Foster and Katie are just 20 months apart and we lived in a massive 960 sq. foot 2 bedroom house when she was born. We moved Foster to a “big boy bed” when he was about 18 months old so that Katie could have the crib.  He never got out of bed at night but we did have to teach him to stay in it for his daytime naps.

This picture actually makes me a little sad.  He looks lonely doesn’t he? Chris was working 2nd shift and we rarely ate dinner as a family.  I would fix something for Foster and then after I got him in bed would eat alone while I read or watched t.v.  The summer after Foster turned 2 years old Chris started an apprenticeship program and moved to a 1st shift job. Thankfully, he has worked 1st shift ever since and having dinner as a family is something we do most nights.  While dinner time can sometimes get hectic, messy and loud, I am thankful that my children have each other and mommy and daddy with which to share a meal.

At his Uncle Chad’s birthday party in 2006.  Grammy made that great leather cowboy vest for him.  He has always loved dressing up.

This is the summer after Foster turned 3 years old. Katie was newly walking, I was pregnant with Theodore and Chris was deployed to Iraq.  We were home a lot that summer but one of Foster’s favorite things was eating those big cake like cookies on the front porch.  He has always been a messy eater, even now we have to remind him to slow down if he’s eating something he enjoys.

Foster and I went to see Thomas the train in Chattanooga that summer that Chris was deployed.  Grammy took care of Katie and we had a wonderful day together.  We were cooling off under one of the tents they had set up and this lady asked if any of the kids could come up and sing the alphabet song.  Foster was 3 and half and very shy around adults and crowds.  I was shocked when he volunteered and so proud when he sang the whole thing! That was one of my first homeschooling success stories!