Loose Park

Enjoying the weather at Loose Park, down by the Plaza with Grammy and Liz...

Cousin Cousin Liz

Chris has been having a great time visiting with Liz this week! Today, she came to drop him off at school and to watch this afternoon when he took a sample gymnastics class that we might sign up for. Here are some pictures from this evening...

So I must explain this next picture... We were trying to set up the picture and get Chris to laugh or at least to smile big. He had his pictures taken at school today and the photographer kept dropping a stuffed bunny to get the kids to laugh. Tonight I said I would drop a stuffed animal to make him laugh but he wanted to do it instead. I said, "Let me just do it once and then you can do it." Christopher was not having any of that so he said, "No Mommy, I'm going to do it because I'm the boss." If you look at his face in this picture, it was exactly when he was telling me who the real boss is!

A Pocket for Corduroy

Here is a little video of Chris "reading" A Pocket for Corduroy. He loves this story and we've been listening to it in the car for the past 3 days straight! This is only a clip because I didn't think you wanted to watch a 14 minute video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BguI5HoryJM&feature=youtu.be

Beautiful and active day

After a very rainy week, Christopher was able to get out and enjoy some sunshine today. After his usual morning hockey session, we went to the trail to ride his big kid bike. As with most things, Chris started off his riding a little cautiously before he broke into his full stride. He rode about a mile and a half and got faster and faster as his confidence grew. Here is a little clip of him riding...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16iCDURi5Jg

After we returned home, we played outside the rest of the morning! Christopher's new thing is drawing on the driveway with sidewalk chalk and rinsing it off with water to "clean" it. After that, he gets on his smaller tricycle (otherwise known as his zamboni) and "dries the ice off." We ate lunch outside after that and then played in the backyard. Chris and Kasey were lounging in the sun together so here are some pics of that...

It was a lovely morning. I don't want to jinx us but Chris is currently taking the first nap he's taken since Tuesday due to all this fresh are and exercise! We are going to Tristan's house later and I told him if he sleeps this afternoon we can stay later at his friends and even stay up until it's dark so he can see the stars. Whatever works! 

Have you heard?

Have you heard about the bird?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI4KWo3I7IE&feature=g-upl&context=G22698aaAUAAAAAAAAAA

Spring Break

This week has technically been Spring Break for Christopher which essentially means that he is off from school and his normally scheduled classes. I have to disagree with the "break" part of this for me but fortunately we have had absolutely unbelievable weather this week and Christopher has spent life as any 3 year-old should: covered in dirt and sweat and absolute happiness. Three days this week were spent at Black Hoof Park, that amazing park near our house that they opened up in the fall. Tuesday we were there with Luca, Sam and Noah. Now, Chris does not like to hold hands with too many kids (adults are another matter) but he and Luca are attached at the hip, or at least the hand...

Sam and Noah are twins who are just a month older than Chris. They are in Christopher's music class now and they are also old friends of Luca's. Amazingly, we got four 3 year-old boys to sit still to get this shot...

On Wednesday we were back at the same park with Nico and his sister Corinne. I didn't get any pictures but the kids ran each other ragged. And each day that we've been to the park, Christopher has needed a bath as soon as we've returned home! Yesterday we were back there again with Olivia and Elliot. Here he is with Elliot, who is making his very serious face. Of course, two minutes earlier, Elliot was laughing his adorable baby laugh!

This morning, we went to Roe Park with Lahna and Liam. Roe Park is the place where Christopher attended his first play group when he was about 3 months old. Obviously he can do a lot more now! There are great trails over there and he was excited to ride his bike. I raised the seat and he is pedaling much better now.

At first, Lahna and Liam weren't ready to ride bikes but Chris was excited to. He said to Danna and I, "Maybe if they see me riding my bike, they'll see how much fun I'm having and they'll want to ride too!" Later on we found a stream for the kids to play at and Chris threw many rocks in the stream. The best part of this week is seeing Christopher just go off and play with his friends. He is doing this a lot now and it is great to see. He wants to do what his friends are doing, especially Lahna and Liam because they are "big kids."

3 Year-old Thoughts

At breakfast many mornings, we read The Daily Word, a little devotional that I've gotten each month for many years. Sometimes, when I think the word is something Chris can understand, I'll read the word and we'll talk about it. For example last week the word was "kindness" so we talked about ways we could be kind to other people, etc., etc. This morning's word was "faith" so Chris asked me what that meant. As best I could, I explained what faith meant in that we can't see God but we can feel God in our hearts. So Christopher's response was as follows...

"Mommy, but here's a really cool thing! You can use a magnifying glass to see God. And binoculars too!"

I am so grateful for this blog so I can keep track of some of these things that he says! It's like the ultimate baby book...

Update

Well, there have been fewer blog posts recently because we've been very busy. Not only are we busy with Christopher's schedule but we just bought a new house! We are staying in Kansas, just moving closer to where Brian works. Yay! More updates to follow as we progress with that...

In other news, Christopher is obsessed with Luca's dog, Bailey. And when I say obsessed, I'm not even exaggerating. Since December, Bailey has entered into our daily discussions nonstop. Within the past 3 weeks, Chris has even assumed the role of Bailey in his everyday life! When he goes to school, he greets his teacher, Miss Debbie, with barking. Thank God for her because she just barks right back at him and plays along with this whole thing! When people ask what his name is and I say "Christopher" he corrects me and says "No, I'm Bailey."Most people get it, thank goodness. At home, he pretends he is Bailey, I am Lindsey and Brian is Paul (Luca's dad). Meanwhile, Kasey is Luca. It all gets very confusing when we actually hang out with the Montello family... Anyway, at other times I assume the role of Sasha (Maddie's dog) and Brian becomes Nadia (one of Grandpa T's dogs) and Chris always remains Bailey. Together we are the Rescue Dogs! Every day I wake up wondering if I am going to be Karin, Lindsey, or Sasha. Chris becomes fascinated with what dogs like and what they do as well. When we got his hair cut last week, he went to the "groomer" to get it done. When I give him a snack, he is having "doggie treats." When I put him down for a nap, he "sets up his crate." Today we spent the morning with Luca and it was nice so we went for a walk. Lindsey made Christopher's day by letting him hold (real) Bailey's leash. Here he is getting ready to head out the door...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOR14Wpoxo4

The boys got their exercise today too! Sometimes I wonder where all of Christopher's energy comes from. Today, Luca had just as much energy and together they jumped... and jumped... and laughed... and jumped!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_SuGf5hRlo

Hockey 101

Today was Christopher's first day of "learn to play" hockey! The boy was extremely excited. In fact, I have never seen him as excited for anything before, and that is saying a lot considering how fired up he gets for just about everything. I wasn't sure how it was going to go, seeing as we brought him to get dressed in the "Ranger" locker room but it turned out surprisingly well. There were a couple parents complaining about the "early" ice time. Sorry, but 8AM is not early. I used to have ice time at either 5:30AM or 10:15PM. Stop complaining! Anyway, they divided the kids into three groups based on skating level. Of course, Chris is in the beginner skating group. He's the one with the white helmet...

His group worked on many basic things like standing up and holding the stick. Chris did very well considering this was the first time he wore actual hockey skates (which are much trickier than the rental/figure skates he's been in before). And there was a lot going on to distract him. He's a good listener though and will do what the instructor tells him to do so that worked to his advantage today. Here is a little video of him going from one side of the ice to, well, the other side? Kind of? A warning to all of you former players and/or hockey fans reading and watching this: It is painfully sllooooowwww...

http://youtu.be/nPcfFn7LYJU

The thing that was most exciting to see was that when Christopher fell, he got back up and kept going. It is not easy to get up to a standing position while holding a stick but he did it over and over. There was one point where the instructor brought the pucks out. Well!!! You could see Christopher's face light up from across the rink! This gave him major incentive to skate and he tried chasing the puck whenever he saw it. At one point the instructor passed it to him and he actually got it and hit it back! (Possibly my proudest moment as a mother so far--not even kidding you. I almost cried tears of joy...). He came off the ice twice to rest but told me "I'm ready to go back on Mommy." Love it! This could be the beginning of a beautiful thing for our little guy.

That we even have this option while living in Kansas is truly amazing. I never thought hockey would be on our midwest child's radar! The guy who runs the program is from Minnesota so he believes in just getting the kids right out there in the middle of it all. Throw 'em on the ice with sticks and a puck as early as possible! Chris is such a rink rat that he wanted to stay and watch the zamboni, something he could probably do all day.

It is truly a great day for hockey!

Happy Birthday G.G.!!!

Christopher's great grandmother turns 94 today! Happy birthday to an amazing woman!