Playing Outside

We had a blast just playing outside yesterday. Here are some pics.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

So does it all happen when they turn 2? The good, the bad and the ugly. Let's see...

The Good
1. Vocabulary: It seems to increase by the minute. We've gone beyond transportation vehicles, cookie and candy! Whew! We've got please down, still working on thank you, and if anyone around burps, he'll be sure to excuse them.
2. Appetite: He's finally given up and decided that there are worse things in the world than meat and veggies. Now, don't be silly, cookies and "pepper balls" rule, but the others are tolerable now.
3. Relationships: Mama, Papa, Kim, Grandmas, Grandpas, Sarah, Dani, Lillie, Ms. Cheryl, Clay, Erika, Anna, Mr. Daryl, Nick, Luke, Kevin, Logan, Madeline - All of the people he's spoken about without their presence. It's clear relationships are important to this guy. Speaking of relationships, Wyatt got his first kiss tonight at then end of his playdate with Lillie. Too cute to not share.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8547195365462784844
4. Pretend Play: When the Bob the Builder bit Wyatt and was prompty put to sleep, it was clear prentend time has arrived.
5. Humor: We love to laugh hard and laugh lots. The sillier the better!

The Bad
1. Stong Willed: Good when you're 15 and resisting peer pressure. Not so good to try to get your way 24/7 around mom or dad.
2. "NO": Are you serious?! How many times can one person say this in one day.
3. Obsessions: Playdough + Thomas = Heaven on Earth. Not so much bad, just CONSTANT!













The Ugly
1. #&%! Happens: You know you are ready to begin potty training when...you not only tell mom that you "po po", but you are also holding in your hand.
2. Temper Tantrums: Exactly how hard do you have to shake your head and kick your feet before you do permanent damage? Whether it's good, bad or ugly, he's the "one of a kind" kid that we can't get enough of!

A Perfect Match

Finally, somebody to give Wyatt a run for his money. Meet Ms. Lily Nielsen. We had a great playdate today; begining at the park, off for a little Fazoli's drive thru, throw a popcicle in there and then spin till we fall down and double over laughing. What a Saturday night!!

Happy Birthday, Wyatt!!!!

"Two Years Ago Today"

Two years ago today
In a far away land
A young Kazakh woman
Gave birth; unplanned.

There were no tears of happiness
For this little baby boy
No cigars passed
Or champagne toasts of joy.

Instead a young mother and child
For whose care she couldn’t provide
She wasn’t prepared to be a mother
No matter how hard she tried.

With a heart of gold,
She knew he needed more,
Without a word
She slipped out the door.

There he lay
A future so bright,
Madrid Shalikbayev
Slept through the night.

Two years ago today,
In the Bluegrass state
A young childless couple
Sealed their fate.

Their child to be
Would be born in a far away land
To which they would travel
To become a family as planned.

With hopeful hearts
And a faithful leap
They knew they’d find
the child they would one day keep.

This couple had no clue
How much they would pray
To thank God for what He made happen
Two years ago today.

"Do I have anything on my face?"

Guess which part of the doughnut Wyatt ate first. And yes, we're still working on that smile.

See Ya, Summer

Adios summer vacation. Oh well. I can't complain. We've made the most of this summer and its time to get back into the regular routine. So, in memory of the summer of 2007, here are some pics that you haven't seen yet.

The World Accoding to Wyatt

On the beach: This is awesome! I love the waves, but when they get strong, I may need a little lift from mom or dad.

On time out: Time out sucks! A little screaming doesn't hurt anyone. I didn't even hit mom that hard! I don't want to do what you say ALL of the time!

Vegetables: Who needs them anyway. I eat plenty of bread, cheese and cookies.

Summer: Love it, Love it, Love it...(minus the whole time out thing). You can't beat days full of the park, the YMCA, a vacation here or there and sleeping in.

On Vehicles: I'm not picky, I love them all. A bus, a truck, a tractor, a motorcycle. They make a car ride worth while; chanting what I see until mom or dad acknowledge it.

On TV: Barney or High Five top my list. I don't really watch them. I usually chant for them until mom or dad turns them on. I hang out for a minute and watch. But then, I just listen and pop in and out while running around the house playing with all of my toys.

My crocs: Finally, shoes I can put on by myself! They sure beat those other brown fancy sandals.

Tattoos: I can't wait till I'm 18 and they don't wash off in the tub. I'll take one on my belly and one on my forearm.

Hiding: How is it possible that mom and dad can find me even though I've covered my eyes to hide from them? They are good!!!

SMA Walk Part 2

The SMA walk is just over 2 weeks away and everything is coming together. After registering Team Schlafer, I realized that I could create a donation site for people that may want to support finding a cure for SMA, but cannot make it to the walk. So, I figured, what a better way to get it out than blog it! So, here it is...

http://www.firstgiving.com/mschlafer

Pics from Grandma and Grandpa's

It is clear from the pictures that Wyatt has had no fun at Grandma and Grandpa's so far!

SMA Walk

Today's post is a little different than our usual posts. Wyatt is at Grandma and Grandpa's, so we have no pics to share.
I would, however, like to take the opportunity to share with you some information about one of Wyatt's best friends Dani. Dani is a 3 year old girl from Lexington, KY. Her mom and I (Michelle)are very close friends. At the age of 6 months, Dani was diagnosed with a disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is a recessive genetic disease that destroys the nerves controlling voluntary movement (very similar to Lou Gehrig's disease, but in children) and has 4 different types. Dani has Type 1, which is the most severe. There currently is no cure, however SMA was selected by the National Institute of Health as the prototype for an accelerated drug discovery effort, singling out SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders. Dani is a very smart and social girl that loves school and friends. I am on a committee that is organizing a walk to raise awareness and money to find a cure for SMA. The save the date card is pictured on this post. If you live near Lexington, KY, we'd love to see you there. If not, please feel free to check out www.fsma.org for more information on SMA or to make a donation for research. Thank you!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all of the Papas!

Here are some recent pics with Wyatt's newest adventures

1. Learning to smile on cue...this one may need some fine tuning.
2. Flip Flops and hats. Wyatt loves shoes. Crocks, flip flops, sandals, Nike's...he loves them all and definitely has preferences as to which ones he wears and when.

Adoption Assistance Picnic

Today we attended a our homestudy agency's (Adoption Assistance) annual picnic. As usual, it was a blast. We rode the a pony, played on the playground, ate ice cream and best of all visited with lots of other families that have children from KZ. One of the pictures on this post is Wyatt hugging a little boy named Luke. Luke now lives in Russel Springs, but he is from the same baby house Wyatt is from...even the same group. What an amazing connection to have. We also saw Brenna from Aktobe, and Kole and Nick from Karagonda. We are so thankful for the opportunity to meet such great families that we share a common amazing experience with.

As a side note, Happy Anniversary to Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Ron!

And The Winner Is...

Me! I am offically the biggest blogger slacker alive! I am not even going to attempt a recap from the last time I've blogged. With that said, I'll post some of the latest pics and promise to blog more regularly.

Happy Family Day

To celebrate our first ever Family Day, we tried to think of Wyatt's favorite things. Here's what we came up with...Gatti Town with carousel rides, pizza, lots of lights and games, and of course, a cookie to top it all off. We'll let you be the judge of whether he enjoyed it.

One Year Ago Today

March 20, 2006 Eastern Time




March 20, 2007 Eastern Time

Quick Pics

I'll be the first to admit that I've been quite the slacker with the blog updates. Here are some pics taken this past week. The boy loves his hats, shoes and glasses. All of which he wants to take off, put on, take off, put on. I guess its the little things in life!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let is Snow

Yippee...snow day #2. This time, real snow. We were able to get out the sled that Kim got Wyatt for Christmas and he had a blast. He liked dumping himself out of it as much as he liked being pulled in it. After his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink and there were nose drippings down to his chin, we decided enough was enough. Apparently he didn't agree...not even hot chocolate could keep him from throwing a major tantrum while standing and pointing at the door. I'll give you one guess what we'll be doing tomorrow!