Art?

This was the first time Grant decided to draw on himself with the marker. He was quite pleased with himself.

Miss Suzie

It was great to see Swahler and Suzie on their recent visit to California. We started off so well, picking flowers and having a great time. Our lunch together was a bit less than ideal, but it was so good to see them and get to catch up. Suzie is as cute as can be and impressed us with her large vocabulary and singing skills with "The Wheels on the Bus."

The Most Organized 3-Year-Old Ever

Soooo, how well organized are YOUR bath toys??

Grandma's and Papa's Visit

I've taken a long break from blogging lately. Partly because Blogger and I don't seem to get along anymore, and partly because we've been busy.

My parents came to visit this summer and we had lots of fun with them!

Back to School

Today is Grant's first day back to preschool. Wow, the summer went fast! He's not thrilled about going back at this point. He keeps asking to go to the Sunday one (Sunday school), not the Lego one (preschool). Hopefully he'll love it once he gets there and sees his old friends. Poor little dude's backpack is almost as big as he is.

"Mommy"

This is Grant's drawing of me. I'm very leggy.

Snails

Grant is obsessed with snails. When my mom came to stay with him for a couple of days, they collected 22 snail shells. We recently went out for a walk one evening and found a big snail and a little snail and brought them home in Grant's bug jar. He was pretty excited about it.

Jack's Birthday

We got to celebrate Jack's second birthday with him! There was a new power pole being installed across the street from his hosue so we went to watch the big crane at work. Afterwards, we went to the mall to see the fish and ride on the Merry Go Round. Thanks for letting us celebrate with you, Jack!

"Help"

I had a load of laundry ready to fold the other day and Grant found some kitchen towels in the mix. He pulled them out and told me that they go in the kitchen. He insisted on putting them away himself. So I folded them for him and sent him on his way. He skipped back into the room really quickly, so I asked him if he put the towels away and he said he did. Apparently this was his idea of putting the towels away in the kitchen. He was so pleased with himself for "helping."

Grant and Emma at the Park

Grant and Emma have become really good pals. Even though neither talks a lot, they seem to love being around each other. They chase each other around and squeal at home and play side by side, without need of words, at the park.

Cleaning Day at Home

Mondays are cleaning days, and Grant was such a great helper to me today. Not only did he clean up his toys and help sort laundry, he entertained himself while I worked away. I was working in the kitchen and hadn't seen him in a while so I looked in the living room and found that he'd made a train. He had filled the boxes with toys and was making train noises as he sat there. I asked him about his train and he said it had "box cars." I think he's going to like puns as much as his mom and Papa Jordan.

Later he helped me wash a few things in the kitchen. He insisted that "Granta do it" (he frequently refers to himself as Granta) and I was pleased to have the extra set of hands. I think he's got the hang of it!

Snake

Grant was out riding his bike today and I heard a rustling in the bushes. I looked down and saw one of these guys slithering around. I'd never seen such a big snake out in the "wild" before. Grant wanted to go back and see it again, but I decided we should go inside and make sure it wasn't dangerous. He said he wants to "show Grandma" when they go on their walks next week. I think it's one sight she'll be happy to miss.

Visit to Gramma and Papa's

Last week we visited Nate's family. It had been almost a year since we'd been there for a visit, and we had a great time. Grant was SO EXCITED the whole time and was almost literally bouncing off of the walls. He loved playing with his cousin Ella. They would giggle and squeal at the top of their lungs and chase each other around the house.

On Saturday, we celebrated Grant's 3rd Gotcha Day! I can't believe he's been part of our family for 3 years already. Time flies! We had a space themed party and were thrilled to get to celebrate with family. The pinata was a bit of a disaster. Grant didn't care too much about hitting it, then got hit in the face with a piece of the stick we were using, then finally broke down completely when Nate finally broke it open. You had to be there to really appreciate how funny it was...we were all laughing so hard.