just liked this one

the look

We didn't quite capture it, but this is close to the look Morgan can shoot at her brother when she's annoyed:

1..... 2..... 3.....

Apparently, Morgan taught Athan to count. Yep. When we were in Oklahoma this weekend, I was holding Athan counting something. I knew he could count to 3, but I was shocked when he followed my "5" with a very clear "6." So we kept going.

"7" - Mama
"8" (more like "at," but we'll take it) - Athan
"9" - Mama
"10!" ("tehhhh"), followed by giggles and clapping - Athan

I had no idea he knew all those numbers. I'm guessing this must be sister's doing. Yeah Morgan for being a good teacher! Yeah Athan for counting to ten!

back home and sleeping lots!

We made it back home late last night after a great time with Ryan's fam (maybe not-so-great time as a Raider fan, but oh well...). The kids did great - especially on the plane rides. In the few hours since our arrival home, we've all slept as much as possible! I suspect Nana will send me some pics from the weekend, so I'll post when those arrive (I never take my own camera when Nana or Aunt Brittany will be there - what would be the point? :-)

We couldn't be Strebecks

If we didn't change our plans last minute. Again. :)

So the kids and I are joining Ryan, and we'll make the trip to OK together. Sort of - Ryan and Athan will take a different flight there than Morgan and I, but we get to fly home together.

We get to see all of Ryan's immediate family, which will be great fun. Kentucky fam - we'll miss you and see you all next week.

couple recent favorites

after a rocky start

We had a really good day. I feel MUCH better. There's a tiny bit of soreness left, but nothing that keeps me from functioning normally and enjoying it.

Morgan got to play with friends this morning, which always makes for a good day for her. My little extrovert just needs people-time.

Athan had a great therapy session this morning, showing off all his cool tricks for Amanda. He is over all of his sick-ish-ness, and is in the best mood lately! He is increasingly "talkative." It takes a trained ear to understand what he's saying, but I'm confident his speech is developing well.

Ryan, poor guy, is still drowning in books. In addition to his backpack, he is carrying a suitcase full of research back and forth to campus right now. A small suitcase, but still - a suitcase! After he survives the next couple of days, he gets to go to Oklahoma to see his family and watch the Red Raiders win! It will be a well-deserved mini-vacation.

Thank you!

Better today. Morgan is at a friend's for the morning (thanks Trish!), and Athan will be asleep soon, so I get to recover a bit in a quiet house. Thank you all so much for the comments, e-mails, texts, and calls. I feel better already. I think I might even be able to eat lunch! ;)

Athan is in the living room entertaining Amanda (VIPS therapist) with "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and every forth or fifth letter of the "ABCs." Too funny.

if anyone's reading tonight

The Strebeck house could use some prayer tonight. Ryan's up against a deadline - big paper due. Kids are healthy and energetic.

I'm sick. Sore on my tonsil - can't swallow or talk. Did I mention Ryan is not available much (though he wants to be - tearing him up to have to work)?

Thanks, friends and fam!

a treasure

It was a simple thing. My friend Sarah said "I am so proud of Athan."

Me too. Makes me a little smiley-teary...

Thanks for telling me, Sarah.

delayed post-London post

Selena just sent me some more pics of my reunion with Athan. Had to share!

hold me!

the budding artist, again

Morgan really likes to color, as I've described before. We started introducing the notion of staying inside the lines, which was NOT well-received at first:
Then one afternoon during Athan's physical therapy, Jordan Whorton sat at the table and colored with Morgan, showing her how to color different items on the page with different colors and stay inside the lines. Later, when I showed Morgan that page as an example, something clicked. Inside the lines became cool. These are the pics she colored (for Aunt Brittany and Auntie B) out of the Haloween book that Auntie B sent her in the mail:She's the next Renior, I just know it.

tonight

Athan spent the evening emptying cabinets... again:
and of course, wearing the contents of said cabinets as a hat:
Many thanks to Erin for this idea - she LOVED it!

i'm bored, are you?

My posts keep saying the same thing: We sleep, then we don't, then we don't some more, then we might a little, then we don't again... Whatever. I'll let you know if we make it through the night again. :)

For all our friends who don't live here, a little window into our lives:

I have been oh-so-fortunate to swap babysitting with a few families here in Wilmore the past couple of years. It means that Morgan gets to play with kids instead of squirming through the marathon UK days when Athan has several appointments, and that Ryan and I get to go out once in a while for a date! :) It also means that we have a constant flow of our friends here with us to play. Just this week - Micah (4) and Isaiah (3) were here this morning, Claire (almost 2) will be here Wed/Fri/Sat morning, we get to go to Mackenzie's (5) and Nathan's (1) house on Wednesday, Margot (2) will be here tonight, and Maddie (3) will be here on Thursday afternoon. It is so good for both my kids to learn to play with others, and I am so glad to get to be here and watch/help as they do. We have gotten to know these really great kids and families, too!

ok, not so much sleeping again

Long night again. The cold seems much better and he's pooping, so I don't know what is waking/keeping him up. Maybe teething.

better already

Athan was up for an hour last night, but that is about normal for him. He is also more himself today - a little happier and less clingy. Yeah! :)

Morgan's friend Claire is here to play, so she's having a great time.

Big sigh of relief from Mama...

second-longest day ever

Still almost no sleep for boy last night. Poor guy. (I think I forgot to post this part - yes, we've been to the doctor and he's got meds to help out. Still just harder for him to get over stuff).

Which means very little sleep for Mom and Dad. Ryan is amazing - he does the difficult shift and still goes to class and translates his Greek. I tend to get FAR less done after a night like last night. I'm swimming in dirty dishes, dirty laundry, dirty kids and a dirty house, but I did get a nap. :)

Morgan is doing better today. Just seems to be in a better mood. Whew...

longest day ever

No one slept much last night.

Athan is still sickly. Like I said, he just has to work harder to get rid of snot and such. He's whiny and SUPER clingy. My left arm might fall off.

Morgan had an off day. We had 2+ hours of World War III over one bite of carrots at dinner.

Nobody wins when that happens.

I'm going to bed.

one more tonight

Lately Morgan LOVES to help me cook. We've been trying hard to find things that a nearly-4-year-old can do to help with dinner. She can handle more than I expected. She is very good with stirring, and she can actually peel carrots! Not quickly, but who's watching a clock?
And her other favorite activity...

glasses

Athan has had some glasses for a while now, but I've had very little luck getting him to leave then on his face. But Ryan's cousin Amy suggested we try again while he was watching a video to help him get used to wearing them. It has gone pretty well! He still pulls them off about every 8 or 10 minutes, but I can usually get him to put them back on and leave then alone for a while. Maybe Baby Einestien will be the trick to help him wear his glasses more often.

halloween, pt 2

Morgan and Mama went to a great event called Treats on Main. Here in Wilmore (just a stone's throw from our front door), all the businesses and churches on Main street have employees out in costume to give away candy and other bits and bobbles to the kids. The Methodist Church gives out free hot dots. The owners of the Sub-way give away cotton candy (illustrated below). You get the idea. It's a huge crowd of fun costumes, familiar faces, and free sugar.Ryan stayed home for Athan to rest and eat since he has been sickly. They made a brief appearance just before we all came home.

After Treats on Main, Morgan and I went to a party hosted by our friends the Jaggers and the Graces. Oh what fun! Morgan got to go bobbing for apples (she almost immdiately spotted the apple with a stem still attached and removed it by simply biting the stem - didn't even get her nose wet). She got to play in a sandbox, and Mom got to have good conversation with adults! :) Just before we came home, Morgan wowed the crowd with impromptu performances of a couple of her favorite songs. Good times for all! :)

like every other parent's post lately: Halloween! :) (part 1)

Morgan got to decorate the little pumpkin at Justin and Charis's house last weekend. Then her Daddy helped her carve the big one (and roast the seeds) the next day. She loved it.


As to the costumes - Morgan said she wanted to be Darby. The new Winnie the Pooh cartoons have a girl character named Darby who helps Tigger and Pooh solve mysteries:


So here's our version :-):

some catching up

Morgan is coughing a little, but she is almost out of the woods now. Athan, per usual, just takes a little more time and effort the kick a cold. He's still coughing quite a bit, nose is running, and he is not sleeping well at all.

Ryan is showing signs of getting sick, too. Poor guy sounds like he's going through puberty again with all the voice cracking.

With the exception of some lost sleep, I'm well.

Ok, details out of the way. On to the fun part: pictures.

yeah!

GO RAIDERS! :)