Saturday, October 25, 2014

Michael at 2.5

Michael Bradley, my son. He has grown and changed so much in the six months from December 2013 to June 2014. 

 He LOVES people, in fact he likes to know where all family members are at all times, ("Where daddy go?") and doesn't like playing by himself. 



Michael recently told his Sunday School teacher that his favorite thing to do is "run with Lucy" and that he wants to "race cars" when he grows up.


 Michael always acknowledges Gordon's presence ("HI Doo-done!") and is learning what a knock knock joke is, his favorite joke (recently featured in Kidder Kid Conversations) is this:

Knock knock
Who's there?
Mickey Mouse!
Mickey Mouse who?
EAT BUGS!  


His vocabulary grows every day, a great joy to his mommy and daddy. 


  He and Lucy are best friends (although she denies it fervently), he follows her lead (she doesn't mind that!) and they play house, read books, build with blocks and do "Homework" (aka art projects). Michael loves balls, wrestling, reading, his movies (special "blankets" - they are old burp cloths), running, jumping, baths and Mickey Mouse (he LOVES Mickey).


(The above pictures were taken right before mother's day)


He LOVES to wear bow-ties and looks pretty dapper in them!


 Michael is a physical boy - he loves wrestling with daddy and cuddling with mommy.



We've decided to cut Michael's afternoon nap, on most days (on the day the above picture was taken - our attempts to keep him awake failed), this has helped the difficulty we were having at bedtime but has added a challenge... what do I do with him all day? :) He's learning about self control and how to play by himself (a challenge for my social boy!) during his daily "quiet time." 


Michael enjoys sports and outdoor play - here's his latest accomplishment in baseball! 

I love this video because it showcases Michael's goofy personality and captured some of his amazing giggles. :) 

7 Months



To see Lucy at 7 months, click here.
To see Michael at 7 moths, click here.

6 Months



To see Lucy at 6 months, click here
To see Michael at 6 months, click here

Easter 2014

The good lookin' Kidder Kiddlets

 Lucy wore a flower girl dress from our wedding - she looked so grown up, absolutely beautiful. 



 While Lucy and Michael took naps (I don't remember how that happened, only that it did) I had a little photo shoot with Gordon, he wasn't too thrilled about it at first, but he warmed up to the concept. :)





And just to keep things real... we dyed Easter Eggs two or three days AFTER Easter... :) It was a late, but fun activity. We tried a homemade vinegar dye and the whisk trick (what did we do without pinterest?!) and it worked out well! 

We Made It

...through our first Michigan winter! It felt long. Everyone agreed with us. It felt cold. Bitterly cold. And it was.


 Getting to know this blue-eyed boy filled a lot of our time, day and night! 

 We ventured outside when the temps were above 20 degrees but never for long - Lucy wanted to stay outside longer, Michael was (usually) in tears within 3 minutes of being outside (Texas born?!) and we had to go out during Gordon's naps - he wasn't a fan of the cold ether.  

(We have better hopes for outside play this upcoming year... proper coats and boots have been purchased)




 We had a lot of PJ days in the house (more than I'd like to admit). 

 This kid didn't complain about staying in his PJs all day. :) 

 When we did venture out of the house - one of our favorite places to go was Impression 5, the children's science museum here in Lansing. They have such fun indoor (warm) activities for the kids to do. Always a fun way to get out some wiggles and run around. 



 Gordon - the third wheel on a few date nights! :)

 Painting was a favorite activity of the kid's - here they wanted to paint paper bowls to make leprechan hats (what? - where'd they get that idea I'll never know. I love their creativity.)

 When the snow started to melt we raced outside as fast as we could!


 Lucy and I went to our first Play together with some friends of ours, it was a Jr High production of Pinkalicious. Here's Lu with her sweet buddy Lorelei, all decked out in PINK! 

 Snuggling with this kid was a highlight of the winter. Body heat? Happy heart? Yes. 

The kids dreamed of the summer-time! Playing "beach" was something that happened often.

Another indoor activity: Fort building! Our living/dining room and kids bedroom were often commandeered for this creative play. :) 

I made these cool "fort blankets" out of an old sheet and a few baby blankets - they've made the actual "fort building" process much easier for the kids! :) All it is is a button hole and ribbon - try it!

 Snuggling in blankets was encouraged - passing time in the winter cuddled up on the couch was wonderfully relaxing. Especially when there was a book or two involved.  

Mommy and Daddy's bed was also a fun place to cuddle up as a family. These kiddos... so sweet. I love how they love each other. 

 We explored the Fredrick Meijer Gardens during their butterfly exhibit in the early spring during a visit to Grand Rapids. 

 Michael insisted on wearing his rain coat, which was 3/4 sleeved length on him! Ha!

 It felt heavenly inside the humid and warm room where the butterflies were. Haha - never thought I'd say that humidity was heavenly. :) 


 During that same trip to Grand Rapids we also visited the Children's Museum - it was a fun day. 

 The arrival of spring gave everyone in our family a renewed excitement about life! The winter blues aren't a joke friends! (vitamin D is on the strategy list for this upcoming winter!) 






I'm writing this in late October and as our second Michigan winter approaches, I'm gearing up for it with a sometimes pessimistic but trying to be optimistic attitude. We'll visit the library and Impression 5 often - and bible study is a weekly time to get out of the house. I feel more settled in our house this year and don't have an infant in the house anymore. I feel a little more confident in our routine and my ability to corral three kids out of the house. We'll survive, I'm confident of that. :) Do you have any make-it-through winter tips?