Koen's First Trophy

Koen had his last soccer practice today.  They played a bunch of scrimmages and he said he did get to kick the ball a lot.  He seemed happy about that, which was great.  Since Doug is out of town, I had dropped him off and then I had neighbors ready to bring him home in case my brunch wasn't over.  It actually ended up getting done at the perfect time so that I could get back over to the field and see the end of their closing program and then hangout with him at the brief cookout.  Here's a picture of Koen sitting with his team, I've circled him in red.

Koen was so excited about his cute little trophy that all the players received today.  He was thrilled about it.  He couldn't keep his hands, eyes or mind off of it.  I was able to get this picture of he and his buddy, Silas.  

And then as you can see they were quickly back to being mesmerized by the treasure of their accomplishment.

Koen actually knew about the trophies coming since last week, so he had plenty of time to get his expectations up.  One day he told Doug and I, "Mommy, next week at soccer, we are getting trophies.  We might get other stuff too.  I think I might even get a pot of gold!"  Doug and I burst out laughing.  So cute!  Well, no pot of gold today, but Koen was plenty hyped up about trophy that he didn't remember. =)  Good job, buddy.  You have completed your first organized sport season!

Feeling So Blessed

This morning my dear friend, Megan, planned a Mother's Blessing Brunch for me in anticipation of baby #3 arriving.  It was such a special time.  Seven dear friends were able to gather with me and enjoy a delicious brunch at E-squared in Highland Park.  It was such a special feeling to be surrounded by friends from all different phases of my life celebrating what lies ahead and just taking some time to enjoy one another's company.  Here's a picture of my lovely girlfriends and myself after our fantastic time together.

Despite the fact I was not supposed to receive gifts, I felt showered with so much generosity between the cards, thoughtful gifts and being treated to a fabulous meal.  Megan also prepared a prayer card for each friend to fill out for me to be praying over this little one.  How special!  In the picture below you can see a sampling of what I received and one of the blank prayer cards.  All so thoughtful and special to me.  Thank you, friends!

The onesie Mary made herself and it has little animal silhouettes all around the back too.  Really precius (especially how small it is!).  She also included that glittery pink headband, just in case this Melder baby is a girl. =)  Below is a picture of the water bottles Mary gave me for the boys.  They were so excited to get a present themselves this morning too!  Tavin is still working on his technique, but Koen is thrilled to have a big boy water bottle finally!  

I have one more HUGE thank you to deliver.  Thank you to Miss Kylie for staying here with Tavin.  He was so happy to have someone come play with him at the house.  He loves to just stay here and enjoy his toys and some simple play time.  Kylie is so good with both the boys, but I know she enjoyed some special one-on-one time with Tavin.  When we were chatting about it after she left, Tavin said, "more Ky, Ky?"  Certainly you made an impression, Kylie.  Thanks for blessing me by watching my little guy so I could get away and enjoy this special time with friends.  Seriously, I feel so blessed today.  

While Daddy's Away the Boys will Play!

Knowing that Doug would be in Philly for 4 days, I booked our schedule in the AM hours to keep the boys and I entertained with friends and fun rather than sticking around the house and possibly getting into trouble in the familiar atmosphere of home (seems to be a breeding ground for silliness that ends up spilling over into disobedience if we hang out here too long too often!).


On Thursday morning we went to my friend Allison's house, her sons Josiah and Samuel are just about a year ahead of each of my boys and they all get along quite well.  They have a great yard and it was a beautiful day, so we spent the two hours there basically just enjoying the outdoors.  Here's a sampling of what the boys did to keep busy...


Of course Tavin had to "mow grass" for awhile.

Koen and Josiah went down the slide basically every which way.  This was a funny one they came up with.  Poor Josiah got crushed the first few times when they would land at the bottom, but they eventually figured out how to spring up so that didn't happen.  

The water toys kept them busy for awhile.  Koen is totally into swords and things like that even though we don't really ever talk about it or show him stuff about it.  Boys will just be boys I guess!  So they filled up the squirters with water and had fun shooting at things.

Tav tried to get involved too, but he liked using his stick to make mud.

Do you see someone peeking out from the hunting tent?  I just happened to get this in the right moment.  Tav was so proud of himself for hiding in the tent and surprising me.  

Here he is waving out the door of the tent.  So cute!

We had a great time with our friends.  Thanks so much, Allison, Josiah and Samuel for hosting us!


The boys were exhausted and took great naps.  Then that evening we headed over to a friend's house for dinner too, which was a great break for me so I didn't have to worry about cooking just for the boys and I that night.  Thanks, Hilary!  Sorry I didn't take any pictures of our little ones running around.  It was too much fun just hanging out to bother picking up the camera.


Yesterday, Friday, was a very rainy day.  We have had so few really rainy days, so it was actually kind of fun to have a day where we just did things inside.  We already had plans to hang out with my friend, Deborah, and her kids, Miles, Claire and Hazel, so we met up at the Science Center.  It was absolutely packed with field trips since it is the end of the school year, but thankfully because of the young kids space, it still worked out very nicely and our kids all enjoyed the visit and the change of scenery.  Here are some photos (of course)...


On the way up to our favorite floor, the boys took a break to watch a train across the river and see the view of the USS Requiem submarine.  Tav is just so cute trying to keep up with the big boys.

Tavin spent a lot of time at the water table (and his clothes got pretty wet because of it).  He mostly concentrated on the watering can as seen here.

Miles and Koen played together so well during this visit.  They are of an age now too where they can pretty much keep themselves busy and occupied in this enclosed younger child area that we enjoy so much on the 4th floor.  Here they are working in the ball factory.

I didn't get many pictures of these active older ones, but I did catch them being still as Deborah got them fitted into some costumes that displayed the organs of the body.  Koen thought it was great.

Here are the science experiments themselves...

During a bathroom break, the boys waited patiently while making a laser light show.

Before heading down to lunch we stopped on the 2nd floor to visit the train display.  We stayed in the display for longer than ever as Koen and Miles were entertaining themselves well watching all the activity in the display and Tavin was so enamored with all the trains and especially Thomas, I couldn't rush him.  Look at his excited expression the first time he saw Thomas come around the bend.  He yelled, "Hi Thota!" and waved.

Here he is keeping an eye  on Thomas' branch line.  His lips are pursed because he's saying, "choo, choo."  Seriously, precious.

You can tell Tavin is used to hanging out with big brother and his buddies.  He didn't budge when crowded by a field trip group.  He wasn't willing to give up his good view of Thomas.

After the trains, we headed down to lunch and found that there were some tables open outdoors and the rain had stopped for the time being, so we enjoyed a little fresh air and definitely less noise outside the cafe area.  After lunch we all packed up and headed home for naptimes.  Deborah, Miles, Claire and Hazel, thanks for meeting us.  It was a great morning out doing something we haven't done in awhile with some of our favorite buds.


Stay tuned to how we stay busy on Saturday!

Doug Does Landscaping

A few weeks ago I mentioned how Doug rebuilt the back porch with some friends and got a few other projects started.  Well, most weekend days or evenings that he has free, he has continued to finish off those projects and really get our whole yard ready for summer.  I'm so thrilled about all he's accomplished before the baby arrives and just so that we can all enjoy the backyard together this summer and have the big jobs done.  He has done an amazing job of including the boys.  Koen is actually quite helpful at times and Tavin is just so proud to be a part of what Daddy and brother are doing.  I've owed Doug an "ode" blog post for a few days now as we finished all the final touches before a party we hosted here on Wednesday night.


Here are a few pictures of what he's been working on...


He raised the bricks that line this rose bed so that mulch won't so easily fall into the yard.  And he re-mulched all the flower beds.

Our tomato plants are in the ground and mulched (we all helped with this, but Doug was the one that kept us on task so that we got them in the ground before they got sad in the heat!).

To the far right in this pic (below), you can see that Doug has managed to get most of the tree stump out from next to our back porch and filled in the patio.  He also built a raised bed that fits one tomato plant on top of the only remaining area of the obnoxious stump.  It looks so much better in that area versus the pile of stump remains, dirt and broken bricks with our trash cans piled on top. =)

Doug cut in this new garden bed along 1/2 of our house (pic below).  He planted 5 hydrangea bushes there.   Not to mention he also arranged to have our foundation (limestone) fully sealed with cement after a thorough clean-out and then covered with a charcoal black sealant paint.  It is so striking and neat looking now.  We keep getting comments from neighbors.  Good job, babe!

A random photo from the party the other night that shows that we have completed the painting of the remaining wooden railings/posts on the new back deck.  I have to note that Koen is an amazing host on top of all his other budding talents.  He served every single person their drink that night and also helped with taking people's used plates to the trash.  Really sweet and helpful!

Thanks for all your hardwork this Spring, babe.  It has definitely paid off.  The yard looks very neat and fresh.  We will get so much use out of it as a family and I'm sure our guests will enjoy it too.  I look forward to not being pregnant next Spring so I can be a little more helpful and get my hands dirty with you. =)

Koen's Preschool Graduation

Yesterday was a big day for Koen.  He had his last official day of preschool, including the closing program and his class' graduation.  I think Doug and I would both say that watching preschoolers preform and accept diplomas for a half hour is one of the most hilarious and enjoyable forms of entertainment.  You have the kids that are chattering to one another, the ones that are totally in their own zone and not participating in hand motions, etc., then there are the ones that are totally on board and so into it.  Koen was somewhere in between all of that.  He was attentive to what he was supposed to be doing, but also very interested in what everyone else was doing.  I took a lot of pictures and videos, so you'll get the idea...

On the way in to school Koen saw another preschooler getting their photo taken at the door and he said he wanted to do that too, so here's my big boy as he entered his last day of preschool (ever!)...

Here's the class entering the hall for the little performance and graduation ceremony and finding their seats...

It was really cute because it took Koen quite awhile to find where we were sitting, but once he did he was all about waving to us and mouthing, "Hi Mommy!"  Precious.  I hope at Kindergarten graduation he's still not too grown up to yell out such a loving hello.

Here are the videos of the song performances.  Truly entertaining...

After the musical portion of the performance, the two classes did a dramatization of Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."  The children all got to help make their own props.  Koen was very excited to be a strawberry.  Here are some pictures of the presentation.  They all got to pass the caterpillar through their prop as the story was read.  Koen was all business when it was his turn.  So cute!

And here is 2/3 of Koen's fan club.  Tavin loved the music and the story and was a trooper as always being the onlooker instead of involved up on stage.

At this point, the performance aspect came to a close and it was time for the diplomas.  The kids were supposed to walk under the arbor, bow or curtsie depending on gender, and then continue on around the arbor.  Here's the setup...

It was so hilarious watching each child try to remember how it was all supposed to go.  Some went all the way through and around.  Otherwise went halfway, accepted their diploma, then went in reverse back to their seats.  The variety of bows and curtsies was probably the best part.  One girl totally lifted her dress up to her head which then showed her legs and undergarments completely.  Priceless.  When Koen's class was up for diplomas, Koen's name was unexpectedly called first, so on the video you don't hear it unfortunately, but thankfully, I caught the cute part.

Congratulations, Koen.  We are very proud of all that you have accomplished in your time at preschool and we look forward to a fun summer and then the new experience of kindergarten in the Fall.  Love you, Koen Douglas!


PS - After graduation we took Koen and Tavin to Mellon Park to play and then we celebrated with a special family lunch out at Mad Mex.  Here are pictures of the boys enjoying being outside with Mommy and Daddy celebrating Koen's accomplishment. 

Memorial Day 2012 - Another Scorcher!

I can definitely remember that the last 3 Memorial Days have been hot ones.  3 years ago my sister-in-law, Leah, was here from FL and she was surprised that the weather was pretty much identical to her home.  That was also right before Tavin plummeted into pneumonia at only 6 months.  Poor Tav.  The following year (last year) I remember us walking down to the parade in Lawrenceville through the Allegheny Cemetery.  The walk there was pleasant enough, but the hike back up the hill closer to noon, was intense!  We headed straight into the backyard getting the pool out for the first time that year.  We mimicked that part of last year this year too.  So, this year Doug and Koen headed to Home Depot early to get some landscaping supplies, then we all worked outside for a few hours.  Our friends, Megan and Sky, came over around 11am for brunch.  Tav and Doug were both in need of a break from the sun and heat (Koen somehow never seems to mind!).  We set up the pool and let the water warm up while we ate our delicious brunch.  I made a pineapple/strawberry/blueberry upside-down (get it?  red, white and blue?) sour cream whole wheat coffee cake, Doug made a flavorful, huge omelette and we also had some fresh fruit.  Delicious!  We all enjoyed the indoor break too.  Then we got the boys dressed in their swimsuits and headed back out into the sun.  The boys loved it!  Just like with the sprinkler the other night, I was curious to see how Tavin did with the pool experience.  It took him about 2 minutes to figure out that whatever brother did looked like a great idea.  So, he basically jumped, slid, spun and splashed around just as much as Koen.  We adults enjoyed the frequent splashes for the most part as we stayed mostly in the shade of the trees and the patio umbrella.  Here are the brothers in the pool for the first time this season...

The boys were tired out from spending most of the morning outside and being active.  Thankfully they took great naps too since we had fun evening plans as well.  At 5pm, we headed over to Deborah & Grant's house (Miles, Claire and Hazel's parents) for a Memorial Day cookout with them and a bunch of mutual college friends.  It was a blast!  Albeit a HOT blast, but still a fantastic time.  All the adults just couldn't believe how many kids we all have at this point.  Kind of crazy to see the house and yard over-run with little ones!  If we had our 3rd one before this cookout, the adults actually would've been outnumbered!  The kids all did great with the heat, but they were all especially happy when we broke out the sprinkler.  Here are a few shots of my boys running around getting cooled off.  Tavin just loves water this summer.  I'm so excited that he's into it!  He gets so overheated, I'm glad he can enjoy these simple ways of cooling off!

We got the boys into bed a little after 8pm and they fell asleep fast!  Doug and I were exhausted from the heat and sun too and I turned in around 9:15pm!  A good night's sleep feels great though.  We had a great Memorial Day together as a family and with friends.  It really feels like summer now!

First Sprinkler of the Summer

Last night I got the sprinkler out for the boys to play in before dinner.  It was muggy and hot all day here and that is going to be the theme throughout the weekend, so I figured that we had to do something to keep them cool outside.  Koen was so excited about the idea, but I was curious to see how Tavin would do.  Well, as you can see in this video (and hear in his squeals of delight), they both turned out to love the activity.  At this point in the evening Tavin was still sticking to the sides and thinking it was awesome, but about 10 minutes later he got very courageous and followed his big brother right through the middle and by the end was happy to stand over the spray and stick his face in to get a drink.  Looks like we will be using the sprinkler a lot this summer!