A picture is worth a thousand words

Here's a little something about Zac. Ever since Kindergarten, Zac has grown fond of a classmate named Anna. They are buddies. Here is Anna with my two on the last day of Kindergarten. Zac says that Anna is his best friend. Lucky for Zac, Anna is in his first grade class too. He came home from school one day saying that a fellow classmate told him he couldn't have a best friend that was a girl. I assured him that his best friend could be anyone that he chooses. Funny thing is, Jackie is coming home from school and often speaking of a boy she likes to play with named Jared. She likes to run races with him during recess and says he's the fastest in her class. It makes sense that they would be drawn to a friend of the opposite sex since they have always related to a sibling of the opposite sex.

Zac has made presents for Anna; pictures, letters, a bracelet. He thinks of her a lot and looks forward to seeing her each and every day at school. He speaks of sitting next to her at lunch and is happy to sit next to her in class. Recently, he made the sweetest picture for her. I had to take a photo of this picture because he did it all by himself and it sure portrays how he feels . It's hard to see, but Zac drew a face of himself and Anna, both with big smiles and drew hearts all around the two.

Isn't that the cutest creation ever? Anna's mom assures me it is posted on the refrigerator at their house. Anna, you are one lucky girl! Zac would walk to the end of the earth for you!

Another Milestone Makes Memory Lane

If I had known how quickly Jackie would pick up bike riding without training wheels, I would have put some time aside a long time ago to coach her. It took three tries at the park matched with the sense of adventure and determination from the rider and voila! When it comes to multiples, any milestone is a huge effort. Imagine potty training two kids at the same time or having both simultaneously going through the terrible two's, or having your kids learn how free it feels to run (in different directions) at the same time. My head bows to parents of triplets, quads, and so on. The thought of running along side a pair of novice bikers sounded exhausting, neither Chuck or I jumped at the task. On the other hand, I felt guilty that they were six and I hadn't even made an effort to show them the way. The first try was early in the summer. Jackie seemed very ready and not afraid. One try for Zac and he conveyed 'NO WAY'. Zac tends to be cautious with new motor skills. Dad demonstrated little patience for the job. So, the past two Sundays, Jackie and I went off to the park to give it a whirl. It was manageable with a singleton! In fact, we had lots of fun in the process! The pride and joy reminded me of the thrill I felt when she took her first steps. Shame on me for procrastinating! I realized that these moments will be fewer and fewer as they grow. Zac's competitive side has him envious of Jackie's accomplishment. He is now motivated to learn. I am excited to take this journey with him and will be sure to add his experiences to the blog.

I'm so proud of you Jackie!

Way to go!

You go girl!

Got Kitties?

We did! They arrived september 20th a month after I went to pick them out. We've been thinking of getting the kids two cats for some time now. After a summer of searching for the right match, Thomasina and Jasper came into our lives. They are two kittens from separate litters that were living in the same foster home. They are about 12 weeks in these photos taken on the day they arrived. The kids were going to name the kittens Max and Ruby, but we waited for weeks before they could be released to home that ultimately the kids got used to their foster names and decided the names would stay. Now their nicknames are Jaz and Tomgirl.

This is Thomasina. She was a bit shy on the first day in our house. She needed to hide under the armoire for a few hours to acclimate. Now she is nothing but a sweet love. She likes to be up in your neck for nuzzles. She is a petite little lady, very gentle and cuddly. She has the softest fur and loudest purr.

This is Jasper. He is a curious little cat. He had no difficulty adjusting to our household. When I went to choose two kittens, he actually chose me. He's a bold outgoing cat who has been nicknamed king kat, glutton, and piggy. He likes to push Tomgirl away from her dish and eat her food. He likes to play hard. He isn't afraid of new people who come into the house. He climbs on anything, and thinks he's entitled to hop on the dinner table during meals. He's a good boy, he's been obedient to the rules laid before him.....so far. These pictures show his angelic side!

Jacquelyn has a way with the kittens. She's like a little cat whisperer, posessing a natural understanding of how a kitty likes to be handled. She is patient, gentle and motherly. She won the heart of timid Thomasina. Jackie will look after her food so Piggy doesn't eat it all on TomTom. They sleep with her every night since she is on the bottom bunk.

Zac is learning how to 'speak cat'. It's hard for a squirmy boy who doesn't know how to sit still to get a cat to stay with him. He'll figure it out. These new members of the family will show him the way.

I can't say enough good things about the non-profit organization called Pets In Need. I found them online. It's a shelterless outfit of volunteers fostering unwanted pets. The people there are so dedicated to finding forever homes for the animals that come to them. Thank you Shelly for your kindness!