing his own little shopping cart to get items for his new guinea pigs
• Took some fossils form Daddy to bring to school for "F" day
• We have a lot of fun doing color by numbers together
• At Frontier Day at school, Kyler enjoyed making a candle, butter and even had a special name "Red Hippo"
• Kyler helped to name the new girls Zane and Zelda. He was so excited to pick them up at the foster family house and talked to them the whole time in the car on the way home
• We enjoyed another fun filled time in the leaves at Grandpa and Grandma's house, with Kyler getting dumped out of a trash can of leaves
• Kyler likes to read phrases to his Hallmark "Jingle" to get him to bark
• He loves to watch the old Super Mario Brother's show
• Devin and Kyler love to giggle and wrestle together
• Kyler will try to do "kisses" with Devin and it will often also make him laugh
• Whenever we went to the vet, he loves the kittens and asks all the time when he can get a cat
• He eats very well when he wants but he is still considered tall and slender for his age
• At his birthday party, Kyler loved his Green Ninja cake form Ninjago
• While we were at a football game, Kyler had a great time with Grammy and Papa as well as Uncle Gene and Aunt Lois. Kyler requested having Uncle Gene read to him
• Kyler loved to surprise his Dad at work, bringing cupcakes and then wanting to stay to hear the rest of the lecture
• Thanksgiving had a lot of belly pain and just could not calm down so we headed to the hospital where he had an ultrasound and also x-rays.
• Had a great time with his friend Ben when they came over to visit
• Kyler got to pick out his own tree this year and had fun decorating it on his own
• Ryan had a great helper putting up lights outside. 

Look at that smile!

Both Boys love this, pulled and pulling!

What a pair

Just keep walking little guy! 

Look at that great face

My snuggler still...and always? 

Fun with Daddy

Art Projects at home...

...and at school

Having fun at Frontier Day at school

Here is "Red Hippo"

Reading books to Duncan

He loves to get snacks at his favorite dollar store

Shopping for his Guinea Pigs, he loved the small carts

Playing in the leaves

In a barrel of leaves =)

Birthday boy!

How can he be 5!

Visiting Daddy at work

Hanging with his buddy Ben!

After decorating we always have Little Debbie Trees

Final touch, putting the star on!

Snuggling with Duncan

\

These two like to play in the tree box

Devin -- November 2015

This little guy has so much fun personality and a stubborn streak that neither Ryan and I have any idea where it came from. He is so much fun and yet so much different than his brother. I am so thankful for what Devin brings to our lives and I pray that we continue to get to see this little guy grow into the man that I cannot wait to see. Here are a few highlights from this past month.

• Was sick with a 101 fever after Halloween so he slept in even with the time change and then all he wanted to do was snuggle, he is such a snuggler
• I am working on playing more sports with these kids and Devin did seem to enjoy a little soccer time with me
• While outside, he had a great time "tasting" each of the sidewalk chalks. 
• He loves to pick up colored leaves when we are out on walks and he usually finds some very pretty ones.
• After a picnic of McDonalds with cousins, he had a lot of fun going up and down stairs and even doing the small slides on his own!
• At snack time, he would rather eat a veggie pouch over anything, even candy
• Loves to bring me letters but has been able to recognize a few like the letter "D" for Devin
• Loves to drink out of cups and wants to use the small bathroom cup his brother uses all the time
• When we pray he folds his hands all the time now, I love it (no eye closing though)
• When we ordered Chinese food, he tried a lot of different things, but did not eat much
• At church, he loves to get a donut but after finishing one, he will often go on his own to pick up a second one, if he can reach them!
• When I go to pick up Kyler at school, Devin loves to stand in front of the door waiting and claps his hands. It makes me so happy to see him excited for his brother and the hug he always gets form Kyler when he comes out
• Why do kids, all kids, love to stack the play-doh containers rather than play with the dough?
• Loves to dump anything out and put it back in...even if it is minute before bedtime and it was just picked up
• While taking his brother to the doctor, he liked to open all the drawers and cupboards, later hiding a Smartie wrapper over and over again
• When I push him on the tricycle, he loves to drag his toes over and over again. 
• So excited to see the Christmas tree and kept pointing at it over and over again! 
• Had a bad cough for a bit of this month, poor kiddo
• Has started to climb all over the furniture, ALL OVER
• Happy to just look out the window the whole ride out to Illinois. 
• Would often wake up early and see me next to him, so we would snuggle and he would sleep with his head on my chest until it was time to wake again
• Has started to be VERY difficult to change diaper and clothes, very grumpy at times
• Does not really like to color or do art things, but does LOVE to put stickers on things. 

Drinking out of a cup, he loves it, just messy

He found a very pretty leaf

Climbing, all the time at the playground

He loves going down slides

Enjoying his breakfast

Needs to work on his posture for porch sitting

Nose to Lovey, all the time

This kiddo loves a box

Love of popcorn is strong in this family

Having fun in the tent...

....with a little static

Enjoying our bike rides together

Enjoying a walk in the park

He looks like a little Harry Potter with a wand

"Hello in there?"

My little Mr Potato Head!

Our tree treat after the Christmas tree is up

My sweet little blondie