Koorndyk Christmas Gathering

Last night was the huge Koorndyk family gathering for Christmas (this is Cory's mom's side of the family). We all gathered at Corinth's Ministry Training Center. There were lots of people and lots of delicious food. It was nice to be able to catch up with the uncles, aunts and cousins that we don't get to see very often. It was also fun to see all the little kids running around and playing together. Below are a few pictures from last night. The last two pictures are from Christmas night and had to be added because I was amazed that Joshua would go to people he is not very familiar with (he doesn't usually). By the way, Cory's cousin Jeremy (pictured in the last photo) was able to join the family for Christmas, but will be heading to Iraq this week - pray for his safety overseas as he defends our country.

Joshua and Joshua playing together. These two were born the same day, have the same first name and seem to have lots in common!


Shortie tried to play foose ball!


Catching up.


Joshua wanted to play air hockey too.


Lyndsey (Cory's cousin) holding Joshua on Christmas night.


Joshua sitting on Jeremy's (Cory's cousin) lap Christmas night.

Christmas 2006

Between all the family Christmas celebrations we were able to spend some time just the three of us celebrating Christmas. We chose to have Joshua open his stocking on Christmas Eve morning and his gifts from us on Christmas morning so as not to overwhelm him. Joshua loved digging deep into his stocking to find a few surprises. He also got the hang of ripping open presents on his own this year so Christmas was much more fun. He enjoyed playing with what he opened so he needed a bit of coaxing to open another present. He received a set of dishes, pans, silverware, wooden food, a Fisher-Price boat for the tub, a book about trucks and a doctor's kit. Now that all the hecticness of the holidays is over he has spending lot of time a playing with all of his new toys.

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Christmas Day with Family

Christmas day was a bit different for us than in years past. Usually we go to my uncle Steve and aunt Cher's house for dinner, but they took a cruise this year over the holidays. So, we opened up our house for my dad, brothers, grandparents as well as my other uncle, aunt and cousins to gather at. We decided to do appetizers instead of dinner, but we had so much food we were filled up more than if we had had dinner! Joshua was surprised with the Fisher-Price garage from great grandpa and grandma and his first remote control car from Jim, Nancy, Danielle and Whitney! The boy was in all his glory between those two new toys! We had a great time time and are thankful we could spend the holidays with family!

Social time!


Joshua opens a present from Jim, Nancy, Danielle and Whitney.


Playing with his new garage and remote control car!


Handsome guys photo op!

Christmas Eve

Our traditional Christmas Eve started off with dinner at my dad's house - prime rib of course! Dinner was absolutely delicious! Then it was time for presents. Joshua was the first to open a present and he started with the biggest one - his own little kitchen! He loved it! Each of us took a turn opening a gift while Joshua was occupied with his kitchen and then it was his turn again. Grandpa spoiled him with TONS of Old Navy clothes! Joshua also received a book from grandpa and a cool new Jordan sweat suit from Uncle Phil and Ciejae. It was a wonderful evening full of family and fun - thanks to everyone involved!

Opening special gifts from Joshua.


Grandpa and Joshua pose for a picture.


A velour Jordan sweat suit!


Joshua's new kitchen!


New clothes from Grandpa!


A new watch!


Opening Joshua's big gift!


Christmas eve dinner

Hager Christmas

Saturday night we did Christmas with the Hager family. We had a nice dinner and then opened gifts. Boy does gift opening get hectic with 5 kids and 8 adults!!! The funniest part of the evening is that the kids wanted to play with the toys the other children got and not the ones they received! Joshua loved playing with Gabrielle's Dora van and Gabrielle loved playing with Joshua's airplane. We had a good time, but boy were we exhausted by the time we got home. Joshua was spoiled as he recieved two little Geo Trax play sets, a Fisher-Price airplane, a pretend nail gun and screwdriver, a Doodle Pro, a play mat for his cars along with a new car, a mega blocks train and a Crayola radio for his room. Thanks Mom H. and Dad H. for a fun Christmas! Below are a few pictures from the evening.

Joshua's new nail gun and safety goggles
.

Playing with his new Doodle Pro.


Dad and Mom H. open their gifts.


A new play mat for Joshua's cars.


A mega blocks train.


A Geo Trax airplane.

Nite Lites at Fifth Third Ballpark

Joshua loves looking at all the lights as we drive around at night, so Cory thought he would enjoy going to the "Nite Lites" display at Fifth Third Ballpark. Lights decorate the entire parking lot at the ballpark and cars are able to drive through and enjoy the scenery. It was pretty neat, but probably not worth the $8 a car we paid until Joshua would get a bit more out of it (at least a portion of the money is donated to Mel Trotter Missions). Joshua was interested in the lights, but not overly excited. It was a fun one time thing to do! Below is a slide show of the pictures we took during our drive through the ballpark. It's not easy taking pictures of Christmas lights as you are moving! Some of the pictures are a bit blurry, but they give you the general idea of what Nite Lites is like.

Joshua's Early On Evaluation Update

Yesterday the report came from Early On concerning the evaluation Joshua had on Thursday. His language delay was actually found to be at a 15.5-18 month range instead of the 12-15 month range we had first thought he was at. His gross/large motor skills are at the same 15.5-18 month range as well (due to his stair work - he has been fearful ever since he fell down them a couple months ago). Every other area of development is right on target for his age and his cognition and fine motor skills were assessed at the 21-24 month range. As an educator that has done MANY assessments I have found this assessment on my own child very interesting! I love to see his strengths and we will be working on strengthening those areas of weakness.

Fun With My New Camera

For quite some time I have been wishing I had a digital camera to carry around in my purse for all those great photo ops that occur while we are out and about. So, when the ads came on Thanksgiving day I searched for a great deal and found a Canon Powershot A530 for a very low price. We went to Kmart the day after Thanksgiving and got a rain check since they didn't have one in stock. So, now I have been able to capture some fun shots while we are out on the town. Take a peek at a few pictures. . .

Joshua and Grandpa at the Home Depot

Playing in the boat at the mall.

Uncle Phil lets Joshua drive the bus at the mall.

Joshua is not so thrilled with going through the car wash.

Interesting. . . or maybe I should say "I knew it!"

For all you who thought I was crazy, let me just clarify that I am NOT, I'm proactive (just read on)! My background in early childhood education has really been a benefit while raising Joshua. Joshua has always been slow when it comes to his development - for heaven sakes he didn't crawl forward until 9 months and he didn't walk until 15 months! So when his expressive language wasn't growing by leaps and bounds I wasn't surprised. However, I have grown increasingly concerned over his lack of expressive language in the last few months. And trust me, I have also taken into consideration that he is a boy and a first born so this may have something to do with him developing some skills at a slower pace. However, I also know due to my education and experience with children that when it comes to their development it is better to be proactive instead of reactive. So, being the proactive parent and educator I am I called Early On (a free program that services children in Kent County regarding developmental delays and things) back in November (I said I would give it until he was 18 months old to see if there was improvement). Today was the day an Early On person came out to do a full evaluation on Joshua. And surprise, surprise Joshua has a language delay (he is in the 12-15 month range in this area) and is a bit behind in motor skills. I'm obviously not shocked since I was the one that called them in to do the evaluation! I'm so glad that someone else has confirmed what I have thought for a while now. The evaluator said that there was a huge discrepancy between Joshua's understanding of language and his expressive language. Joshua understands almost everything, but yet doesn't use many words to express himself. The Early On evaluator is coming back in January to do some more testing and to get him officially enrolled in the Early On program. For now she has given me some tips as to how to help Joshua and that is just what I was looking for. Hopefully with the help of these specialists and resources Joshua's language will begin to flourish in the future. While many people thought I was nuts for worrying about Joshua's lack of language and calling for an evaluation, I know it was the absolute right thing to do. How thankful I am that we have resources like Early On available for our children to benefit from!

Just Gotta Dance!

When Joshua hears music he just has to dance, no matter where he is or what is going on around him (he dances in stores, restaurants, church, etc.)! So, last week I turned on a Christmas CD and immediately Joshua had to start moving around (his version of dancing) and clapping his hands! The funniest part is that Owen decided he too would get in on the act, so he sat and watched Joshua and clapped right along. At one point Joshua went right over to Owen and danced with him! I am trying to prepare these boys. . . my hope is that if they get used to dancing now hopefully when they get to high school they won't be those guys who stand around and watch everyone!

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Saint Nicholas Day!

When I taught preschool one of my favorite things to do in December was to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. Today happens to be that day, so this morning Joshua got to experience his first Saint Nicholas Day (last year he was too young to realize what it was all about). For those of you who aren't aware, Saint Nicholas was a real person who lived long ago. Saint Nicholas was actually a bishop who shared God's love by secretly leaving gifts for people in need. Today kids celebrate Saint Nicholas day by leaving their shoes outside their doors on the eve of the day and waking up to find treats in their shoes. Since Cory and I aren't big into Santa Claus I thought beginning this tradition based on a real person would be perfect to start with Joshua this year. For his special Saint Nicholas Day surprise Joshua got a child-friendly nativity set of his own!

Christmas Tree Traditions

It's the time to get into the holiday spirit by decorating for the season. The house is mostly decorated, but we were missing the main attraction until Sunday. Sunday afternoon, despite the cold temperatures, we ventured out to Lenderink Tree Farms for our annual search for the perfect Christmas tree. Only 10 minutes of wandering among trees and we found the perfect one. After chopping it down and hauling it back to main area of the tree farm we had it shaken out and tied up for the transfer home. This year Lenderink's had some other family activities to enjoy besides tree cutting. We roasted some marshmallows by the bonfire, Joshua and Cory went sledding, we drank our free hot chocolate complete with marshmallows and right before we left we spotted the beloved Saint Bernard that calls Lenderink's home. You will have to take note of the shirt Joshua is wearing (while decorating the tree) in honor of the Lenderink's Saint Bernard and free hot cocoa. Joshua had a great time out at the tree farm as well as helping decorate the tree. It is so fun to see how he really understands things and wants so much to be a part of everything we do! We had a great time and plan on continuing this Hager family tradition for many years to come!

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Christmas Party for Members at Frederik Meijer Gardens

Last night Cory, Joshua and I met my dad at Frederik Meijer Gardens. They were having a member's Christmas Party. After having supper in the cafe there we walked around to look at all the beautiful Christmas trees that they have decorated with themes from around the world. It was a gorgeous site to see so many beautiful and unique trees. We also learned a bit about Christmas traditions from around the world. It sure is interesting to see which traditions started in which countries. Joshua loved looking at the trees but wanted to touch all the ornaments so he spent most of his time in the stroller. However, they have a great Holiday Express train display up that really caught Joshua's attention! He enjoyed watching the trains travel around into different rooms at the gardens. Joshua also enjoyed some time in the teaching greenhouse where they had kid-friendly activities set up. At the very end of the night we took him to see Santa Claus. We figured he may not even go near Santa (he didn't dare go near Flutter, the garden's mascot early in the evening), but we thought we would try just for the heck of it - we didn't much care since we aren't big on Santa anyway. Joshua was definitely not too taken with sitting on a stranger's lap, he kept reaching out for Cory and me. However he did sit long enough for a picture because he saw that he got to pick a candy treat out after he was done (can you tell he is my kid?!?!)! All in all a great start to the holiday season!

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Bathing Buddies

Today Owen woke up from his morning nap covered in spew. He had rolled around in it and had it all over himself, so there was only one option - A BATH! Of course as soon as I put Owen in the tub in Joshua's bath seat Joshua was a tad bit jealous. Joshua immediately tried to climb in the tub with his PJ's on. So, I stripped Joshua down and let him play in the bath water while I washed Owen clean of his morning mishap. I could tell they both thought it was a bit strange to have a someone else in the bathtub with them by the looks on their faces! The little water rats played for a half hour in the water and probably would have played longer if I'd let them! Just had to share the cute pictures I captured!

A Different Kind of MOPS Meeting

Pretending to mix something up.

Making a cinnamon dough ornament.

This morning was a MOPS morning for us. However, it was a bit different than it usually is. Usually Joshua and Owen go to nursery while I spend some good quality adult time with other mothers. Today Joshua got to stay with me and do some fun activities. Our church participates in a program called Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). For a week our church houses homeless families. This means that no one else may use the wing of the church that IHN is using. They use the children's wing of our church so that meant we couldn't have any children's programming today for MOPS. No big deal, we planned a fun day of activities for moms and kids to do together based around a camping theme. Joshua had a blast making a cinnamon dough ornament, making a pretend log, making a fall wreath, creating his own smore snack mix and pretending to camp with all kinds of camping gear. I just love doing things with him now that he is at an age where he understands things and is able to do more!

18 Month Check-Up and Pictures

Today was Joshua's 18 month well child visit. He now weighs in at 23 pounds 10 ounces (only 1 more pound than Owen!) and is 31.5 inches tall. Poor guy also got 3 shots which he wasn't thrilled with, but at least now he has had his flu shot!

Also, I realized I never posted any of his 18 month pictures we had a taken a couple weeks ago. The collage of pictures above is just a handful from the over 200 the photographer took that day. It was amazing to me how four adults could act so silly just to get one small child to smile! Thankfully all of our antics paid off with quite a few good shots of Joshua!

Remembering. . .

This is what I have been doing both yesterday and today especially. It is one year since my mom passed away. I went through a box of old photos we have with Joshua yesterday. All the photos brought back some great memories and some tears as well, but I've gotten used to those free-flowing over the last few years. Looking back makes me realize just how blessed I was to have my mom and to be able to spend 30 years with her. We were able to share so many experiences along the way that I am thankful for. My biggest hope while she was battling cancer was that she would be able to see her grandson and know who he was and God blessed us with that!!! I still wish she was here to experience so much more with all of us, especially Joshua. Even though she was not able to see most of his "firsts" I feel she is watching over him and that he is blessed now to have his own guardian angel.

I could go on and on about my mom , but here are just a few things I hope she knows. . .

. . . how much she is loved.

. . . how thankful I am that she was not only my mother but my best friend.

. . . how much she influenced who I am today.

. . . how much I miss talking with her everyday.

. . . how much I miss my lunch date and shopping partner :)

. . . how much I miss hugging her.

. . . how thankful I am that she considered Cory her third son.

. . . how thankful I am that she got to meet Joshua and share her love with him.

. . . how much I wish she was still here to spend time with Joshua.

. . . how much she means to me.

. . . how much I miss her terribly

With much love I remember my mom today and celebrate the life God blessed her with.

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Happy 85th Birthday!

The birthday lady with Joshua!

"Thaks for the frosting Great Grandma!"

Joshua's way of helping clean up!

This past week my Grandma turned 85. Once again, she and my Grandpa were not going to do much to celebrate! Of course I couldn't have them not celebrating such a major thing so we had them over for dinner last night along with my dad, Phil and Ciejae. We had a great time talking and catching up since we don't all get together as much as we used to. I think my Grandma enjoyed her birthday celebration too. I know Joshua appreciated when she let him stick his finger in the cake and lick the frosting off! What a blessing to have her in our lives and for her to have been given 85 years! May God bless her with many more years!

After the celebration we were cleaning up and our little stinker had to get in on the action. Joshua sat on the counter playing in the water and the soap suds. He was getting soaked so we ended up stripping him and letting him play in the sink. He even took his bath in the sink! What a little nut!

The Boys

Playing with the water!

Matching Jammies!


Just thought I'd give a little update on the boys seeing as though I haven't had a post in a week! Both boys are much more aware of the other these days. Owen loves to watch Joshua constantly! Joshua on the other hand isn't as enamored with Owen since Owen is now starting to creep around and get into his things. However, at the sound of Owen waking up Joshua makes a bee-line to the pack-n-play and has to bend down to see Owen and say "hi". This week Joshua has been grabbing toys right out of Owen's hands which is just not acceptable! Of course when the toy goes back to Owen, Joshua has a hissy fit! Playing together doesn't happen much yet, but today we found this water/sand toy in Joshua's closet and both boys enjoyed playing with it in the sink. Both boys are teething right now which means both are not quite themselves :( With all this said I still think this is a very good situation for both boys. It's perfect for helping both of them learn social skills. I've also noticed how independent and helpful Joshua can be at 18 months. Lots of times he gets me a clean diaper out, a burp cloth or a bib for Owen. His favorite thing to do though is help make and shake Owen's bottle. Hopefully down the road as these boys get older we will all be able to clearly see the benefits of having them grow up together!

One and a half!!!!

Yes, today Joshua is officially one and a half or 18 months as some people like to say. And boy oh boy is in definitely into being a toddler! Let me give you a glimspe of who he is at one and a half. . . His favorite activities include reading books or looking at books, playing with cars, music and dancing and playing with his new "bean box" (as can be seen in the picture posted here it is a plastic tub filled with different kinds of dry beans in which we hide plastic animals for him to dig for or give him measuring cups and spoons to dump and pour with - great sensory activity for toddlers and really kids of any age)! People were right when they said once he walks it won't be long until he runs! He is always on the go, usually running around rather than walking. He is feeding himself pretty well with a fork and a spoon although we still struggle with poking food and actually keeping it on the utensil some of the time. He is ultra loving lately, giving everyone and everything hugs and kisses. He understands almost everything he hears as far as language goes and can follow directions really well, but just isn't expressing much language himself. He is a little stinker sometimes and doesn't want to do as told or gets frustrated and doesn't have language to express it so he screams or hits so his behind has already had many seats on the time out stool. Overall, he is at a really fun stage right now and we are trying to enjoy every minute with him!