Baseball

At the end of January, Gavin started playing baseball through his school in their Friday league.  Thankfully, we picked him up a glove, bat, and cleats last summer before heading back over here so he's been prepared and ready for baseball for some time now.  He is LOVING playing and is pretty good, too.  

They practice on Fridays for about 20 minutes and then "play a game" against the only other 4-5 year old team.  There are no outs, each child gets to bat 2 times, and they are always allowed to run the bases.  If they hit the ball in the infield, they run to first and wait until the next batter hits, then they can run.  Parents stand around the bases to help direct the kids on when and where to run.  Might not be real baseball, but they are learning and having fun.  

The kids are cute. It took a few Fridays for the kids to learn the fundamentals, but after just 3 practices, they've got things down (for the most part).  Gavin has exceeded our expectations and has amazed us with his ability to play ball, be aware of what's going on, he rarely misses the ball when he bats (off a tee), and runs pretty fast to get the balls in the field.  Brooks has been helping out with Gavin's team and is out on the field with the kids.  He's taught the kids about batting, running the bases, and fielding ground balls.  We're grateful Brooks has had the opportunity to get Fridays off so he can be apart of this with Gavin.  It's also made our Fridays fun family days!  We all go out and cheer Gavin on.  Miles tries to play with the big kids and anxiously awaits for when the game is over and he gets to hit the ball and run the bases.  

We're loving that Gavin has finally gotten to be involved with a sport and are impressed with how much he loves it and how good he is.  Everyday he asks if it's Friday so he can play ball.  Brooks has been working with Gavin during the week in the backyard or taking him to the racket ball court to practice.  Each week it seems Gavin gets more comfortable with the sport and more into the game!  We're so proud of him!  

 

 

 

September and October

Considering I spent most of September updating the blog with all our summer events and then it took me all of October to post about our European vacation, I didn't want time to go by without acknowledging some of the day to day stuff that happened in September and October.  

I decided to get involved with sewing and give it a try.  I figured what better time to learn then while living here.  My friend Laura wanted to give it a try too so we signed up for a beginner quilting class together. Before the beginner class began, we gave sewing a shot and attempted to make an applique beach bag. Hmmm... considering we'd never operated a machine, heck... I don't even own a machine, the one I was using was borrowed, we were a little over our heads.  We did both make a pin cushion and got half way through our plastic beach bag, making some flip flops and cutting out our bag.  Unfortunately, both Laura and I went on vacations when the beginner class actually started and ended up missing some classes and were told it was in our best interest to come back the next class sessions.  Looks like we'll try and start, again, in January.  I'm super excited about this potential new hobby and am hopeful to learn something!  

Gavin's school held Culture Day where all the students were asked to dress up in something that represented their culture and country.  I received the letter the day before and didn't have time to come up with something, but did send Gavin to school in a GAP shirt that had the American Flag emblem through the letters.  When I arrived to his classroom to help usher the kids to the parade I found Gavin dressed in a US Post Man outfit from his class's dress up bin.  Um. Okay.  US Postal Man it is, then.  The parade was cute and there were over 32 countries represented from his school- pretty cool!

We celebrated Delia being with us for one year!  She has been such a HUGE blessing in our lives and we love her soooooo much!!

Since we are leaving for the USA mid November and returning right before Christmas, we decided to decorate our house early for Christmas so we could enjoy our decorations and not have to set everything up days before Christmas.  The boys were a huge help to us putting all the ornaments on the tree.  Miles was amazed at all the shiny balls that kept coming out of the boxes and Gavin enjoyed placing them all over the tree.  

 

 

I found this idea on Pinterest to make a felt Christmas tree and allow your kids to decorate the tree with felt ornaments and presents and it be used as a way to prevent them from messing with your real tree and ornaments.  It has been a HUGE success in this house.  I let Gavin stay up one night after the little ones went to sleep and Brooks was at basketball.  He helped cut out the ornaments and glue the designs on them.  He placed the star on top and presents underneath.  Miles has fun taking the ornaments on and off the tree.  Even Brooklyn has had some fun ripping them off the tree.  

 

My group of girl friends last year decided we were going to have girls nights once a week since our husbands get basketball nights.  Sometimes we're able to make it work and sometimes we tend to get together during the day when all the kids are in school, but one week we took off and had dinner at Applebee's.  We were there for hours and even ordered desserts.  It was such a fun night talking and laughing.  It was also our last get together before our friend Heather had her baby.  

A week in October Gavin's school was closed for a week due to a national holiday called Eid and Miles play school was also closed.  It just so happened Miles and Brooklyn both got sick during this time with a nasty cold infection running fever for days and then Delia was out for the week due to various circumstances.  I was on my own with some sick and tired kids.  It was a really, really loooooong week.  I came downstairs one morning to find the bathroom like this and none other then Miles Lee on top of the kitchen counter, which he can now climb onto without the help of a stool, and helped himself to a few bananas, a bag of M&M's, a pack of gum, emptied Brooks' water bottle on the floor, and managed to open that bag of sugar and pour it onto the counter.  Nice.  All before 6:30am.

 

By the end of the week we were all hanging on by a thread.  We did manage to do a few fun things when everyone was feeling good.  

I heard Gavin calling me from outside and when I went to the door here's where I found him.  

 

Of course, if one gets to do something the other one has to do it, too! Miles got a turn!

 

Sometimes, we find Gavin asleep on the couch.  We have no idea when he went down stairs or how long he's been asleep down there.

Our Thursday morning watching cartoons.  They are too cute.

First Days of School

Gavin and Miles both started school the first week of September and it was an exciting time for both our boys.  

Daddy had to work so mommy took the boys to school by herself.  Our morning started off with chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, which got devoured quickly.  The boys got dressed and humored me for some first day of school pics.  Brooks called and talked to both of the boys wishing them a great first day.  Delia came to the house and stayed with Miles and Brooklyn while Gavin and I walked to the school bus on our compound.  I rode with Gavin the first week of school on our company provided bus to help him get situated and adjusted to riding with all the big kids.  Last year, I rode with Gavin along with another mom and her son Devin to school everyday in a personal vehicle.  So, this was a small change for Gavin.  He did great and was excited to be on the "big kid" bus.  When we arrived at school and got to Gavin's classroom (he is in pre-Kindergarten and attends school all day) he found his name tag, his seat, and began playing with the other kids at his table.  He was excited and happy to be there.  He kept checking the room out and eyeing all the different stations set up.  He wasn't too scared and willingly gave me a hug and kiss and told me goodbye.  I held myself together this year and was just as excited for him starting this new adventure with school.  

 

 

After riding the bus back to our compound and talking with the other preschooler moms about how our kids are growing up so fast, I was dropped off at our house where Miles greeted me ready to go to his school (he's attending the play school on our compound (every day from 8am-12pm and LOVES it).  We had his snack bag packed and his backpack filled with extra clothes and diapers and off we went.  Our favorite driver Khaleq was there to take Miles to school.  He was excited to get to ride in a car to school.  Now, everyday the same bus that takes the big kids to ISG, comes back to the compound at 8am and picks up all of Chevron's play school kids and brings the moms and kids to and from school.  It's a huge help since they built a new play school over the summer and it is literally on the other end of our compound.  None the less, Miles LOVES riding the big bus and seeing his friends before they get to play school.

 

Both the boys had great first days of school and came home very tired!

Brooks was able to take an hour or two off the next day and took Gavin to school.  He got him dressed for school, fixed his breakfast, walked him to the bus stop and rode to school with him.  Gavin was excited to show his daddy where his cubby was, where he sat in class, and then walked him through his classroom.

 

On a side note: I wanted to do something special for Gavin on his second day of school so I decided to get a little creative and made him a fun lunch.  Here's what he got: a peanut butter sandwich face, with spiked pretzel hair, M&M eyes, yogurt raisin nose, and hot tamale lips.  I thought it was cute.  However, once Gavin got home from school he calmly and assertively told me to NEVER make him a sandwich like that again.  He did not like it at all.  Geez-- why can't this mama do something right?!

Last Day

Gavin is growing up and Monday was a big reminder to me of just how fast time is flying. He finished his first year of school and I decided to document the whole day.

He got himself dressed all by himself-- something he started doing back in January, willingly.  

He can brush his teeth on his own-- he FINALLY started spitting so we gave up the fluoride free toothpaste just months ago.

He waits patiently at the door for his driver.

We have had Khaleq from the beginning of the year and consider him part of our family!

I went and picked Gavin up from school and found him and some friends playing musical chairs and were having a ball!

Telling his good friend Conner (far right) goodbye-- his family is moving to Dubai this weekend! Devin (in the middle) big brother is on the Saudi Arabia baseball team (filled with expat kids) and they made it into a tournament.. thus bleaching their hair and all siblings hair!

Buckling up in the car one last time... next year these boys get to ride the bus with the big kids!!