A Rainy Day at the Aquarium

Painting Pumpkins

Pumpkin Patch

Dressed up for a night hike at the Chattahoochee Nature Center.


Asher at the pumpkin patch with the pumpkins he chose to take home.
















The Roth Sawatzky family on the hay ride.


The Chappell-Lakin family on the hay ride.


Waiting for the hay ride.


Four of the cutest kids in the universe.

Silas- Quiet Time

Silas is in such a great place right now. He is full of compliments for others, thrives on social interaction with others, hasn't had a temper tantrum in months, is compliant (one of my favorite phrases is "okay mom!) and he loves school. I think it also helps that we are out of the theribble threes and that he is super tired at night, and so he sleeps great. At school he is learning great social skills, as well as being pushed to use his natural social gifts, and he brings that home and uses them with his family.

The "routine" is very important to Silas. He reminds me daily of "what's next" in his day which flows as follows: wake up, eat, get dressed, brush teeth, quiet play time, leave for school, school time, lunch time, quiet time, tech time (computer or t.v. on Fridays), snack time, bike ride, playing outside, supper, bath time, p.j.s, play time with daddy, books, bed.

Above are pictures of Silas having quiet time on the front porch recently, and two other pictures of some work he did during quiet time. I thought his drawing of a bee was so cute that I had to take a snap.

Asher- My "Home School" Days With Mommy

I pretend- here I am a horsey with a mane and tail.









I take a quiet time (nap).








I play dress up.




I paint.


I do body art with stickers.


I potty train.

Fun with my Brother

A Sunday with the Silers

We feel so blessed to have found these friends. They are the ones we can call at the spur of the moment to go out to supper, ice cream, or as you see here, a Sunday afternoon at the park.

Grandpa Jake

We had a great visit from my mother's uncle, Grandpa Jake. He is 86 years old and sharp, with it, funny, flexible, ready to try new things, and technologically savvy with his cell phone in his pocket and his laptop at home. He loves kids and really hit it off with Silas and Asher. He and Silas had a joke that went as follows-

Jake: "Who are you, Charlie?"
Silas: "No, I'm Silas!"
Jake: "What? You're Charlie, well!"
Silas: "Grandpa Jake! I am not Charlie, I am Silas!"
Finish off with fits of laughter from both parties.

Jake also got to spend some quality chunks of time with Asher while my mom and I shopped at a second hand store. Jake pushed the stroller and was on Asher-duty. He taught Asher some Low German.

Jake: "Ney, ney" (no-no, while shaking your head).
Asher: "Yo, yo" (yes-yes, while nodding your head).
Jake: "Yo, yo"
Asher: "Ney, ney"
Finish off with giggles from both parties.

We Love Lots of Sleep!

We have been having really great nights, and as a result, great days lately. Last night the boys slept from 7:30p.m. until 7:30a.m. (Asher) and 8:15a.m. (Silas). This morning they are happy, higher than kites and playing together so well, that I am able to sit here doing this!!!!

Often on weekend mornings mommy and daddy sit with coffee in the parlor while the boys watch PBS Kids. When we have had lots of sleep there are no requests for TV. Instead we watch the boys perform tricks and tell jokes (Asher) and spout anthropological and biological knowledge (Silas) while we drank our coffee. So, this morning, while Asher was running around being a hawk/baby monster/dessert animal and practicing two footed jumps and handstands (yes, handstands- the guy's athletic!), Silas is looking at a National Geographic with David. They are looking at an article about Neanderthals and Silas (who is so excited about the article that he is hopping around on one foot) is observing all of the differences between Neanderthals and "mom, what are the other ones called, whisper it to me, oh yeah, homo-sapians!".

David: "Silas, do you want me to read this to you?"
Silas: "No, dad! I am going to read it to you.....(chuckling) oh, yeah, I don't know how to read- you can read it to me."
David: After reading bits of the article and Silas filling in gaps of information that he remembers from the first time he looked at the magazine with me, "What are you going to be when you grow up, an anthropologist- they study people."
Silas: "Dad! I already am an anthropologist, and a bug scientist, and a biology guy, and a paleontologist. I don't need to go to school for that, I know all that stuff already!"