Adley is 3.5

Adley was so excited to turn 3 1/2 this fall. She always remembers to add the "and a half!" when people ask how old she is. Our little lady is such an observant and intuitive girl. She continually amazes us with what she knows. She has a kind, loving heart and yet, at the same time, she firmly knows how to stand her ground if things aren't going her way! Adley plays so well independently and occasionally even tells us, "I want to play all by myself." She loves to create things with paper and tape (LOTS of tape). She is a smiley, helpful, Jesus-loving, energetic girl, and we are so thankful that God put her in our lives.

A few more current Adley details...

PHYSICAL

• Loves dancing to Christian music, especially at night before bed
• Independently dresses herself
• Learned how to buckle and unbuckle her own carseat

LANGUAGE

• Still enjoys listening to book after book after book
• Frequently asks to listen to a read-aloud audio book on Mommy's phone
• Loves High Five magazines and doing art project ideas from them
• Often uses surprising vocabulary, e.g. "My tower just collapsed!" or "That was disappointing."
• Can recognize all capital letters in print
• Can easily write her name and frequently adds it to her pictures
• Has started to identify the initial letter sound of many words
• Knows the titles, singers, and words to many Christian songs (favorites include "Love God, Love People" and "God is on the Move")

PLAYTIME/OTHER

• Favorite games include Sleeping Queens, Hide and Seek, Busytown, Go Fish, Too Many Monkeys
• Favorite shows: DocMcStuffins, Daniel Tiger, Mickey's Clubhouse
• Likes saying "Dazzle" while running her finger along someone's face as a way to say goodnight (not sure where she came up with this one!?)
• Has started to skip her nap occasionally
• Naps for 1.5-2 hours on most days but will then stay up until 9:30 or even later!
• Loves using scissors, markers and tape to create special projects out of paper
• Obsessed with stickers! Will make pictures out of anything that sticks, including castoff address labels, Daddy's unused fatasy football labels, old garage sale price tags)
• Sleeps through the night on most nights, except when sick
• Has started to talk to her dolls or stuffed animals while playing
• Can play Hot Cross Buns on the piano
• Loves helping Mommy bake in the kitchen

July/Aug/Sept Misc

 Here are a few miscellaneous family activities from the past few months...

Silliness at Grandpa and Grandma's

We love having Grandpa and Grandma in Texas! Driving less than 15 minutes to reach their home is such a blessing. During one mealtime at Grandpa and Grandma's house this summer, our kids curiously analyzed the cucumbers on the table and asked why some people put cucumbers on their eyes. They decided they needed to try it! Cody looks pretty serious in the photo, but don't be fooled. This feat brought a bunch of giggles from everyone!

Daddy's Birthday

We were thrilled that Daddy took a day off work this summer so that we could spend his birthday together as a family. We enjoyed playing tennis, going swimming, and competing in some board games. Unfortunately, Jason had to spend the evening in an online SMP class, but we loved having most of the day together!

Fine Arts

Lately, Adley has been using more people in her drawings. I think they look so adorable! This picture was one she drew after jumping on a friend's trampoline. She even included the safety nets on the side of the trampoline. :)

Both Jaden and Cody (but Jaden especially) used some of their free time this summer to play piano just for fun. They got to know some of their pieces really well! Here is Jaden playing the song Viva la France with me. This duet is one of my all-time favorite duets in this piano series.

First Sleepover

In August, our neighbors invited Jaden and Cody to spend the night at their home to celebrate their son Carter's birthday. This was our boys' first overnight at a non-relative's home. Jaden and Cody weren't nervous at all, though it probably helped that these neighbors live directly behind us. We assured the boys that if they felt homesick, all they had to do was look out the window! These four boys had a great time-- especially watching TV and playing video games.

First Day of School

We were so thankful that our school decided to return to in-person classes this fall. School life isn't quite the same with the mask-wearing and social distancing requirements, but it's much preferable to the online learning option. Jaden and Cody were happy to go back to "real school" but were understandably a little nervous. It had been a 5 1/2 month break, after all!

Adley Time

With the boys back in school full time, Adley and Mommy had the chance to focus our activities a bit more on Adley again. One of our first items of business was getting a haircut for Adley. This was only her second-ever haircut, so she had mixed emotions about going. In the end, though, Adley did great! We both love that Adley's shorter hair is MUCH less tangly!

Jaden and Cody began soccer practice shortly after school started, so this got Adley talking about soccer as well. We aren't planning to put her on an organized sports team quite yet, but she sure loves practicing her kicks in the yard. It's especially fun when we set up the real net.

Andrea Moves to Texas

In mid-September, my long-time friend Andrea got a job in Texas and officially moved here. We offered to let her stay with us until she bought a new home. Our kids have adjusted really well to having an extra roommate, and Andrea has been very helpful cleaning up after dinner and watching our kids occasionally. She even gave Jason and me a Friday night date night one weekend! Before Andrea's job started, Adley and I accompanied Andrea to her downtown legal office so that she could pick up some work equipment. Her office is only a couple blocks away from the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, so we decided to stop by there too. It was a beautiful day to try out their walking trails. We saw so many beautiful plants and even encountered a snake on one trail! We agreed that we would need to return in the spring, when everything was in full bloom. 

Schleiquist Talent Show

 At the end of the summer, we were thrilled to participate in the 2nd Annual Schleicher/Walquist Family (aka Schleiquist) Talent Show. Each family member, old and young, performed an act of talent for the group. It was great fun seeing all the variety of acts presented. We sure have a creative family!

Uncle Matt was the emcee for the event, introducing the acts from the actual program that Uncle Jon had created. Uncle Jon also served as the DJ, playing short clips of songs that related to each individual's talent. It was quite funny hearing the musical selections Jon came up with.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening watching the following acts:

balloon animal creations by Aunt Kim

somersaults by Ben

paper purse-making by Abby

book title recitations (30 books!) by Adley

The Chicken Dance by Papa and Grammy

followed up by a piano duet (considering he doesn't claim to be musical at all, Papa was quite proud, as you can see in the photos!)

Cody and Jaden singing Christian songs they had written

Ian, back for the 2nd year with advanced rope tricks

mirror-writing by Uncle Andrew

marriage mental telepathy by Jason and me

musical selections on piano and guitar by Grandpa and Grandma

Nathan, demonstrating his basketball skills

tennis skills by Uncle Jon

swingset acrobatics by Ryan

scooter racing by Isaiah

tennis swings by Noah

fire hydrant shooting by Uncle Matt

Not pictured are Aunt Sarah who showed us a pretty amazing trick with how wide she can open her mouth and Aunt Chelsea who sang a little song with Micah.

Here are the videos of our kiddos' performances:

What a memorable family time! We are already looking forward to next year's event!