It's Fall!

We have been enjoying some beautiful fall weather here lately with days still warm enough to play outside without a hat on and gorgeous blue-skied, sunny afternoons.  The trees are all turning colors and some are already losing their leaves.  Everyone around us has been taking advantage of the last "good" days as well before winter hits and there have been a lot of activities going on and some fun crafts to do as well.  Just yesterday we went to an afternoon event at Jakub's pre-school called "jablečkovani."  I'll have pictures of it to upload later.  We enjoyed lots of activities and crafts to do with apples- including making an apple tree with paper apples, using apples as stamps to paint with, and making home-made apple strudle for the children to enjoy the next day (today!) for their snack.  It was a lot of fun and I'll write more about it when the pictures come in.

Here are some pictures of a craft Sofia and I did together after taking our morning walk.  She liked collecting the leaves and loved even more painting with her hands!  She was very patient for the whole project and very proud of the results.

We also have a beautiful rose-hip bush near our home and so we couldn't resist picking one of the last nice-looking buds before they are all gone.  Czechs enjoy this flavor of tea very much so they pick them from these local bushes and dry them at home to keep for the winter.  Sofia just likes permission to pick anything "pretty," so she was happy to bring these things home today for our project. :)

Here are a few more things going on around here lately:

We are enjoying some of the gifts Grandma sent us from the U.S. recently with some visitors who came to see us from Arkansas.  They are from our church in Fayetteville, and elder and his wife, who oversee and support our work here in Olomouc.  We had a blessed and wonderful visit with them, and they were kind enough to bring us a suitcase full of things from Josh's parents, who go to church with them and know them well.  Sofia and Jakub LOVE goldfish crackers- you can see Sofia thought they were finger-lickin' good. :)

Sofia loves bath time, as long as brother isn't in it.  Neither one thinks they have enough space when the other is there.  She recently has been learning, by herself, to put her face in the water and hold her breath.  You can see some picks of her trying, which she thinks is hilarious.  And of course I had to take a picture of her curls because I love them so much and don't know if they will stay or not.  I had similar ones and they are forever gone.  And she likes to like the water off of her toes.  Gross. ;)  And so adorable all at the same time.

Some other things she's doing now at 20 months:
- Repeating any word we ask her to and saying plenty on her own, not always clearly.
- LOVING to dance, especially with Barney and Baby Bop.
- Hopping around and trying to skip
- Practicing using the kid potty, but not regularly yet and with plenty of accidents
- Starting to eat at the table in a booster sometimes
- Going to bed well on her own (has been for quiet a while) and without much fuss or crying when we leave, if any
- Learning to be less picky with foods again and eat more if we eat it as well
- Trying to count to three and repeats after us well up to ten
- LOVES to play with and blow in her own bubbles
- Likes to play with other kids, especially girls, but gets really quiet while doing so.  Can be pretty social when she warms up and isn't afraid to play with others, but doesn't like to hear them cry and asks me why and wants to give them something to feel better, which is so sweet and tender-hearted
- Fights with brother like a big girl sometimes, gets mad if he won't let her do something alone
- Is very independent and wants to try things alone, won't let us help, and yells "no" at us sometimes if we try to help or have to do it for her
- Gives the best spontaneous hugs and kisses

And one last great picture to end with of both kids:

 

Sweet good-bye kisses before brother goes to school.  She calls him Bubo right now (boo-bow), which is her way of trying to say Kubo (koo-bow), the way Czechs call him.  So cute! :)

Let's Celebrate!

We're so cheesy-happy in this picture, which we took yesterday, because Sofia had just successfully used her kid toilet for the first time. :)  She has been showing interest in this for a couple, or maybe even few, weeks now, but I had not taken the time to help her except to let her sit on it with her diaper on any time she asked.  However, yesterday, I realized we had nothing to really do that morning except be at home together and it was time to give it a try and give her this attention she's been wanting.  So after 30 minutes or so of running around playing and talking about what to do, she then suddenly got wide-eyed, ran over to it and sat down, and within a few seconds was using it.  She had the biggest grin on her face afterward.  It was so sweet!  I took a ton of pictures with our still camera, and this one with the kindle.  It was a good start to this process and even though it's round two for us as parents, it's still just as enjoyable watching her go through her milestones and achievements as it was the first time with Jakub.  And it's also a joy to see how proud Jakub is of her when he founds out good news like this.  He hugged her and congratulated her as well.  So much love!!

And today there's another reason to celebrate as it's my Mom's birthday. :)  I wish I was there to celebrate with her, but hopefully some day in the future we'll share many more birthdays in person.  Today in Olomouc it's exactly her favorite kind of day outside, which makes me really happy to experience on her birthday.  It's gorgeous outside with blue skies, crisp cool air, and trees half-way turned in fall colors.  Thank you God for a good day on my Mom's birthday.  I love you, Mom (Nana).  Happy Birthday!

První den školky!!

Monday, September 1st Jakub started back to pre-school.  They start back to school later here, than in the U.S., but that's because they typically attend school until the last day of June.

Jakub was pretty nervous about going back to school this year.  I didn't know this until we were away at our vacation place one week prior to school starting back again.  Of course we were chatting with him every once in a while about school to get prepared for the idea, and then one night at bed time I went to check on him and found him teary-eyed and nervous that his friends were not going to want to play with him or they would make fun of him.  I think he meant because of him speaking Czech or not understanding each other.  It broke my heart to see him worry over these things.  We did our best to reassure him, to talk about the wonderful things he would get to see, do, and learn, and then we prayed with him and encouraged him that God would watch over him and help him with everything.

Well, the first day has already come and gone and he did fantastic!  He was slightly nervous but also very excited to go the first day.  He was so sweet that morning getting ready and then when I got to school and then when we got there we were changing into his indoor pants and house shoes and he started to put one pair of pants over another.  He laughed and then said "uhh, I don't want anyone to see how nervous I am." :)  It was so cute and again I just reassured him that everyone felt a little nervous inside and also excited to see each other.  After that he was more confident and after giving me and Sofia a sweet little hug and kiss he confidently walked into the classroom and said "Dobry den!" to his teacher and friends.  It was good to see so many familiar faces and to know he has the same teachers he has always had so far and that they love him and are very good to him.

The first week has been a success so far.  He's been sweet, kind, and as far as I know well behaved at school.  He's gone to school well each morning and had good stories to tell us in the afternoons.  He's definitely more tired in the evenings, but that's normal! 

Here's a picture of Jakub with one of his teachers.  Please pray with us for him, his friends, and his teachers that they will all have a blessed school year.  Thank you!

Family Vacation August 2014 - Part 1

After a very full, very blessed, work period over the last 6 months, with the peak of work being in the months of June and July, our family decided to get away in August for some family time.  For this vacation we decided to take it slowly, focus on family life and the simple things, and get away somewhere quiet.  Josh found us a "chalupa," or small cottage, in the hillside of northern Czech Republic.  The village was called Svobodne Hermanice.  The nearest, larger city was about 20 minutes away by car- Opava.   It was a beautiful village and our chalupa was nice with a lovely yard outside.  That was the thing I looked forward to the most, the yard.... and no internet access.  I wanted very much to just play with the children, explore, have the freedom to be outside and run and play and do things we typically can't do living in the city and in an apartment building. 

The kids enjoyed various new experiences and challenges at our cottage.  They also enjoyed more freedom than before with this area being private and having a fence and gate around the entire area.  Sofia loved running and exploring unhindered.  Jakub learned to make fires both outside and in for the grill and fireplace.  

Here Jakub's helping cook our dinner - grilled chicken legs.  He was so happy learning so many new things this week.  He also learned a lot about outdoor life and nature.  On day one he was very concerned about the bees and would scream and run away.  By mid-week he ignored them and by the end he would stand still if they were on him and then let them fly away again.  He said he was "brave." :)

Jakub also learned to jump rope.  I enjoyed so much teaching him different sports activities, or just doing them alongside him.  It was refreshing to be outside often and to be active together.  He was extremely proud that he learned and with Josh and I turning the rope he would jump in the middle of it up to 7 times before stopping. My favorite was doing it together as I threw the rope over both of us.

 

I can't remember why she was so serious.  Still cute, though. :)  One of the favorite events was blowing bubbles each day.  Sofia learned to blow alone and they both loved to chase them as we blew bubbles for them.  Sofia loved it so much she learned in one day to say "bubble" to let us know she was ready to do it again. :)  

That's all for part 1.  I've got to get to bed.  Tomorrow is the first day of school and we have to get up early with Jakub to get ready.  He's a little nervous, and a lot excited, and I'm both alongside him.  I'm praying for a good school year, for good friends at school, for patient and loving teachers, and for lots of new things learned. I look forward, for him, to all of the things this year can bring.  I hope it will be a blessing to him and that he will do well.  I'm so thankful he will once again have the same 2 lovely teachers he had last year.  They have been wonderful to him and to our family and I gain a lot of comfort by him being with them again.  I think he will, too.  Please pray with me for him, his classmates, and his teachers.  

A few things I want to remember about our vacation before I go:

1.  It was extremely cold in the evenings, and sometimes all day with the rain, and the fireplace was our source of heat.  The kids slept in fleece pajamas and punčochy in August.  Crazy.

2.  Both kids wet the bed the first night and I had to do a lot of laundry by hand in the sinks.  Reminded me to be grateful for modern technology and the ability to own a washing machine.

3.  There was a radio in the kitchen and Jakub loved to turn it on while we were cooking and have dance parties with Sofia.

4.  I can still hear Sofia standing at the front door and "counting" (un, uh, ee, uhn, uhh) while we all ran around the yard hiding.  She loved to look for us and find us.  She would squeal and dance when she spotted us.

5.  Teaching Jakub to jump rope and him feeling so proud and accomplished after learning.  

6.  Sofia learning to say Bubble so she could repeatedly ask for us to go outside and blow them.

7.  Watching Jakub be brave and ask to sleep downstairs alone in a new place just so he could experience sleeping on the top of a bunk bed.  He did it and loved it- all week.  So sweet.

Ok, more later.  Off to bed.  Good night!

Almost 18 months...

Well I've been away from this blog for a while.  Our summer life here is just too busy for me to keep up with writing, but hopefully things will slow down back to normal in the coming month and I'll get back to recording all of these beautiful memories I'm making with my sweet kids.

Our summer has been full of wonderful moments so far.  Jakub finished the school year well with lots of fun trips with his class mates and special events- like an all-day trip on a bus to a nearby castle and village to learn a little local history.  They also had a "children's day" at school where they did many different intellectual and physical events to challenge the kids.  And probably his favorite day was the one where they had a bouncy-house on the school lawn all morning and the kids were able to jump and play in the gorgeous weather.

 

We've also been enjoying buying the fresh, local summer produce.  He loves the green peas and strawberries.  Sofia will eat them as well if they aren't too hard.  It's nice to eat such fresh things when it's too hot out to want to cook much.  And of course there's the summer ice cream. :)

 

Miss Sofia got her first ice cream all to herself a couple of weeks ago.  She loved it.  I can't believe this sweet girl is going to be 18 months old soon.  We had her check-up this week at the doctor and everything looks great.  She weighed 14.0 kg, or roughly 30 lbs and was 81cm tall (we think, she wouldn't stand still much... maybe she's 82cm).  She has 10 teeth and can say several words now:  mommy, daddy, Jakub, ball, spoon, huff-huff (doggy), please, up, tady (here)... I think that's about it.  And she jabbers all the time, but it all sounds the same. :)  She's quiet when she hears music or singing, but she can't stop from swaying or dancing.  And she usually claps for people when it's over.  It's very sweet.  She sleeps through the night and usually from 8 to 8.  She takes one nap a day from around 1130 to 130pm.  She would rather be outside playing or on a walk than inside, which I love. Jakub is the same way.  

Ok, that's all for now.  I have to run.  The kids are doing great, though, and I'm looking forward to some really great summer moments together now that Jake's out of school and the summer camps are behind us.  :)

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School Play - Besidka 2014

Here are some pictures from Jakub's Mother's Day school play this year.  He did wonderful in it- he sang well (and so loudly!), was a part of one poem reciting, and danced with his partner well.  I could tell he was proud of himself and afterward I was thankful to hear the teacher compliment him on his understanding and speaking of the Czech language now- almost like a native.  It's a blessing to hear those things and answered prayers for sure.  He's doing so well at school now, behaving so nicely, and enjoying being there with his friends and teachers.  I can't say enough about these 2 teachers he has had for his first 2 years of school.  They have been patient with him, and us, as we have learned what it means to attend school in this foreign place.  They have been so kind to us and encouraging of the progress Jakub has made in the language.  I'm glad Jakub enjoys learning, is eager to excel at something, won't give up easily, and also enjoys his friendships and being with other people.  And I just love his school!  Ok, here are the pictures:

First Motorka ride!

I got out Jakub's old motorka (Czech for little motorcycle - which all kids first learn to ride) today and let Sofia give it a try.  She loved it. :)  She can't put both feet flat on the ground at the same time, yet, but still she rocked back and forth while pushing herself forward and around the room.  Then she would get off alone and most of the time do it well.  She also liked to push it and carry it around the living room. :)  She was brave and not worried at all about being on it.  Just like Jakub used to be when he was her age, though he was 1/2 a year older when we first bought this and tried it with him.  I can't wait until she can ride it with confidence and we can go on some walks together outside with it.  This morning it was so pretty outside we did take a walk for about an hour.  She did well the whole time and I didn't have to carry her at all.  We wandered around our neighborhood and she enjoyed looking at and touching flowers and grass.  She also followed a lot of birds and dogs in hopes of catching up to them. :)  She can go pretty fast already and almost runs at times.  She's so sweet to watch.  Here are a few more things about her right now:

- She wears a size 4+ diaper and weighs about 12.5 - 13 kg.
- She has one pair of shoes, pink high-tops, and they are size 22cm.  I need to get her another pair as well as indoor house slippers, which is the appropriate thing for her to put on when we visit other homes, now that she walks so well everywhere.
- She still only has 2 bottom teeth, but clearly 6 others are on their way very soon and 2 have currently just come to the edge of the gums and have almost broken through.  We brush her 2 teeth at night with a little green tooth brush and she thinks it tickles so bad and laughs a lot.
- When she isn't having teething pain she sleeps through the night from about 730 or 8pm to 7-730am.  If she does wake up due to pain it's extremely hard to get her to stay in her own bed and not pick her up.  She's determined and will cry and cry, which we don't mind comforting her through, but at a certain point she starts to wake Jake and then it's hard to let him wake up on a school night, so then we end up rocking her back to sleep or taking her to our bed if she's really having a hard time. 
- She eats a lot of different things, but she definitely wants to smell first and slowly taste new things.  If she doesn't like it then she absolutely won't take another bite.  It's frustrating, but we're working through it.  Thankfully, she really does eat a lot of different things so it's not that bad.
- Her favorite foods right now are strawberries, blueberries, yogurt, chicken, rice, mashed potatoes, carrots, cheese, bread, apples, oranges, bananas, and as of last night - lemons.  raw.  wow.
- Her favorite thing to do is probably to play with brother as she adores him.  She also would rather be outside walking around than play inside.  I'm happy about that.
- When she hears music or singing she starts to do an adorable little wiggle dance and bob her head. 
- She LOVES Daddy and can definitely say his name and call for him.  She still won't call for me, but does occasionally and randomly say Mama.  She also uses "mama" to ask for food. :)
- She gives 1000 hugs and kisses to me, Josh, and Jake throughout the day.  She loves to give affection and gives it so freely.  She is super, super sweet natured and I love it so much.

Ok, that's all for now.  I could go on forever about these kids.  They're awesome. :)