My grandmother always says that life is what happens when you're planning something else. That's so true! With the start of school and Lilly's surgery and recovery, we have been busy. I feel like we are starting to get back to our 'normal' though, which is such a blessing.
Lilly
Lilly started the month by turning two! She continues to amaze us with her development. She is walking, running, jumping, and dancing. She can climb stairs and the furniture. In fact, she prefers to stand on furniture. It's amazing the freedom she has found. She got braces for her ankles, called SMOs, and has started wearing them regularly. These help with balance. They are a temporary support for her. She had her first cleft palate surgery on the 12th. Overall, she recovered like a champ. She is such a determined little girl. She had to re-learn how to eat and swallow. She also had to learn how to suck. She had never been able to do that before. We did take one trip to the ER and had some sleepless nights, but otherwise Lilly recovered amazingly. She also added a few new words to her vocabulary since the surgery - "yaya" for dada, "cu" for cup, and "ah-eh" for Amen. She still has trouble forming some consonants, but she is working hard to communicate. She is such a happy little girl. She loves to play mommy and kitchen and will follow along on any of Liam's adventures.
Liam
Liam started Preschool at the end of August and is thriving. He loves school and seeing his friends twice a week. He is learning how to share and be in school. He has learned the letters A-E so far, along with many new songs and stories. Liam still loves to make up elaborate adventures like being a pirate, King Arthur, or an astronaut. He is a very talkative kid and often talks from the time he wakes up to the time he falls asleep. He is very affectionate and is quick to say, "I love you." He is a great big brother to Lilly. One of his favorite things to do is bake, so we make goodies at least once a week. He still really loves to learn about space and rockets. Science will definitely be one of his favorite subjects in school.
Dave
Dave will be moving to a new office soon! My mom bought a home down here that will serve as a Thrivent office. It is located at the corner of Reed and Stellhorn. Unfortunately, we no longer have a guest rom for them, so they wanted a place to stay when they come down. It's a nice house and will serve well as Dave's office. Right now, my uncle Doug is fixing it up and getting it ready. Dave hopes to move in at the end of October.
Tiffany
I've started teaching through Title One at Ascension in addition to the hours I'm working with LSEM. I'm still only teaching 2 days a week, but can serve more kids this way. I love teaching at Ascension and really like having Liam attend the same school I'm at.
Here's a sample of September through pictures -
We've wanted to get some zoo time in before it closes for the year. We've had some great trips.
Liam and Lilly playing knights
The princesses encountered some pirates
Liam and Lilly looking for treasure as pirates
baking cookies
Lilly loves Daisy and is so gentle with her
The kids painted pumpkins to decorate the house for fall.
best photo-bomb ever!
We've felt a little claustrophobic with the corn behind us - it sure is tall!
looking for rainbows and splashing in puddles
Grandma Kusch bought Liam and astronaut outfit, which has been a BIG hit!
The kids found some worms after it rained
At Preschool, Liam read Dr. Seuss books, made a hat, and wanted green eggs and 'ham' at home.
We got a new corner cabinet, which is perfect for playing in.
Dave, Liam, and I went to a Redwings game with Grandma & Grandpa Kusch.
No more high chair!
First attempt at pony-tails
