Farewell to 2009

What a year it was...

We arrived back in the US on December 21, 2008 with Sasha and the past year has given us plenty of excitement as we've watched our family grow and change. Serik and Sasha love to play and laugh with each other. It's amazing to hear their laughter echoing through the house. We also get to hear the 'that's mine - mom - sasha took my toy' etc.

The kids have been growing by leaps and bounds - Serik is about 35lbs and 39 inches tall - while Sasha is 30lbs and 32 inches. Serik continues to be sweet and kind-hearted with other kiddos: inviting others to play and trying to console ones who are upset. His smile lights up the room and he is exerting more independence daily. He has learned to write his name and is working on sounding out words. He also tried out his bike without the training wheels in late fall. Did pretty well - but now it's too cold to do much biking outside so we'll have to put that on the back burner until Spring. He's also really taken to swimming, having gotten more used to the water at the lake this summer and we are taking lessons every week.

Sasha is 90mph unless she's asleep. Not only is she full of energy she is also loud, strong, independent, flexible and has a big personality. She is set to begin speech therapy in the next week or two - she's very vocal but is 'speaking' in a language that we can't understand - thankfully with a lot of gestures and sign language she gets her point across very well.She's finally up to 12 teeth 4 of which are almost all the way in. The combination of these two keeps us super busy....

Recent happenings:

We went to NH and the lake for almost 3 weeks in the summer to spend time with the Wachs side of the family. The kids had a great time tearing around the cottage and playing in the water. Serik would float in a tube without fear and Sasha had a tendency to run off the end of the dock or jump off the ladder - even if we weren't ready for her. Eek.

Our Kaz travel partners the Brabsons came to visit us at the lake. We hadn't seen them in over 2 years and it was great to see them and watch our kiddos (who are almost the exact ages of Serik and Sasha)play.

Summer ended with the MN State Fair - hot, fun and crowded..

This fall flew by with preschool for Serik, block play time for Sasha, trolley rides at the lake

apple picking,

pumpkin picking,

fall parties,

and visits from Mama and Papa for Halloween.

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house and I made my first turkey successfully. We head east for Christmas and are excited to see the Wachs crew (especially to see my sis-in-law's tummy as she and my brother are expecting their first baby in late Spring) ans extended family.

Quotes from Serik:

We were talking about writing a letter to Santa

Serik: "I know what letter i want to write to Santa"

Me: "You do?"

Serik: "Yup - I'm going to write him a letter 's'." - this took me a minute and then I realized he thought a letter to Santa was an actually 'letter' to Santa - as in a,b,c,d...

M: 'Serik, where are you?'

S: ' Under the train table'

M: 'Why?'

S: 'Hiding from Elmo'

M: 'You're hiding from Elmo?'

S: 'Yeah, we're playing hide and seek'

S: ' Shhh, don't say anything mom. I have talking to do'

S: 'Mmmm that was delish' (and no, neither of us say that word so we're not sure where he picked it up)

S: 'Mom, here's a cough drop. If you can't open it call me and I'll come up and open it for you.

M: 'Where are you going?'

S: 'Downstairs'

S: 'When I'm a daddy I'm to going to chew gum and ride a motorcycle.'

After telling him that broccoli makes him strong (he has also been told that other foods cause other things so we got this)... S: 'What does kettle corn make me? Does it make me poopy, potty, strong'?

S: Do you like stinky things? Do you like spicy things?

S: 'Sash - I'm worried about you - don't ever, ever do that again.'

S: ' I love it all the time it's good, good, good for me.'

Time Flies

It's been forever since I last posted so please excuse the tardiness. All I can chalk it up to is life with two kids. The craziness didn't double, it increased exponentially.

So....since I last posted:

Serik turned 3 and had his birthday at the MN zoo. They're great there and have them make a zoo craft, provide cake, give animal masks - all in a little alcove next to the Japanese Macaque which makes for interesting entertainment if you're trying to eat (i.e. they have quite red bums).

He also will be featured on two Target Halloween costumes in the fall: dinosaur and pumpkin so check out the tags on the costumes (you know the ones where you see what the costume is and how it looks on someone).

By early April Sasha had mastered standing and was cruising a bit but still had no teeth. She turned one and got in both of her bottom teeth within two weeks. She's still holding steady at two teeth as of 14 months (tomorrow).

At 13 months she decided that she needed to walk - same age as Serik - and she has avoided most of his starting to walk hazards. We have, thankfully, managed to avoid the bump on the middle of the forehead that is just starting to fade with Serik. She's pretty good about catching herself with her hands if she starts to fall.

So now we have two kids who are into everything and wearing us out. Serik is running full speed 90% of the time and Sasha is trying her hardest to keep up - even attempting running. No real talking yet for Sasha - lots of babbling and signing. I swear she has said, 'hi Dada' a time or two as well as 'all done' once but she's not as verbal as her brother, probably because she's going full bore trying to keep up with him.

So far this summer we've had Sasha's first trolley ride, playtime in the inflatable kiddie pool and Serik has incessantly been mow mowing and weed whacking (with pretend machines).

They are pretty cute together even if he does continue to be aggressively affectionate with her.

Morning greetings or after nap greetings involve a lot of hugging, pulling, squeezing, kissing, fingers in mouthing, etc. The latter cracked me up as tonight, just as I was getting ready to say for the 50th time, ' don't put your fingers in her mouth' - she clamped down with her gums as hard as she could...since her two teeth are only in front she missed his fingers but boy, he's in for it in a bit. She'll definitely be able to hold her own and is getting better at it by the day. I still feel like a referee though and have been told to get used to it.

My folks came out for a visit over Memorial Day weekend and spoiled the grandkids. We plan to head east in a month to see family and friends at the lake.

New conversations and quotes from Serik:

"Look mom there's a _______(fill in the blank), I have good eyes...and good manners."

"Mom, I'm worried about you. Sasha, I'm worried about you. Don't ever, ever, do that again."(This came out of me having to Heimlich him - yup - and saying I was worried about him and how he had to not put so much in his mouth, etc.)

"I love it alllllll the time (with arm outstretched). It's good, good, good for me."

"When I was upstairs I said to myself, I'm going to go downstairs and have a Popsicle."

" Mom, I want to keep them - I don't want to celebrate (separate) them."

"Mom and Dad do you want to go to the s-o-n-i-h (no it doesn't spell anything but he likes to get in on our spelling so he can't understand - although he doesn't get that's why we're doing it)?"

Standing with the fridge door open: "I've got to find something to eat...I'll share my apple with you mom."

When on the potty (which we're still working on): 'Mommy (or daddy), look, look, look - no listen, listen - see (with huge grin) I pottied!"

Mom: "Eat your dinner it will make you big and strong"

Serik: "What does kettle corn make me?"

M: 'Huh?'

S: Does it make me poop, (have to)potty, strong...?"

S: Here's a cough drop. If you can't open it call me and I'll come up and open it for you.

M: Well where will you be?"

S: Downstairs.

"Mom, do you like stinky things? Spicy things?"

"When I'm a daddy I'm going to chew gum and ride a motorcycle."

"When I'm a daddy I'm going to be a bird and flap my wings and ride a motorcycle."

"Can I be a girl so I can grow up to be a mommy?"

Favorite games: 911 emergency - and no I didn't tell him how to call that number so not sure who did. This is how it goes: Mom:'911 hello' Serik: '911 hello - you have an emergency' M: 'yes - hurt my foot (or the house is on fire, etc)' S: Do you want me to send a fire truck, or a police car, or a fire rescue truck or an ambulance?' M: Ummm, send an ambulance. S: OK - be right there. He then pushes one of his cars over and pats me on the foot and says 'alright you're all better.' The downside to this is that if something is stuck that he can't do he's said, 'we have to call 911' then I pretend to and he says 'no the real 911' - hmmm. We've had to reiterate the gravity of calling the real 911.

Zoo is another favorite which involves each family member being an animal except for the zoo keeper who has to walk around and ooh and ahh at the animals. Obviously Sasha doesn't cooperate appropriately with this game which leads to a few issues.

Loves riding his trike and big wheel and making up songs: "bicycle, bicycle, ding, ding....la, la, la"

Little miss Sasha does a great flex when prompted will have to post a video on YouTube but a pic is below. Enjoy.

Birthday baby

April

Pics are from Serik's 3rd birthday and our outings over the end of March and early April.

How time flies

I sit here with mounds of notes to remind me of all the goings on since we returned home in December.

Hard to believe that we've been home for almost 3 months and that Serik is almost 3 and that Sasha will be a year in April. We've all more or less adjusted to our new family of four. Serik is what we like to call affectionately aggressive towards his sister so I feel like I am constantly being a referee. She is all about her big brother and wants to be where he is and into what he's doing. This, as I'm sure you can imagine, causes him some distress. Sasha started to pull up this month and has gotten to the point where she stands every chance she gets. She's done a little bit of cruising and has even stood on her own several times for about 5-10 seconds while proudly pounding her chest in glee. She loves to walk while holding our hands and Serik likes to get in on the action by 'walking' her himself.

He also has taken to saying, 'mom, this is Sasha and this is Sasha (while pointing to Sasha and then himself)'. I must say the boy does do an incredible job of imitating his sister and all of her grunts and mannerisms. Still no teeth for Sasha - maybe by her first birthday. She is quite vocal and doesn't let us forget for a minute that she wants what she wants and we better get her whatever it is. Serik has been working on the potty - we'll go one week with a fair amount of success and then the next it's back to hiding behind chairs and under tables while he does his business. After he always requests a change and happily says goodbye to the poop while it's being flushed down the toilet. He also likes to evaluate the poop he does when he succeeds on going on the big boy toilet, for instance: ' Ooooh look mommy that's an alligator poop!' Of course they have also been monster and crocodile poop. We've been home a fair amount but also ventured out east to NH to see my side of the family and to try to get in a bit of skiing. We were going to try to take Serik but figured we'd wait until next year. Daddy has taken him ice skating with mixed results. Serik wants to play hockey but would rather lay on the ice and eat snow than actually skate. Hey the kid is still only two.

Sasha and Uncle Mike swimming at the hotel in NH and Serik with daddy in the pool. Serik has also figured out that things rhyme and is starting to understand that certain words start with certain letters and what sound they make. Ahhh our little over achiever. Here are some recent samplings of Serik quotes: Mom: 'Let's put on your clothes' Serik: 'No, no, no, no. I need to dance, then put on clothes and go do fun stuff.' Serik: ' I love the rice and chicken all afternoon.' Serik: 'I like water. Water is good, good, good for me.' Serik: After getting in the car with daddy, momma and papa (who were visiting) - 'I can't believe it, my mommy is actually not in the car!' This said with much distress since I was in the other car with Sasha and Auntie Caryn. Vanilla has been Gallila but I think it's slowly turning to vanilla which is kind of a shame since gallila sounds so cute. A few song lyrics from Serik's point of view: 'Ring around the rosie a pocket full of O me.' and from Jingle Bells: '...bells on toppa ring.' I've discovered that our little man has an active imagination and already has had several different imaginary friends that he 'talks' to on the phone. Example: (while holding the 'phone' between his ear and his shoulder - like mommy does) ' Hi rolly, oh no, no, no. Oh actually that would be fun.' While in the car: 'Oh thank you for turning the music on for me.' Serik: 'Mom I want to open the window.' Mom: 'sorry it's too cold out.' Serik: ' Ok, I guess I won't then.' Mom: 'Serik did you poop?' Serik: ' No, it was just gas. It's planet Earth.' At bedtime it's always a stall with mommy. Daddy has much more success. Serik: 'I have a questions - just one more question.' After crying for mommy to come up after he's been in bed apparently not sleeping. I finally caved and he said, ' Now you love me.' - ohh baby did that break my heart. Also, ' I love you in the whole wide world!' He loves to 'read' the book Gossie to us and it sounds so darn cute. Must make sure to get it on video. While eating corn: 'Ohhh, I'm so proud of my corn.' He's also become very fond of helping mommy cook. If you can call what I do cook that is. Here's a picture of a fun indoor activity in Minnesota when it's -24 out like it was in January. Playing 'carwash' in the tub with daddy's shaving cream. Sasha getting where she needs to go no matter what is in the way. In this case my leg. Until later....