Katherine meets Ella Rose

VID00050, originally uploaded by kokanary.

We hadn't planned to bring Katherine or Jack to the hospital to meet Ella. We thought it would just be easier to have the introduction be on home turf in an environment we could more easily control. Things just worked out such that we asked to be discharged from the hospital early and that meant James picked Katherine up at school and the two of them came back to the hospital to pick Ella and I up to go home. So, we got Katherine on video meeting Ella in the hospital.

My favorite question from Katherine - how do you know it is a girl? Well, honey, the same way we know you are a girl, I guess... She asked the question several times - apparently it was important to know for sure!

I also love that she was excited about her new baby sister, but equally excited to see the hospital room and check things out! Before long all she really wanted was a snack...typical Katherine!

Fun surprise from friends!

Opening gifts from the Hren family, originally uploaded by kokanary.

When we got up from naps today there was a box on our front porch. While cooking dinner we opened the package to find presents! We were blessed to have the opportunity to show a friend's family around and hang out a bit when they came to help him move to KC a few weeks ago.

As if the blessing of their company wasn't enough, they sent the kids gifts - we are so blessed! Thank you so much Clem, Fran and Jessica. We would love to host you for dinner the next time you are in town!

We got a wii!!!

Well, not exactly, but Jack has dubbed our post-Christmas purchase the "wee." Grandma and Grandpa were generous enough to send some Christmas money to the kids. With that money we purchased a really cool slide! Here is a video of the kids playing on the "wee" this morning.

Meeting Santa

Meeting Santa, originally uploaded by kokanary.

Our realtors have become friends. We spent quite a while looking for a house in KC and they were amazing through the entire process. They are truly good at what they do and make their customers feel like family. Each year they host a breakfast with Santa and invite all of their customers.

We had a blast! Katherine got her face painted, both kids got balloon animals, they both sat on Santa's lap, and Katherine talked to him a little bit. It was a fun morning and we got some great pictures!

Breakfast With Santa

Here are some pictures from a visit with Santa!

Our Month In Photos

Class Halloween Party

Helping Daddy with yardwork

Halloween - Lion and Magical Unicorn

Jack pulling his friend Timothy around

Jack's intro to pinestraw in GA

Kelly's wedding in GA

School BOO-fest - teacher Mrs. Heather, friend Ava

Class trip to the Pumpkin Farm

Trip to the Pumpkin Farm

Visit from Grandpa and Grandma

Katherine's 4th birthday

Cute Kid Moments

I am continually amazed at the cute and funny things that come out of kids mouths. When they are learning to adapt their speech to our common usages the things they put together are so amusing. Learning that adding an "ed" to the end makes something past tense results in things like "goed" or "gone" instead of went, "maked" instead of made, "keeped" instead of kept. Those are common things coming from Katherine these days.
Other funny things stem from associating an object with what it does. Today, Jack was using the sign for nurse even though I was across the room (he sometimes uses it to indicate he wants something, not necessarily to nurse). Katherine, who was sitting next to him, exclaimed "Jack wants to nurse from me." That alone was comical enough to picture, but she followed it up with "He can't do that, my nurses are too little." Hysterical!
She must just have babies on the brain (no idea why). She has been pretending to be pregnant today and while we were in the car she informed me that she was going to have two girls and two boys: Melissa and Tatum for the girls and Conor and Jack for the boys.

Jack still only really says Mama, Daddy and now something like deedee for dog. However, he has started singing the tune to one of Katherine's favorite songs. For months Katherine has been singing the song "My God is Mighty to Save." She and James heard it on the radio in the car on their way to school and she sings it often. Over the last week or so Jack has started singing - really cute, especially when he pulls out a stool, stands on it, and sings to his heart's content. A couple of days ago I realized that he was actually singing a specific tune - he has been singing the tune to "My God is Mighty to Save."
Jack has really gotten into cars, trucks, and things that "go." Last weekend we all drove up to my family's farm in Minnesota for my grandfather's funeral. We stayed late with several cousins on Sunday to play around on the farm. I got to drive a tractor, James hit golf balls into a corn field and had some target practice with some of Papa's old guns, Katherine had a sleepover with Grandma and Great Grandma the first night, and Jack became enthralled with the tractor. Jack was the funniest - he watched me drive the tractor around, then when we had parked and turned it off my cousin Shannon lifted him up to the seat. He immediately grabbed the steering wheel with a grunt of satisfaction. Shannon hit the starter button, making a really loud noise - Jack didn't flinch. Shannon hit the button again, then Jack tried to press the button - he had a blast!
Out of the tragedy of Papa's death came the blessing of reconnecting with relatives I haven't seen in almost a decade. Most had never met the kids, some hadn't even seen me since I was a kid. With the blessing of modern technology we hope to keep in touch better in the years to come, and plan to get together more than once in a decade!

Late Summer Photos

I have been remiss in my communication (verbal and pictorial). Not much to say at this hour, but here are some recent photos!

Technology Trouble

Oh the joys of technology...I am having some trouble uploading photos from my phone (hence the post below re: Katherine's drawing that is missing the picture of the drawing). I guess I will have to figure it out and get better about taking out my camera for photo opportunities rather than relying so much on my phone!

Apple with a worm

	Katherine is so funny! She drew me an apple complete with a little worm coming out. All her idea, how creative is that?