Kanigan Family: Catching Up

Does anyone out there know the best way to cram the events from four months into one little blog post? I think it's safe to say I officially broke my "post every month" streak by a long shot. Not that I am too bothered by it. The streak itself couldn't have been more than a few months anyway, so I feel pretty confident that I can try again and break my record without too much trouble!

So, with that optimistic attitude, I begin again. I WILL post at least once a month starting right now. There. I said it. No going back now...unless I fail again, in which case I'll just copy and paste these first two paragraphs in four months! :)

Okay, now that that's over with...our family updates. Since August we've had three birthdays, a visit from my parents, a move to a new apartment, a few bouts with the flu, Halloween, Thanksgiving, work, school, extra curricular activities, a few parent teacher conferences and Logan went on a week long class trip without us while Dan and I worried and missed him the entire time. It's been busy!

Logan did basketball and band this semester. He is really liking middle school much better than elementary. He's definitely a pre-teen now, which has been an adventure in and of itself. I better be careful how I dress and do my hair for the next few years, because I remember it was about this age in my own life, when I decided my parents weren't as cool as I'd thought they were. (I've completely repented of that mindset now!) I would get embarrassed over silliest things. Logan will still give me a hug in public, so maybe it won't be so bad. I'm preparing for the worst, just in case. Logan and Ellie get along really well. He is patient with her as she is transitioning from baby to big girl and he helps her have a lot of fun. "Fun" is the perfect word to describe him. He loves to laugh and play and encourages everyone around him to do the same. I love the energy he brings to our home. He is also really into reading these days. He devoured the Harry Potter books, Percy Jackson, Aragon, Hunger Games and others I can't remember. I've had to lend him my Kindle more than once, which makes me smile. I love to read too, it's something we can share.

Lincoln chose computer science for his after school activity. Unfortunately, not many other kids wanted it, so the class was canceled and he settled for Judo. It's been fun for him. Owen took Jujitsu, so they've been have battles and wrestling matches all over the place to see which one is better. Linc loves to be on the computer. He is really into coding and Kahn academy. At home he is our calming force. He's quick to hug me if I begin to lose my temper and he rarely gets in trouble. Linc is more quiet than the others, but his imagination in big. He loves to make up his own comic book characters. He draws pages and pages of hilarious ideas. My favorite is his "Adventures of Nacho and the Cheese Chip Galaxy." I think Nacho is a hamster, but I'd have to ask him.

Owen Powen. Ah, where to start. Owen likes to laugh. He finds humour in almost any situation, which has led him to the time-out corner on a number of occasions. He's trained himself well now. When he's in trouble for something, the corners of his mouth may twitch, but they don't go all the way up like they used to. Owen has an imagination the size of Texas. He is a deep thinker, and worrier (I wonder where he got that from...ahem...Dan?). His baptism day is coming up, and lately he's been asking me difficult and very thoughtful gospel questions. He wants to understand what he is getting into. It makes my heart very happy. Owen loves soccer lately, and when he wants something he doesn't think he will get, he writes me honest, mushy notes to get them. He asked me last week if Dad was the first person I ever kissed. When I told him no, he crinkled his nose and said, "Well, when I get married, she is going to be the first one I kiss!" We'll see how he feels about that in a few years. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! :)

Ellie is growing up so fast. Her "babygirlyness" is almost gone now (though not completely!) which has taken a bit longer I think because she is the youngest...and the only girl...and her daddy and brothers spoil her. Ellie likes to write notes and color. She is a complete believer in Santa Claus and is trying her very best to be good this year. She loves her brothers a lot, but that doesn't stop her from yelling at them on a regular basis (we're working on that). Ellie loves her school and her teacher. She tells me all about the nice kids and the mean kids, and she never seems too bothered by the mean stuff, so I am hoping her little self esteem is big enough to survive growing up. Ellie likes Pokemon, Tinker Bell, and Frozen. She sings with all her heart and has been taking ballet this semester. She has tried to sneak into the cheerleading class a time or two, but for the most part she really likes it.

As for the rest of us, Dan and I are doing great. The move to a new apartment has been wonderful. This place has a fantastic play area for the kids to run around and play soccer in. It has a heated pool (Ellie is swimming like a fish these days) and other kids to play with too. The traffic in front of our building is horrid, but the view is spectacular. Dan and Linc's allergies haven't disappeared, but they've eased up a lot. I've been running a lot lately. Well, more like jogging, but Dan says I sound like an old lady when I say that. :) I'm thinking about training for a half or full marathon again. It's been about thirteen years since my last one. Wow, I guess I am an old lady!
Logan has reached the age where he can watch the kids for an hour or two while Dan and I go out to eat. That has been a crazy/magnificent change in our family. I never thought the day would come! I've been doing a lot of family photo shoots, and Dan and I are working together to make a graffiti book of Rio. Let's see, I think that is about all for now. I'll let my numerous pictures tell the rest of our tale, and hopefully, I will stick to my guns and not wait so long to post next time! Wishing you all a very happy holiday!!!

Our new view...