our october news..

☼ Big E ☼

Doing well in school. He has surprised me with a natural math sense, that I do NOT possess. He is smart, smart, smart. It's amazing to watch him be challenged and then to be surprised at his own ability.

This month he lost his top front teeth.

That's six teeth gone now.

It's changed his face from a little guy face to something bigger,

older and a little sillier.

His love to cuddle and have his back scratched remind me that he is still my little guy...

☼ Miss E ☼

So girl.

Most conversations include "pretty" and most projects include glitter.

She is crazy smart just like her brother,

and enjoys listening in on the more advanced lessons

and blurting out the answers. Or just loud guesses.

She loves to help - with cooking, baby watching, closing car doors, shopping...

It can become a crisis of disappointment and drama if a job is not available.

In general Miss E is all sweetness or all tears.

Searching for attention in a busier year and a bigger family.

We make sure to have time with the kids as individuals,

for small things like a trip to the hardware store with Dad

or playing at a friends house without siblings.

I'm sure it could happen more often...

Any other ideas?

☼ Baby E ☼

Smiles at everyone.

This month has been full of big milestones.

This month we are

six months old,

scooching around the floor,

getting our first two teeth,

trying out solid foods,

sitting up unassisted,

making new intentional noises.

And he rediscovered that he can stick his tongue out.

All the time.

Baby E also had his first solo adventures as

Mommy and Daddy did some celebrating at a wedding.

A triumph! And a might big shout-out to our brave friends

who took such good care of him.

pants.

I got this cute fabric to make some camera lens bags,

but once I got home it didn't really go with my camera bag...

So, it got reassigned to a wallet for me and these "Simple Baby Pants"

for Baby E.

The pattern was truly simple.

And with an extra inch or two on the top of the waistband there is room for the big cloth diapered booty. Hooray!

VEGETABLEmania

Beautiful things are getting ripe in our garden!
Purple Carrots! Round Carrots. White and Yellow Carrots!
Striped Cucumbers. Giant Red Potatoes!
Beets! Beans! Tomatoes! Peppers!
It's a veggie picking party every day. The kids love to harvest.
(except for the spiders...) (and the webs...) (I attempt to be brave.)
And I can't get enough pictures of chubby hands washing dirty veggies.
or chunky babies teething on purple carrots.
It's picture overload.

Homeschool

School has started at the Dreewes House.

We have decided to homeschool again this year.

Mr. Big E is in First Grade!

Little Miss E is doing PreSchool and a few Kindergarten Workbooks.

Baby E is learning to crawl, babble and perfecting his grabbing skills.

I think he can say “hi”.

Swimming Lessons and our Co-op Classes begin next week.

Although this is my third year formally educating my children . . .

I still don't feel like an expert. Some days are difficult, and some days are amazing.

I try to dwell about the good times because they are so sweet.

More secrets to come.

Like my cunning use of post-its.

And my beautiful organized shelves of curriculum.

Past the Five Month Mark

Teaching Baby E to Crawl.

So far he can roll, wiggle, sit up for a little while and scoot backwards.

He is FASCINATED with cups, straws, spoons and all parts of the eating game.

We plan start to solid foods in a few weeks and I have no doubt that he is READY!

He saves his biggest smiles for brother and sister.

I can't imagine a better little guy for our family,

he's a dreamboat!

#4

caramel apple,

lost tooth number 4,

Big E !

So how fun is a four month old boy?

Um... pretty fun!

He's teething big time. Anything he sees goes in his drooly little mouth to be chomped...

And now he can roll over, but ONLY if he's mad and wiggly.