Asher is THREE!

I'm not quite sure how the past three years past so quickly, but here we are.  My baby is THREE! I have found this birthday hard for several reasons; 1) There are no more babies behind him. While this is a good and planned thing, it still makes it really hard to see him grow bigger. 2) We are so busy due to having three kids going in generally three different directions that time simply speeds by.  As soon as I think I'm savoring the moments, poof, they're gone again.  But with all that being said, let's celebrate Asher!

At THREE years old, Asher:
 - weighs 30.5 lbs.
 - is about 38 in tall.
 - is my athletic kid.  He runs, kicks, throws, punches, jumps, climbs, etc, and he does it all really well.  Now that he's three, next on the list is finding some tiny sport he participate in.  :)
 - is the absolute most strong-willed child I have ever met.  He is most certainly my boundary-pusher.
 - is a good eater, but does listen first to if Lukas or Corina's opinions on food.  New (and therefore healthy) food usually proves to be more of a challenge at this point.  He will out grow it because eventually his stomach will overrule the unknown.  At that point he will realize that I do not serve him nasty dinners just because it's unfamiliar.
 -  loves cars, knights, Transformers, Octonauts, Spiderman, Team Umi Zoomi, and balls.
 - would stay outside all the time if allowed.  He simply loves to be and play outdoors.  This is such a switch from everyone else in the family because most of the rest of us enjoy being outside but gravitate to indoor activities first. Since it's not what I think of first, I have to actively remember to make time for him to get that energy out.
 - LOVES Lukas and Corina!!  While he has his own opinion about how things should be done, he loves playing with them as much as time will allow.  And on a side-note, I absolutely love watching my kids play.  Not so much the fighting that always comes with the playing, but most certainly the playing and listening to their ideas and stories together.
 - enjoys school.  You'd never know it right now if you watch him at drop off, but he really does enjoy being with his school friends and teachers.  Thank you Footprints Preschool for giving him this amazing experience!
 - loves his Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!!!!!

We dealt with the flu all week leading up to Asher's big day, so we had a small family only celebration this year.  He had a great day playing with balloons that we blew up for decoration, decorating his cupcake, opening and then playing with new toys, and best of all doing pretty much what he wanted all day.  

Crystal Beach Weekend!

This past weekend, we went to Crystal Beach for a mini-vacation.  We stayed in a lovely house near a nature preserve and about half a mile from the beach.  It was quiet, relaxing, crazy, and so much fun!  It was Corina and Asher's first time to the beach, and Lukas' first time that he remembers.  We spent Saturday morning building sand castles (and other things), getting muddy, searching for the perfect shells, jumping waves, digging up clams, and enjoying the perfect day God gave us for family time.  The rest of the time we lounged around (inside and out), rode bikes/tricycles, drew with sidewalk chalk, played games, grilled, and forgot about daily problems.  It was refreshing and wonderful!

First Day of School!

Lukas started 1st grade this year in Mrs. Onstead's class at Nelson Elementary on August 26, 2013.  He is super excited to be in school again!!

Corina started school on September 4, 2013 at Footprints Preschool.  She is super excited to be in Ms. Kelly's Three's class!

Asher started his very first year of preschool this year at Footprints Preschool on September 4, 2013.  We are excited for him to be in Ms. Elena and Ms. Amy's Two's class this year!

Corina is THREE!

Corina at 3 years:
- weighs 31.5 lbs
- is 38 inches tall.
- is very verbal.
- will always let you know her opinion.
- knows exactly what she wants and will not be deterred until she's gotten it (or finally broken down crying when she realizes that Mommy and Daddy are just as stubborn as she is).
- loves her accessories!  She's got to have the right jewelry, "make up" (lip gloss), hair items and style, shoes, etc with every outfit.  Heaven help us as she gets older!
- truly loves her ballet class!  She also takes and enjoys gymnastics, but ballet certainly takes the cake.
- is still the most picky eater ever.  She even told the doctor that she doesn't eat green veggies, only pink and purple ones.
- is very artistic.  She loves to draw, sing, dance, create, and imagine.
- enjoys Cinderella, Mickey/Minnie Mouse, Tinkerbell, any of the other Disney princesses, and My Little Pony.
- is very observant.  She easily remembers the names of her friends, where things were and should be, if something's changed since the last time she saw it, etc.
- LOVES her big brother and her little brother to distraction.  When picking her up from school, she always greets Asher first.  And when sending Lukas off to school and picking him up, she always wants him to acknowledge her hellos and goodbyes first.
- has a sweet tooth.  The girl loves her sugar!
- loves her Mommy and Daddy more and more everyday!!

Picture Post

Asher - 18 Months!

Asher at 18 months old:

- weighs 24.2 lbs.
- is 33 in tall.
- speaks his own language.  He has words in his vocabulary, but he rarely uses them.  We play 20 questions a lot because he will answer yes or no correctly.
- words: Mama, Dada, uh huh (yes), uh uh (no), kitty, sister, brother, juice, and shoes.
- is a good eater, although toddler picky.  He enjoys eating macaroni and cheese, jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, refried and black beans, bananas, apples, yogurt, applesauce, potatoes, eggs, any kind of crackers or chip, chicken, ham, and anything else he decides is good on any particular day.
- enjoys bible class and school.  He started his first year of preschool September 4, 2013 at Footprints Preschool.
- LOVES Mickey Mouse! 
- likes to play with cars, blocks and balls the most.  And don't give him a ball unless you want him to throw it. 
- likes to read and color.
- wants to do everything Lukas and Corina are doing.  He LOVES his big brother and sister!
- loves his family more and more every day!!!

He doesn't stop for long, so all of his pictures recently are a bit blurry.  Oh well, I'd rather have him active and learning, than stationary. 

Asher - 15 Months

Asher at 15 months:
 - weighs 22lbs 6oz.
 - is 32.5 in tall.
 - is walking! He took his first steps April 16, 2013, and started walking more than crawling about May 14, 2013.
 - will answer to simple commands.
 - is persistent. He gets upset quickly when told he can't do something, and will keep trying until someone is in tears (usually him since Mommy and Daddy don't give in that easy).
 - eats all "big people" food by himself.  He will not let you feed him anything.  He wants to do it himself.  :)
 - will very intently build with blocks.
 - enjoys reading.  He has even discovered the joy of taking a book to bed.
 - LOVES the water and being outside!  He will fight to either get or stay outside.
 - is talking...we just don't know what he's saying yet.
 - thinks he's big stuff playing with Lukas and Corina.
 - loves his Mommy, Daddy, Brother, and Sister more and more every day!!!