Wit by Amanda: September 2017

Thursday, September 21, 2017

August 2017

August! Back to school this month. It makes me a little sad/teary that this will be our final year as "play" school. We really have a child starting school in 2018. I remind myself constantly to enjoy these moments because this may be the best it will be. We did a potty training boot camp this month with Francine and she is doing pretty well with it! The big/tragic event of the month is Jack broke his tibia bone at a trampoline park at the beginning of the month. By the end of the month, he was back to normal, but there was a little while there where he couldn't put weight on his leg for 8 days...and he had to be carried around at all times. We still were able to do most of the things we wanted to do for summer and he was able to start school the first day with all of his friends (and his handy walking cast). We had friends visit from Japan this month. We said goodbye to some friends who moved away. For the most part, August was a great month and we were able to make some really great memories together!

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Jack and Francine are going to be in a wedding in October (Say a prayer for us!) The other day Jack was talking to Francine about it and he said, "I'm going to be a bear down the aisle" (ring-bearer). Oh lord...we don't need any bears at the wedding. :)

This might be the best thing out of Francine's mouth...EVER! Christopher told Francine to stop whining a couple weeks back. And Francine responded, "I'm not whining...I'm just talking!"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Wah-Wah - our first broken bone in the family! :( He has been quite the trooper through it all but it was definitely an unknown and unexpected turn of events in our life!
Food - This month has started a new thing for Jack. He asks with almost everything, "is this healthy?" He still eats it even if its not, but man at least we have a mindful kid!
Personality/Growing up - Sometimes I just look at Jack and he is that little boy that we love and cherish and sometimes I look at him and he is like a grown teenager. It feels in those moments that I want the days to slow down for sure and not get away from me. He is so inquisitive to his surroundings. He experiences everything in such an uninhibited place. I am learning through raising this sweet boy!
Learning - Jack started in the 3 day program at Christ Church Dayschool this year. Preschool is here! :)

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Potty training happened this month, while we had a broken leg boy at home and there was not much leaving the house. Over all I will say its been a success for sure!
Food - I think this month she has turned a curve on being not as picky as she one was...Amen!
Personality/Growing up - We were at West Elm and as we were going inside I told her to not touch anything in the store. So she walked around the store and was putting her head on everything and keeping her hands far away from the furniture. Welcome to the world of Francine...where she listens but just wants to cross the boundary a little bit! :)
Skills -She is becoming quite the mommy to all of her animals and babies. And sometimes to her brother even. They were in the bathtub playing and I heard her a couple weeks back saying "Little boy, little boy...you need to listen to me...you need to listen to me". :)

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Add caption

They all fit!

One of his friends Harlow came to visit him on the floor!

Yes that is pizza in a box and sleeping Francine!

She loved the elephants at the fair!

Walking cast!

Its all cleaned and put away!

Had to say goodbye to our friend Paxton!

A night out at the ball park!

First day of school photo!

Nashville had an amazing view of the total solar eclipse!

Our Japanese friends visiting (and Amish country above)

walking out of the hospital cast-free!! Ready for the beach!

A glimpse into what she may look like as a teenager?!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

July 2017

July! Summer in full swing. Another thing in full swing this month was Whole 30. It felt like so many people around us were doing this program and we thought we should try it out. In the end, I dont think I felt better and wasn't groggy in the afternoon. Other than that, all I wanted was some cheese and some bread. :) We celebrated the 4th of July this month, went blueberry picking, went to a big splash pad, and did a whole lot more summer things! We stayed put this month and didn't travel much. Some friends visited us and we celebrated a lot of birthday parties this month for our kid's friends. Christopher and I went to this cool event called Liminal, an evening with Jeremy Cowart. I took away some good ideas for my business. I started something called a "Mastermind" group and I am pretty happy about it! July... its always nice to see the summer come...and also yearn for it to go about now.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Where to begin...there were a bunch this month. Jack and Francine have been getting a monthly book from Dolly Parton since birth. This month Jack asked when the book came "So does Dolly Parton get on her bus and drive our book all the way to our house?" Oh...to be so naive and little. He knows Dolly Parton has a bus because when we went to Dollywood last month he saw it. :)

Another funny thing Jack said was with Christopher. Christopher ask Jack if he has a beard or a mustache and Jack said "Nope. I just got a chin".

Francine is getting her own funny stories of the month! She will tell us something and then at the end she always says, "you understand me?"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - We have an eye roller in our house. Its cute right now...because its new. He really has perfected when to use an eye roll.
Food - We have become the routine "Pancake Friday" people and Jack just loves it. He was made for a routine! :)
Play - Jack has really been been into running around the downstairs floor of our house. Our house kind of makes a circle so he just continues to chase himself or Lucy or his sister. Its kind of impressive how many times he goes!
Personality/Growing up - We started the reading lessons book with him as a New Year's Resolution for us. He has done amazing with it. He really is enjoying the process I think
Learning - We have had an awesome teacher this summer at his 2 day program. Miss Tammy has taught him a lot of things about underwater animals and he is loving telling me all his new facts!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Poopied in the potty for the first time! way to go Francine!
Food - She likes to help make our juice in the morning when I make it. She definitely eats whatever we serve when she is involved in the process. She will tell you all the items in her juice: carrots, celery, lemons, ginger, apple, cucumber
Personality/Growing up - We definitely can tell she has bloomed this past few months. I know that God will keep me praying for patience with her but I know that her tough/strong will is going to serve her so well in the future so I just need to guide her and help her to use that really strol skill for the good! ;)
Skills - She uses her hands on FaceTime like an Italian person to tell her stories (usually to her grandparents). She likes to re-enact things with her hands too. She was telling her grandparents about how she got hit in the head with a pinata at a birthday party and she kept banging her hand into her head and Christopher made her do it over and over again because it was so funny.