So Many New Things

Learning overload is the best way I can describe the stage that Caleb and Emma are in right now. I have never experienced anything like this before. Of course, I was around my brother Jordan, going through this stage and can remember it, but seeing it as a parent is different. Daily, I am amazed at how quick they pick up on things! New songs, games, words/phrases and so much more!

Their day care this year is a preschool/day care. It is the same place as last year, but she is only taking older kids now. Caleb and Emma love Miss Candi and the other kids at day care. My kids are working on saying preschool, it comes out "pee-koo", but it makes this mommy proud! They are excited to get there in the morning and yet, some mornings it is still hard to say bye-bye to mommy and daddy. And they are always happy to see us in the afternoon.

Caleb and Emma have learned lots of fun songs this year and actions to go with them. They love "The Wheels on the Bus", "The Hokey Pokey", "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "Old McDonald Had a Farm" just to name a few. They still love to listen to their Bible songs CD in the car and sing-a-long with mommy.

Nothing warms my heart more than hearing my kids say "mommy" and they are looking right at me...talking right to me....asking for something or just wanting me to love on them or hold them. "Mommy" takes on a new meaning when they direct it right to you and are not just repeating after you when you are trying to get them to say it. Both of them refer to Rick and I as daddy and mommy now! I love it!

It is getting so easy to understand them when they talk. We ask them questions and they answer. We tell them to get something or do something and depending on their mood...Ha Ha...they do it. Emma was always my little helper and still is, but Caleb is starting to understand what mommy and daddy expect and he does it too.

They love to play together and hug each other. But they have their full on "I don't like you" moments too. They get time outs and sometimes swats...just depends. Emma love to push mommy and daddy right to the breaking point. She is our tester. She tests us to see how serious we are when we say: "no", "get down", "don't touch", "don't hit", "be nice", "leave the cat alone", "don't throw your food", "give that back to your brother" and so on...it seems never ending with her. Caleb will push us once and a while, but mostly I just have to give him "THE LOOK" as Ryan calls it and Caleb will stop and sometimes cry...poor kid he is so sensitive.

Emma is definitely all girl. She loves to play dress up! She always wants to wear mommy's shoes around the house and play with her babies. Caleb loves to play with everything! He really just wants to play with whatever someone else is playing with. Not to take it away, but he likes to play with them. Doesn't always work out that way for him, because Emma thinks he is going to steal her toys. So he ends up playing alone. No don't get me wrong, he doesn't ALWAYS share that nice! He has many moments of his own where he doesn't want people to play with what he has. And sometimes he steals toys away too. So he is figuring out how to be a little stinker too! His favorite toys at home are the Noah's Ark set, cars and anything noisy! They both LOVE books, which make this librarian mom super happy!

Caleb and Emma love to do preschool work at Miss Candi's house. Caleb and Emma can both spell out their names with help from someone. They will repeat the letters after us and love it when we clap for them afterwards! They love to count with us and learn animals and their sounds. A couple weeks ago at day care Miss Candi was working on the letter "E" and they made elephant hats! Mommy of course had to get a picture! Also, they LOVE to paint! Miss Candi say that he always cries when he has to stop.

Caleb and Emma in their elephant hats.

Emma finger painting at Miss Candi's house.

Caleb finger painting at Miss Candi's house.

A melt my heart moment this last week was when Caleb and I were playing on the floor. I looked at him and said, "Love you buddy!" He looked right at me and said, "Wuv you"! I quickly looked at Rick and said, "Did you hear that!?!" He had and I got all excited! I have tried since to get him to say it but, no such luck. He did it was to prove he can and that he finally did something before his sister...he is satisfied and that is that! Ha!

Caleb and Emma are becoming such pros with forks and spoons. And they really aren't as picky as they used to be. They love chicken nuggets, pizza, fries, mashed potatoes, corn, peas, green beans, hot dogs, cheese and crackers, cookies, fruit snacks, pancakes, french toast, eggs, beans and rice...you name it they problem like it!Tonight for example they polished off ravioli stuffed with cheese and spinach, garlic bread, and tons of green beans! It is funny to watch them use their forks and spoons. Depends on what they are eating, but most of it gets in their mouth. Of course, sometimes fingers are still the best way to get everything they want in their tummies.

Emma's most recent adventure is figuring out how to climb out of the playpen at Miss Candi's instead of taking a nap or after her nap. Ha! The other day Emma went down for her nap like normal according to Miss Candi. When the kids started to get up from naps they were playing and Candi heard a knocking on the door coming from the room where Emma was taking her nap. Candi opened the door to find Emma at the door...ummmm...not in her playpen...problem...YES! She had finished her nap and decided, "Well I might as well help myself get out of here, so I can go play with the other kids." So little Miss Emma now knows how to get out of the playpen. Then that same day Emma managed to climb over the gate blocking one of the rooms at Miss Candi's house. Ha Ha! She is such a little stinker! Miss Candi gave her time out...thank goodness! I don't want her disobeying Miss Candi's rules, so I am glad she stuck to it! Plus, we don't allow her to climb all over things and would have done the same thing. Hopefully, she doesn't figure out the crib anytime soon!

Pumpkin Patch Here We Come

Miss Candi and the kiddos at daycare.

Our wonderful daycare provider, Miss Candi, braved taking the daycare kiddos on an adventure! They went on their first field trip to the pumpkin patch. Of course, she was not alone, a couple of moms went with her to help. This mommy was totally bummed that I could not go! I was so busy at work getting ready for the book fair/parent teacher conferences. Hopefully I will be able to go on the next one!

The kids had a great time. They each got to pick out their own pumpkin. I think they really enjoyed exploring th pumpkin fields! The kids also got to visit the animals on the farm. Caleb and Emma did not want to leave the animals. It was their favorite part.

Caleb and Emma exploring the pumkin fields.


Emma on her own...trying to find the perfect pumpkin!

Too many to choose from!

Caleb, Jessica and Hadley looking at the sheep.

Emma and Caleb checking out the pigs!

Shots in the Night

Friday night, October 16th, we had some friends come over for a "game night" at our house. We ate and played games until 11PM. It was so much fun, as it always is. After everyone headed home, Rick and I cleaned up a little and decided to go to bed and clean up the rest the next day. I had to open at Dressbarn at 9:30AM the next day and I knew I was already going to be exhausted. So off to bed we went, just like any other night. Not a big deal. Doors locked, house alarm set, kids checked and covered up.

The next thing I know, we are being awakened by a loud BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!...BOOM!!! Rick and I sat straight up in bed. I looked at the clock. 4:30AM.

"What was that?!" I asked Rick in a panic. To me it sounded like something had hit our house. But I was still a little groggy from just waking up.

"I don't know!" Rick said hopping out of bed and looking out the bedroom window. I sat there listening...nothing.

"Honey, I think it was gun shots!" I said. He looked at me with a scared look that I have never seen on my husbands face before.

"I think so too." Rick said. He went to check on Caleb and Emma. They were both sleeping away like nothing had happened. So we left them in their rooms.

Rick and I were both looking out the windows of the house trying to see anything happening...movements, cars, etc. Nothing.

"Should we call 911?" I asked holding my chest. I could feel my heart pounding in my body. I have never felt pure terror like that before. I was shaking like a leaf.

"Let's wait. I bet someone already did."

Now, you have to remember that this has all happened in the last 5 minutes. The time is now about 4:35AM. Our minds were racing of all the awful things. Was it a drive by? Is someone being murdered in their home? We sat on the bed...waiting...then we saw the lights flashing outside from the police cars.

"There they are!" Rick said.

"I bet it is the house with those kids. They finally ticked someone off enough and that person is coming back to get revenge!" I said. The kids (teens/young adults) that live in that house are in trouble with the cops a lot. Last spring those boys tried to break into our truck that was parked in our driveway.

Rick jumped up and got on some clothes, turned the house alarm off and went outside. I followed close behind for just a minute. Our neighbors across the street and the neighbors right next to them were up and outside already. The cops were blocking off both ends of our street already.

I went back in to be with the kids in case they woke up. I laid on our bed worried sick about what was happening. Praying that no one was hurt and that this would never ever happen again so close to my kids. I started thinking about how unfair this was! That here I am worrying about where we live and if we are safe. I have never felt like I was unsafe in my house, but for the first time, I did. Do we move? How would buy our house in this economy? And who would want to buy a house with drive bys in the area? Where would we go? Is anywhere really safe anymore? My mind was racing, but I was wearing myself out. I started to doze off, when Rick came back in the house. It was about 6:30AM.

Rick said that it was a drive by/run or walk by. He said that the cops had yellow crime tape up from our tree in our front yard to the fire hydrant on our corner all the way across the street to the opposite corner. A cop car was parked on the outside of the crime tape with its lights flashing. The light was glowing right in our front window and into Emma's bedroom window. The opposite end of our street was blocked off too. Rick told me that he counted about 33 evidence markers between the street, the targeted house and the house next door to us. The house right next door to us had two bullet holes in their garage the size of quarters or a little bigger. One down low and one up high. The one that was higher went through the garage wall into their living room and lodged itself in their ceiling. There was someone sleeping in the living room at that time. Rick said they were really shook up. No doubt! The targeted house's cars got hit up pretty good, but that was about it. The electrical box in their yard got it a couple times too.

After we talked about it for awhile we decided to try and get some sleep before Caleb and Emma decided to get up. By 7AM, Emma decided it was time to rise and shine. Mommy and daddy were totally exhausted, but we got up. Emma could see the lights flashing in her window and she was very interested to see what it was. I brought her out to the living room and sat on the love seat that is near the big window in the front. Rick was sitting them and Emma and I looked out at the cop car and the yellow tape all over our yard.

The view from our front yard; yellow crime tape and cop cars.

Pretty soon Caleb got up and was very interested in the cop car outside. So we looked at it for awhile, then we made breakfast. He kept on saying "a ka"!

We ate breakfast and got ready for the day. I got ready for work but ended up having to wait until about 10:30 AM to leave the house. I had called another lady to fill in for me until I could get there, so that all worked out okay. They took down the crime tape about 10:15 and packed everything up.

We were definitely scared and worried. It was hard to go to sleep that night without wondering what was going to happen. Would we sleep through the night? Would they same guys come back to finish off the job? Are we safe? Do we need to move? So many thoughts.

We ended up sleeping some what like rocks that night. A little too aware of noises around and in the house. But the next days that were to follow, I stopped be so worried and scared. I just started to be very ticked off and angry!!! I don't understand the gang mentality. They don't care about anyone...not even themselves! Shooting into a home, hitting everything in sight, putting so many people in danger! I don't get it. They are willing to die for their gang family, but blood family is put in danger. If you die for the cause then you are a hero and will be known forever.

I will stop ranting about it and inform you that they have caught 5 people involved in the shooting. Three younger men and 2 young women. They are all in jail, waiting trial. And more suspects are being investigated. I have rested better since that has happened. So thank the Lord that for now have our quiet neighborhood back.

Harvest Party 2009

It is fall...that can only mean one thing...the Miller's Harvest Party! We go over to their house for the annual harvest party. Our friends, Jim and Carol Miller open their home/yard to a bunch of friends. We always have a blast! We carve pumpkins, eat wonderful yummy soups and bread, and of course visiting around the fire.

This year we had no fire...it was way to warm for a fire. But everything else we did to perfection.

We enjoyed our pumpkin carving as Caleb and Emma stopped to look, but mostly just ran around their wonderfully huge yard with their puppy Chloe. They have horses so they enjoyed looking at the horses too.

The soup and bread was wonderful! Two yummy choices; pumpkins (of course) and a taco soup. Caleb and Emma preferred the pumpkin soup and bread. And for dessert...pumpkin cake of course! That was a huge hit with the kids too!

Here are so great pictures we got from the party! Enjoy!

Caleb and Emma - Miller's Harvest Party 2009

Caleb telling mommy about the pumpkins!

Emma checking out the pumpkins!

Caleb in his camo from Great Grandma Benke

Emma in her camo from Great Grandma Benke

Long Weekend Fun

At the beginning of October every year, we get 2 days of for state teacher conference days. So last weekend, we enjoyed staying home and having a break from everything. We enjoyed our kids all weekend and I didn't have to work at Dressbarn either! So I was super excited to just be with my family. It was heavenly!! It was a very nice weekend as far as weather was concerned, so we got to play outside, which Caleb and Emma loved more than anything!

One of the afternoons we went to the park to play with our friends, the Arte Family. The kids go to the school that Rick and I work in. Kathy, the mom, is PTO president at our school and also works at our school part-time tutoring kids. They are the nicest people and just love Caleb and Emma! It is wonderful to have such great kids around my kiddos to be good role models.

The Arte kids (Kyle, Katelyn and Emily-AKA: Roast beef) with Caleb and Emma

The kids had so much fun together! Emma just loved hanging out with Katelyn. Katelyn is the oldest girl and doesn't baby Emma, so Emma just loves playing out with her. Emma has a thing about playing with the older girls...I think she is 20 months going on 16!!! But she loves to be independent and I am sure that has a lot to do with it.

Caleb just loved running around with Emily-AKA: Roast beef (nickname from school). Emily is the youngest girl in her family and is a hoot! She cracks me up all the time. She is still at that little mothering stage when it comes to playing with younger kids, so Caleb loves her! He looks at her like she is the best thing since the Backyardigans! Ha Ha!

And Kyle, well, he is not so into little kids when adults are looking, but if you ignore him...then he will play with the little kids some. Big 5th grade man, I mean, come on now...not too cool to play with babies! Ha Ha! But he did play football with Caleb a little bit...that is until Caleb stole the ball and wouldn't give it back! Ha! Kyle was a good sport about it though.

Kathy and Caleb playing on the swings!

Emma and "Roast beef" playing on the swings.



Emma climbing through the tunnel.

Caleb in the tunnel...crawling backwards! Ha!

It was pretty fun, when all of our kiddos spotted a flock of sea gulls out on the nearby soccor field. First of all, Emma loves birds! She of course freaked out when she saw them. Then Kathy and I told the kids to sneak up on the and chase them! Ha Ha! Caleb and Emma thought this was the funniest thing! Emma was totally excited to go get the birds! Caleb enjoyed it to, but mostly he just loved running with the big kids. I am positive those birds we not happy!

After the birds....and away they fly!

The Arte kids also tried to teach Caleb and Emma the art of rolling down hills! It was so cute to watch! I wish I would have had the video camera for that part!! Ha Ha!

Emma rolling down the hill.

Caleb, Emily, Katelyn and Emma