Classic

Just a classic pic of our little eater. I love that this girl will at least try just about anything. She is very, very independent and insists on feeding herself. I love watching her...she will hold the spoon in one hand and grab food with the free hand and shovel it into her hand. A utensil decoy...very smart, young one.

Sticker Charts

This summer I made sticker charts for the boys. It was an attempt to keep us all sane and motivated and it worked some of the time. They got points for things like keeping their pants dry, being gentlemen, "whine free" days, healthy dinner eater, obedience, etc. Then there was a chart of rewards they could earn. I spent a lot of time trying to come up with really good things that I thought would be fun...and do you want to know what happened!? After reviewing their prize options, M said that he wanted to add one more thing in the blank line at the bottom. "Great," I thought...what was it going to be...a vacation to the beach, something from the lego store...nope. He wanted to get out the Halloween bins and play with the costumes and spider webs...and what was more interesting - he gave it the highest point value on the page...above Sea World, bowling, the zoo, ice cream....hmmm, go figure. Next summer I am going to have them make up their own incentives!

Airman Adam Hrncirik...Reporting for duty

I really hate to admit this....but I am pretty sure I have taken my freedom for granted until now. There is just something about having a family member in the military that makes you feel really proud and grateful...not to mention your baby bro! This is the boy I used to change and feed and carry around singing "The Skeeters and the Bedbugs" song to in a chipmunky voice. This is the boy I couldn't imagine was old enough to drive, let alone carry a weapon. But, he enlisted in the air force and rocked basic training as he embarks a three year journey to becoming a member of a special forces team.

We had the privilege of going to his graduation from basic in San Antonio. I won't even go into the details of our ghetto fabulous hotel or tell you how long it took to get the smell out of our clothes because the week was wonderful. Adam is hardcore to say the least. Out of...oh, I can't remember how many there were...but he was at least in the top 5 (not percent...I'm saying #5 or better) of all of the graduates. Based on the sheet they gave us of all their physical stats...he was either 2nd or 3rd overall physically (when ranked in running, push ups, pull ups, sit ups, etc) and he graduated in the top 10% and was awarded "Honor Graduate". I was as proud as any "mother" could be...and I am not even his mom.

The boys were so excited to see him. They idolize their uncle. I just loved that we were a part of it and I LOVED that M was saluting like all the airmen during the ceremony. I also had to document the level of order and cleanliness never before seen or embraced by little bro...just had to show it for posterity's sake.

All Grown UP

E thinks she is so big...but I think she still kind of likes being a baby. I watch two kids once a week for my friend. The youngest is six months younger than E. So, I pulled our bouncer back out for her. Now, E's favorite thing to do is to climb into the bouncer and be a big baby. The funny thing is, she plays in it more now than she did when she was a baby.

Family Reunion...TX Style

So, there are family reunions...and then there are family reunions in small town, middle of NOWHERE TX. Marc is very supportive and maybe, just maybe, I with held the complete truth of total travel time to Seymour, TX from Austin...but I am glad we went (because according to him, we won't be going "all the way up there" again...smile...sigh). So, let's just set up the stage for you...first, we drive up to Dallas, which might as well be Alaska. After the first 15 minutes in the car, the kids are already "done" and want to know how many movies they "have" to watch before we get there. Luckily we have family in Dallas...so we play with cousins, eat yummy food and pretend that we won't have to journey farther into the wilderness in the morning. Bright and early...it is already a balmy 90 degrees at least, we pack up and head north-ish, I think. We follow our trusty google directions for another 2 hours or so until we get to the part where we should be getting where we're gettin' to. The directions just tell us to drive but not where to exit so we drive past both of the two "exits" for Seymour. Marc asks, "I thought it was downtown...where's downtown?" "We just passed it," I say.
SO, we take our next turn onto a small street with trailers, houses and a few businesses (none of which are open). We pull into the gravel parking lot of a strip mall kind of thing and a man comes out of one of the "closed" stores. "Can I help Ya'll? he asks with a charming southern drawl. "Yes, we are trying to find (show him the address)." "Oh, you must be here for the big "Hensrick/Vita" reunion, right?" Wow...when our reunion makes the local paper and all the residents know about it...you know you are in a small place. Kind of nice... but forget about privacy in a place like this!! He kindly pointed us in the right direction...which wasn't hard considering that there were only two main streets in town...and we arrived at our destination. It was kind of like a metal "barn" structure with plywood walls inside and almost no moving air...which might not be too bad except it felt like it was about 120 outside. Eme spent her time gazing at a picture of a local priest on the wall while Marc braved the heat outside with the boys. There was a bounce house and unlimited desserts so we might as well have been at Disney World as far as the kids were concerned (see pics of some happy kids).
Mostly, I caught up with some aunts and a couple of cousins and then there was the room of others I mostly don't know. I liked watching all the "old timers" interact and share their stories with each other. My Aunt Mildred celebrated her 80th bday and my Aunt Gladys (who shares a bday with Adam) had her birthday that very day. Call me crazy, but even though it was less than exciting and it took forever to get there...I like the idea of my kids knowing where they come from.

Until We Meet Again...sniff, sniff

I cannot believe I will not physically "see" my parents for a year and a half. It didn't seem like such a long time before now. My parents accepted a call to serve a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Czech Republic (aka...the motherland). Of course I know that they are needed and that they are preforming a very important service...but let me be just a little bit selfish for a minute.
I am pretty much the same person I was back in high school...but ya know how it seems like your children have grown while you were away for a weekend...yeah, multiply that by five million for how much the grandparents will miss of the little ones while they are away. It just makes me so sad that M will be almost eight when they get back, B will be in Kindergarten and E will be talking. Surely I am just being a little emotional about this...but my kids adore my parents and I know how much they love watching my children grow up and what a sacrifice it is for them. I guess I have a ways to go in my love of all mankind before I go on a mission...but for now, I will just give my kiddos a squeeze for my parents and countdown the time until we can all play together again!

It seems like just yesterday...

that I was rubbing my large belly wondering what this bundle of joy would look like and if she would be calm or crazy....and now she is 1!! It's just not fair that they grow up so fast! I love her so much it is silly.
She is very independent (a third child for sure). She can do it by herself or at least she is going to try it! She is walking around and showing us just what she wants.
For her birthday we just had a couple little friends over for cake. I was sure that she was going to dig right in...but she had to be persuaded to even taste the cake. Hmmm....wasn't expecting that from our big eater...maybe next year.