Belated Blogging

I've been able to talk on the phone or text with people since we moved back so I've admittedly allowed the blog to fall to the wayside a bit.  However, for the benefit of everyone who's been following that I don't get to chat with very often... keep on reading for a very belated update :)

My parents came out to visit for Thanksgiving and stayed for a whole week!  We had such a fabulous time that the week seemed more like a few days.  We're heading to Ohio at the end of December to see them again.  I can't tell you how great it is to live close to home again!  I really missed my family.

Christmas is fast approaching and we're ready...ish!  We dragged our feet on picking up a tree this year and now the options available are less than ideal so I think we're going to hit up some after Christmas sales and find our "perfect tree" for next year.  The kids have one set up in the playroom and that will do just fine.  They did a great job on it :)  The playroom is completely cleaned out now and we thankfully found someone to re-gift our old toys to 3 less fortunate families.  It fills our hearts with joy knowing we could help make someone's holiday a little brighter.

 

We've been spending a lot of time with our neighbors, who are also a military family with three boys.  We all get along very well and our kids love each other and have much in common.  Their Mom happens to be a fellow art-lover/photographer AND is also addicted to coffee ;)  We were put in this neighborhood together for a reason methinks!  I've already learned a lot from her and been inspired to draw & take pictures again thanks to her presence and input.  We even went on a photo walk together and found our new "spot", a local tea room :)

 

Everything has been going well here.  We're still observing our "Saturday Unplugged" and the kidlets don't complain about it anymore.  They actually look forward to it now!  We've read a lot of books, completed many art projects, and even took apart some furniture to satisfy Tristan's curiosity and give him a sense of accomplishment.

 

Noah has been creating art nonstop for about a week.  He burns through entire notebooks and his designs get more and more complex every day.  I guess he has some "me" in him after all!  He also is the proud new owner of a library card and found a new series that has his rapt attention: "Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist".  I had to remind him it was much safer to read when you aren't walking.

Brennan has become our new puzzle king.  There has been a puzzle on the coffee table every day for weeks.  He burns through 100pc puzzles like Noah used to... at three years old.  Some kids just have the knack for it.  I love puzzles and it's become one of my favorite activities to do with the boys.  When he's not doing puzzles he's drawing or running around like a normal three year old, terrorizing everyone and making us laugh.

 

Tristan doesn't like puzzles or art, but he's happy to tumble over the couch as if it were a pommel horse.  I see gymnastics in his future.  I also put new batteries in the tag reader and he's been carrying that around with him everywhere, very excited about learning to read.  Also... he counts everything and insists on helping me with laundry.  That boy loves clothes, even when they're dirty ;)  He talked to me for 30 minutes while we were sitting on the floor, waiting for loads to finish, counting down every minute.  Maybe it's not the laundry, but the alone time he gets with me!

So... the boys are great, we're great.  We hit a few bumps with random home repairs, but nothing to complain about!  We're having a good time here :)