Happy 15 Months Luke!

The big news this month is that you finally starting walking at about 14 1/2 months (almost exactly the same time that Ella started walking). You remind me so much of Ella in how you look, and even how you started walking. When I watched Ella's video of her first steps, it looks so much like you. Unfortunately, I can't find the video of Troy's first steps . . . hopefully I will find it!


Luke walking from Lisa Kennedy on Vimeo.



You continue to be extremely vocal, although you don't have a lot of official words yet. You have gotten more pronounced in the words that you do say. You also love to "sing" and we often here your sweet voice when we having the radio playing. You've also started signing "finished" more frequently.  You haven't picked up any new signs, but I think part of that is probably because I haven't been as diligent with you. I've started doing other signs with you more often recently though.

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You continue to be a picky eater, though you really do like to eat. When we put you in your high chair you start pointing and banging on your tray as if you are saying, "put the food right here!" You are also what I consider a very "suspicious" eater, as if we've given you something at some point that you really didn't like. When we give you food you often poke at it, pick it up and examine it, and then sometimes put it in your mouth.



You have a TON of teeth. When I took you to the pediatrician for your 15 month appointment, he "congratulated" you on all your teeth. Although you seem so big to me (probably because Troy was SO little for his age at this age), you are still only in the 25% for weight and the 20% for height. I still think your hands and feet seem big for your size, so maybe you'll grow into them. : )



You love playing with your siblings (for the most part anyway!), although you and Troy struggle sometimes. Troy still doesn't quite get that you can't "share" the way he thinks you ought to be able to share. Troy also doesn't always understand that you don't like him being right up in your face. You love to play "wrestle" with Ella, Troy, and Daddy. I think your favorite part is jumping on the pile. And, speaking of jumping, you love jumping and bouncing, especially when you are in your crib.



You LOVE the Christmas tree and all the decorations. When the Christmas decorations started coming out in the stores you'd point and yell at the decorations in excitement. You do a pretty good job listening to us to you "no" about touching the tree, but you'll go over by it, stare at it, and coo and talk to it. It is precious!

Signs you do: more (though you are "lazy" most of the time and do a modified clap instead of the official sign), finished (you do this sign a lot more these days).

Words you say: Mama, Dada, Eh-wa! (Ella), "anks" (thanks), "eeses" (Reeses), "eye" (hi)

Favorite foods: Yogurt, chicken (especially chicken nuggets/strips), grilled cheese, baby pouch foods

Favorite activities/toys: Books, balls, little figurines (like Mickey Mouse), cars. You love to "put things in things" as well as throwing. You also love to play chase with the other kids, and you've added a new level of "fun" since you started walking. You love to push things around too (boxes, your push toy - especially if Ella is riding on it, etc.).


Luke a couple of weeks after starting to walk from Lisa Kennedy on Vimeo.


Luke @ 14 months
Troy @ 15 months
I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old

Happy 14 Months Luke!

The biggest newsflash of the month is that you are still not walking! : ) I shouldn't be surprised though because Kennedy kids have a track record of being very fast crawlers, and very late walkers. You will take a step or two to try to get from one thing you are holding on to the next thing you want to hold on to, but that's about it. If we try to hold you up to get you to try to walk, you will be silly and not even let us put your feet down. You will "walk" if someone is holding onto your holds. Sometimes I think you almost seem more interested in climbing than walking.

You continue to be a very busy little boy. You love to play with toys and books. You also love to play chase with Ella and Troy. They like to play that you are the monster, and they will run away from you as you crawl quickly towards them. You really like your blankets, your pillow pet, and your little Mickey Mouse that you sleep with. You are SO sweet with those things.
You have an amazing ability to keep a straight face, no matter how hard some folks try to get you to laugh. I know you get that from your dad because I'm pretty sure I couldn't keep a straight face if my life depended on it!
You love to talk and communicate. You point and yell to get our attention or to point something out to us. You say "uh" all the time when you are trying to talk to us. Hopefully those "uhs" will turn into some more words soon. : ) You also really enjoy when there is singing or music. You often "direct" the singing during worship services. You will also put your hands together for prayers sometimes (and have been doing that for a few months now).
You are a very persistent little boy. Though you obviously know what "no" means, you are not often deterred when we tell you "no." Sometime you will even break out into a full-on cry when we tell you "no" because you don't like it. You are constantly on the lookout for our phones, the tv remote, the dog water, and cords. You are very quick at spotting things you cannot have!
You have a mouthful of teeth! You have really started wanting us to give you whole pieces of food that you can gnaw on rather than breaking it up. We've got to keep a very careful eye on you! You continue to be quite the picky eater, though I did finally get you to eat (and like!) some eggs recently (which you had been refusing before). One thing that there is no doubt that you like is ice cream. We had some one night at a restaurant and you were yelling at me because I couldn't get the bites to you fast enough. When it was time to leave, you yelled again because you wanted more. On a different occasion we were buying some Blue Bell and you screamed loudly with excitement in the store. I don't know if you really knew what it was or not, but it was too funny!

Signs you do: more (though you are "lazy" most of the time and do a modified clap instead of the official sign), finished

Words you say: Mama, Dada, Eh-wa! (Ella)

Favorite foods: Yogurt, chicken (especially chicken nuggets/strips), grilled cheese

Favorite activities/toys: Books, balls, little figurines (like Mickey Mouse), cars. You love to "put things in things" as well as throwing. You also love to play chase with the other kids.

Luke @ 13 months
Troy @ 14 months
I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old

Happy Fall Y'all!

Happy Halloween from . . .

Anna of Arendelle

Toothless the Dragon
and Superman!

   

 And, some fun at the pumpkin patch!

Happy 13 Months Luke!

So to say the last couple of months have been busy would be a huge understatement! I hate that I'm so late posting this, but I'm finally doing it now! Hopefully I won't get too confused with what you were doing last month and the current month. : )

You are a very, very busy little boy. This month we opened up your barrier (we'd been keeping you barricaded in the living room to play), and you've loved all the new places in the house you can explore. We've got the house babyproofed pretty well, but you always look to see if we forgot to put Reeses' water up. You love to splash in it and make a big mess if you find it within your reach.

You aren't walking yet, but you are a very, very fast crawler. You crawl like crazy chasing Ella and Troy. You also love to play "fetch" by yourself. You'll throw a ball or other toy across the room, and then crawl quickly to grab it and throw it again. 
You are into EVERYTHING.  You love to play with your toys and books. You are busy putting toys in baskets, buckets, or bowls. You love to "cook" (stir with a spoon or other object). You often carry your toys around as you crawl throughout the house.
For your first birthday we gave you a pillow pet and a super soft fluffy blanket. You LOVE them. You are so sweet with them, laying your head on them. You still love your Aiden and Anais blankets, and still like to chew on the tags. I'm thankful you like those swaddling blankets - so easy for us to carry around with us because they are lightweight and don't take up much space.
You have become quite the picky eater which is funny to me since you were a better eater than Ella or Troy when you were younger. You love bananas, yogurt, chicken, nutrigrain bars, grilled cheese, and quesadillas. You'll also eat other things, but you aren't consistent in what you like. One day you'll eat something, and the next you'll look at me like I'm crazy for giving you that food.

Signs you do: more (though you are "lazy" most of the time and do a modified clap instead of the official sign), finished

Words you say: Mama, Dada, Eh-wa! (Ella)

Favorite foods: Yogurt, chicken (especially chicken nuggets/strips), grilled cheese

Favorite activities/toys: Books, balls, little figurines (like Mickey Mouse), cars. You love to "put things in things" as well as throwing.

Luke @ 12 months
Troy @ 13 months
I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old

Troy's 4th Birthday Interview

1. What is your favorite color? Purple
2. What is your favorite toy? Dinosaur toy that has that man that has those things that shoot out
3. What is your favorite fruit? Oranges
4. What is your favorite TV show? Wild Kratts and Mickey Mouse
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Chicken nuggets and Macaroni
6. What is your favorite outfit? Disney shirts
7. What is your favorite game? Hungry Hungry Hippo. The game where the crocodiles try to bite the balls into their tummy.
8. What is your favorite snack? Popcorn
9. What is your favorite animal? Lion
10. What is your favorite song? This World Is Not My Home
11. What is your favorite book? Hiccup Clifford Book
12. Who is your best friend? Karsyn
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cereal with milk and sugar
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with our compass
15. What is your favorite drink? Coffee and Sweet tea
16. What is your favorite holiday? Easter and Thanksgiving 
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Puppy
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal
19. What is your favorite thing for dinner? Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes And Regular Meat - the sausage meat is the regular meat. I like sausage too. I like it so much. Whenever it is spicy on my tongue, I get a drink and I feel a little better.
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? a Christian {check this link}
21. What is your favorite movie? Puss in Boots
22. Where is your favorite place to go? My grandma's house
23. What is your favorite Bible story? Peter and John going in jail
24. What is your favorite memory verse? Genesis 1:1
25. What is your favorite letter? T O Y

Troy's 3rd Birthday Interview
All the kids birthday interviews

Six Things I Want My Young Kids To Know

Parenting is constantly on my mind. I can't imagine it not being on my mind when I have three little ones filling my house with stories, laughter, and even tears. Parenting is at least a daily conversation with my husband as we discuss how things are going with our children and how we'd either like to keep doing things the same way or how we need to make changes as needed. These are just a few of the things we want our young kids to know.

1. I want them to know that we love them. Seems obvious, right? But by understanding that we love them, we lay the foundation for everything else. Without that relationship, it would be virtually impossible to be an effective parent.
2. I want them to know that mama and daddy are a team. We make decisions together. One of us is not the "good guy" and the other one of us is not the "bad guy." They aren't going to "get away" with something with one parent, but not the other. We back each other up. We defend each other. And we both expect the best from them.
3. I want them to know that we want to listen to them and talk to them. In one of my favorite parenting books, Your Mama Don't Dance, the authors make the point that if you want your kids to talk to you when they are teenagers, you've got to talk to them when they are toddlers. What a profound thought! Communication is key to any relationship, especially the parent-child relationship. I want my kids to know if they want to talk (and they do!), we're here to listen to them.
4. I want them to know that we expect their respect. Ella and Troy probably couldn't define the word "respect" for you, but I expect them to know what respect looks like. Respect looks like obedience to their parents. Respect looks like not interrupting when adults are talking unless there is something really important going on. Respect looks like kindness to their siblings (and others). Respect looks like not leaving people out of the group. Respect looks like using "yes, ma'am," "no, sir," "please," "excuse me," and "thank you." Respect looks like listening to others. Respect looks like accepting "no" as "no" and not going on and on about something.
5. I want them to know that we expect their obedience. Something I read or heard somewhere really struck me when it comes to the idea of obedience. Part of the reason I want to my kids to be obedient is so that they can learn to be obedient to God. I do a great disservice to my children if I teach them that I don't expect them to obey.
6. I want them to know that God is not only first in our lives, He is the reason we live. That being a Christian isn't a part-time gig or simply another thing on our schedule. In order for them to know that, we must live it by the words we speak, the things we do, the way we act, and the things that we choose to be a part of.

The Perfect First Day of School

As I'm sure many moms do, I had great visions of how Ella's first day of kindergarten would go. I'd been prepping for a while, and had lots of great plans for our first day together.

And, all those plans and visions went out the window when I came down with the stomach bug the night before our first day of school.

We didn't get everything done that I had planned in her workboxes (for that matter, I didn't even get everything in the boxes because I got sick before I finished prepping). I didn't have the "enthusiasm" or energy I wanted to have. I couldn't do what I wanted to do with her.

But it was still a great first day of school.  We made it through the day. Ella LOVED it. She read books, and worked on her math. We marked the day off on the calendar and talked about the months of the year. We sang songs, and worked on a memory verse. She even got to start Spanish. It was a great day.

Our decision to homeschool

Happy 1st Birthday Luke!

You have been such a blessing to our family in your short life so far. The past year has brought a few sleepless nights, a few sticky messes, and a few stressful nap times, but most of all it has brought many days filled with your sweet smile. 

Though you don't officially "toddle" yet, you are definitely moving into toddlerhood. You cruise along furniture with ease. You've even come close to taking a step.  You have really good hand-eye coordination, and have become really good a throwing things. You definitely keep us on our toes!You love to play! You have really started getting to "play" with Ella and Troy. Though they have always liked to play with you, within this past month, there has definitely been a change in how you can play with them, and I think they really enjoy you being able to "do" more things with them. You are also content to play by yourself. You'll crawl around and play with your toys for more than an hour. You really enjoy putting things in things right now (toys in cups, or balls in a basket). You also you continue to enjoy looking at books.

You like for everyone in the room to watch you. You'll be playing or crawling around on the floor, and you'll look up at us to see if we are watching, then you'll give us a big cheesy nose-scrunch grin. You continue to be very vocal, yelling to let us know what you want. You also point when you want something. You have also really gotten into shaking your head "no." It can be really funny at times. Ella says that you move your body up and down for "yes," but I'm not sure. She is convinced though! 

You normally share a room with Troy, but one night Ella was in there instead because we had company visiting. After we put y'all to bed, we kept hearing you yelling/talking. I finally went back there to check on y'all, and you were throwing your Mickey Mouse out of the crib and Ella kept getting it for you. You thought it was a great game! Ella was almost distraught, and she told me something like "He keeps wanting me to get it for him!"Your personality comes through in everything that you do. You know what you want, and you don't like when you don't get it. You can turn on the tears at the drop of a hat. You are a "stingy" baby. You can smile, wave, and high five, but if someone asks you to do those things, you often give them a serious look and refuse. I think it is pretty funny.

Signs you do: more (though you are "lazy" most of the time and do a modified clap instead of the official sign), finished

Words you say: Mama, Dada, Eh-wa! (Ella)

Favorite foods: Yogurt

Favorite activities/toys: Books, balls, little figurines (like Mickey Mouse), cars. You love to "put things in things" as well as throwing.

Luke @ 11 months
Troy @ 1 year
I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old

Homeschooling Ella

We’ve been thinking about our children’s education since before any of our children ever existed; and, once Ella was born, the countdown was on to make the important decision: public school, homeschool, private school, or something else? Education is a hotly debated topic within our country, and even among members of the church. People have frequently questioned us about what our plans are for our children’s education; I think sometimes out of genuine interest, and sometimes to try to sway us one way or another.

This decision isn’t one we took lightly and it has not been an easy decision to make. Part of the reason that the decision about Ella’s education was not an easy one to make is because there are lots of pros and cons to all types of schooling. I think it would be foolish to advocate that there is only one path or way that is right for all students and families. And though we have chosen to homeschool Ella, I know that she could receive a quality education in a different schooling environment. We have been and continue to be open to exploring the many options that exist when it comes to our children’s education.

So, why did we ultimately choose to homeschool Ella for kindergarten? Here are a few of the reasons:

Desire. I want to homeschool her. I like teaching, and I’m excited about the opportunity and challenge to formally teach my own child. I know that this may not be at the top of many homeschoolers’ lists, but it is one of the top reasons that we decided to homeschool Ella.

Time. Time that Ella would be spending away from the family. Time that I would miss as she learned something that was really interesting to her, scraped her knee, or picked her favorite crayon out of the box. Time that someone else got to spend with our precious girl. And, although I don’t think that time apart from the family is a bad thing, I wasn’t ready to give it up with her yet. 

Flexibility. My husband’s job isn’t the typical Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 job. His schedule varies a lot, particularly at different times of the year, and we adjust our lives accordingly. Putting Ella into a public or private school would greatly limit the flexibility in our schedule, and right now we’d like to keep that flexibility.

Curriculum/content. There are many specific things I could mention under this topic, but ultimately it gets down to this idea: we can choose what we teach Ella (here’s what is required in the state of Texas) and how we teach her. Whether it be the Bible, Spanish, cooking, or writing a note of encouragement to someone, I can incorporate those things into her education.

Although Ella continues to show me every day how much she's grown up in her five short years, it is hard to believe that kindergarten is actually here. I’m excited about the prospect of being her kindergarten teacher, alongside her dad at times, and even her little brothers as they teach her things about life.

Happy 11 Months Luke!

It is hard to believe that a year ago I was busy making final preparations for your arrival. These past eleven months have gone by quickly, and it doesn't seem like you should be approaching a year old already. This past month in particular has been a very busy one for our family, and unfortunately I didn't take as many photos as usual.

You are into everything! You crawl quickly everywhere, and you have become an expert at pulling up. You can pop up and down so quickly! You can "walk" along things as you hold on. You have also become quite a challenge when you ride in the grocery cart, because you have mastered wiggling around the seatbelt, standing up, and trying to climb in the back. The first photo below shows how I barricaded you in one day at Target to keep your from climbing out. And you are SO fast at wiggling out! You have also started climbing a little bit this month. You have climbed up the bean bags I've been using to barricade you in.

This month brought your first two instances of cuts/bumps/bruises. First, you cut your tongue when you were crawling with you cup. Later in the month, Troy was pushing you around in the stroller in the front yard when he accidentally pushed the stroller off the curb. The stroller lost its balance, and fell over and you hit the side of your head on the curb. You handled it like a champ though! Troy told Daddy, "Daddy, I forgot to turn." Troy's response was so sad and innocent all at the same time.

You went swimming for the first time this month, and I think you really enjoyed the water (minus getting a little cold). Overall, I think you really enjoyed hanging out at the lake.


You still like to eat, but you've slowed down a little bit. I'm certain your favorite food is yogurt. You get so excited when you see it, and if we bring it out with other foods at the same time, you want it and nothing else.

You learned to sign "finished" this month, and I also think you signed "milk." You continue to babble up a storm, and you know how to yell at us to get our attention. This month you started showing us how "offended" you are when we take something away from you or tell  you "no." You've also started looking up at us before you touch something you know you aren't supposed to touch. It is pretty funny!

You enjoy putting objects into other things like baskets or buckets. You entertain yourself for a long time putting things in and out. You like to play with balls, and one of your favorite activities is playing "soccer" with daddy, Ella, and Troy. You also continue to enjoy looking at books.

You stayed for an extended period without us for the first time at the end of this past month. You did great, and had lots of fun being spoiled by your aunt!


Luke @ 10 months
Troy @ 11 months
I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old, but I do have this photo of Ella with her 10 month sign :)

Happy 10 Months Luke!

Happy 10 Months Luke!

These past couple of months have flown by! You have become so "grown up" for a baby . . . the days of sleepless nights and constant feedings seem like so long ago.
You had your first Caskey peach this month, and you loved it! You gnawed on the peach all the way down to the pit. You ended up eating 5 peaches in all at your first Farmer's Market. Have I ever mentioned that you love to eat? ;) You continue to be a big eater - eating just about everything. You have gotten a little more picky in that you don't love your cheerios quite as much now that you've had lots of other foods. I think that yogurt is your favorite food - you get SO excited when you see it!
You are extremely mobile now, crawling everywhere! And you can crawl fast when you want to get somewhere, particularly if you want to chase after Reeses. I need to do some serious re-babyproofing around the house so you can explore more (I've gotten a little lax with things since Ella and Troy have gotten older). You've also started pulling up in the past week or so. I finally had to lower your crib down.
You love to play with toys, and you continue to love to chew on tags, especially of your swaddling blankets. You also really like to look at books. You'll point and "talk" as you look through the pages. You also continue to be very vocal, "yelling" to get our attention or when you are excited about something.

You continue to like to play with Ella and Troy, and I think they like playing with you more and more as you are getting older. They (especially Ella!), are so excited when they see you do something "new." Ella will excitedly tell us what she saw you do and then tell us you've never done it before. :)
Luke @ 9 months
Troy @ 10 months
I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old, but I do have this photo of Ella with her 10 month sign :)