Elijah is 4

In the midst of our traveling, I realized I forgot to post a 4 year old update on Elijah!  So, bit late but here goes...

Personality:  Elijah is an analytical, inquisitive, silly, somewhat reserved, kind boy.  

Likes: Reading, Legos, imaginative play, and asking 1,001 questions (a lot of them good deep ones even about life and death, or about how things work...such as Does Jesus drive in the sun??)  If you allow him, he will literally ask question after question after question with no end and he really is soaking in the answers and trying to put the pieces of life together.  He loves helping with everything from washing the car to helping to cook and he's very responsive when we give him a directed task to do and takes lot of pride in having done it.  This year he was really into the show Octanauts and Dinosaur Train and lately he's been loving reading nonfiction books about tractors and trucks and also  science books (especially the magic school bus) and he wants to understand every last detail about how things work.  He like to play with friends and cousins, play on playgrounds, ride his bike or scooter, color and draw (but so far he will only draw sticks, rocks, maps, and the sun since he claims that he is too insecure about doing other things "wrong").  He likes homeschool so far, especially because it's basically all reading and workbooks, both of which he loves.  He can spend countless hours playing with building toys (legos, marble run, etc).  His favorite foods are noodles and he really likes them "clean"  aka with no sauce.  He also likes fish, hot dogs, and muffins.  He happily eats almost all veggies, but is not a fan of lettuce yet.

New: Really interacting on a deeper level, room play time instead of nap time, drawing, playing board games, really make a transition from preschooler to kid.

Routine: Up at 7:30, homeschool about 1 hour in the morning or preschool for morning time, lunch at 12, play time from 1:30-3:15, clean up room all on his own, watch a show, dinner, then bed at 7:30.  We cut the afternoon nap just around 4 years old because it was getting too hard for him to sleep at 7:30pm...it was obvious he just wasn't tired.  It took about 2 weeks to transition it out and he has been doing great ever since!

Struggles:  Moments of temper tantrums when he doesn't get his preferences, he has forgotten most of his Portuguese so is struggling to feel connected to friends and Brazil since getting back.  He has resisted wanted to go to the kids programs at church since he doesn't understand what is being said.  This week he will begin preschool and we're hoping it will help him relearn the language quickly.

Lastly, for his birthday Elijah really wanted to have an Octanauts themed party.  We got a blue cake and put an Octanaut toy on top.  We played pin the Octanaut to the Octapod and had hot dogs, sea shell mac n' cheese and decorated the table with Swedish fish and goldfish crackers and a whole bunch of Octant toys.  Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Jamie, Noah, and Hannah joined us at Popi and G-ma's house for the simple party.  I keep laughing when I remember that Elijah wanted to pray for the dinner  and after thanking God for a bunch of things, he very seriously added "And thank you for the Octanauts all over the table".  

We just love this kid who makes us smile and enjoy life every day.  It is a joy being his parents and watching him grow!

Audrey is 1 1/4

I'm stunned at how much Audrey has grown and changed in just 3 months!  She is really making that change from baby to toddler, developing personality, finding her sense of humor, having a will of her own, and making us fall even more in love with her.  

We returned back home to Brazil this month we can say with confidence, that Audrey is a furlough All-Star!  She was flexible every step of the way, through late nights, traveling, being held by so many new people.  She even managed to time her teething perfectly to wait until our visitation time was over and have her 6 teeth break through in just 4 weeks while back in a routine at G-ma and Popi's house.  

Audrey learning to walk was unending Christmas fun and entertainment.  Everyone wanted to see her begin walking before we left the US, especially G-ma, but Audrey seemed to seriously lack motivation and confidence.  Countless times we all cheered her on as she stood, poised to take her first step and slowly sank down and smiled.  She loved to talk walks around the house holding Popi's finger (he was her favorite to walk with and would let go of anyone else's finger and go to him when he came in the room).  Finally she took her first steps walking from mom to G-ma - about 7 steps one day after Aunt Jamie had worked on her walking using occupational therapy techniques and attempts to lure her with a chocolate doughnut.  After that a few weeks passed with a few steps here and there, and finally in the last 48 hours before leaving the US she took more steps.  Now, back in Brazil she's finally getting the hang of it at 15 1/2 months.

Personality: Continues to be sweet, flexible, and generally a happy girl.

Likes: Dogs (even big ones), cell phones and remotes, jumping in her jumper still, being tickled, feeding herself, sitting in her high chair and eating, sleeping with her bunny blanket, noodles

New: Imitating a dog barking when we ask "What does a doggie say?", saying "Li-ja" for Elijah, calls out "Daaaaaadeeeee" for daddy, (nothing for mommy), signs "more" by clapping, knows what she wants and if she can't make is clear or doesn't get it can be a "bucking bronco" at times, eats absolutely anything and everything we offer, took her first steps at 14 1/2 months and now at 15 1/2 months is beginning to actually try walking out as transportation, curly hair (went from stick straight to curly as soon as we arrived in humid Brazil, playing intentionally with little people and other toys (such as stacking or putting people inside a house or making sounds)

Routine: Wakes at 8 (though sometimes keeps sleeping as late as 10 am or later if we let her!! Once she slept 16 hours straight!!)  This girl LOVES to sleep!  If she wakes at 8 she still takes a morning nap at around 10:30 and I wake her at 11:30 or so, just so the afternoon nap still happens.  If she sleeps in late we skill the morning nap.  Then afternoon nap approx 2pm-4:30.  Bed at 7:30.  

Struggles: The red rash from last update has continued until now, though she's doing a month long treatment for fungus/yeast which looks promising.  She also has heat rash on her neck since coming back.  I think the biggest struggle is the phase she's in in which she doesn't yet play very involved with toys.  She doesn't get into anything for very long so she wanders around bored at times, even though there are options.  So finding ways to keep her engaged even when I'm busy with household tasks is a challenge.  She also often hates baths and will scream.