Long Overdue

I know, I know..it's been so long since I have posted. I have no good excuse for my absence; between end-of-school activities, soccer season, Derby, vacation bible school, doctors appointments and just general daily life, I don't have a lot of free time and my poor blog has suffered. I was going to try to do a catch-up post but I'm afraid that would be impossible after 2 1/2 months. I'll have to settle for some highlights and promise to be a better blogger in the future.
The kiddos are doing fabulous.
I find it so hard to believe that Chipmunk is 6 1/2 years old! It seems as though overnight he has turned into a full-fledged boy,
He just completed kindergarten and is so excited to begin first grade in August. He had a fantastic year. I was lucky enough to volunteer in his classroom once a week and was able to get to know his classmates. Chipmunk seemed to form some really strong friendships so I hope we can continue those even though they may be in different classes. It is amazing to observe him growing up right before our eyes. He is becoming quite independent and is starting to develop his opinions on a variety of issues. He is full of questions and I find myself limiting him to 5 questions at a time, otherwise I would spend the majority of my time trying to answer his many questions. Academically he is thriving. He is reading at a 3rd grade level, is able to do some addition and subtraction and just LOVES to learn. He was invited to a Red Carpet Night at the end of the school year, which honored students for good behavior and decision making. Such a proud moment for us.

My little star on the red carpet

The big kindergartener


The Monkey is having a fantastic summer. He plays outside morning, noon and night and is thrilled that Chipmunk is home all day so they can "play big boy stuff". He is the funniest kid I've ever met and cracks us up all day long. While he drives us crazy some of the time, it's impossible to stay upset with him once he flashes his mischevious little smile. I guess I still tend to baby him a bit since he was my little guy for so long, but he's recently started to tell me repeatedly that he is "not a little boy; he's a medium boy";) He recently finished up the 4-year-old program at school and should be going to kindergarten in the fall. However, we've made the decision to hold him back for another year; he is so smart but he's the smallest and youngest child in his class and still needs time to mature socially/emotionally before moving on. I think he will thrive with another year of preschool under his belt and I'm relieved I don't have to send him to all-day school yet.

My "medium boy" with his obsession - trains!

My little fish


What can I say about our HotDog? She is such a sweetheart! I can't believe how much she has grown in the 8 months she has been with us. She is so calm and content but we are starting to catch glimpses of the drama that is said to accompany little girls. She has learned the art of throwing a fit to get her way. She shrieks and both of the boys drop whatever they are doing in order to figure out what she wants. I think they may be creating a monster:) She also knows how to stick that bottom lip out and start the tears whenever she is denied something she wants. But for the most part, she is the easiest baby. She is walking/running everywhere and thinks she can do whatever her big brothers do. She is starting to talk. She has the sweetest little way of saying "hi" to everyone/everything around her. We must hear her say "hi tat (cat)" a hundred times a day. She loves to give big wet kisses and will pat your back when giving a sweet hug. She's still a big girl too; at her recent 15-month checkup, she weighed in at a whopping 29 pounds! She's only 3 pounds less than our Monkey. I am so relieved she started to walk because my back was starting to ache. She adores playing peek-a-boo and tries to sing The Itsy-Bitsy Spider. Her recent sound is to say "moooooo" anytime she sees a cow (or a horse, or a sheep....); it was cute the first few times but considering we live across from a farm, it has become a little irritating now.

Talk about a bad hair day! Looks like it's time for....


...a first hair cut.

We can see her pretty eyes again

I had to add this one for Maria. HD's Aunt Dana decided to try pigtails after seeing Ellie's cute pictures


I couldn't end this post without wishing my Monkey a happy birthday. He turned the big 5 on Friday! We had a fun day - lunch with cousins at the pizza place followed by a church picnic. A good time was had by all!

The birthday pirate. Argh!


Fun with cousins


Playing peek-a-boo


Mommy and her birthday boy


His favorite part of the day - his train cake!



Stay tuned for a new post detailing our little Kyrgyz reunion. Later this week we have plans to meet up with this family, this family and maybe this family. I can't wait to see everyone!