Here in Michigan

Liam at the Children's Museum

We are still having fun. It's a little hectic this week as Ryan is back to school and work. I am working five hours a week from home. Well, I'm supposed to be working five hours a week from home. But it seems to be closer to ten at the moment. My replacement starts next Monday so I'm sure we'll get there! And we are thankful for the income. :)

Here are some photos. CLICK HERE. To check out.

Liam is learning so fast now. He can read early reader books with some help (For example, The Cat in the Hat, Are you My Mother?)  Shelley also found some old books on tape and a cassette player for Liam, which he adores. Today we went to the library and I was excited to see that they have books with companion tapes. We checked out two (the limit) and brought them home. He's been enjoying a book called Mud Pies this evening while going to sleep. Liam is also quite the cook. While Jude naps in the mornings, Liam and I prep all the food for lunch and dinner. He is so focused and such a joy while cooking with me. It's also great for his math skills!

Jude is about ready to take his first steps. He's let go of support a few times recently and tried taking a step this week. He seems undeterred by falling--no fear. A few weeks ago he climbed our flight of stairs (with me behind him) by himself. He is also starting to really understand language. Yesterday Ryan told him to put a block into a wooden box, and he followed directions. Today, I asked him to point to the baby in his book, and he did. He just loves Liam and follows him everywhere, often trying to copy him. He's started eating regular table food if it's soft. Tonight he had some falafel and loved it! I've also started giving him a cup with lid to drink water. His eyes are also still changing color. They were gray-blue, then blue, and now they are starting to look more green. I wonder what color they will settle on! Hard to believe he's almost a year old already.

That's about it for now. Be sure to check out the new photos!

Some more pictures

Of your favorite subjects and mine...the Kilgore boys.  Click Here. 

Things are going well here. Today was my last official day working in the office. I'm sure I'll be popping in from time-to-time and I'll be training a new person when he or she starts. But for now I'm just working five hours per week from home.

Ryan will start his new position on Monday as a Graduate Assistant for the PhD director, Tom Shepherd. He will work about 10 hours a week and I'll stay home with our boys.

And of course in a not too long we will be moving back to the Northwest. Just one more semester for Ryan! He starts classes a week from Tuesday.

I'm doing some preschool-like themes with the boys at home. If you're curious about the kinds of things we've been up to, check out my activity blog. Last week we did a theme on rainbows and rainbow colors and the week before we centered our activities around hats. You'll see these in the photos.

Happy Half-Bithday Liam!

As you all know, the plague hit our family this last winter--and that meant canceling Liam's birthday party in February. I figured we'd do it in March, but then we were all still sick. I thought, OK, we'll do it in April. Nope. Sickness again. Then it was finals and traveling, and.....

 SO. We decided to have a "half birthday" party for him. And I'm glad we did it. It was a blast. Summer parties are more fun anyway.

Liam and Jude poolside at the Birthday Bash

Check out photos of the party and other excitement, including some from our trip to California. There are a lot of photos to see! CLICK HERE.

Happy Father's Day!

To all the Dads, we hope your day was fabulous. Here are some pictures to make it sweeter.

Click Here.

Pictures of our boys

Hello from Michigan summer. Click HERE. 

What's new with us

I spent a good chunk of Liam's birthday money on art supplies, and let me just say MONEY WELL SPENT! He now spends 1-2hrs a day (30-45 minutes at a time) doing art projects. His choices include stamping with alphabet stamps, watercolor paints, finger paints, painting on his easel, drawing on the chalk board with chalk, or on paper on the easel with crayons or markers, making things with clay, and beading. Our house looks like a preschool as he churns out 2-5 masterpieces a day and I have them all over the walls and fridge. :D

Jude started crawling this week! He crawled three "steps" yesterday and is trying very hard again today. Liam is so cute and cheers him on. I just love watching them interact. He's also eating more solid foods now and pulled himself to standing (from sitting) in his crib today.

Ryan's in school, of course, but watching the boys in the afternoons while I work as well. It's been an adjustment, but I think it's getting easier for everyone.

More photos to come soon.

More May pictures

Click Here.