my big kids!

Well, it's been a few months, so here I am again with updates on our little family. We moved in December, just in time for Christmas, to a home that we'll be at for a long time. We're slowly making small changes, painting here and there, adding flowers, building a playground, to make this more like our home. The kids love it, and there's lots of room to run. The dogs love it too...yes I said dogs! we recently added a chocolate lab puppy to the mix: Trixie. She's a beautiful dog, and a great friend for Eddie. Very sweet, and great with the kids.
Ryken is almost done preschool for the year, and will start kindergarten in Sept. That was tough! Hearing friends talk about sending their kids to kindergarten, I always thought I wouldn't be like that. Teary eyed and sentimental...but I was wrong! Choosing the right school for him, thinking about where he'll be making friends, and what environment I wanted him to be in for the next few years, was hard! We ended up with a school close by, and I feel great about it. He seems to act older than his age of 4, and loves hanging out with our new neighbour who's 8, and very cool. ;) He's also a head taller than everyone in his preschool class! We recently had a mother's day tea party, and he did so well singing all the songs and doing the appropriate actions. In the car ride on the way home, he asked, " so mom, did you like your mother's day surprise?" I assured him that it was the best one ever.
Elliana is talking a mile a minute, and I've got a few cute stories. A few months ago, she was probably 22 months, she called me into her room around 3 in the morning. "Hi mom!" " Hi Ellie, it's time for bed." "Rykee's sleeping?" "yes" Daddy's sleeping?" "Yes" i replied, "Why isn't Ellie sleeping" She responds with a one shoulder shrug. "get baba?" she asks, "no" I reply. "read story?" she tries again.
"no" I say firmly. Then in her little one and a half year old voice, she says,"move it or lose it!"
I literally rolled on the floor laughing! This child will not be one to be pushed around. She knows what she wants!
2 weeks ago, i cut my foot pretty bad. Long story short, I had to have surgery to repair some cut ligaments and tendons. Ryken has been a great helper, and about 5times a day, he'll ask me how I'm doing. Rob has been doing bedtime with the kids, and a few nights after my surgery, Ellie asked Rob to pray. He assured her, that yes, we always pray before bedtime. Then she said, "pray for Mom's owwie foot." Awww.. so sweet! It amazes me that an almost 2 year old, can put that thought together. Knowing that we pray for things that we need help with, and that we should pray for my foot! I hope and pray for both of my children, that they will always have a relationship with our Lord.
Tonight, Rob was giving the kids a bath, and making their hair into shampoo mohawks. Ryken turned to Ellie and said, "Ellie your hair is funky!" Now, for about the past 2 months, if you say that to Elle, she'll reply with a scream, and get terribly upset. The girl likes to have good hair! This time she looked at Ryken and calmly said, "My hair's not funky, it's beautiful!" You tell him, Elle!
So now, I sit here with my foot up, and think I should be journaling more often. There's so many cute stories that happen every day, and I need to remember them! I'm planning Ellie's party, and can't beleive that she'll be 2 in 5 days! (If you ask her she says she's 4, but then she corrects herself, and says..."almost 2!" Not being able to drive (it's my right foot) and sticking close to home, makes me realize how lucky I am to have the family that I do. Not lucky, blessed. Rob has been a huge help, and always tells me to rest my foot, and not worry about getting anything done. which for me, is kinda tough. Anyway, I'm learning.