Ballet, soccer, football...all new activities!

We've had a lot of new activities this past month. It keeps us so busy and I love it!

Grace started ballet/tap class on Friday mornings. She really loves it. The entire class she has a smile on her face. I think ballet will be sticking around for awhile.

Caiden started official rec soccer! He wears cleats, shin guards, they have official games on Saturday mornings and one practice during the week. It is quite the commitment but it's so fun watching him play and improve over the weeks!

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He also started football. It's also twice a week. Practice on Tuesday night and games on Friday evenings. We have quite the action going on right now!

The kids had their first art show at school. Caiden's class painted Vincent van Gogh's, The Starry Night and Grace's class painted Georgia O'Keeffe's, Oriental Poppies.

And Grandpa came out to visit and attended Grandparent's Day at the kids school! He got to participate in a class activity and then we did family Chapel together. He even got on stage and the grandparents did a special song and dance for the kids. 

Loges' in town

My girlfriend, Mickey, and her family came to visit a couple of weeks ago. We had so much fun while they were here. We went to the Del Mar Horse Races, Seaworld and hit up the beach a few days. The kids had a lot of fun together and the day after they left Grace asked where her friends were.

First day of school

Both kids had their first day of school on August 22! They are going to Horizon Prep and Grace is in Preschool going Tuesday and Thursday and Caiden is in Transitional Kindergarten going ALL five days! Their school day is from 8:30 - 12:30.

They both did so amazing on the first day I couldn't have asked for anything better. We dropped Grace off in her classroom first and luckily her teacher is the same one she had during summer camp, Miss Teri. Although I'm not sure if Grace even noticed or cared and just walked in, gave me a kiss and went off to sit in morning circle. I was so proud of her and also just stunned that she didn't even need me a little bit.

Caiden has been pumped to go to school because our family friend, Landon, is also in his class. He didn't even say goodbye to me when we got to the door. It was pretty sweet that he just marched right in there and sat down.

It's been quite a madhouse in the mornings as I've been having to wake Caiden up at 7:30 while Grace refuses to wear her uniform. And I have to make them a lunch and a snack to take with them and try to be out the door by 8am. Marc was able to take Caiden on Wednesday and both of them on Thursday. He called me both days after drop off to tell me how cute they were and I could just tell he was so proud...I love it!

Cousin Gwenivere is here!

Cousin Gwenivere graced us with her presence four hours and twenty two minutes after Grace's birthday was over, on August 12th at 4:22AM!

Both of the kids are obsessed with her. Caiden will hold her on his lap for what feels like hours and seems to go in a trance when he has her. And the minute it's someone else's turn he asks when he can hold her again. It's so sweet seeing him like this because he was not this way with Theo or Grace (because of his age at the time I suppose).

Grace is super into getting in her face and just smiling and she gets her voice in a really high pitch and says sweet nothings to her. When it's her turn to hold her she sings twinkle twinkle over and over to her. She will also pat or rub her back when she's holding her and it's just so adorable.

We are so happy to have Gwen in our lives and can't wait to see these four cousins grow up together!

Grace 3-years

Our Gracie Girl is THREE! It's so bittersweet...our little baby is just not a baby anymore. Although she still knows she's our baby and really works us over at times. She's real good at it at bedtime. She has really been wanting me or Marc to hold her in the chair for a really long time before we drop her in her crib. She'll start wining and huffing and puffing the minute you start moving to stand up. Then when you've finally had enough and you get ready to leave the room she wants a kiss then a hug so bad. And she pulls you in and her little arms don't let you go....ahhhhh.

She is so into singing and dancing around the house. She loves putting on her princess dresses and twirling around. It's so cute to see how natural it comes to her. She got a microphone for her birthday and she didn't put that thing down for days. Her favorites right now are Moana and the Trolls songs.

Her most favorite word in the world is, "why". It comes after every single question she gets an answer to even if the question of why doesn't make any sense. For example,
"What is your name, Mom?"
"Jessica."
"Why?"
"Because that is what Grandma and Grandpa named me."
"Why?"
"Because they thought it was a pretty name."
"Why?"

She is just as obsessed with her night night as Caiden is. She still even brings it out of bed with her in the morning and carries it around the house for awhile until she drops it and I take it back to her bed.

She is also in love with her cousins. She is so infatuated with the newest addition, baby Gwen. She immediately wants to hold her when we see her and if she doesn't get a chance she reminds us over again. Her and Theo love each other one minute and fight furiously over something the next minute. But they love each other immensely.

She's a pretty stubborn little girl. She won't eat something if she doesn't want to. She won't nap if she doesn't want to. She won't kiss you if she doesn't want to. She refuses to drink milk. She won't wear something if she doesn't want to. The list just goes on and on. She just has a mind of her own and there's not a lot we can do to change it.

The minute she picked up a pencil she had the proper grip (that was not the case with Caiden, we're still working on it). Now that she's starting school I think she'll pick up writing her name really quick.

She really enjoys having friends, too! She always asks me if her friends are going to come over and play. Her friends consist of a 6 year old girl that lives across the street and....that's about it. She loves giggling and holding hands with other kids (something Caiden is still not really in to) and trying to talk to kids and make conversations even though it's hilarious and they usually just ask each other, "what", back and forth because no one can understand each other.

She's such a little muffin and I love snuggling with and taking her sweet kisses. Happy Birthday, Gracie Girl!

Caiden: 5-years

I feel like I was just sitting down to write his four year old post and now it's already days past his fifth birthday. Where does time go?!?! Here's just a glimpse of what he's up to.

He can't read yet but he's definitely interested in words and how to spell. He's constantly giving me five or six letters and asking me how to say it. None of them are real words but he's trying to figure out how the whole thing works.

He told us that he wants to be a Battler when grows up. Like someone who fights in battles, I suppose? When he gets around other boys he's constantly wanting to play fight and fake kick and push. And he's figuring out that most girls aren't really into that...unfortunately the hard way.

He's playing with Grace more and more everyday. I get glimpses of them playing together and it's so lovely. Just today it was time to come in and eat and he say's, "It's just so hard to eat right now. I just want to play with my sister." I almost just let it go and let him keep playing because they were having fun together. The best is when he teaches her how to hide and I find them under his covers hiding from me and they are giggling and trying to stay quiet.

He ALWAYS wants to know what is going on. If Marc and I are talking about something and he doesn't understand he immediately chimes in and asks a hundred times what it meant until we give him an answer.

He loves building things. We have a hand-me-down box of the classic wooden Tinker Toys and he loves putting them together to make robots, cars and guns. I would say in the last eight months that has been his go-to when were at home. We just did his first real Lego airplane. It took about an hour to walk him through the book and guide him on how to follow the directions left to right.

He loves to cuddle and lay with me every night before he falls asleep. He has to have a book read and a story from me and Marc every night. He's definitely phasing out of his naps. But almost everyday at the same time Grace goes down he lays in bed for at least 30 minutes before I tell him he can get out. Once or twice a week he'll fall asleep and actually sleep but usually he lays in there and talks to himself until he gets bored and asks me in the camera monitor if he can get out yet.

His bed is always made, his books are always in just the right spot and he usually finishes every drop of food on his plate even if he doesn't like it. I think he's going to be my "easy" one ;).

Kids birthday party

We celebrated the kids birthday at the park by our house this year. It was another successful birthday party with so many friends and kids. We got a balloon guy who does amazing creations. He doesn't just do your typical sword or dog. He uses probably 50+ balloons on each one he makes. We also got an amazing painting artist who drew on the kids arms and faces. Most importantly the kids had a blast!