Firetruck!! (or how Micah got to experience the world of Fireman Sam)

Our house has been very full of fires lately, and some kiddos putting them out, and kiddos watching Fireman Sam.  So, when we asked Micah what he wanted to do on a "Mama Date" with he and Naomi during Spring Break, he said "firetruck!"  (Naomi had a solo Mama Date the day before - breakfast, shoe shopping and a movie.)  Thankfully, we have friend who just happens to be a firefighter, and who happened to be working the day we were to have our date.  So off we went!  Naomi liked this trip too, and learned a lot and loved seeing the firetrucks and had fun with her friends Layla and Maya, but it was definitely Micah who cried "wow" at each new thing, who squealed with excitement when he saw the truck, and who climbed into the driver's seat ten times!  We had a tour of the firehouse, saw where they sleep, saw the pole, the trucks, and got to climb in seats and try on the clothes.  It was awesome. 

Kite Festival 2012

We have a lot of catching up to do on the blog, and March has been a busy month!  The kite festival was earlier this month, and it is hands down one of my favorite weekends in Austin. Spring is beginning, the kites are beautiful, and come on, kites!  Here are some pictures from this year.  And I love that Micah is full on particpant these days in whatever we have going one.  Naomi and Micah made their kites and flew them.  Overall, the kids would probably tell you their favorite part was riding the shuttle bus to Zilker Park!

Birthday #2

Micah turned TWO yesterday.  He is such a beautiful little boy, and has changed our family, and brings so much joy and love and silliness and laughter into our house.  What do we love about Micah?  Well, the superficial things: his curly hair, his dimples, his big blue eyes.  I am fairly certain he is left-handed, and that is fascinating (how does that happen?).  And the fun personality things: he loves music, he loves his sister (he calls Naomi "Sis"), he loves instruments, he loves his mama and daddy, he loves his Pop Pop and Granddaddy, he loves and cares for his dolls/babies, he loves to be outside, he loves books, he likes to play trains with us.  He laughs a lot, he is serious sometimes.  He has formed a few two-word sentences: "mo lalas" (more lights),  "read book", and "cheese please" (repeating after Aunt Christa).  He will be exploding in words this next year!  

Since he is TWO he had TWO days of celebrating.  On his actual birthday I took him to get his present (a balance bike) and then he and I went to the park.  When we got home, and he helped Mark put it together...

...and Mark helped him ride!  He's still getting the hang of it, but we think he's going to like this one alot.

 Then we spent some time in the yard checking on things.

When I asked Micah what he wanted to do for his birthday, he said "Eat!"  So Mark and I took him to lunch. He really enjoyed his gelato.   

Naomi gave Micah his present as soon as she got home from school - a Curious George "radio" that winds up to play music - she said he really likes her music/jewlery box and wanted him to have a box that played music too!   We also used his birthday as a reason to cook dinner for some friends and serve cake.  He had a lovely time. 

The next day we had Mark's family come up to celebrate.  We took the bikes to the park, then grilled and ate chocolate peppermint cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Micah!!  We love you!

Big Boy Bed and an Awesome Sister

I keep thinking about what I have heard, that a second kid is born into a different family than the first - their childhood is different than the first's childhood.  This is completly true - Micah, for example, transitioned to his toddler bed this past week.  And instead of being in his room alone, like his sister was, he shares a room with her.  The first night in his new bed, he got up every 4 minutes for an hour.  We finally just shut the door (something I would have NEVER done with Naomi, who was by herself in there).  Micah cried twice, then was silent.  Then we hear Naomi begin singing to him, and he was very soon asleep.  Needless to say, our hearts were full, and Naomi got special hot chocolate the next morning for breakfast.

Dear 2011...

Well, its been a year.  Micah turned 1, to start the year. And then we hummed along - Mark working, Kristen and Micah hanging at home, Naomi in her preschool two days a week.  We visited Alli and Chad in California.  We made plans to go to Colorado in the summer.  Naomi turned 5.  Mark lost his job.  We went on vacation.  Kristen started work part time.  Naomi started Kindergarten.  Micah started daycare.  Mark started a new job.  And then it was Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and now we are here, at New Year's Eve.  We are thankful for provision, and new experiences, and family and friends.  We are grateful to be reminded of how we are cared for.  This is a year full of small family memories not summed up in the big changes - like sitting around the dinner table together.  Micah and Naomi really starting to play together.  An unexpected summer of family time.  A week of holiday time at home.  We are also aware of both relief to be somewhat past those changes and curiosity and anticipation about the next year - because we are still adjusting to the newness those changes brought.  

For now, we remember we are cared for, and provided for, and we are grateful for our family.  Happy New Year! 

Queenie and the Four Cinnamon Princesses

 We have some new ladies at the house... Chickens!  And they are quite popular around here. Mark built a chicken tractor for them (you can see Micah helping below with the hammer!), and I am looking forward to eggs when they start laying in January or so.

We decided it was time for a new set, and thanks to some friends who were willing to trade some seedlings for some accidental layers in their batch of broilers, these ladies have come to live with us.  There is one white Brahma - with pretty feathers on her feet - and four Cinnamon Queens.  Naomi has named them Queenie and the Four Cinnamon Princesses, which sort of sounds like a band.

Micah loves them, and the first thing he wanted to do when I got home today from being gone all weekend was show them to me - and he has a good combo clucking/wing gesture happening right now to communicate "chickens".

McKinney Falls State Park

Weekend

This past weekend we were in great need of vacation...so we played in Austin.
After the downtown Farmer's Market we went to the Botanical Gardens.

Then we went to the State History Museum, and saw the cows outside after an IMAX movie - Born to Be Wild, about elephants and orangatangs. Both kids loved it, the cows and the movie.

First Days of School

The Naomi girl started school last week....

A Kindergartener. She loves it. And we like it too. She is in a dual language class, so sits with native English speakers and native Spanish speakers, all learning to speak the same languages together.

And Micah started school today...

Big guy is a Dancing Bear, and he liked parts of it all right - like the painting part...

and the necessary bath after school...

But not so much the being dropped off and the beginning of group nap part. We'll be learning a few things.

In Which Mark is RIFed and Life Changes

This summer has been a ride, and I've been avoiding this. The post where I mention that Mark was laid off a month and a half ago. RIF=reduction in force. His whole team. I couldn't even really put it into words until now, it just sucked too much, to be honest. The day it happened, we knew some people were being let go, but he felt good about his job, and his position. I had taken the train with the kids and some friends downtown to the Children's Museum. We had a great morning - and when Mark called, I assumed he was at lunch, wanting to chat. He called from outside the museum - knowing we were there, he walked the 12 blocks to come find us. I won't forget that moment, so thankful I was with my friends that I could leave the kids to run outside and be with him, wishing he didn't have to go through this, feeling so sad for him, and so glad that we could be together right at that moment. We spent the rest of the afternoon getting lunch and riding the train home.

And then we went on vacation.

There have been some lovely ways that the timing of all this has worked, the first being that afternoon Mark was let go, the second being that we went on vacation two days later. Road trip to Colorado (those pictures will come later)! So, the plus? We've had a lot more time with Mark! The kids are enjoying him (even though there was a stretch where everyday felt like Saturday). The not-so-plus? We are still very much in limbo, and Mark is ready to get back to work.

Near the end of our time in Colorado, however, I applied for a part-time position at UT, in sort of an angsty place of wondering what comes next for us and the unknown. Three weeks later they offered me the job. So this past week I find myself back at work! At the counseling center, part-time during Naomi's school day, 4 days out of the week and will be 9 months out of the year. Ideal. Right now, I'm seeing the positives in timing: Mark can be with the kids while I'm starting this new gig. I'm working a little more now at the beginning than I will be regularly, and that will be helpful to be paid more. Micah has a spot at Naomi's old school in September. This is a job I would have wanted even if Mark hadn't been laid off, I just would not have been looking for it. I see these things and believe that God has a plan for us. Even though it is still unknown.