Watch out Hans and Frans... there's a new kid in town.

Daniel has always been strong. Maybe it was his unique start to life that gave him such fierce strength... or maybe not. Several months ago, Noah and I watched a program on TLC that was called something like "The World's Strongest Toddler," and it featured a strong 3 year old kid. All the doctors and "specialists" were oohing and ahhing over this kid, but Noah and I were not impressed. "Ha, that kid's got nothing on Daniel," I said, and I stick to that statement.

Just this Sunday our friend, Andy, was one of Daniel's nursery workers, and he remarked about the strength Daniel possesses. I suppose that is one reason he can climb just about anything.

Today at the park, Daniel demonstrated his talents.

First he warmed up on the stair rail...



And then on to his workout...

"No Problemo, Dad, I've got this."



"And LIFT, one, two, three, DOWN, two, three, and LIFT..." Etc, etc.



He never ceases to amaze us.

As a side note, this is Daniel's FAVORITE shirt. He has become obsessed with basketball. He gets giddy when the NCAA Championship is on. He shouts, "Ba-ball! Ba-ball!" while jumping up and down with joy. It's the only thing he has ever paid the slightest bit of attention to on the TV screen. He follows the ball intently.

When I bought him this shirt and showed it to him, he proceeded to take off the shirt he was wearing and demanded his new shirt be put on. So, stinkin', cute. We are hoping a scholarship is in his future at one of the many NC Universities... Wake Forest is at the top of my list, 'cause Mama wants her baby boy to stay close ;-)

* noah made me crop out his face on the last photo, which I didn't want to do because it shows a Daddy's shear pride of his son... oh, well. I'll keep it in the vault.

Five Years Ago...

I'm feeling nostalgic. My sweet friend Jessica had a beautiful baby girl this afternoon (which happens to be Granny's 60th birthday)... from what I can see from the photos, Miss Ella has some chunky cheeks! It took me right back to 5 years ago, when a certain baby girl in my life was known for her adorable chipmunk cheeks.



When Lauralyn made her escape from the womb, our doctor said, "Look at those cheeks!" Oh, how I miss kissing on those chubby baby cheeks. She was such a snugglicious baby. And now, she is growing tall and slender, becoming graceful... and yet, she is still the best snuggler in the house (I would give Kristin the lead in this category, but she has been known to kick in her sleep, and throw her head into my chin on accident). What I remember most about Lauralyn as a baby was how EASY she was. Quiet, happy, did I mention quiet?



They really do grow up so fast, don't they? You just blink...



My darling first born. It's so novel to me that Daniel and Isaac are almost exactly 5 years apart in age. It's fun to compare the 2 boys, and even with different genetics, they are very similar in temperament. Driven. Obsessed with being outdoors. Hard-headed. LOUD. Constantly in trouble. The difference is, with Daniel, I have a harder time because I am also caring for 3 others. He tends to find a bit more trouble because I am often distracted. But, Isaac, found trouble easily as well. At age 2 he would find a screw driver and unscrew doors off their hinges.



This little mower earned it's keep for quite a while. Also, in the first photo of Isaac, notice the one year old Leyland Cypress trees. They stand around 20-25 feet tall now! And if you look closely behind the fence is a green "for sale" sign. Am I ever so thankful God saw fit to keep us here!

So, knowing I blinked and 5 years passed makes me wonder what life will look like in another 5 years. Will there be additional Hauts? (My hope is for another chubby-cheeked quiet baby :-) In 5 years Isaac will almost be 12, and Lauralyn will be 10! The thought takes my breath away. And my crazy, sweet, wild Daniel will be where Isaac is now, on the verge of turning 7. Kristin will be 8, and hopefully talking up a storm of intelligible words! Wow!! What a difference 5 years will make. I better hold on to them tight, and not blink too fast. Sigh...

The Cutest Moon

Daniel's new activity while playing in his crib is practicing the art of stripping his clothes.
Thankfully, he has yet to give me the "full monty" with a full diaper.
Let's hope this luck continues.

I admit, it does make me chuckle to find him in the buff, tossing his clothes and diaper around with joy,
as if to say, "Look at what I did, Mom! Aren't you proud?"

Big Guwl

I took Miss Kristin in for her 3 year old wellness check up... something I would not have bothered with except that in order to get re-licensed as a foster home, we have to have updated physicals. Thankfully, almost everyone is up to date from our adoption process last fall. Kristin's, however, has lapsed.

So, we had an extremely easy visit with Dr. Ben... really, it could not have been easier! A small town doctor's office with evening hours (so I can leave the other kids with Daddy). We stroll into the office and since it's after normal hours and only Dr. Ben is working on Thursday night, there is no one in the waiting room. One minute later we are in the back with the sweet nurse, and soon thereafter, Dr. Ben is doctoring the easiest kid in the world (at that moment at least).

Kristin is so quiet, and sweet, and compliant in situations like this. One on one with Mommy, with a doctor who she knows is her friend's daddy. She is healthy, and we now know how big the child has become. Forty-one inches tall and 38 pounds. She is off the chart on height, and her weight is about the 90th percentile. Dr. Ben said she is the height of an average four and a half year old. WOW. My Kristin really is a big "guwl" now.

Three years ago, I clearly remember taking her to Dr. Ben as a newborn. She's grown 20 inches and gained almost 30 pounds since that first doctor's visit. :-)

-------------

On a different topic, I know we only have 4 kids, but this blog post rang so true to me. As our family grows in age and size, I know it will become even more amplified in my life.

Salisbury

This past weekend, my dad (a.k.a. Grandad) came down for a spontaneous visit.
We love having Grandad visit, especially when we had no big plans for the weekend as it stood.
Grandad wanted to eat at Haps... he had never been although he had heard rave reviews.



Hap's Grill is located in Salisbury, a 20 minute drive down the road.
Noah and I love going to Salisbury for eating out.
They have much more selection than our lack luster city.
Hap's is a favorite of ours from when we briefly lived in Salibury (and I worked there for 2 years).



Hap's is located in a tiny space on Main Street in the downtown area of Salisbury.
It's menu is limited to hotdogs and hamburgers w/ chili, onions, cheese and mustard... they are divine (and this is coming from a person who rarely eats either item elsewhere).
You wait in line, place your order, watch them bag it up, and walk out. Standing room only, and most people must go outdoors to find a place to eat on the sidewalk.



And of course you can't forget the old fashioned glass bottles the sodas come in.
Why does soda taste 100% better out of a glass bottle?
They have root beer, peach Nehi, and our personal favorite, Cheerwine (among other less worthy sodas).
Cheerwine originated in Salisbury, and if you don't live near North Carolina, you are truly missing out on the best soda ever.



Naturally, as soon as we had our food in hand, the skies opened up and sent a big downpour!
We managed to have an impromptu picnic under a neighboring business's awning.



What a nice way to spend lunch :-) Rain definitely didn't ruin our fun.



For dessert (as if we hadn't consumed enough calories), we went to Spanky's, another favorite of ours.
They make their ice cream from scratch in the store.



You just can't beat homemade ice cream in an old fashioned deli.



And so, with bellies full, we headed home.
Thank you, Grandad, for a fun weekend!

A Bit of Nothing Much

I haven't had a whole lot to blog about lately. And I've been feeling busy, and uninspired to sit down and write.

This has been the first week the cold weather has broken, and given us the hope of spring. I remember a couple of days in January were decent, but this has been overall a VERY cold and snowy winter. I think it's snowed around 5 times this winter (with some mini-snows in between). Keep in mind, we had 4 years of almost no snow to speak of not too long ago.

So, we are itching to get outdoors and soak in some vitamin D. It feels so good to be warm! Monday and Tuesday I let the kids play all day outside. Instead of taking "snow days" like the school children, we are taking "spring days." A much better use of time off, don't you think? I knew doing lessons on days it snowed would pay off later on. I am happy to give Isaac a reprieve from his school work, and allow him to HAVE FUN.

---------

A month ago I joined a local gym, and I have been diligent in getting exercise. It feels great to get stronger! I have been so out of shape since being stuck inside all winter, and I hope to get back to my "once upon a time" fit self. It's going to take me several months of hard work, but paying for a gym membership certainly inspires me to go (plus free great childcare, yeah!). I have been faithful so far, but now I need to cut back on my calories to shed some of the winter coat (or blubber) so to speak.

I am slowly working my way up to being a "runner." SLOWLY. I have always admired ladies that religiously run... they are all so athletic looking, and strong. So, the treadmill and I have an interesting relationship. I warm up slowly, then run (jog) for 90 seconds, then fast walk for like 3 minutes until I catch my breath, then back to jog for 90 second, then walk not as fast for like 5 minutes while I say, "Why am I doing this to myself?", then jog for 90 seconds, and walk moderately for like 7 minutes while sweat drips off my head and I say, "I hate running, this is stupid," then jog for 90 seconds, and walk nice and slow while I cool down, and hoping my legs won't curse at me all day. It's about a two mile routine, and I do it on a slight incline. If I don't hurt myself, I hope to get better and better.

I've also been using the weight machines and other cardio machines, but right now my main goal is to be able to eventually run an entire mile... something, I have NEVER in my life accomplished.

---------

Still no change on the baby front. Which is really okay. I have two good friends who are literally about to pop (one with twins), and so I will be getting a baby fix soon enough. I do look forward to getting that call for a sweet newborn, and yet I am content to wait on God's timing. But if too many months go by with no call from DSS, I admit I might start getting anxious. Daniel turns 2 in at the beginning of June, and I have never had a full 2 year space between kids. Maybe it will be good to have a bigger spacing? I guess I can't knock it 'till I've tried it.

--------

And since I know a photo is always nice to be included... here is one I snapped this morning. Isaac and Lauralyn have been playing so well together lately. They are very creative, and enthusiastic about whatever is their current imaginative situation might be. How cute are they? Precious. And they do this all on their own. Moments like these make me very thankful to be able to homeschool... a memorable childhood, full of adventures and fun.

Isaac @ 6 years, 9 months

Isaac Brice. My first born who holds a special place in my heart. My baby boy who came to me on my 24th birthday. He is a child who can melt my heart, and two seconds later make me want to tear my hair out! But admittedly, he really has gotten easier with age. I love homeschooling him. There isn't a doubt in my mind that it was the best decision for him and his development.



Isaac is extremely creative and inventive. He is constantly constructing something new, or pretending to be a hunter, or police man, or soldier. He is independent, and yet loves to have company while he plays. Lauralyn is generally very willing to play along.

At times, Isaac will dabble with sports. He has been on a basketball kick lately, although he has never asked to play on a team. This spring, I think he will give baseball a try. We'll see if he's up to it. Team sports aren't incredibly high on his list of priorities right now. But he is athletic and growing like a weed... his size 7 pants have already gotten short on him.



Isaac is still a mama's boy at heart, and will let me give him a big hug and kiss in front of his friends without batting an eye. Tomorrow, he will go skiing for the first time with his daddy. How is it possible?! How did my baby boy get so big?

Lauralyn @ 5 Years, 1 Month

What to say about Lauralyn? I admit, I do not spend as much time with this child as I would like... the younger two demand my attention, and I force attention on Isaac for educational purposes. Since Lauralyn is naturally independent, she gets the short end of the stick, although she does get a good deal of one on one time with her Granny and Nanet.



Lauralyn tends to be a self starter. She loves to sit down for an art project or craft. I know she would love to do more school work, but I focus so much on Isaac right now, that she gets about 20 minutes from me a day, if that. We have been going through the "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons." She is doing well, and gradually adding more and more phonetic sounds to her memory. She can read basic things like, "The cat is sad. I can see the rat. It is mad." Etc. She has fairly excellent handwriting considering I don't make her practice... she practices copying text on her own. Self-starter, remember? I will probably add in more math concepts later this summer.

I know that she is just five, but I am amazed at the amount of sass that comes from this girl. She mostly gets in trouble for the way she speaks to me. At times her tone is rude, demanding, and disrespectful. For the most part a firm, "Try saying that correctly," will remedy to problem, but her tongue has gotten her in big trouble on a number of occasions. Other than the sassy attitude, Lauralyn really can be all sugar and spice and everything nice. She loves her Daddy in a major way, and she is certainly a daddy's girl. Which is nice for Noah, because the other 3 are attached to my hip.

Lauralyn willingly pitches in around the house come chore time, and she loves helping us in whatever we are doing whether it is scrubbing the floors or cooking dinner. She looks forward to whenever we have a new baby join our household, because I told her she will get to change diapers (the ones that aren't totally gross, at least). She is VERY excited about that. She is a natural "mommy" and mothers Daniel a good bit.

Dance is still very high on Lauralyn's list of passions, and she will have her first dance recital this May. She will be wearing a ridiculously expensive duck costume, but I am sure she will be one adorable duck.