Partial K week and more:)

We did finish "K Week", I just haven't found the time to post it yet or upload all the pics! So here are a few from our week last week...

K is for:

Auntie K!!! We love you!

Kings!!

Meet King Samuel

and King Zakkai

Knitted Hats! I let the boys pick out their yarn (Samuel chose red, surprise, surprise!) He also requested ear flaps:) (He had a cut in his nose, that's why it looks funny)

Zakkai's favorite color of the week was orange! Appropriate for fall:) Don't his eyes kind of make him look like a husky in this pic? strange...K was also for: Hershey's Kisses, Kiwi, Kisses, Kids, Kangaroos, Kites, Kick, books: "Kitten's First Full Moon", (hard to find "K" books! I need to go to the library more often!).

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I took the boys on an outing for "L week" today and on the way Samuel said to Zakkai, "Someday we're going to get a bigger car so LOTS of kids can fit in it!" And of course, Zakkai agreed:) So I asked Samuel whose kids these were and he said, "Ours! Two boys and two girls that are twins!"

It's been a recent thing in the past month or so for him to keep talking about babies and having twin sisters and now that we have a good friend expecting twins, he'll think it's possible! Yikes!

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I had just finished reading Zakkai his naptime story, he was all tucked in, sucking his little finger and then he exclaimed, "I have to go potty!" What?! I am thinking, "So go in your diaper!" and "Why does he all of the sudden have to go potty right at naptime?" and "Can I just ignore him and maybe he'll forget he just said that?!"

But no, I decided if he was really going to tell me that, I should take him. So I hoist him out of bed and assume he's going to sit down on the little green potty but nooooooo, he wants to go on the big potty for the very first time! I get him in the bathroom, get pants down, super-hero underwear down, diaper off, potty seat on the toilet, Zakkai on the potty seat......he unrolls a little bit of toilet paper, grinning happily and says, "I don't have to go potty."

Two year olds!!!

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Funny pic of this two year old coming tomorrow!

Changes

After much prayer, sadness, agonizing, prayer, talking, researching, prayer, advice, and persistence.........

Our Samuel is going to preschool!!

I am excited, scared, nervous, anxious, hopeful....many things! It was a "random" God-opened door, we feel. I was doing research on the internet and came across a site about schools in your community and clicked on Chicago and the first question that came up was "What are the best preschools in Chicago and why?" My curiosity was immediately piqued and I found my heart beating with excitement when I read about Samuel's now future preschool which has an immediate opening! He starts on Monday.

Today I spent a lot of time with the teachers at the preschool, observing and asking lots and lots and lots of questions:) This isn't just a case of first time school-mom syndrome (although it's that, too:); it's finding the right fit for my little boy where he can thrive, grow and work through the tough obstacles he has faced in his little lifetime. I know I haven't shared much, if anything, before and I still want to be careful because I never ever want my precious son to be labeled by me or anyone else but Samuel has struggled with sensory issues from the time he was a baby. He received the help he needed last year through an official diagnosis and occupational therapy and grew tremendously. We were (and still are!)incredibly proud of the hard work he did!

But as he enters the "big bad world", my overprotective mommy heart needs to know that my baby will be taken care of. I can only hope and pray that good things will come out of this and that it will only heal and strengthen not only my heart but his as well.

My big boy is growing up. Sniff.

A Plethora of Pumpkiny Pictures

The Anatomy of Zakkai getting dressed by himself: Note the big boy underwear!

(This is after I pulled his legs out of his sleeves and helped him get started:)
I'm not sure how this makes it easier...

Cute little tooshie in big boy underwear:) He has peed on the potty 3-4 times since last night! And on the floor twice...
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Moving on to Pumpkin Party! We went to a friend, Eli's, 4th bday party today at a Farm. We started with a Hay Ride....

"Mommy, the sun is in my eyes!"

Some of our friends on the hay ride.

Bright Eyes
The Look says it all....
Moo.
"That cow is absolutely fascinating."
Jumping with friends in the blow-up thingy. (For lack of a better word:)

I know the sign said, "Do Not Climb on Pumpkins" but...how can a mom pass up a good photo op?

A Plethora of Pumpkins!The boys got "treasures" from the party. Scary Teeth!

Settling in for an afternoon rest after a busy morning:)

Hey, Pumpkins need baths, too!! (Don't worry, it got a pre-wipe down first!)

Two highly entertained boys during bathtime.

It was a fun busy day and ended with two extremely tired, happy boys. Zakkai fell asleep sitting up tonight:) Here's to dreaming of pumpkins!

Hope in the Little Things

Feeling hopeful tonight! My belly is full of turkey burgers, roasted diced potatoes, peppers and a chocolate banana milkshake. I love friday nights!!

Hopefulness:

*We have hope for a preschool for Samuel! More details to follow after a visit on Monday. This comes after much research. I felt like God opened a door today!

*Feeling like it's time to potty train the little monster. I swore I wasn't going to do it til December but Z is showing many signs of being ready. I bought him some "big-boy" underwear and he is CRAZY about them! As a matter of fact, he is going to sleep tonight with a pair of undies over his diaper:) Pictures coming soon!

*A pumpkin farm bday party for the boys to go to tomorrow and enjoy fresh air!

*I love my hubby!

*My belly has chocolate in it

*It's Friday and I'm going to watch "Twilight" with friends:)

Life is Good.

Apples n' Boys

As I write this, I am savoring a bite of hot apple dumpling covered in a flaky homemade crust with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top. Hey, not everything you bake with apples has to be healthy, right? Yeah, I'll be working out in the morning. But it was worth every bite....
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Speaking of apples....last night at dinner we were having a conversation with the boys about what they want to be when they grow up. It pretty much consisted of us throwing out every profession we could think of with Samuel saying "No" to each one and Zakkai swallowing his huge mouthfuls of food and saying, "What else?!"

So far they do NOT want to be a: doctor, nurse, professor, mail carrier, construction worker, architect, business or salesman, teacher, athelete, chef and on and on and on. Samuel had something really special in mind. You ready?

Samuel wants to be a professional....apple cutter. You heard it right here! Not an apple orchard owner or a farmer....an apple cutter. This boy's got dreams!!
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The timer on the boys' light is working well! After a couple so-so attempts, this morning there was blessed peaceful silence until 7:05am when I finally heard the happy chirping of my chickadees! 7:08 anyone?
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Today, Zakkai was in the midst of a terrible nap (hasn't been napping so well since he was sick) and Samuel was getting bored and he was pestering me about if Zakkai was waking up and he said, "Is my best friend going to wake up soon, Mommy?" Melt. My. Heart. It has been one of my deepest desires and prayers that my boys would have a close relationship and be best friends. So despite the toy fighting and shrieking that goes on between them, there is also lots of love.

Maybe Zakkai can hold the apples while Samuel cuts them:)