The Fall, Birthdays, and Halloween, even though it's March

***Quick Preface - this entry was written 2 years ago, but I'm just going to go ahead and publish it without photos! Otherwise it may never be published!! An actual update for 2020 will come soon***

So even though it's spring, we're still not caught up with the fall. And we all know fall is the best season around here, and October is a pretty great month with 2 birthdays! (And this last October was extra wild with me moving to a new office and changing the practice!) But first, there were a couple of events from last summer that I didn't really mention in the last post. One was the Jay Owenhouse magic show that I took the boys to. They loved it - and it was pretty great! Lots of big tricks and illusions - lots of fun. We also took the boys to another magic show in February, which Damon and I thought was great, but was a little over the boys' heads. If you ever get a chance to see Vitaly though, definitely a fun show for the older crowd. 

I think I mentioned in the last post that the boys went to a couple of different camps last summer - the YMCA soccer and swimming camps were a hit. Edison also went to a few of the Nature Center camps and enjoyed that. On the topic of extracurriculars, I think we've (Edison and I) reached a stopping point with the ukulele. I'm not sure what we'll try next, maybe the piano...Everyone's still enjoying gymnastics though! So that's good. We're at the local gym for their classes 3 days a week - one of the instructors recently told me I'm there as much as she is 😀

A random observation I've made over the last few months is that Miriam knows landmarks in town really well. She gets very excited about picking up Adlai and Edison, going to Pamma’s house, my office (including my old office), etc. As soon as we go around a certain curve to gymnastics, she starts screaming (excitedly) about how we're going to gymnastics. It's pretty funny. Oddly, no one gets excited when they see the grocery....

Moving on to Adlai's birthday, here's kind of a play-by-play. He woke up and broke through the traditional birthday streamers, except without crying!! This was huge. Damon made him giant pancakes for breakfast, and we then went to SkyZone in Mishawaka to jump around on trampolines for a while. We had Martin's sushi for lunch, then went to Target to shop for 4 presents. This was a good lesson in parenting - just because something worked well for one child, does not mean it will work well for the others....Then we went to Hesston Train Museum to ride the Halloween train, which Edison very clearly did not enjoy. We had pizza (Adlai's favorite) for dinner and opened presents, then got to attack the amazing gigantic  butt pinata made by Aunt Sam, and filled with various poop-themed items. 💩 

Between Adlai and Miriam's birthdays, there were a lot of Halloween themed events to attend, including one at Edison's school and at the Nature Center. 

For Miriam’s birthday, she started the day by having her brothers hold her hand and walk her through the birthday streamers. They very protectively guided her through the process and wished her a Happy Birthday. She ate her normal breakfast and went to gymnastics, where another child also had a birthday! We all went to Edison’s parent teacher conference,  picked up Adlai from school, then had a pizza buffet lunch (and of course got candy everywhere we went). We took a trip to Meijer, went to Pamma’s house, went to Bounceland, went home to change, went to downtown Benton Harbor to trick-or-treat, went back to Pamma’s neighborhood to trick-or-treat, and finally had dinner and cake and opened presents.  (Is every b-day going to be crazy for her???) 

As I mentioned in the last post, Thanksgiving was spent in California, where we had a fantastic trip visiting Ema and Papa. We can't wait to get a chance to go back! Then there was Christmas, which was also fun. Uncles Clint and Jamie came to visit, and Miriam was particularly enamored by her Uncle Jamie. The Great Birks came to visit as well, making it all the more fun. The kids have asked pretty regularly how many more days/weeks/months until Christmas ever since. 

The winter has otherwise been pretty wintery. We had a lot of snow this year, but also a lot of cold weather. Edison attempted to snow board for the first time and did a pretty good job! If the videos would ever upload on here, I'd show you how he did, but alas, I haven't figured that out yet. 

We have had a lot of stinkbugs in the house though. Miriam used to love bugs, then became afraid because Edison would scream when he saw them. But after some immersion therapy, she now loves them again and has to catch every stinkbug in the house. At gymnastics recently the theme was superheroes. During class (which she loves), she found a stinkbug crawling around and had to stop, get down and carefully catch it, then we had to leave class to take it outside and free (rescue) it. Then today we were outside and I was moving wood and found a really big spider in the wheelbarrow. After showing it to Miriam she immediately put her hands next to it and said 'me hold it'. Uhhh....let's just dump that guy in the woods here...I think he'd prefer to be free. 

All three are getting really comfortable with swimming. Edison is trying to teach himself how to front crawl. Adlai is learning that it’s easier to just swim underwater. And last week Miriam got brave enough to swim around without holding onto us (but with a bubble on). 

In the pool: 

Miriam looks at my arm: Mommy! Look! 

Me: What? 

M: Mommy, Look!! (pointing at my arm)

Me: What? What’s wrong with my arm?

M: Like Daddy! Like Daddy! 

Me: Ohhh. My arm hair is like Daddy’s? 

M: Yes!!! 

Me: Well, someday your arms will look like this too! 

Adlai still wants to do everything that Edison does. And Edison is often annoyed by it. 

Edison has had several playdates - after his first visit to his friend’s house I asked him what they did - his response? ‘We played chess’. Ah yes, that's exactly what I did at friend's houses when I was 6....or not. 

Edison is working on learning how to keep a beat. We’ve made a lot of progress in the last month - maybe not so much with the ukulele itself, but at least with learning how to keep/feel a beat! Adlai and Miriam are also in a Kindermusic class that they love, while Edison takes his ukulele lessons. I'm pretty sure A and M aren't going to want to give up their class even after Edison stops ukulele. 

We've been attending different classes at the YMCA since January too, including a Family Fitness class on Sundays that all three of them seem to like. It mostly ends up being me and Miriam as one person, which she is totally fine with.  

About a week ago, we all got to meet cousin Effie for the first time! All of the kids loved seeing her, although they only referred to her as 'it' or 'Effie'. I think Miriam was surprised to see a baby that moved on its' own, and loved staring at her. 

Last topic for this post is regarding Edison's 1st grade social life. It sounds like there is a lot of talk at his school about the prospect of him getting braces. Some kids have assured him that he is getting them - I only wish I had been there to see how they came to their conclusions. Edison was also involved in a love scandal earlier this year when another girl in his class received a mysterious letter saying that Edison loved her. When she confronted Edison about it, he told her, 'I don't love you, I didn't write that', but proceeded to help her find out who did write it. Eventually they learned it was two 2nd grade girls who wrote the note, who just happened to have the 'punishment' of having to hug Edison every day for a week....😍

Quotes:

Pamma: Miriam, you're so pretty today! 
M: I KNOW! 

Miriam (looking up my nose): Mommy, look! 
Me: What? 
Miriam: Spiders in there! 

Adlai: What do you call a smelly firefighter? 
Pamma: I don't know, what? 
A: A firefarter! 

The last 5.5 months...

I think I set myself up for failure with the last post. I started out the year with such ambition, such great motivation to write more frequent blogs! And....it is now the last day of 2017. It's been a busy year  😳

So, let's see. We just made it through Christmas - I doubt I'll get to those pictures anytime soon, but I'll try. I know I'm going to forget a lot, so my plan is to update the photos from each month starting back in June - but make a separate post for each set of photos. What happened this summer...let's see, we took some fun trips - we visited the Great Wolf Lodge in Cincinnati after trying to help get more stuff out of Pamma's Muncie house. We also visited the real Wolf cabin up in Crivitz and said a final goodbye to the Great Mother Wolf (and visited with cousins Vanessa and Brendan from California!). We took a neat ferry ride across Lake Michigan to get there - definitely beat riding in a car for 8 hours. We also took a spontaneous trip to Kentucky to see the solar eclipse - totally worth the drive! We're already planning to see the next one... In November we finally went to see Ema and Papa in California for Thanksgiving and had lots of fun running around in the woods, exploring, spotting animals, and playing with cousins Harper and Caden. We also spent a lot of time over the summer checking in on the construction of my new office and running into (and around with) the Gendernaliks at the building site. Personally, July marked the first time I haven't been pregnant or nursing since July, 2010. I was also forced to get a smartphone for work in September. That was a major mental hurdle, as many of you know. So I would have to summarize 2017 as a year of change and constant activity! I think 2018 may be more of the same.... 😄

Edison is going to a new school this year, Brookview Montessori, where Damon is also their new middle school science teacher! He (Edison - well, Damon too) is loving school - I think for a couple of reasons. One that he has told me is that he likes being able to walk around, and not have to sit at a desk doing worksheets. I'm pretty sure he also likes being in a class with older boys - so now he can hang out with the 3rd graders and learn all kinds of new words! Speaking of new words, he's learning Spanish at school - I feel like he's at the level I was at in 7th grade... He has also started ukulele lessons this year, per his (initial) request. It's a struggle getting him to practice though, mostly because he wants to instantaneously be able to play songs. He has since changed his mind and wants to learn electric guitar - honestly, that seems like a more fitting instrument for his personality, but we're going to stick with the uke a little longer. Over the summer he went to swimming and soccer camps, and loved both of them. He was also in his first play (Twelfth Night) this December at school, and has really enjoyed learning his lines and reading different versions of the play.

Adlai has started preschool this year. Wow! That happened fast. He's a Chipmunk at the YMCA and is doing great with swimming and loves going to school. As Adlai gets older, we're seeing more of his personality - especially when he's not with Edison. He likes organization and cleanliness far more than his brother (yes!). He is also a sensitive little person and likes adherence to rules. He and Miriam are great little buddies when Edison is at school, even though Miriam seems to injure Adlai a lot. Adlai and Miriam have been taking gymnastics lessons this fall and like to practice their new skills at home on our bed.

Miriam is also developing more of her own little personality. She is definitely the most likely of the three to spontaneously hug you or scream with excitement if you visit. She loves animals of all sorts and babies. She is completely enamored by photos of her new little cousin (Baby Effie) and can't wait to meet her in a few weeks....Miriam got a variety of babies for Christmas that she loves pushing around in a little stroller, or putting in a backpack (they get to do all of the things she loves doing!) She's learning lots of words and figuring out how to put them all together. Pretty soon we'll all know what she's been trying to say all this time...

I know I've had a lot of other things that I've thought to write in here, but can't remember. For the pictures - they're kind of jumbled up and skip around a bit, but cover May-July, including Edison's school field trip, a trip to Muncie and Cincinnati for Arielle's graduation, cleaning up the house, and visiting the Great Wolf Lodge, and the annual Mickey Open.

Next update will come soon with fall photos!

Quotes: 

A: Mom, why can’t you touch a butterfly? 

Me: Because that would injure it. 

A: Is it because I would get butter all over my hands? 

In the midst of trying to help Adlai and Miriam poop on the same hotel toilet at the same time (desperate times call for desperate measures), Edison calls from across the room:

E: I’m just sitting back here, enjoying my snack, watching the show. 

E: Adlai, I really like what you’ve made here. It’s a really great parallelogram. 

M: Thirsty! Thirsty!

Me: No, Miriam. There isn’t any milk left. You can’t nurse. 

M: Thirsty! 

Me: Do you want me to get you a drink in your cup? 

M: (holds up the cup to get milk from me)

E: Haha! She thinks you’re a cow!

E: See this guy here, mom? I named him Bob. Guess what his last name is. 

Me: Hmm, I’m not sure. Wolf?

E: No. Evans. Heh heh heh. 

Me: Hahahahahah!

Me: Edison, your hair is gross! You have to wash it. 

E: What?! No! I JUST washed it!!

Me: I don’t think so...when did you wash it?

E: Just 2 weeks ago!! 

(At the fair, watching Edison and Adlai on a ride)

Me to Pamma: Wow. This sure is a long ride. 

E: (shouting from the ride) Mom!! This ride never ends!!

E: I’m tired of you and dad planning to take our toys away and put them in boxes. I’m going to take YOUR things away so you can’t have them. 

Me: Oh? What are you going to take? 

E: Your computers. 

Me: Then what would I use? 

E: Pencils. And then (I’d take) your computer bag, your toothbrush, and your shorts. 

Me: I see. Well, those ARE important items...

E: I’m going to ask for a miniaturizer for Christmas. Just like the Wild Kratts have, so I can be miniaturized and I can play in my toys. 

Me: I don’t think those exist. 

E: I’m going to ask Santa to make one. 

Me: I don’t think Santa can make things that don’t exist. 

E: Yes he can. He’s magic. He can do ANYTHING. 

Me: I don’t think he can create things that defy the laws of physics. 

E: What are the laws of physics? 

Me: They explain how the world works around us. I don’t think Santa can make a miniaturizer yet. 

E: I’m still going to ask. I think he can. 

A: Second is the worst, Third is the Best, Purple is the one with the polka-dot dress!

Me: What is that? 

A: It’s a drinking song! It’s for drinking and eating. 

E: Mom, you have more than four doctors at your office. 

Me: No, there are only 4 doctors. Who else do you think is a doctor? 

E: All of those people who work there. 

Me: Oh - well, some people are nurses, some work at the front desk, some are nurse practitioners. 

E: What’s the difference between a nurse and a doctor?

Me: Well, a doctor has to go to school for a long time. You have to go to high school, then 4 yrs of college, then 4 yrs of medical school, then 3-5 yrs of special training after that...

E: Mom, I don’t want to be a doctor. 

E: My teacher drives a really big van. It’s like a truck!

Me: Is it a Suburban, like Grandpa Lonn has? 

E: No, Grandpa Lonn drives Chilovert. 

Me: A what??

E: A Chilovert! A Chilivet?

Me: What is a chilovert??

E: You know, those cars that start with CH, and end with a T. 

Me: A chevrolet? 

E: Yeah! A chevrolet!

Me: Hahaha. No, Grandpa Lonn drives a Prius, like me.  

E: There’s a kid in my class who thinks he knows everything. I don’t think he actually knows that much, but he talks like he knows a lot. 

D: There are a lot of people like that kid in the world, Edison.

E: Do you know that from 0-6 you’re young? 

Me: Oh? Then what happens after you’re 6? 

E: Then you move into being old. Older. 

(E watching a t.v. in a restaurant)

E: Mom, the next time we get a cat, I’m going to get it Meow Mix. 

Me: Oh? Why? 

E: Because it’s like Chex Mix for cats!

(In the nurses' station of my office)

E: Mom. Adlai said something bad today. 

Me: What did Adlai say? 

E: He said the “SH” word. 

Me: (silence) He said what? 

E: He said the “S. H.” word. 

Me: (silence) Which word is that? Wait, don't tell me. Tell me later. 

(Later, in my office with the door closed)

Me: Ok, what word did Adlai say that was naughty?  

E: (lowering his voice) He said “shut-up”. 

Me: Oh! (hallelujah) Oh. That IS naughty. That is very naughty. 


E: Someone at school today said a girl can replace their private parts with a boy's private parts. But then they don't know how to do it.
D: Uhh, do what?
E: Do it. Pee.
D: (can I get another hallelujah and an amen)


E: Stop it!
A: Stop!
E: Stop it Adlai!
A: No, you stop it!
E: Santa's watching you.
A: Santa's watching you too.


At the pool at the YMCA:
A: (singing to the tune of Roar) I've got the eye of the lifeguard, lifeguard..


Me: Miriam, do you want to pick out some sushi? 
M: Yeah! 
Me: Are you a little sushi baby? A baby sushi? 
M: No! Monster! 
Me: A sushi monster?! 
M: Yeah! Raaar!


E: That muffin is NOT big! It's small! 
Me: What?! This muffin is huge! 
E: No. That muffin is not huge. It's small. 
Me: Well, you're small. 
E: No! I'm NOT small. I'm big. 
Me: No, you're not big. 
E: Yes. I am. I'm just not wearing my shoes right now. 


Over the course of one tantrum, Miriam called me the following:
Mean, the Mean One, Rude, Naughty, and a Doo doo. All because I told her to stop rubbing her lolly-pop on her nose after taking a bath. And then threw her diaper at me. 

Pictures for May-July:

Edison mastering the art of Pearlers.

Adlai is very cooperative while the optometrist plays the piano.

(aka Adlai gets his first eye exam)

The first time the 3 little Wolfs try Ramen noodles. Grandpa now knows better.

This is how ninja turtles get around.

It doesn't need to be raining to enjoy an umbrella.

Miriam: I had it first 

Mommy: no, I did

Miriam: fine, we can share

Mommy's new office, nearly complete.

Hang time.

That is a goat!

Edison and Adlai trying to pay attention to world renown paleontologist, Paul Sereno.  

There might be kids in this photo.

Oh yes, I see now, your tooth is definitely lying perpendicular to the rest of them.

Putting 'em to work young, teaching them about recycling young.

"You lost the bet daddy!"

"We're off to see the...."

Spending some time at Silver Beach with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Trevor.

Superman ice cream, blah! But those who eat it are usually pretty cute!

Sloth just became more attractive.

E-MOMA

Dyslexia can be cute too.

(aka Edison's end-of-school field trip partner, riding the train together)

This is the after shot. See next photo...

So, we're at the zoo and Edison decides to throw a fit and pout by the tiger cage, sitting just like this. No tigers were around, and he was sitting there by himself. So I went to talk to him and was bent over talking to him, I look up and a tiger has appeared and is in a crouching position just behind Edison! I say, look out, and the tiger leaps at the window to try and pounce on Edison. What did we learn from this? Tigers are dangerous. 

Wait, who are those famous people in the background? Oh, pay no attention to them, they're just ushers. Just trying to document Edison and Adlai's attendance at the Jay Owenhouse magic show - which was pretty great! 

The Red Baron flies again!

Quick, don't let it get away! We got him surrounded! Whew, that was a close one. Cute little turtle, isn't it?

Cute little Miriam, isn't it?

"Quick kids, now that your parents aren't looking, you're coming with me...hahaha, you're all mine! Muahhahahahaha"

While trying to get out of a downpour, we happened upon a planetarium show on the way back to the Muncie house from Arielle's graduation party. 

Late afternoon swim. 

Where did my feet go?! 

Messy hands! 

Checking out the Krasl Art Show

"That's it Edison, nice job. Oh stop your whining Miriam; we'll be in Wisconsin in a few days. Just think of how much money we'll save by not having to drive or take a ferry across!"

After watching their first baseball game (South Bend Cubs), Daddy begins the fundamentals.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

That is a tortoise! NOT a turtle.

Cousin Arielle pretends to teach Miriam how to drive a tractor.

The master pearler's Pokemon gallery.

Black rat snake on our deck.

"I picked these lovely weeds for you."

Starting off on the bunny hill at the Great Wolf Lodge.

They weren't actually playing the game. 

Edison's favorite activity at the Great Wolf Lodge

Forget golf, I'm going fishing! 

Cousins! (at the Mickey Open)

Posing for a nice group photo after walking across a really long dam

Back to the Great Wolf Lodge (sorry, pictures are a little out of order). Adlai couldn't make it through dinner, and missed the phone call from Aunt Lauren about their new cousin! 

Beware of the Beanboozles! If you are unfamiliar, there is a fun product called Beanboozled. They look identical to Jelly Bellies, but their flavors are absolutely disgusting (on purpose). Dog food flavor, sour milk flavor, lawn-clippings, vomit, stinky socks, etc...the trick is, they look identical to other tasty flavors, so you never know what you're gonna get:)

Here birdies, birdies! 

Edison and Miriam join their new family. 

Back to the Mickey Open, everyone seemed to prefer fishing over golf. 

Enjoying their first trip to Jungle Jim's (grocery)!