Shane and Myann well checks

Shane stats
Weight 65 lbs (50%)
Height 52 1/4 inches (50%)
BMI 16.75
Shane had his vision screening and I am thinking he is finally going to end up like his mom and dad needing glasses. He is still good now, but drifting to 20/25 or 20/30

Myann stats
Weight 50 lbs (50%)
Height 48 inches (50%)
BMI 15.25 50%
Myann's vision is still perfect, so maybe she can hold off on glasses a few more years.

Anders well check

Anders' "5 Year" well check
Weight 50 lbs (90%)
Height 45 inches (75%)
BMI 17.5

My awesome boy is a trip.  Still as loveable as ever.  His school picture was taken in his cowboy outfit with hat.  Shane is his absolute hero.  We are still working on letters, but he is at least trying to learn them.

Football time with Dad

This is a quick post from Dad I do not want to forget.  Anders decided he was going to watch the Husker football game with dad today.  Right after kickoff he yelled "Shoot I forgot my helmet!!"  He ran upstairs and grabbed it, right back down and he watched the entire game.  The Huskers lost and we went upstairs so I could fix him some lunch.  After a few minutes he came up to me and said, "Hey Dad high five."  After giving me a high five he said, "Its ok dad, I still had a great time with you today."  I'm still pe'od the Huskers can't stop the jet sweep and seem completely lost on the field, but my he lifted some of the black cloud by keeping it in perspective.

Random kid things

My friend and fellow motion sickness buddy swears by the hospital style barf bags.  Since Myann is following in my foot steps, and regularly gets motion sickness, I have been thinking of how to better prepare ourselves.  She can not swallow ginger pills yet, so we use diphenhydramine when the roads are really bad, but I thought I would try out the recommended barf bags.  When they came in the mail the other day, you would have thought they were the toy of the year.  Myann was so excited, and proclaimed they were only hers and she was not sharing.  I am sure the boys are devastated to not get a barf bag. Love my nutty girl. I will have to get a picture of Myann with her bags.

Laila is our sweety chatty girl these days.  She is talking up a storm and so loving. No less than 10 times a day, I get a tiny girl leaning on me saying "I You".  Her way of saying I love you, since love is still a challenge for her.  All of us get it and the other kids beg for her hugs, kisses and "I you"'s.  She also seems to try out new sayings everyday.  Today it was "sure". She said "sure" to everything.  Not to be left out, any time I ask anyone if they want anything, Laila responds "ME!". I also love that right now when she says "mine", she actually says "mines".  We hear it frequently since everything she see is "mines".  

Shane was at a lego robotics class this week.  As is the norm, the morning of he did not want to go, but by the time I picked him up he was so excited to show me the robot car he had built and programmed.  It is amazing what that boys brain can do.  Now he can finally teach me how to build our own lego robot that I gave up on 5 minutes in.

Anders' way of saying things

Brian and I debate whether Anders says things wrong on person to be funny or whether his brain just twists them around to things he knows.
Guess what he meant:
1) As we pass a vending machine , "Mom please can I have an alligator. I really want alligator."  There are no vending machines I am aware that sell alligators, Gatorade yes, alligators no. 
***side note, Laila loves Gatorade now too, thanks to a sibling slipping her some.  She knows her gatorade though and yells loud when she sees a bottle, "Please, please gatoraaaaddddeee!"
2) "Mom, when was I one of those teddy bear rings."  Me, oh honey, you mean ring bearer.
3) Danielle's Dad Bam Bam is called Bum Bum by Anders.
4) Lots of two worded names are inverted. Drawing a blank at the moment.

Laila's 2 year well check up stats

Weight 22 lbs (5%)
Height 31 1/2 inches (5%)
Head circ 18 3/4

Took the little princess to her well check up today.  She continues to be our little petite thing.  She is starting to talk more, but still not as much as we are used to.  At her 18 month appt, she did not appreciate me telling the doctor she was behind in speech and started talking more then.  She goes into rambling incoherent speeches sometimes, where she seems to know exactly what she is saying but we are at a complete loss. The doctor said her vocabulary is where it should be, but we could have her evaluated. Physically, Laila is coordinated and loves to jump. She can throw, kick and jump right along with her siblings. 

Update 9/20/13
I took Laila for a speech evaluation today.  I should have cancelled the appointment because it was made over a month ago when she was not talking very much.  In the last month she has moved on to 5 word sentences. Laila was difficult at first, but once the therapist brought as candy as a motivation tool, Laila was happy to oblige. Basically, Laila is now above average for speech and the appointment was not necessary, except for my peace of mind.

Why you should marry...according to a 6 year old.

Not sure how the conversation started, but tonight Anders announced he was not getting married.  Not shocking for a 4 year old.  However Myann's response, "Anders, don't you want to get married so your wife will clip your toe nails?"  Love, companionship, family, who needs that...just someone to clip your toe nails.  Apparently that is how we demonstrate love in this family. In truth, Anders will need someone to clip his toe nails, as he grows bear claws like his Daddy. Myann is ever the realist.

My brilliant 7 year old

Each of the kids, minus Myann this year, have been taking alone trips with Brian to Texas.  Shane was in Texas for 9 days.  I had no idea how much I would miss my boy. He is my first born, my brilliant kid, and my huge helper.  I forget how much he helps until he is not around.  I can not believe in a few days he will be 8.

I hope to come back and blog more, but for now I have to record his funny isms  for the night.  Brian was traveling with a co-worker on the way home tonight, and Shane was inadvertently the entertainment. Going through security Shane put his backpack on the belt to go through security and Shane told TSA, "Don't worry I do not have any weapons in here. But I do have a marshmallow gun in my suitcase.  But don't worry, marshmallows are not dangerous unless they are on fire."  Then they took an inter airport train and escalator to get to their next flight.  Shane said, "I wonder why the escalator is so slow, but the train is so fast.  Hmmm... I wonder if they are not giving it enough electricity.  I don't know, I am just going to do the math later."  Never mind, Brian's coworker is a PhD mathematician and cracking up at the musings of our 7 year old. 

While in the airline club Shane said, "Dad I was wondering how much you pay mom to babysit your kids?"  Brian's obnoxious response, "Bud, you can not even count that high."  Shane's response, "Well you need to pay mom more.  I think she deserves $53 per day."  Brian laughed and said, "If you can get mom to agree to the pay cut of $53 per day, then I will split the difference with you." Gotta love my husband and son discussing my worth.  

Funny story aside, Shane blows my mind with his intelligence.  My mom even confirmed the other day he is smarter than I was at his age.  Not sure whether I am insulted, or a little proud. I definitely think he is smarter than me.

The pressure begins

We have decided that my dad and stepmom need to move here.  My stepmom is in complete agreement, so now we have to convince my dad.  Here is my first attempt.  This is the kind of love he will be walking into.

And can you really say no to this face?

The 1st and the 4th

No picture to go with the post.  I have video, but not techie enough to download it from the camcorder to the computer. I was too afraid to run back in and grab the camera, for fear of missing the experience.  Anders was napping, worn out from his Texas trip, and Myann had gone to a friend's house to play.  So only Shane and Laila were up and I was on the computer tagging home remodel ideas (don't ask) and Brian was searching for the next flight with a kid (it is never ending).  Shane asked if he could get Laila dressed to play ball outside with him.  Yes, my almost 8 year old wanted to go play outside with his almost 20 month old sister.  Heart melt.  So of course we said yes.  Shane then took Laila upstairs to pick out her clothes and dress her.  He did a pretty good job. Then he put shoes on her and a coat and out they went.  The ball playing only lasted a minute, so he began walking her around our driveway.  Then he asked if he could walk her to the mail box and back.  That is when Brian called me to the window to watch the perfect scene, older brother holding little sister's hand as they walked on the sidewalk in front of our house. Heart melt.  I ran for the video camera because I wanted to capture her tiny foot steps trying to keep up with his bigger steps.  It was perfect, sweet, heart warming, and every other wonderful adjective you could imagine.   He loves her, that is nothing new, but walking her so patiently, so kindly just made this mommy's heart swell.

Laila's Well Check

Laila's 19 month appointment

Weight: 20 lbs 1 oz (23%)
Height: 30 1/2 inches (25%)
Head circ: 18 1/2 inches (75%)

Laila is growing up too fast for my baby.  She is hitting all her milestones, except she is not talking very much in a language we understand.  She has A LOT to say, but it is all mumbling.  She does have about 10 words.  I told the doctor I was a bit concerned and he said not to worry until her 2 year appointment.  Well Laila did not appreciate me talking smack about her, so she decided to say 2 new words when we got home.  She showed me.