Here I am at the end of March, trying to find time to post about life back in early February! I guess that’s what pictures are good for, eh? Stirring up the memories. We had gotten a good amount of snow and school was cancelled on the day of bookfair setup at Tyler Run. I was off that day from Millcreek and Jim and Pat had stayed the night previous so thankfully I was able to leave Reid at home with them while Griffin and I headed in to school to do some setup. As always, he was a great helper setting up the room. We also enjoyed some warmer weather where Griffin and Cole were coloring on the driveway in the sunshine 🙂 Early February started out with our window replacement for the whole house – but I’m going to make that a separate post!

This one. He is so, so curious and observant. So stubborn and independent. And a risk taker. He’s cute and sassy. He looks at you with a smile when he knows he’s doing something he shouldn’t, and then he gives a little shriek or giggle of joy. 

Our childcare situation has been challenging since the first of the year. We have signed up with College Nannies and Tutors for now to get help finding someone. We interviewed a girl who was to start on Monday of this week, and on Sunday night at 10 pm I got a call that she wasn’t going to be able to be here. He car was repossessed (despite her having called me herself at 7 pm to say she was excited to begin the next day, I guess this happened after that). I was scheduled to be off Monday and Tuesday anyhow to be home and get her started, so I decided to make lemonade out of lemons and just enjoy the day. I took the boys to the zoo and they had a great time exploring. Reid jumped in all the puddles and came home soaked (after a huge 5 minute fit, where he wouldn’t let me buckle him into his seat in the car – joy!). Griffin loved running all around and expending his energy. When we arrived home, the window guys were popping his window frame out of his room on the outside and we were able to watch it all happen from the stop sign (but you’ll have to read the window post for that).

I signed up with my friend Claire to help chair the PTO Book Fair, which is a week each February at the school. I was able to see Griffin with his class, making their Gingerbread houses in the the main hallway one morning so that was a sweet surprise. He continues to do well at school and is mastering his sight words. I must say, I’m not very good at the nightly review (or even a couple times a week review). Seems by the time I get home from work and we do dinner, it’s then time for bed and it’s totally slipped my mind. But this kid gets them down in a short bit of time – thankfully!

Here are some scenes from the bookfair. This years theme was dinosaurs. A mom from the school makes all of the decorations and she does a great job! I didn’t get one of the hallway, which was really neat. 

Before I left for San Francisco I left work early and attended Griffin’s Kindergarten Valentine concert one afternoon. The kids sang various songs and demonstrated how they use their voices when playing different games. It was really cute. Then, to my surprise, they called three kids up to read why they love someone – and one of them was Griffin! It’s in the video below. Afterwards we went to Graeter’s with the Dennie’s and then I got in a quick run to the store before I went home.

We were able to find a different nanny within a day or two and she began with us later that week. Her name is Haya and so far things are going well. She is working 4 days a week and a girl from church is working one day a week (all to avoid overtime which is outrageous!). 

One Friday night Cole was over and he and Griffin were playing together. At one point they were painting, they also wrote some comics, and then they were playing in the basement. All of a sudden around 5 pm I hear screaming and crying and the kids run up the stairs as I was running to the basement and Griffin’s mouth is covered in blood. I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, I figured he’d banged his mouth and lost a tooth – but after some looking around and cleaning out his mouth it turns out he poked the roof of his mouth (thankfully the hard palate) with a green building stick – when he landed on the floor after jumping off the 4th step. He was crying terribly and bleeding a lot but luckily the bleeding stopped fairly soon. It could have been so much worse…..and he now understands not to put things in his mouth, nor jump off the stairs!

I took Brutus to the vet for his regular shots and to get more medicine for his allergies. We’ve been doing daily pills rather than shots for now and since his vet is out of town for the next month we’re gonna stick with that. He was a really good boy this time – eventhough he gets very unsure and nervous there – no muzzle this time and not a bark or growl the whole time. Progress!

I was leaving for San Francisco the next day so on this night we had a silly time at bedtime. We were being all goofy and giggly and it was a lot of fun. Griffin took the picture of Reid and me 🙂 The next morning was Valentine’s Day, the day I was leaving, so I had the kitchen all setup for when the boys woke up. Thankfully they each woke up before I headed out so I got some good snuggles. Haya brought cookies for them to bake and decorate and by the time I landed in San Francisco I had a video and some pictures from here.  They were having a good time 🙂

We’ve gone around about what kind of stained glass Dad could make to have in Reid’s room, and we finally chose a cute fox. Dad whipped that thing up in no time and we were super excited to see it! We’re waiting to put it up until the new windows are done – but it is the perfect fox and the colors are great! Thanks Dad!

Kevin needed some new profile pics for work purposes so at out monthly dinner (this time lunch) with the Bethune’s Amy took Kevin’s photos. They turned out super great. 

And check out this throwback to Griffin, when he was a little older than Reid is now. Lily and Cammie are so young. And his crazy long hair!