An exciting day

Yesterday was very fun! It snowed and the kids made their first snowman. We also got a new puppy, yes now that makes four dogs. She is an Italian Greyhound, she will be under 10 pounds when she's full grown. The kids are having a lot of fun with her.

Hannah did it!!

She rode her bike by herself today, without falling!!! A little background on this event, Hannah has had her training wheels off since mid summer of 08. She had a couple crazy falls (inches away from her face hitting the curb) and decided she was too scared to ride in the road. She will usually only ride on the grass which she does like a champ, only in a straight line of course. So today, the first day we've been outside in weeks she agreed to try riding on the street. After riding up and down the street several times with my hand on her bottom to give the illusion of me helping, I let go completely and she did it!!! She made it half way down our street with the Maggie dog following her and Micah cheering her on. She didn't want to take any chances though, so she was all done riding for the day after that. Great job bug!!!!

Monday Morning Madness

Okay so Kurt leaves and the kids start acting up...it never fails. Monday mornings are doubly hard, Kurt leaves which sucks and when the kids wake up they are terrors. The good news: it used to last all day, now we're down to the first three hours of the day. Hopefully we're all done with screaming children who are sitting in their room while their cereal gets soggy and gross.

Here are the pictures of Hannah's hair.

I'm gonna have to learn...

Hannah arrived home a year and a half ago with very little hair. Lately it has been more and more difficult for me to deal with. She has beautiful hair, however it is incredibly curly. The process of making her hair presentable each morning is very time consuming. After lunch it is a complete mess again. So we took her to get it straightened...not chemically just with a flat iron. It looks great and is MUCH easier to deal with, however it required Hannah sitting still for over an hour. If you know Hannah that is quite the accomplishment for her. It is sad to think that she'll probably get it wet in the bath in the morning and it will be right back to being curly after all that hard work. I really need to get a good flat iron and products so I can do it at home. I am a bit worried about burning her head in the process...we'll have to see.

Trip to Atlanta

This weekend we took a family trip to Atlanta. After spending much of holidays with family and with Kurt traveling so much with work we really needed some quality time together. I have been dying to go to the Georgia Aquarium to see the whale sharks. Kurt has also been wanting to visit the Coke-Cola Factory there too. So we decided to make an educational trip out of it. I had spent the past week giving a crash course on ocean life. Having worked in the educational department at Sea World I had a lot of great books and activities to do with the kids. The Coke Factory was great because the kids got to see how things are made and distributed around the world. It was an exceptional tour. Although I think the highlight for them was meeting the Coke-Cola Polar Bear and watching the 4 D movie. Kurt took the coolest picture of the kids and a manta ray. Kurt and I could have sat in front of the large aquarium all day watching the four whale sharks and other fish, I don't think it would have been okay with the kids however.

New Year's Update

Since I have not posted anything for almost a year, I thought it might be a good idea to send out a little blurb on our last year along with a recent picture of our family.

We have spent the past year adjusting to our new life as a family. It has been especially fun to get to know our kids more. Micah is very funny, while at the same time incredibly compassionate towards others. He is a very patient big brother who has a tendency to be a third parent to Hannah. Hannah is a high energy five year old who is very bright and loves to be the center of attention. They are very entertaining to say the least. They are both speaking English fluently, reading, and asking lots of questions!

Micah excels at everything he puts his mind to. He loves soccer and is anxiously awaiting the beginning of the spring season. This fall we watched his confidence on the field grow as he gained a better understanding of the game. He was also chosen by his art teacher at school to have his artwork displayed in a gallery in downtown Nashville. We bought his piece, of course, and he received his very first paycheck. Micah is the kid who is friends with everyone and goes to great lengths to ensure everyone is included.

Hannah is a fun loving little girl, who is growing up very quickly. She is very determined in all she does. She loves schoolwork! When she sits down to read a new story she will reread a word over and over until she is confident she has it right, only then will she move on. She also played soccer this past fall and proved that she can kick the ball just as hard as her big brother. She is obsessed with all things pink, princesses, and babies. Recently she has said she wants to be just like Mommy when she grows up. She even says her favorite car is a, “very cute blue Pacifica just like Mommy’s.” I’ll definitely be reminding her about that when she’s sixteen.

I have been home schooling Hannah for the past several months and will be adding Micah to my class list this coming week. I love it! I am really enjoying watching them learn and spending time with them. I'm sure there will be regular updates as to how homeschooling is going. Let's just say it is a new adventure everyday.