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!

Trick or Treat!

It started earlier in the day when I took Joshua to my dad's office to see my dad and Phil. Joshua loved walking around the office collecting treats! Everything that went in his bag he had to pull out and hand to one of us in hopes that we would unwrap it and let him eat it (wishful thinking on his part!). We decided we would try some trick or treating in the neighborhood this year since Joshua is able to walk and eat candy! Since Grandpa had come over for dinner he got to open the treat Grandpa brought for him first! Wow did Grandpa spoil the little cow with a pair of new jeans, two shirts, a sweater and hat and mitten set!!! Thanks Grandpa! Next we were off to a few houses in the neighborhood. Joshua wasn't too sure why he was being allowed to walk around outside at night, but after ringing the first doorbell and getting some treats in his bag he was ready for more! Unfortunately not many people were handing out candy so we only traveled to 6 houses around us. Joshua loved looking around at all the other kids who were dressed up and running around. Then it was back to the house where we loaded up in the car so we could go and visit our friends Doug, Sheryl and Hannah, Great Grandpa and Great Grandma and a final delivery of a treat to Owen the chicken. Joshua sure is enjoying his haul of candy (and so are mom and dad)! Check out a few pictures from our night of fun!

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Pumpkin Carving

Last night we thought it would be fun to carve a pumpkin with Joshua. Well, our child who doesn't like to get dirty wanted nothing to do with pulling the fleshy part/seeds out of the pumpkin. I guess we still are having some sensory issues seeing as any time he would come near the open pumpkin he would squish up his nose in disgust, close his eyes and wring his hands together! He did however enjoy the carving portion of this little project. Together with Cory he helped carve much of the pumpkin.

Taking the carved pieces out.

As close as he got to the messy part.

Carving with dad.

Boo at the Zoo!

Today we ventured out and met my dad at John Ball Park Zoo for their "Boo at the Zoo" day. There were tons of kids there dressed up in their costumes ready to collect treats throughout the zoo. Joshua too was all dressed up and ready for this new adventure since this was his first trip to our zoo here in G.R. He collected lots of cool treats along the kooky (not spooky) trail such as little animal toys, a little kaleidoscope, little yo-yo's, books with CD's, a huge 48 piece puzzle that ends up to be 5 ft. long, and of course a bit of candy. Joshua's favorite part besides being able to run around the zoo was seeing some goats, chickens and cows close up at the petting zoo. He also got to see a screech owl and a little porcupine up close. A great way to spend a few hours on a fall Saturday!

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Fall Festivities Continue. . .

Picking out a pumpkin.

Joshua was fascinated with the goats.

Playing in the corn.

This morning Joshua and I went to Schwalliers Country Basket out in Sparta as part of a Bright Beginnings play-group (Erin was off from school today so I didn't have Owen). It was a quite cold and there wasn't a ton to do for really young kids, but we made the most of our trip there. We had a doughnut and cider, looked at some animals, went down a large slide in a barn, played in the hay, played in corn, and picked an apple and a pumpkin. Since we were in the general area of Cory's office we stopped by to see him, but before we went in I put Joshua's Halloween costume on (have to get as much use out of it as possible). Joshua had a ball running around the office and being admired by all kinds of people.

A new Lil' Quad

Well, again Cory and I were suckers for a good deal! This nifty little quad was on clearance at Target and we just couldn't resist! It usually sells for $65 but we only paid $34! It's a motorized "Lil' Quad" by Fisher Price that goes all of 2 mph. We thought about saving it for Christmas, but that seemed too far away. Cory was also way too excited to put it away for a couple months (I think he wants to live vicariously through Joshua because he can't own a quad)! The only bummer of it was that the battery had to charge for a minimum of 18 hours! Once the battery went it Joshua wasn't really sure what to do anyway (as you can see in the video below). He has yet to understand that if he continuously holds the button on the handle that he will ride along smoothly. We figure that by the time the nice weather comes around this spring Joshua will have figured out exactly what to do and will be ready to ride around the neighborhood.

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Colorfall at Frederik Meijer Gardens

We decided to head out and meet my dad at Frederik Meijer Gardens this afternoon to see the huge pumpkins they were displaying there this weekend. The weather was not so nice, cold, windy and raindrops here in there, but we decided to brave it anyway. Joshua enjoyed running around the gardens, touching the sculptures and decorating his own pumpkin. I personally love Frederik Meijer Gardens (my mom and I liked to spend time together there) and I think Joshua is starting to enjoy it too now that he is mobile. There is so much to see and for Joshua there is lots to explore and touch! Knowing there are so many great things coming in the next year that I would want to take Joshua to (the Christmas tree and train display, the butterflies, the children's garden in the summer) we decided to buy a years membership to the gardens. Now we can go there any time!! Click on the link below to see more pictures of our trip to the gardens today and look forward to many more pictures at the gardens in the future!

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New Activity

Since the weather has turned colder and we aren't outside as much, we had to start finding some new things to do. So, when the lady who does home visits for Bright Beginnings came for a home visit a few weeks ago she brought playdoh - the perfect new activity for Joshua. We found my playdoh recipe and made our own. Unfortunately Joshua isn't one who likes to get his hands messy (hopefully this isn't a sensory issue). So, I found lots of cookie cutters and odd objects around that Joshua can use to poke the playdoh with instead of touch it with his hands. Hopefully the more he is exposed to playdoh the more willing he will be to actually use his hands to play with it. It also doesn't help that his attention span is only a few minutes for any one activity either! I just gotta give it time and patience!

More Fall Fun!

Throwing balls at the "Pumpkin Pitch"


Racing bigwheels!

Joshua, Owen and I went to Koetsier's today. For those of you who aren't aware, Koetsier's is a greenhouse over in Cascade that has some beautiful plants and flowers and apparently has gotten into the whole fall entertainment thing. So, we met a few other moms from MOPS along with their children for a morning of fun. We happened to be the only people there this morning which was fantastic. Half of their large greenhouse is set up with fun fall/pumpkin things for kids to do. There were huge blow-up structures, one that the kids could crawl through, one that the kids could go in and try to catch balloons and one that was a throwing game. Joshua wasn't fond of the structure we could crawl because he had a terrible time balancing on the air cushions throughout. He really liked trying to catch the balloons and he loved throwing the balls at the pitching game. Joshua wasn't thrilled by the "Midnight Maze" which was a simple maze that you could walk through, but was fairly dark; Owen on the other hand loved the maze, especially the big light up characters we found along the way. Riding big wheels around a "race track" was a lot of fun for all the kids too. We also had popcorn for a treat to end our morning. Due to the raindrops that were falling we didn't get to go on a hay ride though - bummer! All in all a great time though!

SNOW!!!!!!!

Yes, the title and date on this post is correct - Snow in October!!! Let me just say, the exclamation marks after the word snow are for the disbelief and shock I felt when I say the white junk today, they are definitely not declaring my excitement for the little white flakes. Joshua was a bit surprised to see the snow falling when he woke up this morning too. He didn't want to stop staring out the window to eat breakfast. Poor kid couldn't even go out in the snow because we haven't bought him a winter coat yet and I couldn't even find his hat and mittens from last year! Guess we know what we need to purchase in the next day or so! Needless to say, we spent most of our day inside in the warm house. Joshua and Owen even snuggled up close to each other while they were playing - too cute!

Autumn Fun

We headed out to the Potter farm (the farm Erin's dad owns) with Shawn, Erin and Owen for our annual October trip yesterday morning. Joel, Erin's dad, is always so great about letting us cut down corn stalks for decorating our houses and he even gets us huge hay bales! This year having both boys we decided to also make our stop at the farm a time for lots of great photos in their Halloween costumes. Of course the boys, I'm not talking about the little ones here, had to try out all the farm equipment while we were there too! Then we made our annual stop at Paulson's which happens to be just across the street from the farm. They have such great gourds, squash and pumpkins! Paulson's also offered lots of photo opportunities too! Check out the video below to share in our fun.

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Last Taste of Summer. . .

Yesterday it was in the mid 70's here and just beautiful! We just had to get outside and enjoy the weather! It was so great to be back in shorts again and spending a large part of the day outside. We went for a nice long walk and Joshua rode his bike around and drove his car around all before lunch. After getting a little nourishment we headed outside on the deck to play. Joshua toddled around with his dump truck loading and unloading rocks while Owen looked on from his seat in the walker and played with his toys happily. Oh how we will all be yearning for these beautiful days again when we are stuck in the house this winter!

91 Years and Counting. . .

It was my grandpa's 91st birthday this past Friday! Pretty significant I think! So, when I asked my grandpa how he was going to celebrate I was disappointed to hear him say he didn't want to celebrate. I understand because I'm not big on birthdays either (for kids they are fun, for adults it's just another day). I just couldn't let it go, thinking that we had to recognize God blessing him with 91 years of life somehow. So instead of making it a big deal we just had them over for dinner tonight, nothing big, but at least it was a small celebration. It's incredible to see how full of life my grandpa still is at 91 years old. Happy Birthday Grandpa, may God bless you with many more! (Just had to add this picture to the post because it pictures the oldest member of the family and the youngest member of the family together - 91 and 1 - Pretty amazing!)