Psalm 23

We love how well our church cares for and nurtures children. Willow has been doing memory verses since she was 2. Next weekend her Sunday School class will be reciting Psalm 23 for the congregation. Here she is practicing. She misses a few lines but assures me that she does better when she's with her teachers =)

Strawberry Picking

We've enjoyed picking strawberries in May ever since Willow was just a couple weeks old. (Chris and Willow went with grandparents last year when Owen was teeny tiny but we have no photo-evidence of that trip.) We tried out a new berry patch this year since they advertise that they allow kids in the patch (and sampling is even allowed!). It also happened to be their festival day, so we got to enjoy music, vendors, and food, too! Now we just have to decide what to make out of the strawberries first!

Owen loved the baby goats!

They had a 9 year old tortoise too!

Gymnastics "Perfect 10"

Willow scored all 5s on her "progress report" in gymnastics (her first "Straight As?") so she's recommended to go up to the next class: Junior Beginners! No more "little gym" for Willow!

Horsin' around

Just a bunch of sillies being silly...

Bi-plane?

Owen "Reading"

Does this video of Owen "reading" remind you of this video of Willow "reading?"

Drawing Together

He wants to be big, just like his big sis! It was sweet to sit back and watch them draw together for a few minutes.

Belly

Sometimes it's just hard to contain that belly behind a shirt! (or it's more comfortable to eat without your belly being held in by the shirt!)

"What's everyone laughing at?"

Happy Mother's Day!

Our first Mother's Day without Nana =(

Willow's artwork

Captioned "Wild Thing" from school

 Out of frustration at work trying to fix bad letter-formation habits in children I work with, I have vowed to myself that Willow will learn to form her letters correctly from the start =)  She must have at least some degree of self-motivation as it seems she's practicing her e and A at school in her artwork with her kites =)

Riveting reading and Owen's new trick

This is the second time in history that Owen has put himself to sleep during the short period of time when he's in his crib while Chris tucks Willow in for her nap. He's given books/toys in his crib to occupy him briefly, but thanks to not having a morning nap, Little Man decided to fall asleep on his own!

Check out Owen, the Block Stacker!

Rugged Maniac

Chris was convinced by some guys at church to participate in the Rugged Maniac which is a 5k race including numerous obstacles (fire, mud, walls, rope bridges, etc.). It was a very chilly day (high 50s) to be running in mud but they all had a great time and made many memories. We were thankful to be able to see them in a few different spots! 

Go Daddy!

Ross, Ross, and Ed get over the wall.

Ross became one with the mud.

They finished together as a team!

True maniacs! (ready for a warm shower!)

Check out this video of Daddy going down a slide into a mudpit, then crawling through mud (under barbed wire, of course) before the finish line. Willow decided to make her own obstacle course around the house. Here's a 30-min video of a guy who wore a camera on his head for the race. Almost makes you want to do it yourself!

Grandparent Time!

We've all loved having so much time with both sets of grandparents this spring between the kids' birthdays. Though limited, here are some of our favorites!

Gramma was soooooo excited that, after many failed attempts, she was able to successfully do a seat-drop on the trampoline. You're never too old to learn new tricks =)  I think if you click on the first picture you can then click on the right of the screen to see them larger to see the play-by-play thanks to the "action" mode on our camera.

Once she got it, she didn't stop!

Can you feel her joy?

Woohoo! Another successful seat-drop!

Gramps didn't miss out on his opportunity to jump either!

Don't be fooled. Owen still doesn't have a long attention span for books.

One of the beautiful pillowcase dresses Nana made for Willow!

Owen: 13 months

Owen seems to have grown up a LOT over the past month (I imagine I'll say that each month from here on out). Here are some of his new tricks:
- throwing balls overhand
- pointing with his index finger to communicate (attempting, at least)
- putting phones to his "ear" (more like as far back as he can reach)
- putting things IN to containers instead of just taking them out (sidewalk chalk, blocks)
- bringing toys to people (in particular cars that have just been "raced")
- sharing things with others (Cheerios, bottle, paci)
- standing in front of me while I'm sitting on the floor, then backing up to sit in my lap (cutest thing ever!)
- responding to questions/requests such as going upstairs, going outside, going to get Willow, going to brush teeth, going to the trampoline, or giving Willow her spoon back.
- climbing Willow's step stool to the top step (3 steps)
- successfully putting the circle into his shape-sorter
- playing a bit more independently, especially outside
- possibly being over his obsession with dumping Alli's food/water

I'd love to say that he's sleeping through the night, but alas, that milestone is still only a dream for us. In his healthy days (totally maybe 7 of the last 30?!) he's gone from 7pm until 6am or 6:15 occasionally. More typically lately is that he'll fuss for his lost paci once during the night, then be up at 5:15 and usually not go back to sleep. His morning nap is really inconsistent lately: 15 mins to 90 mins. His afternoon nap usually reflects his morning nap but averages 90 minutes. He goes to sleep peacefully when rocked, so that's been our method of choice. Although likely a bad habit, everyone has been happier to be tear-free. Owen eats like a champ. Meat, fruit, bread, yogurt, cereal, and crackers are guaranteed successes. He's hit-or-miss with pasta. Veggies are a "no" every time. Along with his increased speed has come more bumps and bruises. And, he is NOT a fan of putting ice on an owie! Owen is 100% boy and we love him to pieces!

Happy 4th Birthday, Willow!

Favorite activities: Reading books, playing dress-up, running around, jumping on her trampoline, watching tv/movies, singing, making up stories, baking.

Favorite foods: hamburger quiche, waffles, sausage, bread, fruit, crackers, Chick-fil-A; In general she's still a good eater, although has gotten pickier. We find our selves requiring her to eat "two more bites" of things at dinner before she can get down from the table. 

When we had Willow's 3-year well visit last year our pediatrician had mentioned that often the 3s are more difficult than the 2s because kids are more verbal and have strong opinions. Well...she was right. At times it's felt as if Willow has spent half of the past year in time out or crying. We keep praying that our attempts at being consistent in her discipline will pay off someday. She often has a hard time accepting when things don't work out her way and it's difficult to see how hard a time she has settling down when she's very upset. Among the list of things we recommend to her daily are...praying, singing a song, reading a book, closing her eyes, taking a breath, etc. etc. etc. Most bedtime routines include some amount of crying (mornings too, if she isn't fully rested). Despite her rebellion against us at home, she is very obedient and respectful at school and church. I suppose if we had to choose, as painful as it is, we'd rather her be respectful to others. 

On the positive side, her laugh continues to melt our heart. When she's happy, she's truly happy and it radiates. She can be incredibly compassionate. Just yesterday she came over to me, clearly upset, at seeing her friend fall off of an inflatable. Today at church she asked her if she was feeling better. Willow is a super big sister. It amazes us how patient she can be with Owen as he "explores" her face with his hands. She'll lay/sit as still as can be and let him poke and prod her. I love seeing them play chase together and squeal and giggle. There has been a bit of sibling rivalry lately - mostly over who is in mama's lap or arms. 

Willow is doing very well in school. She's doing well writing her letters and will spell words when we say the sounds slowly for her. She loves making patterns, counting, and reading books. She continues to impress us with her vocabulary. Today in the car she handed me her apple saying that she ate it down to the core. She'll often use words like noticed, nearly, confused, eventually, convinced, shove, balcony, patio, and tumble. 

Willow has never taken a nap at preschool on the days she stays for extended day but usually will at home for about 60-90 minutes. She's usually asleep at night by 8pm and up around 7am (usually 5-10 minutes before I leave for school). We love hearing her wake up either talking or singing on the monitor. She continues to do gymnastics on Thursday afternoons. It's amazing to see how much she's improved (in skill and confidence!) in the past year!

Last year I took a video of Willow answering 20 questions and asked the her same questions this year. Check out the video here (only fitting that she's jumping while being asked the questions)!

Here are her answers for scrapbook purposes:

1. What's your favorite color? pink and purple

2. What's your favorite toy? Fancy Nancy
3. What's your favorite fruit? apples
4. What's your favorite TV show? Madeline
5. What's your favorite thing to eat at lunch? fruit
6. What's your favorite outfit to wear? dress
7. What's your favorite game to play? Hide-and-Seek 
8. What's your favorite snack? blueberries
9. What's your favorite animal? giraffe
10. What's your favorite song? "Sing to God"
11. What's your favorite book? God Our Father
12. Who's your best friend? JoJo
13. What's your favorite cereal? Fruit Loops (we don't have those BTW)

14. What's your favorite thing to do outside? jump on trampoline

15. What's your favorite drink? milk
16. What's your favorite holiday? Easter
17. What do you take to bed with you at bedtime? bunny, bear, blankie
18. What's your favorite thing to eat at breakfast? lunch (?!?!)
19. What did you have for dinner on your birthday? Chick-fil-a
20. What job do you want to have when you're older? teacher

4-year stats:

Height: 42" (90%ile)

Weight: 40 lbs (80%ile)

Blood Pressure: 78/46

We love you Willow Libby!

Willow's Madeline Party

 Willow's obsession with Madeline began in December when we went to see a Madeline's Christmas performance at a local children's theater. Since then we've checked out every Madeline book and DVD that the public library has. It was only fitting that Willow decided she wanted to have a Madeline birthday party. All ideas are credited to the creative moms who blog as well as Pinterest for enabling me to find the blogs! We had a great time!

Willow and JoJo paint while waiting for other friends to arrive.

 We were blessed with another beautiful day for an outdoor birthday party!

The trampoline is always a hit!

"Miss Clavel" calls the girls in for our activities. Owen decides to be the line leader. 

The "Madelines" get dressed. Thanks to Nana for the shawls and Morgan for the beautiful bows!

Alli protects the Madeline story while the girls get ready.

"Miss Clavel" reads "Madeline's Rescue"

After reading "Madeline's Rescue" (and learning about Genevieve), Miss Clavel led the girls on a scavenger hunt around the house.

The last clue led to the Genevieve puppies in the bathtub. The girls chose their favorite one to take home.

The girls also played musical chairs (Mckenzie won a copy of a Madeline book) and made bead necklaces/bracelets. Willow was so giddy the entire time that you couldn't help but smile to see her so happy!

We are so thankful for Willow's sweet friends!

After all the excitement (and likely too much jumping on the trampoline), Willow was wheezing and ready for a nebulizer treatment and a nap (Grandpa too!). Poor girl =(