Update!

Hello all! I have been terrible about keeping my posts updated...so sorry! Elijah, Callan, and Aedan are doing wonderful.
Aedan is growing up so quickly. He changes every single day. Right now, he is a bit frustrated with his surroundings, since he is learning how to talk but can't quite express himself. He gets fiery when frustrated, so we are helping him learn to express himself through words and actions.
Callan has started a combo ballet / tap class...and loves it, of course!!! She loves the sound of her tap shoes on the dance floor and looks beautiful!!!
Elijah is LOVING kindergarten!!!! Yesterday, he had his very first show-and-tell presentation. He brought a "Mr. Incredible" Gamecube game to share with his class. He practiced his presentation and received all excellent marks!!! Most importantly, though, we love how he is able to practice his Catholic faith every day at school.

Update on Our Kindergartner!

Elijah has been doing spectacular in kindergarten!!! He loves his teacher and has made many, many new friends. He talks about what he learned during the day...and sings songs that he learned in Music class. His behavior in school has also been very, very good. We get a daily update in his folder, and he understands and can explain the method that the teacher uses to track his behavior.
With all of this exemplary behavior, the little guy is quite tired when I pick him up from school! He needs a lot of time to unwind at the end of the day, which is quite normal. This reminded me to teach him my own stress-relieving techniques, such as deep-breathing and yoga. A good website, complete with articles, forums, and blogs about natural health is: http://www.natmedtalk.com . This will take you to the home page and health forum. Happy stress-relieving!

Kindergarten At Last!!!

This is a picture of Elijah in front of his kindergarten classroom!!!

He woke up, got dressed in his uniform, and went downstairs to eat donuts for breakfast.

Daddy took the day off for Elijah's special day, and we drove him to school. We walked him into his classroom where he met his teacher and some of his new friends.

When we departed, he was drawing a picture of what he would like to do in kindergarten.

When did our little baby grow up?

Kindergarten Countdown!

Elijah starts kindergarten in LESS THAN a week now! He starts next Wednesday, August 19th! Last Friday, we attended a back-to-school picnic, where he met his teacher and some new friends. Yesterday was "sign-up day", where he chatted with his principal and met some new people. He is very excited about starting this new chapter in his life.

Kitty Cat Callan

Did you know that Callan used to be a cat? I didn't!! As we were petting one of our cats a couple of mornings ago, she said to me, "Mommy, when I was a cat, I had triangle ears and a tail and I said 'meow'."

I told her I didn't know that!!

Creative imagination, huh??!!

Binky Tales

Last Saturday we began restricting Aedan's binky to naptime and bedtime...and he has been a little champ about the whole thing! In fact, when I go in his room to get him up from naptime or bedtime, he hands me his binky!
What a big boy!

Visit to Overland Park Arboretum on Wednesday

Aedan loved seeing all of the beautiful trees and flowers.


I love Elijah and Callan's intense curiosity and excitement in this picture! They had spotted some beautiful orange fish in the pond.

Go, Elijah!!

We are sooooooooo proud of Elijah! Within the past few days, he has learned to ride his two-wheel bike without the training wheels. He has been working so hard and with such determination, that he puts a training Olympian to shame!
He is working on perfecting his bike-riding technique now...and is so proud of himself!

Elijah, Easter 2009

Aedan, Easter 2009

Look what I found!!!

Easter 2009

Callan hunting for Easter eggs!

Mimi, My Grandmother

Today is the 6th year anniversary of the death of my grandmother, and I still miss her as if it were yesterday that she passed away.
My Mimi was never able to meet our children, as she died before they were born. I wish so badly that they could have known her. I talk about her all the time to them and have many pictures of her that I love to share with them as well.
I wish they could have known her gentle touch and heard her beautiful singing voice. They would have loved her, and she would have loved them.

Elijah & Callan's Trip to Chicago

June 2009...

Top picture taken in front of Rainforest Cafe.

Bottom picture taken at entrance of Chicago Zoo.

Another Cute Ballet Picture...

Here is Callan holding up her certificate of completion for Little Princess Ballet Camp!

Picnic at Antioch Park...Yesterday

Look at Me!!!

I'm 18 months old today!!! My Mommy and Daddy can't believe it!!

Christmas Tree Farm

Each time as we drive home on the highway, we pass a Christmas tree farm. About a month ago, in the heat of the summer, I pointed this out to the kids.
Elijah asked, "Mommy, is it snowing there?"
I thought this was so sweet, because even though the temperature was 90 degrees outside, he figured it just had to be snowing at the Christmas tree farm!!
As we passed the tree farm yesterday, Elijah asked if Santa was there. I told him that Santa was home at the North Pole getting ready for Christmas!!

Worlds of Fun - June 2009

The Choo-Choo Restaurant

This picture of Elijah was taken this past June at Fritz's Restaurant at Crown Center, otherwise known as "The Choo-Choo Restaurant." The meals are served directly to the tables on trains...a little boy's dream!!!

Cousins

Elijah and Callan with their cousins, Lola and Reina!

Taken in Chicago in July of 2009 by Cousin Monica.

What Has Aedan Been Doing?

I've updated everyone on Elijah and Callan, but I have noticed that Aedan hasn't been included lately!!
He will be 1 & 1/2 years old this Thursday, and we can't believe it!! He has been very, very busy exploring his world. We have noticed how carefully he pays attention to everything happening around him. He soaks in all details and then looks inquisitively at Mom, Dad, brother, or sister for an explanation.
He loves to get his shoes and play outside with Elijah and Callan. He especially loves balls and balloons. In fact, when we were shopping at Target yesterday, he saw a display of balls and went crazy until we handed him one. Of course, one second later, the ball was back on the ground!
And another detail about our little man...he LOVES to eat!! I mean, he eats like every meal is his last one!! The little guy can pack in the food!!
And that's the latest on Aedan...

*P/S...Thank you to Aunt Tunnie for this adorable picture of Aedan!!!!*

A Beautiful Smile

Getting ready to perform!!!

Little Princess Ballet Recital

Here is Callan displaying a beautiful, well-practiced curtsy!!!

Little Princess Dance Recital

Isn't she beautiful?

Callan's Dance Recital!

Callan has participated in a "Little Princess Ballet" camp during this past week. Today, she will have a little performance with her fellow princesses!!! Daddy will be attending, too! She is very proud and very excited!!! She will be dressed in her pink leotard and tights. I will post some pictures later and give an update on the performance, so be sure to check back!

Summer Camp & Soon-to-Be Kindergartner

Elijah has been attending a summer day camp this week. It is an art camp that meets from 9:00 am until 12:00pm. They have a daily schedule to follow, which is excellent practice for our soon-to-be kindergartner!!! On that note, we cannot believe that our Elijah will be starting kindergarten this fall!!! Where did the time go?? How did he grow up so fast??? I know every parent says that, but it is definitely said for a reason...
I'll have to sign off now, since my eyes are filling up with tears.

Don't Get "Moon-burned!"

Elijah, Callan, and Aedan went swimming at their Nana and Papa's house this past Saturday evening. Nana informed me that Elijah commented on the fact that by swimming when it's dark, you don't have to put on sunscreen because you can't get "moon-burned", as opposed to getting sunburned!

Balloons

Elijah, Callan, and Aedan were given some balloons last week after eating at a restaurant. They managed to hang onto them in the car for a while, but two were accidentally released into the sky upon leaving the car. No tears were shed, but Callan later asked Elijah where the balloons went.
Elijah said, "They went up to God. He has them now."
I asked him, "And what did God do with them?"
"I think he gave them to Jesus," he responded.
I was touched by the innocence and faith of his explanation!

Swimming!

Elijah, Callan, and Aedan are in LOVE with the swimming pool! Elijah and Callan are both taking swimming lessons and making great strides in the water. Aedan enjoys the pool, although he would prefer to be on the move like his big brother and sister! He gets frustrated, because he has to remain in his life vest and be held by Mommy or Daddy at all times.
The kids enjoy our neighborhood swimming pool and their grandparents' pool...having two pools in which to swim keeps them busy!!

New Buffalo

We just returned from our yearly family vacation to New Buffalo, Michigan. Elijah, Callan, and Aedan had a grand time. Each year, the Knauffs rent a beautiful lake house and we get to spend the week with them. It is especially fun for the children, because they get to play with their cousins who live in Chicago.
We visited Lake Michigan almost every day. The kids LOVED playing in the sand and braved the cold water time and time again!
We even had plenty of excitement at the lake house, as mice were about the place. Two mice were trapped while we were there, and that generated plenty of curious questions from our 5-year-old!
Each year when we leave, we can't wait to return the following year.

A Broken Brain!

A day or two ago, Elijah and Callan were in their room playing, rather than napping. Suddenly, Elijah started crying hard and screaming "MOMMY!! MOMMY!!".
I ran into their room, expecting blood and gore. Instead, Elijah was holding a cup in his hand.
"Mommy," he said, "Callan almost breaked my brain! She threw this cup at my head. It almost breaked my brain!"
While providing comfort, I couldn't help but smile about the nearly broken brain.

Worms

After a thunderstorm overnight, our backyard had plenty of worms in it this morning! And Elijah was esctatic about it!! He immediately "adopted" two little worms and made them a home inside of a bucket. He proudly introduced them to me, and I instinctively (and insensitively) responded, "Gross!".
"Mommy," he replied, "Don't say gross! You'll hurt their feelings."
Of course, my heart melted, and I found myself apologizing to the worms.
Only in motherhood!!!

Dandelions

I love dandelions! Why? Because they remind me of the innocence of youth. Every spring, my children spend hours picking them from the backyard and bringing me bouquets and bouquets of them. They look at them as beautiful flowers, certainly not weeds! Just this week both Elijah and Callan have picked me several, hearfelt bouquets. Elijah has even "planted" some in a pot for me so they can continue to grow!
I'm sure Aedan would pick me some, too, but he is too busy running around the yard chasing his soccer ball!

The Circle of Life

I had to share with everyone the sad fact that we had a miscarriage on Sunday, April 5, 2009. We were about 8 weeks along in the pregnancy when it happened. We were all quite devastated, and we will certainly miss the beautiful life that God chose to enter heaven at that time. We take comfort in the fact that the chances of conceiving again soon are excellent, and we are so thankful for the blessings God has bestowed on us through our children.

Unwritten Rule

Okay - isn't there an unwritten rule somewhere that mothers CANNOT, absolutely CANNOT, ever get sick??!! I am sick with an upper respiratory infection and fever, and it's totally wearing me down...especially when I cannot get the kids to listen!!! Help!!!
On a different note, Elijah had his kindergarten screening today and did beautifully. I cannot believe that our first baby will be in kindergarten next year!!!

A Hug Worth Its Weight in Gold

A couple of months ago, our family was on the Plaza here in Kansas City. We were enjoying a nice afternoon, and we noticed a homeless gentleman outside a store as we entered it. As we were leaving, Jeremy handed Elijah a one dollar bill to give the man. Elijah walked up to the gentleman and handed him the dollar bill, along with a big hug. The man smiled, and you could see the happiness in his face. We were so proud of Elijah for expressing such a wonderful sentiment to someone who truly needed a hug!

I Went to the KC St. Patrick's Day Parade, and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt!

Last week, we took the kids to the Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, we found a great parking spot, had a great view of the festivities - the event was awesome! As we were leaving, a lady was handing out t-shirts for advertisement purposes, and Elijah snagged one. It was just a cheap, cotton t-shirt, but Elijah thought it was fantastic!! He couldn't believe someone gave him a "grown-up" t-shirt of his very own, and he proceeded to wear it over his clothing for the next few days. He was especially thrilled that he could save it and wear it when he becomes a daddy.

Spring Break!

Elijah, Callan, Aedan, and Mommy enjoyed a fun week last week! Their grandmother, Nini, and cousin, Lola, from Chicago were in town, and they really enjoyed their time with them! Callan was especially thrilled to celebrate her 3rd birthday with them.
This past weekend, we all went to Mountain Home, Arkansas to visit Jeremy's grandmother, grandfather, and two great-aunts! We have had some wonderful visits with lots of relatives we rarely see.

Ouchie!

Elijah took a spill from his bike the other day and had some "ouchies" on his forehead to show for it. The burning sensation from these scrapes was bothering him, and he was describing this to me and his dad. The description was priceless in four-year-old lingo, as you can imagine! He informed us that his ouchies were "spicy hot" and that he didn't like that. Priceless, huh?

Movie Night Update

Back in October on this blog, I wrote about our Friday Family Movie Night that we started. I am proud and very happy to report that we have continued to consistently do this activity, and it has become a staple of our entire week!! Elijah and Callan talk all week about movie ideas, and they love to guess what kind of candy Daddy will buy them for this event! We have grown to love these movie nights and cannot imagine a Friday night without them.
Elijah and Callan are especially excited that next Friday night we will have 2 guests joining us! Log on next week to find out who they are...

Extrovert Extraordinaire

As many of you know, our sweet Elijah LOVES people. He is a people-person if ever one existed!! If someone walks by our yard and he's outside, he immediately greets them and introduces himself. His way of telling someone they're his friend is by saying, "I love you." He definitely wears his heart on his sleeve!!
The other day, I had taken him to Costco. As we walked through the parking lot, he enthusiastically waved to some people (let's put it this way - anyone who walked or drove by!). I said to him, "Elijah, you just love people, don't you?"
He smiled and said, "Yes, I really do. God just made me that way."
My heart melted, and I gave him a HUGE kiss!!!

Non-Sleepyheads

Help!! I need my two eldest children to be quiet and nap - even take just a little rest!!! I am going to have two bears on my hands this evening, especially Callan, who needs as much sleep as a cat. Wish me luck...

Gimme Five!!

Aedan just learned last week how to "gimme five!" It is so cute, because he gets so happy and excited when his hand touches your hand. He makes a macho grunting sound when he does this - I guess he's preparing for football watching with the guys!!!

Feed the Hungry

This past Sunday, our church was collecting food for the hungry. We thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to begin teaching our children about helping those in need - and it was!! We had Elijah and Callan pick out food from our pantry and put in a bag to take to church. Elijah was thrilled to be able to help those in need. We brought the bag to church and left it in the vestibule. I explained to Elijah that the church would be sure to give the food to people who are hungry. As we sat in Mass, Elijah leaned over to me and asked very seriously, "Mommy, do the people in here have nothing to eat? Is the food for them?" I told him that the people who need food are not here and will go to a special place to get it.
On Monday morning, Elijah began digging into our pantry again and setting out food for those in need. Lesson learned!!

Callan's Wings

Okay - I've decided that all little girls need to have a pair of fairy wings!!! Callan picked out a pair of dress-up, fairy wings at Target the other night, and she looks like a little dream in them!! She flutters and dances around in them, and I think my heart truly melted when she asked to wear them outside the other day so she could "be a butterfly." She looks even cuter (could that be possible?!) when she's wearing them and decides to pout. Ahhhh...the sweet simplicity and sheer honesty of childhood...

"Mommy, I Cleaned Up the World!"

Ahhhh...the simple beauty and innocence of childhood. A couple of days ago, we had a beautiful, spring-like day here in Louisburg. Elijah had been playing outside, reveling in the gorgeous weather. After several minutes, he came inside and announced to me, "Mommy, I cleaned up the world!"
He had taken a little wagon and pulled it all over the yard, picking up stray toys, twigs, and trash. He had cleaned up the world, as he put it!!!
His comment reminded me that simple things, in the eyes of children, translate into BIG ideas.

Aedan's First Haircut

Last night, Aedan got his first haircut! Francie, our hairdresser, tried having him sit by himself on the chair, but he would not have that!!! He also would not allow her to place a hair-cutting cape around his cute little neck. The antidote to both issues? Mommy's lap!!! He passed with flying colors, leaving the salon looking like a star!!!
His birthday party is this Sunday, and he and his siblings are looking forward to it.

One of Those Days...

Help!! It's been one of those days...nobody listening, baby teething (I think!), eldest child not listening!!!!
At times like these, I have to remind myself to take a deep breath and chill out for a while. This, too, shall pass.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find out what that noise just was and who made it!

Happy Birthday, Aedan!

Our "little man", aka. Aedan, turned ONE year old this past Friday, January 23, 2009. We cannot believe an entire year has passed since we welcomed him into the world. What a joy he is to all of us!
We kept with tradition, taking the day off of work, and spending our day celebrating the birthday. Although we normally take each child to Oak Park Mall for birthday number one to the Rainforest Cafe and Build-A-Bear, we were unable to do that this year. Apparently, the Rainforest Cafe has closed. We went to T-Rex Cafe in Kansas City, Kansas instead, and Aedan built his own T-Rex stuffed animal after the meal.
Aedan loved his birthday celebration, as did his big brother and sister who enjoyed helping him celebrate.
We love you, Aedan!
By the way, Aedan's first two little teeth finally popped through last Wednesday!!!

2008 Year in Review

Hello, family and friends!! We wanted to share a short year in review from our family to yours...

January 2008 - Aedan Tase McLain born on January 23. He weighed 7 lbs., 3 oz. and was 18 inches long!

February 2008 - Aedan shared a lot of "firsts" with us. Among them were his first Valentine's Day and lots of first meetings with relatives!!!

March 2008 - Callan turned 2 years old. Aedan took his first overnight trip to Mountain Home, Arkansas to meet his Great-Grandmother Naomi and Great-Grandfather Frank. He also celebrated his first Easter.

April 2008 - KU WON 2008 NCAA NATIONAL BASKETBALL TITLE!!!! Our sweet little god-daughter, Amelia, made her First Holy Communion.

May 2008 - Elijah turned 4 years old. We took our annual vacation with the Knauffs to gorgeous New Buffalo, Michigan.

June 2008 - The kids' cousin, Lola, spent two weeks at our house. We celebrated her first birthday and Aedan's Baptism on June 14. We also did many fun summer activities, like swimming, visiting the library, and celebrating Father's Day.

July 2008 - Jeremy's dear grandmother, Wilma, passed away on July 17. We attended the funeral in Ellsworth, Kansas.

August 2008 - We attended a very special Gearhart family in reunion in Atchison, Kansas. The Gearharts are from Mary's maternal grandmother, Mimi's, side of the family. We visited Mimi's grave while in Atchison.

September 2008 - Visited Deanna Rose Farmstead - a great farm, petting zoo, and park in Overland Park, Kansas!!

October 2008 - Lots of fun fall activities!!! We visited Crown Center and Louisburg pumpkin patches. Elijah, Callan, and Aedan had fun trick-or-treating in Louisburg. Also, both Elijah and Callan get stitches for the first time.

November 2008 - Jeremy's grandfather, John, passed away on November 6. We attended his funeral in Ellsworth, Kansas. Aedan celebrated his first Thanksgiving in Chicago!

December 2008 - Aedan's first Christmas!! We celebrated it with his Nana and Papa!

May 2009 be as happy and prosperous for everyone!!! Happy 2009!!

Sleeping Beauty...Times Four!

Last night, Daddy took Elijah down to our movie collection to pick out tonight's DVD for Family Movie Night. Apparently, his selection was Sleeping Beauty, which he selects each time he has the opportunity, which has now been four times!! Daddy intervened, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks made the cut - a great Disney classic!!!
By the way, we have been doing our movie night for quite some time now, and we LOVE it!! In fact, our dear Aunt Diane, Uncle George, and cousins Anna, Emma, and Sara from Los Alamos sent us a Christmas package with popcorn, seasonings, and a set of bowls for the whole family in honor of our movie night!! What a thoughtful gift...and we love it!!!

How Does My Hair Look?

Elijah experienced a rite of passage for all children last week by cutting his own hair, just days after having his monthly (professional) haircut. Mom and Dad chalked it up to an experience of childhood, and Dad shaved Elijah's head to cover up the handiwork. Problem solved!!!