Oatmeal

Sam...Sam...Sam... We often shake our head and wonder what will become of him in utter amazement!

A few months ago, Sam was given the "street name" Oatmeal from our neighbors (this is his Oatmeal shirt given to him by Leroy).  For those that don't know, many kids in our neighborhood have a street name, something their friends call them on the street.  There are many neighborhood kids that we only know by their street name.  It is amazing to go with Sam anywhere in the neighborhood because you will hear people call him Oatmeal. If we are in the Marketplace, at the YMCA, on a bike ride or walk, at the bank, wherever, someone is bound to recognize Sam and call him Oatmeal!

Four years ago, Sam was known for being pushed in a double stroller all around the neighborhood by a goofy bearded man.  Today he is becoming to be known for himself and who he is.  There is a reason that people know Oatmeal and it is not just because of his nickname.  Sam really does navigate his world well and is comfortable in many situations.  We are absolutely in love with the fact that he can navigate this world that we have placed him in.  As he gets older and begins to move around the neighborhood on his own, we can have the confidence that he will be OK and best of all, will be known by his neighbors around him!

Pictures of Maya Biking

It did not take long for Maya to migrate from the back deck to the street out front on her bike.  In terms of trying things new, she has a little more of a thrill gene than many of her Delp counterparts.  With the lone exception of being able to stop (something that is pretty vital in the grand scheme of things) Maya did great on her bike.  When I tried to teach her how to stop, I would say "peddle backwards" or "peddle the other way" and she would just turn her bike around.  Smart move on her part, but not really what I was going for!

I do believe that Sam and Maya are going to have many great adventures on their bikes together.  As their age difference becomes less and less significant, it is beautiful to watch their friendship and fondness for each other grow.    I think Sam was just as happy for Maya to have a bike as any of us were!

I like this next picture because I love the idea of training Sam and Maya to one day go beyond this stop sign!  There is a huge world out there for them and it is an exciting thing as a parent to prepare your child for it.  I often wonder what this world will hold for them and what they will become and I am excited to see what that is!

Here is our very proud new bike rider Maya!  We like to say: "you never know what you are going to get with Maya."  But the truth is, she has brings an amazing amount of joy, laughter, creativity, and spontaneity to the Delp family (with a little bit of sass to go with it also)!   We love you Maya!

Maya Biking

The Delp family has turned into a biking family! Maya has decided she needed an upgrade from the tricycle which was entirely too slow! The other day when we were riding bikes at Stanton Park, Maya hopped on a friends bike and off she went. You'd think she had ridden a bike before. She has not wanted to go back since.

We had a bike donated to the Marketplace this week, so I decided to purchase it for her (yes, there are some perks to working at a Thrift Store). After she helped me make it Maya sized, she was off and biking on our back porch!

I can't wait to have biking days with the entire family!

First day of Pre-School

The kids have already been back in pre-school for a month already, but here they are on their first day.  Sam is in pre-K this year.  He is really enjoying it, and we are amazed at how much he is learning.  Maya is loving the 2 year old class and talks about the "babies" in the one year old class that she was in last year.

Labor Day Road Trip

For Labor Day weekend the Delp's hit the road.  We head to Kansas for my (Katie's) grandfather's birthday and some time with my aunties and cousins.  We had a fun celebration and it was great to catch up with family.  Then we headed to Kansas City to spend the weekend with our dear friends, the Tramel's.  It was a great time with great friends and the kids played non-stop. 

Sam and Jaelyn are such good buddies and instantly reunited their sweet friendship.  

A train ride at the farmer's market

The kids experienced their first carnival.  They absolutely loved the rides!

Day at the Aquarium

We scored some free tickets to the Georgia Aquarium, so we enjoyed a day of being tourist in our own city.  The kids loved the aquarium, and we had a great day as a family.

Summer Catch Up

This summer flew by as always, and I just realized that we barely blogged!  For the few of you who follow our blog, here are a few pictures from the summer.

We had lots of fun with friends in the backyard with the pool until it got just too darn hot!

Once it was too hot outside, we built many, many forts.