Checkmate

Aidan was teaching me how to play chess today.
He was explaining that whoever gets the other person's king wins the game.
Alex was sitting right next to me.
Before we even began the game,
Alex grabbed Aidan's king, and exclaimed in excitement "I won!"
Game over.

A Potty Blessing

Alex today while sitting on the potty,
leaned forward and clasped his hands together:
"Dear Jesus, thank you for this potty. Amen."

No more diapers for...

Alex!
We tried potty training a couple months ago, with no luck.
We went NOWHERE for 5 days.
We stayed on the hardwood floors.
He just wasn't getting it.
He would sit on the potty for an hour without going.
He would have an accident right after getting off the potty.
He turns 3 and a half on Sunday,
and we really wanted him trained before then.
So we tried again.
This time, we said "who cares".
Who cares if he get the carpet dirty.
Who cares if he has an accident in public.
We went on with our regular week.
And on the third day, he did it!
He made the connection.
No more accidents.
Great job, Alex!

Wilson's

Our favorite apple orchard. We came home with enough apples for apple cider, apple pie, and applesauce. The boys are so excited!

15 Months

Caitlyn should have turned one today. God, however, had other plans for her and she is now 15 months! She really has been a joy and a blessing for our family. Happy should-have-been birthday, Caitlyn!

Only in Iowa

Brian couldn't find his wallet this afternoon, and his car was in desperate need of gas. Can you believe the gas station let him put $20 in his tank? All he had to do was leave his University ID with them and promise to come back and pay tomorrow. Only in Iowa.

Holy cow, I have a kindergartener!

Aidan was super excited to start kindergarten today at Heritage Christian School. All weekend, he kept saying "I'm so excited, I'm so excited." He went right in, put his things away, and sat down at his desk. He is going three days a week, all day.

Alex also had his first day of school today. I have decided to homeschool him for preschool. He feels like such a big boy when we come home from dropping Aidan off at school and start our school work. Today, he learned about Henri Matisse and his collage "The Snail", and Alex made his own collage. We're following the "What Your Preschooler Needs to Know" book from the Core Knowledge Series, and he loves it!