Since the beginning of the year we have started venturing out into the world again. It is nice to live in seclusion especially when the weather outside almost demands for you to stay inside, however getting out has been great and much needed.
We have made it to Billings almost new water park “The Reef” a few times and enjoyed watching both kids in the water. Aspen has started to shed her timidness a little. She has jumped in and all around enjoyed each trip we take. Bryant loves the water and wears out after half an hour but makes sure he stays awake and plays the entire time. This would be a great bedtime ritual if it wasn’t so costly. He will sleep and sleep after we leave.
In January Joe and I went snow machining with five other couples. It was a blast meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. Aspen and Bryant got to hang out with her aunt Jazz and her fiancé Kevin. It was the 1st time we left Bryant over night with someone and we all did great. It was a wonderful family reunion when we got back together only a day later.
We have enrolled the kids in swimming lessons again and Aspen is starting to branch out and learn how to swim. We are very proud of her and I cannot wait for the day that everything clicks and she starts swimming like a fish. Bryant it also in lessons and I am afraid that he will never learn how to fear the water. Two extremes!
Joe and I have recently finished six weeks of a Love and Logic class. We loved every minute of the class and learned so much. This class has provided exceptional insight and ideas on how to raise children to become responsible, respectable, and contributing adults to society. The very things we want to instill in our children. Both of us have always been excited about what our children might become, and now we have some great new tools to help us achieve our goals for them.
The Kids are up to so much these days. Bryant has yet to want or find the benefit of rolling over. He has however discovered that crawling is a means of transportation to any door so it can be opened and closed. I like to think of him as our little bug. He is fine when all fours, but if he ends up on his back then there is no telling when the misery will end. Aspen will turn five at the end of March and believe me when I say that she is counting down every day. She has started to get a quick wit about her. It is really funny when it happens, but when the moment has passed you have to sit back and wonder how a 4 year old beat you at your own game. She has been referring to things in their commercial context. For example, a piece of trident gum is named “New Trident Layers” and Subway is “Subway, Eat Fresh”. So the commercials really are geared towards the minds that are waiting to be filled with knowledge. Mine, well it is too full to be bothered with all of that.
As many of you know, Bryant had never passed a hearing test since birth. We have had several tests done and the theory is that he has fluid fluctuating between ears and causing inconclusive test results. Since our jaunt to Salt Lake in December he started taking higher doses of reflux medication and this really started to clear up his ears, however not enough. With an ear infection discovered he was scheduled for ear tubes. A few weeks ago he had his first surgery of the year. They took him from my arms at 8:25 and came out to the waiting room at 8:45. We have always thought that he could hear but since the tubes we think that the sharpness of the sound was lost. It has been wonderful to listen to his chatter. We will have another hearing test in April.
