It's the little things that make us smile!

I can hardly believe summer is coming to an end.  Missoula had a handful days of sweltering heat but other than that I can't really remember feeling like it was actually summer.  We spent a few weekends at the lake, went to Denver for a week, but other than that it was a pretty quiet, and very short, three months.  Last summer was full of buzz and busyness which made this year seem a bit dull.  We are planning a last-minute trip to Billings this Friday for the Labor Day weekend but I think that will be the end of any spontaneity before winter traps us in our homes for the next six months. <sigh>

Alex has been EXTREMELY busy at work the last few months which has probably contributed to our quiet summer.  He finally closed a deal last week which has him breathing a huge sigh of relief.  He has an extraordinary work ethic and as much as I'd like to complain about him working so much and not being as available to our family as he usually is, I'm grateful he's willing to work so hard to provide for us.  I definitely got lucky when he chose me to spend his life with.

Cale and Riley continue to be loads of work and some days I've considering trading them in for new ones, but at the end of each day when they finally fall asleep and look seemingly innocent on all accounts, I remember how lucky I am to have these two wonderful kids.

Riley is a constant stream of entertainment, always making me laugh and marvel at how fast she is growing up.  She's talking in full sentences and developing her own personality.  She's reached the independent I-can-do-it-myself stage.  She refuses help even when she clearly needs it, which usually results in lots of tears and frustration...taking after her mother, I'm afraid.  She asks what seems like hundreds of questions within a matter of twenty minutes, usually while we're in the car, and when I catch myself becoming irritated after hearing the same question over and over again, I remind myself that it's a blessing she can process her thoughts and voice them into questions.  I do find myself taking her normalcy for granted from time to time, which is both disappointing and sad, because I told myself I would never do that.  It's heartbreaking to realize that I sometimes forget what a giant miracle she is.

Cale continues to be my Little Engine That Could.  He amazes me almost every day with his never-ending supply of determination and patience.  He's walking better, which is one thing I can confidently say I have NOT taken for granted, and his sense of balance seems to be improving as well.  He still falls from time to time but he's better at catching himself and staying upright when his sister crashes into him.  He's able to walk up and down the stairs holding onto the rail while someone holds his other hand, which is honestly something I never thought I would see.  I'm hopeful that he will one day be able to go up and down all on his own!  He's also been able to crawl/walk up the stairs at the playground to go down the slide, all by himself!  He's mastered "scooting" which has allowed him to do the whole process of going down the slide completely on his own, which I must admit has lifted much anxiety about going to the park.  Last summer I can remember dreading going there because it was so depressing to watch a child not be able to play on toys that were created for him, but this summer that all changed.  I enjoyed going to the park and watching Cale overcome his fears and conquering obstacles.  On a more impressive note, after nearly three years of hard work, he is finally allowing solid food in his mouth!!!  He's never been a fan of pureed textures and usually pushes them out with his tongue.  He's always had his eye on whatever we are eating: steak, bread, corn on-the-cob...you know, the easy stuff.  (yeah right!)  About a month ago we were at the dinner table eating tacos.  After we were all finished and just sitting around the table talking, Cale leaned over and grabbed a black bean off my plate.  He fumbled with it in his hands while trying to get it into his mouth.  This wasn't unusual because we always give him things off our plate to suck on and taste.  I asked him if he wanted me to help him and by some miracle he let me put the little black bean in his mouth!  Once in his mouth, rather than freaking out and immediately pushing it out with his tongue, he kept his mouth closed and started making a chewing motion!  Now this was indeed a miracle!  He had never done this in his nearly four years of living!  He calmly moved the little bean around in his mouth and after a few minutes I watched him swallow it!  Alex and I were practically doing backflips in the kitchen, clapping and praising Cale with everything we had.  He continued to eat SIX more little black beans before he finally decided he was full. :)  He was so proud of himself, probably because Alex and I were acting as if he had just won an Olympic event, but the smile and sense of satisfaction on his face was priceless and probably a moment I will never forget.  After the little black bean, he has since allowed more things into his mouth.  He's since tried watermelon, pancakes, baked beans, cake, and a few other things.  He is still very far from being at a point where he could eat enough to actually gain nutrition from it, but we are incredibly encouraged and hopeful that his days on a liquid diet may soon be over.  Aside from advances in his eating, he is also getting more efficient with his communication.  He learns signs as fast as I can say them and probably has a vocabulary of more than 100 different signs.  His vocal communication is getting better, too.  He can now SAY the words dada, papa, purple, hi, ball, football, and bye-bye.  These words are relatively easy for Alex and I to understand but are probably harder for other people to decipher.  Either way, we are also very encouraged and hopeful by these gains.  He shows an incredible amount of patience and grace towards us when we have a difficult time understanding what he's trying to say.  He rarely shows any signs of frustration and instead continues to try different ways to get his point across.  He probably thinks his parents are a couple of dummies. :)  It's really neat because since Riley knows every sign Cale knows, she is sometimes able to vocally tell us what Cale wants.  We will be driving near the mall and Cale will do the sign for "train", meaning that he wants to go play on the train in the mall, and pretty soon Riley will say, "Mama, Cale wants to go to the choo-choo!".  It's a huge blessing that Cale and Riley are able to communicate with each other!

There are so many other things I could write about now, including the several doctor appointments Cale has been to this summer, but I think I've shared enough for now. :)  All in all, we seem to be doing well the past several weeks.  My spirits are lifted and I feel pretty positive and hopeful about life.  Cale starts preschool next Wednesday and so I'm sure I'll be sharing about that soon!