The Kolbabas: 2012

We moved to Houston and we love it. The job, the house, the ward, the friends, the weather, love, love, love. Does that sound sarcastic? It really isn't meant to be, because we honestly love it. Grayden seems to be happy, too, which is a big gigantic bonus.

Gray started a little preschool taught by the stake primary president that only has four kids in it and is only twice a week for two hours, and if you know this child at all, you will understand me when I say it is exactly what the doctor ordered and he is in heaven. The teacher is great and even sometimes alters the project or lesson just for him to make it more challenging when it involves things like letters and spelling, which I appreciate since he is already starting to read a little and I want him to keep progressing that way. It pains me that he has to wait until the fall to go more than two days a week. But he'll live. And I will be patient with his incessant asking if it is preschool day....every single day.

I put the house together (kind of) and have been happy getting accustomed to life around here. (Groceries cost how much???) I got called to the YW presidency which is mostly super awesome for the following reasons: the other three girls in the presidency are the coolest people ever, all three of them have a three year old kid for Grayden to be friends with, and I pretty much think the Young Women organization may very well be the most important in the Church. Not to mention this specific group of girls is truly amazing, and I've only known them for two weeks.

Nate is so excited about his job and the company he is with, that sometimes he just likes to happily discuss how wonderful it is. Even though one of the guys affectionately refers to Nate as "choir boy" (they don't see many construction managers who don't swear, drink, smoke, or tell dirty jokes), they all really like him and he is making good friends. He put together a wooden swing set and then stained it, and I consider that my Christmas present even though it is supposed to be for the kids. (As a side note the three guys who came and helped him were the husbands of the three women who are in the presidency with me. See. Told you they were cool). Nate is working later than he ever has in our marriage and with traffic he is getting home after 6pm sometimes! Gasp! I will have to accept that fact that the days of him being home at 4:30 are over. So sad.

Avery is nearly seven months old and is already high maintenance. She hates baby food and will only eat real food, much like Gray did at this age, so I am having to get really creative with feeding her toothless self, since she mostly just wants to eat food she can can pick up by herself and get into her mouth, which is a very short list. But, she sleeps 10-12 hours at night and LOVES her big brother. The crazier he is, the more she laughs....which is really unfortunate for me. She also loves Daddy. And he loves her to death, too.

We are getting ready for Christmas, tree up, decorations all around, advent calendar ready to go. Grayden is very concerned Santa will not come because he was made aware of the fact that it does not snow in Houston. According to his logic, Santa and snow go together and therein lies the problem. We are doing our best to explain that one.

I am going to try to do better at blogging, but I can tell you right now it will probably be mostly about the things Grayden says and does, because the entertainment NEVER ends around here. Aside from counting everything and trying to sound out all the words he sees, he is, like all children, very literal and so I have to set things straight for him all the time, but on a three year old level. Today, for example, he was singing The Wise Man and the Foolish Man. After he finished he said sadly "I will be so sad when our house gets washed away on the sand." I said no worries, we built our house on a rock, so it won't wash away. That led to him hopping up and down on every surface of our bottom floor trying to feel the "rocks". Yes. Our own little safety inspector.

Above is the wall advent calendar I attempted. Gift bags and gift tags. So original. Grayden will love doing all the little activities, though. Below is what I saw at the top of the stairs today when quiet time was over. He loves to dress up, and usually it is peter pan or a wizard costume. This one was a first. Here he is asking me where is Little Peep's hook. I think he means crook. But knowing him, he might mean hook.