November

Ahhhh, November is here.  Things have seemed to slow down around here this month.  My thoughts have been full of my many blessings and I just can't help but be full of gratitude.  I have been thinking a lot about my little family.  Liam just seems to be growing and maturing so quickly right before my eyes.  I am amazed by him.  Though he still loves to wrestle with his brother all the time, he is also so sensitive and thoughtful.  I really just love his company, I love the conversations that we have.  I see him trying so hard in school and it just makes my heart melt.  We met with Liam's teacher for Parent Teacher Conference this week and she had the sweetest things to say about Liam and how he brightens her day with his enthusiasm for everything and his desire to do his best in all that he does.  Hearing that just made me so happy.  Liam and I have been spending a lot of time lately playing the piano.  I started teaching him right around his 5th Birthday and he loved it!  However, it became too overwhelming for me when Rob was gone a lot preparing for trial so I asked him if it was ok if we postponed piano lessons until after the trial.  So we started back up again this month and Liam has been very motivated and wants to play everyday.  I feel like I am learning more and more about his sweet personality as I see him overcome new challenges everyday on the piano.  He is quite determined and motivated and he gets very excited when he plays all the notes right.  I just love him.  I am so overwhelmed with the awesome responsibility that it is to be a mom to my 3 wonderful boys.  I wish I were better.  I hope that I can be better at helping them see how amazing they are.  They have so much potential and I hope I can help them to reach their potential. 

I have to say that Lance continues to be irresistible - I know I always use that word to describe him but that is exactly what he is.  He and Liam have such different personalities - it makes it fun and challenges me to come up with a whole new parenting plan for this one.  Lance just can't make me mad - seriously he just has to look me in the eyes and I just want to squeeze him he is so cute.  I realize that I probably need to be a little more strict with him sometimes because he can be a stinker - but it is hard to be mad at him.  He has melted mine and Rob's hearts ever since he was a little newborn and had ear infection after ear infection and asthma and then the helmet he wore for 3 months to round out the flat spot on his head that he was born with and then tubes put in twice and adenoids removed and one sickness after the other - goodness.  Oh and his adorable sweet little voice and his adorable hair and the funny things that come out of his mouth and the faces that he makes and his crazy dance moves and his stubborn stubborn stubbornness!  Because of all of his ear problems he has struggled a lot with pronunciation (his ears always had fluid in them even with tubes so he was hearing like he was underwater - muffled), a year ago this time I was really worried about him.  He hardly spoke and no one could understand him and he would get so mad because he could not communicate.  I took him in for evaluations and hearing tests and a speech therapy assessment and we replaced his first set of tubes last November and since then he has made unbelievable progress.  We work with him everyday on his pronunciation and he now talks our ears off and amazes us with his speech.  He has an amazing vocabulary but still struggles with the pronunciation of some sounds.  I am so thankful for his progress - it is definitely one of the things I am most thankful for this year.

Lincoln seems to be getting so much personality lately.  He has definitely figured out that brothers can be annoying sometimes and he has already started to become protective of his toys.  If he is playing with something and Liam or Lance come close he gives them a look and a grunt that says - you better not even think about it!  He is the chubbiest baby ever and he eats more than Liam and Lance and then is still hungry.  He seems to want to be held a LOT lately and boy can my back ache by the end of the day - or even the middle of the day.  He loves getting into my pots and pans - I don't know why they are so fascinating - maybe it is that they make loud noises.  He is very attached to me.  He loves playing a new game with Rob where he arches his head back and then falls onto the bed from Rob's arms.  Kinda funny but he just squeels and squeels and he makes us laugh.  As soon as Rob comes home from work he leans his head back like - Dad let's play our game!  Lincoln just seems to be growing and changing so quickly - I am trying to enjoy every moment.  He is so sweet.

Anywho, here are some random pictures from this month....

Liam's thankful tree...

I know I am funny but I am loving doing leather crafts with my kids - they love it too!  We made these indian necklaces last week.  There are so many fun things to do with leather.

I have some indian symbolic leather stamps - the boys loved pounding them into the leather.

Liam's list of things he is thankful for - thanks Lynette for all the fun thanksgiving printables!

I pulled out our teepee and it has been a huge hit lately!  It is a good hiding spot, a good place to read, and a good place to eat Halloween candy so mommy does not see you.

Liam and Max were so proud to wear their new school shirts!  Liam would wear it to school everyday.

I love how the kids drew pictures of themselves on the back - too cute!