Are you for tutu?

Greetings!
A great week of school for Jonas and Elsa.  They both have been having so much fun learning, singing, and playing!  Each day they smile a little bit bigger than before. 

Jonas and Elsa's pre-school offers gymnastics and music programs beginning in October!  If there are two things that we know...our kids love to run and roll around and they love to sing and make music.  We can't wait.

Early in the week we celebrated a milestone.  Elsa passed her swallow study!  This is a big deal.  Elsa had to pass the test to show that she could drink liquids and not aspirate on them.  She had failed the test many times in the past and we were very hopeful that she was big and strong enough to pass it this time.  She passed with flying colors.  The test is not a ton of fun.  She has to drink a barium concoction that will show up on x-rays while it travels down her throat.  She was a champ and did everything the technician needed to get a clear view of her drinking.  Great job Elsa!

Good week!  Good times!  God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Jump!

Greetings!
Elsa and Jonas like school!  We weren't sure if this was going to be the case but we can confirm that they both smiled and laughed and played this past week at preschool.  Elsa and Jonas have created some amazing art so far and we will try to get some photos of this in the next blog!

This week, Jonas and Elsa had a blast going to a birthday party for their friend Stuart.  The party was held at a place called "JUMP".  As the name implies there was lots of jumping for both kids and adults on the mammoth inflatable play areas inside a warehouse in Gig Harbor.  Wow!  We were all sweating up a storm and gasping for air.  It was incredible!

Elsa, Jonas, Mari, and Dan joined the Shouse family for lunch this weekend to honor the memory of Nate.  It is very special to be a part of this amazing family. 

God Bless,
Elsa, Jonas, Mari, & Dan

Avast! There be pirates nearby

Ahoy!

Elsa and Jonas had an exciting week of school and we celebrated this weekend with a musical about....pirates!  The Seven Clever Pirates musical was put on by a lot of local artists with several members of our church in the cast!  It was a blast!  Held in a large tent on a perfect 80 degree Saturday, we listened to the live band and singers belt out a piratey performance.  The kids were equally intrigued by the band behind us and the actors on the stage. 

At intermission, the drummer, a former student of Mari's, let Elsa and Jonas try out his drum kit.  They were in heaven!  They both took the sticks and went to town. 

We love music and love it that Jonas and Elsa love music too!

God Bless,

Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

First day of school!

Greetings!
It finally arrived.  The weeks of hype and talking about all the fun to be had set the stage for Elsa and Jonas's first day of school.  We think they were still expecting us to go to school with them and kept saying, "Daddy is coming to school too?".  Dan dropped them off at their school.  As they entered the classroom, Dan scanned the room for the teacher and by the time he looked down, Jonas was already at a table playing with a truck.  Elsa had a little rougher time and is gradually warming up to the idea of formal education.  They had a great time once the nerves wore off and we are so proud of their hard work this week.

This weekend we took a trip to Remlinger Farm.  This is no ordinary farm mind you.  It is a farm with a special focus on young kids.  They have lots of rides and entertainment specifically for babies to about five or six year olds.  It was great.  We rode on a train, a canoe, a fire engine, a school bus, an antique car...wow it is already a long list and there are more!  Elsa kept asking to drive the antique car and Jonas loved the train! We met up with friends and had a great stress free time at an amusement park!  

We also ran into a former nurse of ours from the ICN (this is the nursery that we moved to after leaving NICU).  Mari remembered that the nurse we ran into had told her to stay patient because we were "waiting for our masterpieces".  Good memories and good people!

God Bless,

Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas