So much to blog, so little time

Well, it's been about 5 months since I have written anything here. I seriously need to catch up. Future (back dated) posts will include:
Our new dog Molly
Drew at 2 and a half
Miles playing football
Family Photos
Halloween
My trip to DC
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Miles' Christmas program
Drew's Tube Surgery

and probably more.

Holy Cow. I better get going.

For now, here's some random cute:

Movie night after getting the kids to bed (finally)

A Drew Selfie

My students at the IHSPA state convention with all their awards.

Miles and I trying on Halloween Hats.

Drew wearing my boots.

Bath Crayons

Miles making a building out of creamers and jellies

Drew and the "Not-So-Terrible" Summer

Drew isn't allowed to get out of his room once he is put to bed. So he of course, pushes it RIGHT to the LINE. Literally.

Well, eventually we just had to tell Miles that people stereotype 2-year-olds as terrible. He was asking why Drew got away with more things than him and we tried to explain that as you get older, you have more expectations for right behavior. Two-year-olds, we said, are in the toughest stage of understanding what’s good to do. Seven-year-olds? Well, they know better.

He understood.

And then started to refer to his “terrible brother.”

 Whoops.

In his defense, he meant “terrible-two’s” brother. He loves Drew so much but got exasperated sometimes. He’d roll his eyes, raise open hands up and mimic Ruby from Max and Ruby, “Ohhhh, little brothers!”

So, imagine my delight last week when Miles declared Drew to be in the “Not-so-terrible twos.”

And it’s true.

Things have gotten a lot better.

Some morning cartoons together on the blanket.

Drew baby, we really think the fits were just a product of your frustration. You couldn’t talk to us and we failed you over and over because of it. (That’s a little dramatic. What I mean is, we failed to get you fruit snacks and offered you grahams instead. Silly us.)

A speech and physical therapist finally evaluated Drew Mid-June. In the two short months between his doctor’s referral and his actual appointment, Drew’s brain had finally begun to process language!

He went from pointing and grunting to “I need help please, Mom!” [ah nee hep pe ma]

Even if it was just crude sounds, it was right where he needed to be. He was not recommended for therapy. And more importantly – it worked! He could communicate his needs and wants. 

The fits? Gone! (Mostly)

The kicking and screaming? Are now punishable offenses!

The therapists weren’t worried about him at all and even commented that he was quite bright. If they showed him something once, he could master it. He completed a puzzle they use to test 5-year-olds and exhibited physical skills of a 4-year-old.

They concluded that he had spent much of his developmental energy building up the physical skills necessary to keep up with his brother. Language was coming, but it was his second priority.

Miles' biggest fan at practice

The fan club also attended Miles' swimming lessons

Can we just pause there for a minute?
I just want to linger on the brotherly-love that is evident in my house every day. Miles is Drew’s hero. Drew is Miles’ adoring audience. Drew wants to do everything Miles does and looks up to him so much; Miles wants to be the best version of himself around his little brother. It’s no wonder Drew did everything he could to keep up. I’ve never been a younger brother (obviously), but I’m so glad that God built that desire in us to imitate what we love (and in the large picture, a desire in us to imitate Him). It’s really beautiful. And it’s really cool to see in action in your own home. 

Ok, unpause

We all still live in a little bit of fit-fear. Dustin and I are trying to break ourselves of the habit of giving Drew what he wants just because he’s little. And cute. And crying. And cute.

Miles and Drew have always gotten along well but this summer has been really good for them. They love to hang out together and just yesterday Miles said, “You know, I like this new Drew. I like that he can talk to me; he’s lots of fun.”

So yay Drew! Talk to us, boy!

A long day together and they were out!

Drew is now cutting his 2-year molars. Slobbery little guy!

RIP Hank R. Chief Verpooten

A boy and his dog.

Man this dog loved food. A plain McDonald's cheeseburger was his birthday treat. Note the crazy expression.

A boy and his dog. 

Loyal watchdog.

What an amazing member of our family.

I feel like I can summarize the integration of Hank into our family with this:

If you ever hear a Verpooten refer to someone or something as "Staunchy," realize we're giving them the highest backhanded compliment ever. An evolution of nicknames will explain: Hank > Hank The Tank > Hanky Tanky > Hanky Stanky > Hanky Stanky Extra Ranky > Haunch the Staunch > Haunchy Staunchy

Staunchy in this family means going ridiculously over a line and defending your stance to the end. It means stubbornness and grubbiness. It means doing all of this with a smile on your face while laughing at your own ridiculousness. It means HANK.

We love Hank with the best kind of enduring love a pet can pull out of you. 

He was playful and rowdy, lazy and lumpy.

He snored and barked in his sleep.

He chased squirrels.

He pulled on his extension leash to follow his beagle nose until he couldn’t breathe.

He managed to put all 40 lbs of weight on one paw and step and lean it all on you.

He moaned when Dustin rubbed his ears.

He ran “laps of excitement” when we got home.

He “burfed” when he thought he heard someone getting too close to the house.

He was a litmus test for comfort, finding the most cush position in a room and guarding it with all his weight.

He stayed in the same room the babies were in. Always.

He let Miles pull his ears.

He let Drew pull his tail.

He growled his way into submission after having an alpha-male debate with Dustin.

He rooted his way under the covers to curl up in my “crook”(curl up in a ball between my knees) and sleep.

He was amazing.

And we miss him.

The story of Hank’s death is long and I don’t want to remember him that way. I want us to remember the loyal, brave, cuddly, stubborn dog that we loved as our first child. The day he died was easily one of the worst in our life.

But as we lowered his body in the grave that Dustin and Miles dug, I couldn’t help but think of the puppy I lowered into Dustin’s lap nearly 11 years ago.

“What are you going to name him?” I asked.

“I don’t know! Hank or chief,” Dustin answered.

“Handkerchief? Why would you name a dog handkerchief?”

The rest was history.

RIP Hank R. Chief, the “beagliest beagle” we know.

June 10 2003-July 11, 2014

Miles' Summer of Awesome. Part One

This kid is having the time of his life this summer. 

SOCCER Miles got to choose between soccer and baseball this spring. We were actually shocked that he chose soccer but once he got going, he did really well. His favorite was to play goalie and his team The Blue Highlighters (he came up with the team name) got 2nd place in the tournament. 

His regular season trophy and his 2nd place tournament trophy

Playing goalie

Drew mid -tournament. He put himself to sleep like this. It was a lonnnnnng day 

BASKETBALL He did a two-week basketball camp (which I have no pictures of because I was chasing Drew the whole time) and he was amazing at it. He was as good as the ten-year-old and was dominating when that kid didn't come. He now wants to do basketball this winter now. 

TALTREE ARBORETUM has a science-based summer day camp. He went the week of the 4th of July for four days. In that short time, they:

Made a baking soda volcano

Made slime

Made an ant farm 

Went to Fair Oaks Farm ("Mom, I saw a cow being born. Like, I saw a cow. Come out. Of a cow.)

Launched marshmallow catapults

Went on a poop walk (nature hike looking for animal poop)

With his completion certificate 

During the graduation the kids all read what they liked most about the camp. Most kids stood right in front of the parent seating. Miles ran almost all the way to the lake and yelled his writing. 

Muddy after the first day 

LOST TEETH We are officially four teeth down but the top two missing at the same time is awfully cute. It's a little sad that his signature broken tooth smile is gone but for now we are loving his toothless phase. 

We call these last two his Vampire Face

Coming up in the second half of Summer Awesomeness: swimming lessons, VBS with dad, LRCA summer camp

4th of July 2014

Our 4th was again filled with food, friends, fireworks and family. 

We have had so many storms this summer that Drew didn't mind the fireworks noise much -- as long as I covered his ears with my hands. He kept saying, "rain! Rain!" Every time a firework went off. He thought it was thunder. 

Mess all in my heart

Yesterday we were driving to a graduation party and Miles let us know his "life goals."  (Reminder: he is seven. SEV-EN)

It went like this. 

Ok well I have two goals in life. 

Me: really? What are they?

Miles: well they are in 2, 1 order. You know, how sometimes people do things that aren't as important first and they do the most important thing last? That's what I'm going to do. So first, which is really second, is #2. Do good things and make my family proud of me. 

Dustin: that's a really great goal! What's #1?

Miles: well, #1, which I'm saying second because it is really most important is: Chase God all my life and let him mess all in my heart. 

Dustin and I both about died. So proud of our little man and the person he's becoming!

Drew is Two!

Just a couple of days before 2, Drew grabs an egg at the LOFS clubhouse Easter egg hunt.

It’s amazing how quickly 24 months pass. One minute you’re bringing home a screaming baby and the next, you’re trying to talk a screaming toddler down from a tantrum.

Drew, you like to scream.

We love you. Hear that. Read that. Soak that in, ok? It’s important. It’s important mostly because the rest of this may sound like we are annoyed with you, or bothered by you or resent you. None of those things are true. However,

You are trying our patience, child.

At two, Drew:

• ·         Screams bloody murder when he doesn’t get his way. Any simple refusal cues a meltdown
• ·         Can only say 6 words. The doctor wants us to see a speech therapist. He should be saying around 50+ words by now
• ·         Can run, climb and jump. He’s taught himself the jumping part
• ·         Loves to play outside
• ·         Imitates his big brother’s every move
• ·         Loves daycare and his buddy there Clark. He has also graduated out of the pack ‘n’ play there and sleeps on a sleeping bag at nap time
• ·         Sleeps through the night easily.
• ·         Hit the 36” mark and weighs in at 30 lbs.
• ·         Sleeps until 8 on the weekends (thank you!)
• ·         Throws things when he gets mad
• ·         Is extremely stubborn. If he’s mad at you, he’s mad for a long time.
• ·         Knows exactly what he wants, but is unable to tell us what that is. He cries and screams. I cry (and try not to scream). He throws himself down on the floor and throws a full, stereotypical fit. He’s face down on the floor, kicking, clenching his tiny fists and screaming.

Drew found a sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. I cut him off after 10 cookies. I'm a jerk, I know! :)

See? It’s not been… pleasant.

All that said, it’s obvious that Drew has an innate sense of justice. He knows right from wrong and will often take a punishment “like a man” and sits well in time out. He yells at the dog when he does something wrong; he tattles on his brother with a lot of pointing and grunting. He’s the first one to clap when someone does something worth celebrating. Truly, he is concerned that everyone is doing what they are “supposed” to be doing in his baby mind.  The fits are really just frustration when he can’t communicate to us and feels like an injustice is being done to him.

Normal, happy Drew is fascinated by everything and loves to play.

I’ve always told Miles that he was good, smart and kind. One of Drew’s words will have to be just.