March Update

Quick!  Post something before March is over! 
So I'm a little behind on all this family blog updating business.  Not that there hasn't been anything going on, but I just haven't been really in the mood to sit down and write... tonight's not an exception but I've got to write and post pictures before it becomes disrespectfully late to post pictures of the snow.
Shall I go kid by kid?  Peter's done his second term of Kindergarten now, and doing very well.  His report card came back and looks great, and he's enjoying his day at school.  It's fun to sit with him as he reads us stories, and with some encouragement he can do some writing and sounding things out on his own.  I wish I remember what it was like to learn how to read - it's such a new world opening up for him.  He enjoys finding the songs in the psalter hymnal in church on Sundays, but not quite at the point that he can sing along with an unfamiliar song.
Aaron is a few short weeks away from turning four, and excited about his upcoming birthday.  He is very interested in learning his letters and numbers, and we've been working through a PreK book together on the days that Peter is in school.  The highlight of his week is going to Story Hour (that's "School" for him) on Wednesday mornings and the occasional trip to Timportance (Tim Horton's).  He is a perceptive, inquisitive, and sensitive little boy, and we enjoy the questions and comments that he brings on a daily basis.  The other day during devotions, he was telling us all about a book of the body that Opa and Oma have.  "The ribs are very close to the heart.  You can open up the ribs, and under the ribs is the heart, and inside the heart is the land where Jesus lives!"  He was also telling Daddy all about the new book Mommy brought home about the Wumps, and it brought him to tears to tell him about how the Wump World was destroyed by the machines and there were no more meadows or grass or trees and the poor wumps were so sad... is it wrong to see your child's eyes brimming with tears and find joy in that?  I love his sensitivity and warm heart.
Nate is talking and talking and talking.  It's impossible to know how much of this has to do with the surgery he had mid-February and how much would have happened anyways, but we are enjoying his developing communication skills.  He can talk in (toddler) sentences, tell stories, make requests politely, and get most of his ideas across.  The surgery went well and we are glad to have it behind us.  He did remarkably well, bouncing back quite quickly and soon back to his cheerful, energetic self.  We were a little disappointed to hear at his one month follow-up appointment that the tube in his left ear is plugged, and after a week of ear drops we're hoping it has cleared up otherwise that tube will have to be replaced.  He has a second hearing test coming up in the beginning of April which should be quite revealing.
Mike is doing well - busy of course with school, but thankfully things have slowed down a little for him lately.  He was extremely busy organizing the Science Fair - it was a ton of work but it definitely paid off in the end.  The mentoring and judging and final presentations of the projects went very well, and it seems that a lot of people appreciated the whole thing.  Report cards were due right on the heels of the fair, but once those were finished it was nice for him to be able to breath again.
Here at home for me, it's day by day.  The baby is growing and kicking and seems to be doing well, though I haven't had nearly as many midwife appointments this pregnancy as I did with the other kids.  I imagine the little one has all the iron it needs, as it seems to have usurped all my hemoglobin stores, leaving me quite exhausted and light-headed most of the time.  Gives me an excuse to buy steak, I suppose!  I've been significantly more sore this pregnancy, making simple trips to the grocery store, long car rides, or even going up and down the stairs to do laundry a bit more difficult.  I've been very thankful for help from Mike and the kids!  I'm looking forward to getting the next three months behind me and meeting this newest little blessing of ours.
On for some pictures.  I have been extremely delinquent the last two months in picture-taking... I took TWO pictures in the month of March and one of those was a close-up of a puzzle piece.  Not exactly entertaining stuff, but when the camera is on the opposite side of the house, by the time I get there and retrieve it, the fun is usually done, haha.  I have a whole bunch of pictures that Mom VD took in early February when they visited after our one big snowstorm of the year, so some of those will get uploaded.  Enjoy!

I have fights from my kids over who gets to help me dry the dishes... if only I had a bigger kitchen!  There is just not enough room in there for three chairs.  Someday, their fights over who dries the dishes will take on a more negative tone, so I will enjoy their enthusiasm while it lasts!!

Nate switched over to a big-boy bed in February.  It took a few nights for him to get used to it, but he loves it now.  It's so nice to be able to crawl in and snuggle with him! 

 Rub A Dub Dub! 

 What better place to read books than in the middle of Mom's clean laundry?

 I ordered a new pair of Old Navy uniform pants online for Peter in January - couldn't believe the difference between four months old and new.  Same size, just one pair has had a lot of washing since September.

Finally we got some snow and a snow day!  We got a pretty good dumping of snow and had some fun with it before it warmed up to ten degrees two days later. 

 The deck chair got a little swamped, and there's a Tonka dump truck buried on the deck somewhere 

 Mike enjoyed borrowing the neighbour's snowblower to clear out a few driveways. 

 The boys enjoyed the snow mound by the driveway

 Grandma helped the boys build a couple of snowmen

 Aaron and his snowman

 Enjoying the fresh snow

 Reading a book with Grandpa

 We headed over to a nearby park for some tobogganning

 It seems he liked his first try at sledding!

 Even Grandpa made it down the hill, how fun!

 Daddy had lots of fun with the kids too!

 Happy guys!

 He looks so big in this picture!

 This picture is hilarious, makes me laugh every time!

Nate in the hospital before surgery, looking cheery in his scrubs

 Poor little guy after he returned from the operation.  He was pretty sad!

 Very sleepy for the first number of hours

 Cuddling with Daddy

 Before he was able to go home, he had to be able to take a walk on his own without throwing up

 Recovering at home - lots of movies and cuddles!

And the March picture of a puzzle piece, just for randomness' sake.  Any guesses on what it might be a picture of?  It kept making me laugh, and I couldn't figure out where it belonged until the puzzle was close to done.

Gender Prediction Tests

Time to try out some old wive's tales!  I scoured the Internet for gender prediction tests to see if this next baby is supposed to be a boy or a girl.  I didn't do number one for reasons I will elaborate on, but I'll share the results of the rest of the tests I found. 

1. The Acid/Base Tests
There are a number of tests which are meant to test the acidity of your pee.  Either put enough baking soda into a cup to cover the bottom, then pee into the cup. If the baking soda fizzes, you’re having a boy, if it doesn’t react, a girl.  Or you could pee into a cup of red cabbage juice, and if it turns purple, it's a girl, but if it turns pink/red, it's a boy.  And the last one in this category is the Drano test, where you add a tablespoon of Drano to your pee, and if it turns blue it's a boy, if it turns brown it's a girl.  Supposedly boys are alkaline and girls are acidic, but that doesn't make sense with what the results are supposed to be saying.  Since this test would be entirely dependent on how much you've had to drink and of what, and what time of day it is, and I don't really feel like testing my pee, I'll leave this test alone.  On to the next one. 

2. Hairline Gender Test
If this is your second child, check your son or daughters neck hairline. If the hairline comes to a point, the baby you are pregnant with will be the opposite gender. If the hairline goes straight across, it will be the same gender.
GIRL - Nate's hairline comes to a point

3. Chinese Gender Chart
Consult the Chinese gender chart using your chinese age to see if you’re having a boy or a girl.
GIRL

4.  Baby's Heart Rate
If your baby's heartbeat is lower than 140 beats per minute, it's a boy; if it's higher, it's a girl.
GIRL - so far the heart beat has been around 150 bpm for both ultrasounds and midwife appointments.

5.  Wedding Ring Test
Thread your wedding ring onto a piece of hair. Hold the dangling ring over the pregnant belly of mum-to-be while she is lying down. If the ring swings back and forth like a pendulum, she is carrying a boy. If the ring swings in a strong circular motion, she is carrying a girl.
GIRL - Well, it'll be a difficult girl who makes me pull my hair out.  The ring would only spin, not swing.

6.  Carrying High or Low
If you are carrying high, it's a girl; if you're carrying low, it's a boy
GIRL - I'm kind of guessing on this one, but since I can still wear my normal pants with a belt, I'll say I'm carrying high.

7.  Carrying In Front or Around
If you are carrying the baby all out front, it's a boy; if you are carrying all around, it's a girl. 
BOY - I'll say it's all out front for now, but that will probably change.

8.  Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is supposedly worse when you are expecting a girl because your body is flooded with extra girl hormones which make you feel extra sick as your body adjusts to them.
GIRL - I didn't have morning sickness with any other pregnancy, but this time I was nauseous for weeks and I'm still taking Diclectin. 

9.  Baby Weight
When you are pregnant with a girl, you hold your extra baby weight on your bum and hips (something to do with these being the parts of the body being where women usually stack on the weight). If, however, you're pregnant with a boy, all your extra baby weight will be at the front on your belly.
GIRL - I'll blame the extra weight on the baby (and the last three)

10.  Guessing Competition
When there are only two possible outcomes of any gender prediction test - boy or girl - simply taking a guess seems like a reasonable thing to do. After all, that still gives you a 50% chance of being correct. However, a study that asked pregnant women to predict the sex of their own baby showed that mums-to-be have a success rate far better than 50%! In fact, they correctly predicted the sex of their baby 71% of the time.
GIRL - What are the chances of another boy in the family? 

11.  Cravings
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy. If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.
GIRL - I've been drinking a lot of orange juice.

12.  Skin under Left Eye
The eye test is when a “V” or “branches” appear when you pull down the skin under your left eye. If you see a “V” or “branches” in the white part, you’re having a girl.
BOY - I don't understand what I'm looking for, so by default this test says it's a boy. 

13.  Mom's Beauty
You are having a girl if your beauty disappears during pregnancy. It is said that the girl “steals” the mother’s beauty. If you think that pregnancy has never made you look more beautiful, a little boy it is.
GIRL - I certainly don't feel radiant!

14.  Dream of Sex of Baby
If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl. If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy. Dreams show the opposite of what you are having.
BOY - I've had a few dreams that the baby is a little girl with curly red hair

15.   Clumsy vs. Graceful
If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl. If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy.
BOY - Although I think I'm always a little bit clumsy, so I don't know if pregnancy has really made clumsyness worse.  It hasn't made me any more graceful, and I'm definitely more awkward.  

16.  Protein
When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy.
GIRL - I love cheese but I'm having a hard time with the smell for some reason.

17.  Feet
Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant? If so, you just might be having a boy. If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl.
BOY - Most of the time I'm either wearing or looking for my slippers. 

18.  Which way are you sleeping?
Believe it or not, the direction you place your head when you sleep is meant to signify whether a girl or boy is coming. If you lie on your left side then prepare for a boy. If you’re more of a rightie then break out the pink clothing.
BOY - I usually fall asleep on my left side, but there's a lot of flip flopping during the night. 

19  Key Test
If you pick up a key by its long end then a boy is on his way. Grab it by the short end then a girl is coming.
GIRL - This depends on if the key is on its own or on a key ring.  I'm assuming it's a lone key, in which case I would probably pick it up by the short end.

20.  Toddler Test
Hang out with a toddler boy. If he shows interest in your belly, you are pregnant with a girl.
GIRL - My kids are definitely interested in the baby, and often come to give it hugs, kisses, and conversation.  Of course, I only hang out with toddler boys so this test is a little bit skewed!

21.  Skin Test
If you have dry skin it's a boy, but if your skin is soft, it's a girl.
BOY - My hands are dry all the time in the winter but my legs are super dry the last few months.  Blame it on the baby I guess.   

22.  Hand Test
If you are asked to show someone your hands and you present them palms down, it's a boy.  The other way around and it's a girl.
GIRL

23.  Acne
If you have acne while pregnant, it's a girl.  It's thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by the extra hormones.
BOY

24. Leg Hair Test
If the hair on your legs grows quickly during pregnancy then you are expecting a boy, if it grows more slowly than usual you are expecting a girl.  
GIRL - It's hard to shave your legs when there's a belly in the way, so I'll just say that it's growing slowly, haha.

25.  Calendar Test
Similar to the Chinese fertility calendar, this test says  you should add the age you were and the number of the month when you conceived.  If the sum that you get when adding the numbers is odd, then you are said to be having a girl. If it is an even number, it's a boy.
BOY

And the results are:
GIRL= 15  (62.5%)
BOY = 9    (37.5%)
The answer will be revealed in four months.
Blog post number 400!

Halfway Day!

Baby Vander Deen 2013 is 20 weeks old today!  We're halfway to meeting our newest little blessing!

February First

If I write a post this evening, I figure I can squeak in two posts within a month's time!  Either that, or I can consider February's post completed and I'm good until the end of March. 
Things here are plugging along, without too much new to report.  I thought I could rely on some pictures to boost up the post, but it turns out I only took 16 pictures in January, which must be some kind of all-time low for me.  I'll post a bunch, but they won't exactly be the "cream of the crop". 
The kids have been doing well, keeping busy in between fighting with each other and having hilarious amounts of fun.  We've been happy to avoid any major sickness so far, besides the way-too-long cold that I finally got over after the middle of January or so.  Aaron had quite a grumpy morning this week.  The reason for his grumpiness?  God hasn't given him a wife yet.  Slow down, my dear, you are THREE!  I think he's a little jealous of his older brother, who has had his wife all picked out for a little while now.  They've had a few Sunday afternoon visits at our place, and he even gets to go to her birthday party in two weeks!  Funny kids.
I've been forgetting things left right and center.  I don't know if it's because I'm tired, losing brain cells, or just getting old.  Of course, I can't remember all the things I have forgotten recently, but two things stick out in my head (only because I wrote them down, so I guess they don't really stick out in my head after all).  The other day Mike was wondering why I needed so much cream in the fridge.  Apparently, I had found it necessary to purchase THREE litres of coffee cream over a few shopping trips.  Good thing the stuff has a pretty long expiration date!  Won't have to buy it for a while.  And poor Nate has been the recipient of my other new forgetful tendency.  In the last month or so, I have put him to bed and forgotten to turn out his overhead light... four times.  The first time he was up talking for quite a long time, and I could hear him from the living room and was wondering why he wouldn't settle down.  He wasn't upset or anything, just very chatty and singing songs like "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" and "Holy, Holy, Holy" to himself. Finally at 10:00 I went in there to find the lights on, and him cheerfully sitting up looking at a book.  "Hi Mommy!"  You think I'd learn after one time, but I've done it three times since then.  It seems that a young child can quickly get used to falling asleep at night with the lights on.
I'm not feeling very literary this evening, so I think I'll wrap it up here.  On to some mediocre pictures! 

He sure likes doing puzzles, but he's not too good at them.  Or we could  just say that he likes to be creative with them perhaps?  

All three boys love playing Lego.  It usually stays downstairs at the Lego table but occasionally pieces migrate upstairs to threaten our feet in the middle of the night and take their chances with the vacuum cleaner. 

 Temporary preaching station.  Whenever these boys get a hold of our little psalter hymnals, they love to play church and sing at the top of their lungs - an interesting mix between heart-warming and ear-piercing.

 Cuties!

First robin of the spring?  I think we can claim that all year round.  The robins have stuck around every winter we've lived in this neighbourhood.  Sure is strange to see this guy picking at the crab apples in our front yard on a -14°C day! 

Mike brought Peter to school on Wednesday morning, and had to leave for opening staff devotions.  He left Peter with permission to write or draw whatever he wanted on the whiteboard.  Peter was pleased as punch to meet Dad in the hall on his way back, letting him know there was a surprise waiting for him!  

"Dad I love you, he is my Dad".  Sweet kid!  

He wrote a somewhat-less-spontaneous note for me the next day (hey, I needed something new for my fridge :)  )  when I was helping him turn a cardboard box into a snowplow.  

"I love Mom, You're my Mom, Best Mom in the world"

It's exciting to see him learning how to read and write!  

Nate's ENT Appointment

Yesterday, Nate had his long-awaited appointment with the ENT (Ear Nose Throat specialist, also known as an Otolaryngologist).  I initially asked for a referral to check out his adenoids, as after some research we wondered if they could be involved with his speech delay, although other indications of enlarged adenoids didn't seem to be present (mouth breathing, snoring, etc).  Since the results from his hearing test in mid-December we were also wondering how his hearing came into play with all this, and if he would need to have tubes put in.  He hasn't been treated for repeated ear infections (once or twice I believe), which seems to be the main reason for tubes, so I didn't know if that would even be under consideration at the appointment yesterday.
The doctor listened carefully to the different things we've noticed, right from his disinterest in drinking as an infant, to his persistant coughing, to his speech delay and his recent hearing test.  There is a family history on Daddy's side of chronic ear infections and a requirement for tube insertion as well, which she said could definitely be a genetic condition.  She took a look at his ears, both of which were still filled with fluid, and one of which was bulging and had an active ear infection.  Apparently some kids have a high tolerance for ear infections, and if they don't complain specifically about their ears it's hard to tell if they have an infection at all.  She sent us upstairs to have an X-ray done to check out his adenoids.
X-rays on toddlers are no fun when Mommy is pregnant and not allowed to be in the room!  The poor kid was quite traumatized by the ordeal but they managed to get a useable picture which we took back downstairs to the ENT office.  It seems that his adenoids are indeed enlarged, and his nasal passages are constricted.  These would both prevent his eustachian tubes from draining properly, causing fluid buildup, hearing loss, and ear infections.  It also could contribute to a post-nasal drip, which is what the respirologist suggested in June when we were investigating his persistant coughing.  His tonsils are also quite large further down his throat, which the ENT was surprised by because they seemed fairly normal from her first visual inspection.  She definitely thought this would have hampered his swallowing ability as an infant, but since they don't seem to be affecting his eating or drinking now anymore, we'll just leave them alone for now.  What she did suggest was to remove the adenoids, cauterize some of the enlarged turbinates, and to put tubes in both his ears to help with fluid drainage.  My head was spinning when we left the office, antibiotic prescription in hand for the current ear infection.  After talking it over with Mike, we booked the surgery for mid-February.  He'll be admitted overnight at the General, and all three procedures can be done at the same time.  It all sounds a little scary and weird to book your child for surgery when he seems relatively healthy and happy.  However, all the puzzle pieces seem to fit together, and this solution makes sense.  After doing a lot of reading and talking with other parents who have been in similar situations, we're pretty confident that this is the right thing to do for our little guy, and we're looking forward to seeing how this is going to help him in his development.  We'll keep you posted on how things are going, and certainly ask for your prayers as the procedure comes closer.

At the Close of 2012

Here we sit, at the close of another year, and I have some time to sit and think.  A year!  Where does it go?   Some of into memory, some of it forgotten.  I think these days I probably forget more than I remember, perhaps that's just part of getting old.  Or perhaps my brain cells are being used up in other ways?  I know some of you have noticed the sneaky addition I put on the sidebar two or three weeks ago - this may be a reason for lost brain cells.  Vander Deen Edition 2013 is due at the end of June, and we are looking forward to meeting our newest little blessing.  I thought maybe I even felt some little kicks the other night?  It was probably just my dinner but I can imagine it was Little One saying hello (and please stop coughing)
We are halfway through the Christmas break, and at a slower pace now.  We were gone for two nights to Hamilton, and the following three nights to Strathroy for family Christmas celebrations.  We returned home before our first big snowfall in quite some time (a few years) on Boxing Day evening.  It's been fantastic having Mike home for the break, especially because I've been sick for the last three weeks.  Yuck!  After getting a prescription for antibiotics on Christmas Day, I am happy to report that today I was able to taste (somewhat limited, but still taste!) my supper!  When you've been missing your taste buds for more than a week, especially at a time of year when delicious looking dinners and chocolates and desserts are available in plenitude, leftovers taste amazing!  I may or may not have sampled a few chocolates in the cupboard since supper time...
Again, I have to admit I've been somewhat pathetic in my picture-taking responsibilities.  We did receive a new set of rechargeable batteries for Christmas, so that might remedy some of the problem, but I have a feeling the lack of pictures really has more to do with me than dead batteries. 
Peter had an interesting Christmasy question for me the other day. 
"God put your baby in your tummy, right Mommy?  Jesus is God.  Who put Jesus in His mommy's tummy?  Did he put himself there?"
Aaron also had a somewhat shocking thing to ask his Daddy a few days ago, revealing his lack of understanding of life and death. 
"Daddy, can you kill Peter?  He's pesting me."

Aaron was very excited about the first snowfall, even if it was just a dusting.  

He was out there for an hour filling up his dump truck and making teeny piles. 

We went to visit Sinterklaas at the Dutch store.  The kids were a little less scared of him than last year - well, the youngest in particular.  Aaron didn't even mind being dropped off his lap and almost landing on his face. 

The Schotmans were eager to get their Christmas card out this year, 

and graced our cupboards for at least two weeks before anyone else joined them!

We gave our kids their gifts on Sinterklaas evening this year, and were happy about how that went.  Aaron is checking to see who rang the doorbell and left a bag of presents on the porch.  The chocolate letters in their shoes have not yet been noticed.

Walkie Talkies!  They would be a lot more fun if the boys would remember to push the button down while they talk.  The boys also received some warmer blankets for their beds.

 Nate was pretty thrilled by a toy bird, and spent a while running around the house making it fly. 

 These boys were pretty excited about Sinterklaas' visit!

 

 

Nate had a hearing test done in the middle of December after being referred by his speech pathologist.  I was expecting the results to be completely normal but as it turns out, he had fluid built up behind both his eardrums, which was the first test they did with a tympanometer.  The next test was done inside a sound-proof room with earphones and some games he had to play.  Their assessment showed he has a mild hearing loss in his left ear, and a moderate loss in his right, with him being unable to hear upper and lower frequencies that would be normal at his age.  We had an appointment lined up already with an ENT (Ear Nose Throat Specialist) this coming week to check out his adenoids and tonsils, so it will be interesting to see where this assessment leads. 

Opa enjoying his four grandsons

 All eight grandsons on the Vander Deen side

 A fun drift off the roof seen from Nate's room.  That's a lot of snow!

 That's right, boys, keep shovelling!

 Mike did a trial run making olibollen this week.  They turned out well!  

(at least I was told so, I still couldn't taste anything at the time)

 Aaron asked me, a little concerned, "Mommy, is that oliebollen alive?"

Another Late Post (What Else Is New?)

Well, I figured I'd better post before it's been a month from the last post... I've been quite delinquent in my job as official picture-taker of the family, so I don't have a whole lot of inspirational pictures to load up for you.  I'll do my best!  One thing I know is sorely lacking on this blog at the moment is a post about the wonderful celebrations that occurred on October 13 - Timothy and Danielle's wedding of course!  I was going to remedy that this evening, but it appears that the only pictures I have on my computer are either blurry shots of the reception hall from my seat at the head table or one last picture of me at the end of the day in my pajamas taking out all 75 bobby pins from my hair.  Since those aren't exactly exemplary shots of the fantasticness of the day, I'll have to save a wedding post for when I get some better pictures from someone else's computer.  Let me just say that the day went very well, a good time was had by all, and the bride and groom looked absolutely radiant!  Heartiest of congratulations, my dear sister and brother-in-law - we pray that God will continue to shower you with blessings in the years ahead as you begin your married life together!

And on to the random non-wedding pictures that have accumulated on my camera since the last time I posted.  To begin with, here is a shot of little Nato on the day he fell off the couch and put his teeth through his lower lip.  Poor guy!

Playing outside in the backyard before we got our new lawnmower from Dad M.  I was almost starting to lose the children in the long grass.

 

 Off to the park on a warm October morning, no coats required. 

 My middle sweetie

I realize these self-portraits of me and the children don't ever yield any award-winning shots, but there's something very truthful about how they portray life with little ones at home

Practising his writing skills

 My oldest sweetie

My youngest sweetie - this is one month to the day from when he first cut his lip.  There will be a scar there for quite a while

 Nathaniel has changed SO MUCH in the last number of weeks.  Basically, I think he realized he was finally getting his follow-up appointment with the speech pathologist (he was first assessed in April) and he decided to kick it into gear.  A month and a half ago, he had just a handful of words and wasn't really trying to repeat what we said to him.  I think a switch flipped in his head, and he started repeating things after us, singing along to songs (other than just saying "amen" over and over) and using words much more regularly.  I received a checklist from the speech pathologist with a whole variety of words from different categories, and I was to check off which ones he understood, and which ones he understood and said.  The comprehension wasn't a problem for him, it was the verbalization that seemed to be the trouble.  I think over the last few weeks I could go over that checklist and change it every single day, as he's been adding new words to the vocabulary like it's going out of style.  It is SO exciting to hear!  He's been starting to put two words together, and he's happy to be able to communicate more effectively with us.  He loves to sing along to songs with us and be able to request his favourites.  There are still some sounds that he seems unable to make, but I'm sure that will all come with time.  This picture below is of him singing one of his favourite songs, "Holy, Holy, Holy"

November is a birthday month for our home, and with birthdays come cake and icing.  I had prepared a batch of icing for Peter's cake and had some leftover in a bowl on the counter.  I went downstairs to fold some laundry, and Peter came down to let me know that Aaron had "eaten some of the chocolate".  When I came upstairs, the entire bowl of icing was licked out, and Aaron was nowhere to be found.  I discovered him hiding in the shoe closet in shame, and hopefully nursing a stomachache. 

 Working on "thank-you" goodie bags for his birthday party visitors

 Completed goodie bags for Peter's four classmates that came to help celebrate

 Opening his presents on birthday morning!  Happy birthday to my first five-year-old! 

 A rousing game of Junior Monopoly with Dad while Mom makes Dutch pannekoeken for breakfast.  After breakfast, we headed out to Jeremy and Sarah's place to meet little Timothy, their newest addition to the clan (congratulations by the way!!).  Afterwards we went to Dad and Mom VD for dinner before heading home again.  

The experimental icing-design cake.  I think it turned out reasonably well (maybe not up to Pinterest standards, but who is?)  The jet was perhaps a bit big for the cake but I was told that it gave it a "dimensional" look

 This little stinker has fallen in love with the camera.  Every time I try to take a picture of something, he gets very loud and starts pointing at himself, saying "ME! ME!", and then he gives me a big grin. 

 Mom and Dad M came for a visit and dinner to congratulate Peter on his birthday

 Opa reading with the older two